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Hydreigon

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The myth of Namco System 256 being more powerful than 246 has been around for as long as I can remember but can't seem to find a proper answer. All we know is:
  • System 256 uses the combined Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesizer, EE+GS CXD9833GB, previously used on slim PS2 models, SCPH-7000X. System 246C still had the EE and GS separate despite the unified pcb design.
  • System 256 no longer supports ATAPI commands. Any System 246 games that rely on these commands won't run on System 256 under normal circumstances.
  • System 256 uses an additional expansion bus but only makes use of two boards with that bus.
  • Time Crisis 4 has its EE+GS chip clocked higher than a standard 256 as well as additional ram. Clock speeds of both remain unknown.
  • All System 256 games run at VGA res (I think).
I'm predicting a higher clock speed and/or more ram for System 256 but not as much to an extent as with Time Crisis 4. It wouldn't make sense to have the graphical capabilities of System 256 the same as System 246.
 
All System 256 games run at VGA res (I think).
When I was testing the ATAPI ODE I tested every game on both hardware versions (246B and 256) at every resolution.

IIRC all 256 games support 31kHz and 15kHz modes
about half of all 246 games only supported 15kHz modes. most fighting game supported both but all the driving games, gun games, sports games and a few others were 15kHz only.

one interesting thing I discovered:
Kinnikuman Muscle Grand Prix is a 256 game
Kinnikuman Muscle Grand Prix 2 is a 246 game


so the later game in the series came out on "earlier" hardware. or it was perhaps released on 256 hardware in 246 mode.
 
Just a note regarding the system super 256, Time Crisis 4 only runs in 15khz 480i and does not have the gun I/O board integrated. It also has the 246+ jumper removed and no other game besides TC4 will run on the SS256. TC4 also has a card attached to it that looks like a composite video port, it’s actually a 3rd audio output (mono) for the voice navigation feature of the game.
 
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