Super A'Can
Encyclopedia
The Super A'can is a console that was released exclusively in Taiwan
in 1995 by Funtech Entertainment
. At first glance it appears to be a Super Nintendo
clone with the case and controllers bearing a strong similarity to the Japanese version, but inside is a Motorola 68000
, similar to the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive and Neo Geo
.
Twelve games have been confirmed to exist for the system.
Although the A'can is a powerful console that had the support of several of Taiwan's largest firms developing software for it, it ultimately failed on the market for a few reasons: its initial cost was too high for most interested parties to afford, and newer, more powerful systems with 3D technology were appearing on the market at the same time (such as the Sony
PlayStation
). Also, as the developers were pushed to finish their games as quickly as possible (and using a rather stubborn and poorly documented development kit to do so), the resulting A'can games were, by far, nothing special.
In fact, the A'can did so very poorly on the market during its short appearance there that it lost its company over USD$6M (6 million US dollars). In the end, the company destroyed all development and production materials related to the machine, and sold off the remaining systems to the United States as scrap parts.
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
in 1995 by Funtech Entertainment
Funtech
The Funtech Entertainment Corporation is the Taiwanese company responsible for the Super A'Can amongst other things such as Geographic Information Systems and office equipment and office supplies. It was a subsidy of UMC until it collapsed due to the failure of the Super A'Can....
. At first glance it appears to be a Super Nintendo
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
clone with the case and controllers bearing a strong similarity to the Japanese version, but inside is a Motorola 68000
Motorola 68000
The Motorola 68000 is a 16/32-bit CISC microprocessor core designed and marketed by Freescale Semiconductor...
, similar to the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive and Neo Geo
Neo Geo (console)
The is a cartridge-based arcade and home video game system released on July 1, 1991 by Japanese game company SNK. Being in the Fourth generation of Gaming, it was the first console in the former Neo Geo family, which only lived through the 1990s...
.
Twelve games have been confirmed to exist for the system.
Although the A'can is a powerful console that had the support of several of Taiwan's largest firms developing software for it, it ultimately failed on the market for a few reasons: its initial cost was too high for most interested parties to afford, and newer, more powerful systems with 3D technology were appearing on the market at the same time (such as the Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
). Also, as the developers were pushed to finish their games as quickly as possible (and using a rather stubborn and poorly documented development kit to do so), the resulting A'can games were, by far, nothing special.
In fact, the A'can did so very poorly on the market during its short appearance there that it lost its company over USD$6M (6 million US dollars). In the end, the company destroyed all development and production materials related to the machine, and sold off the remaining systems to the United States as scrap parts.
CPU
| Processor | Motorola 68000 Motorola 68000 The Motorola 68000 is a 16/32-bit CISC microprocessor core designed and marketed by Freescale Semiconductor... (or equivalent) clocked at 10.74 MHz |
|---|---|
| Secondary processor | 8-bit MOS 6502 MOS Technology 6502 The MOS Technology 6502 is an 8-bit microprocessor that was designed by Chuck Peddle and Bill Mensch for MOS Technology in 1975. When it was introduced, it was the least expensive full-featured microprocessor on the market by a considerable margin, costing less than one-sixth the price of... , clocked at 3.58 MHz |
Input and output
| Control pad inputs | Two DE-9M (9-pin male D-connectors) on front of console, identical to those of the Sega Sega , usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world... Genesis/Mega Drive (though not compatible with Genesis/Mega Drive control pads) |
|---|
List of games
- F001: Formosa Duel
- F002: Sango FighterSango FighterSango Fighter is a fighting game for DOS made by the Taiwanese Panda Entertainment and released in 1993. Set in the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history, it is very similar to Street Fighter, but with historical context....
- F003: The Son of Evil
- F004: Speedy Dragon/Sonic Dragon
- F005: Super Taiwanese Baseball League
- F006: Journey to the Laugh (aka C.U.G.)
- F007: Super Light Saga - Dragon Force
- F008: Monopoly: Adventure in Africa
- F009: Gambling Lord
- F010: Magical Pool
- F011: Boomzoo
- F012: Rebel Star
External links
- Fan site (via archive.org)
- Video Game Console Library page