CP System

The CP System, short for Capcom Play System and later called CPS-1, is an arcade system board that Capcom built so that one set of hardware could run many different games. Rather than make a separate circuit board for every title, Capcom stored each game's software on a removable daughterboard that plugged into a common main board, which cut hardware costs for arcade operators. Development began in 1986, after Capcom president Kenzo Tsujimoto came up with the concept, and took about two and a half years. The board pairs a Motorola 68000 main processor with a Zilog Z80 as the secondary processor and two custom graphics chips called the CPS Super Chips. It is best known for brawler games such as Final Fight and Captain Commando, and more than two dozen titles were released for it before Capcom moved on to the CP System II. Capcom ceased production of the hardware in May 1995 and ended technical support in March 2015. A faster variant, the CP System Dash, and a home unit, the Capcom Power System Changer, reused the design.