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[IbizaPocholo]

The Motorola 68000 CPU was released in 1979, to compete with the Intel 8086. The chip was designed to be powerful and versatile and made its mark by not only powering some of the most iconic and beloved games in the 1980s and 1990s, but it also ruled in the home and in the arcades. It helped define the gaming experiences of a generation and left a lasting impact on the industry. Today's episode is a love letter to one of the most influential CPU processors ever and one that many still love to write code on. Please Enjoy!

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to the 68000
03:31 - Origins of the Processor
04:59 - 68000 in the Arcades
06:56 - 68000 Home Computers
08:29 - Capcom CPS1 and CPS2 Hardware
09:00 - What makes the 68000 so versatile?
13:49 - The DemoScene
14:44 - GUIs
16:04 - 68000 Game Consoles
18:23 - Demise and Legacy

The video explores the significance and legacy of the Motorola 68000 CPU, which debuted in 1979 and became notable for its power and versatility in computing and gaming. It was instrumental in the rise of 16-bit home computers and gaming consoles, remaining relevant for over 15 years by powering numerous arcade games and notable computer systems such as the Amiga and Mac. Despite eventually being overshadowed by more powerful processors, the 68000's architecture and flexibility continue to influence modern computing and gaming architecture.

Introduction of Motorola 68000

Released in 1979, the Motorola 68000 was designed to be a powerful competitor to Intel's 8086, boasting advanced features for its time. It became a groundbreaking chip that influenced both home computing and video gaming.

Transition in the Gaming Landscape

By the late 1980s, the 68000 facilitated the transition from 8-bit to 16-bit computing, enhancing gaming experiences with more powerful hardware. It became a key processor for many home computers and game consoles, significantly impacting video game quality.

Widespread Adoption

The 68000 found its way into many iconic systems, including the Sega Genesis, Atari ST, and Apple Macintosh, demonstrating its versatility and power in the gaming and computing market.

Arcade Revolution

Many arcade classics, such as Street Fighter 2 and Outrun, utilized the 68000, marking it as a significant part of the arcade industry's evolution. It powered around 4,000 arcade games, underlining its impact on gaming history.

Technical Prowess

The architecture of the 68000, with its 32-bit internal design and 16-bit external data bus, offered superior performance and ease of development, making it favored among programmers and game developers.

Legacy and Obsolescence

Although replaced in advanced computing by newer architectures, the 68000's legacy continues through its use in various niche applications, including hobbyist projects and embedded systems, alongside ongoing community support through the demo scene.

 

[butane bob]

It blows my mind that Sega were using not 1, but 2 (and sometimes 3) Motorola 68k chips in some of their arcade games, and this was before the Megadrive was even released.... and each one of those CPU's was clocked twice as fast as the Megadrive's.
The amount of money they had to just piss away on their arcade hardware made arcade gaming utterly magical in the late 80s/early 90s, coz a lot of those games were easily a generation or 2 ahead of what you could get at home.
We'll never see that kind of advancement in graphics ever again.