Most Powerful 8 Bit?

[Scapegoat]

I remember the Enterprise 64 (aka Elan 64) was supposed to rather good. Never seen one running though.

Then there was the Apple III. Powerful, but bobbins.

[woody.cool]

If we're taking tech specs alone, then the most powerful 8-bits were: PC Engine, Amstrad GX4000, Amstrad CPC Plus series and possibly the Sam Coupé

[killermike]

The Sam Coupe had some impressive graphics modes for an 8 bit but it was ruined by a slow processor that couldn't move them around effectively. All in a package that cost nearly as much as an ST. Who knows what it might have achieved had it been released on time and at the expected price of 99 pounds though?

The 800XL had amazing hardware, even featuring Amiga style per-line changes to the palette and hardware sprites. It was a sort of 8 bit Amiga. It's worth noting that, like the Amiga, it had originally been conceived as a console, hence the amazing hardware.

The BBC was a machine that I ran but it was held back by the high price and lack of memory. It had a low res 8 colour mode that was good for games, reasonable sound and no problems with colour clash.

I'd be happy to be corrected but I don't think that any of the 8 bit home computers could touch the PC Engine for specs. The Master System is also quite powerful for an 8 bit and probably ahead of any of the home computers.

[woody.cool]

PC Engine was the most powerful 8-bit in my opinion.
In fact, when I first saw the PC Engine, I didn't even realise it was an 8-bit

Street Fighter II: Champion Edition ...... AMAZING!
R-Type ...... AMAZING!

What more can I say?

[Benway68]

The Enterprise 64 / 128 had quite a lot of clout.
A video I did about the system is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3pPxlCIkU8

So the CPU was still a pretty average Z80, but it had custom chips to handle graphics and sound, which took the load off the CPU.
Pity there was just about no software that took advantage of these chips, most games being pretty average Spectrum and Amstrad ports.

I have videos of the 3 games I have for my Enterprise 64.

Beach-Head: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te4JcBaj_mM

Batman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyf3CNXEP68

3D Star Strike: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-pNtJEi1HA

[oli_lar]

The PC Engine had an 8 bit cpu, but dual 16 bit graphics processor, so its not really a pure 8 bit unless you are looking at cpu alone (which is a bit silly). Iirc the MSX Turbo R's cpu is an 8 bit at heart, but with several 16 bit functions. I don't really know what the most powerful 8 bit is, but the demos shown in the master's C64 thread are awesome.

[zerocool]

The PC Engine had an 8 bit cpu, but dual 16 bit graphics processor, so its not really a pure 8 bit unless you are looking at cpu alone (which is a bit silly). Iirc the MSX Turbo R's cpu is an 8 bit at heart, but with several 16 bit functions. I don't really know what the most powerful 8 bit is, but the demos shown in the master's C64 thread are awesome.

The PC Engine isn't a true 8-bit, so that system should be omitted... from what I've heard over the years, the stuff you see going on in a demo, doesn't necessarily mean the same tricks can all be implemented into a game. A lot of clever trickery is going on in those demo's. I've seen demo's just as impressive on the other 8-bits.

[forestville]

the snes in a way is an 8 bit console that thinks like a 16bit system.

the commodore 128d is an 8bit and can have upto 512k of ram.

[Zetr0]

the snes in a way is an 8 bit console that thinks like a 16bit system.

the commodore 128d is an 8bit and can have upto 512k of ram.

When i first read this I was bemused and I thought absurd!, I had honestly thought that the SNES was a 32bit console, it was only after reading up via google and wiki that I discovered the NES is a 16bit CPU / 15bit Video processing console.... freaky!!!

the CPU is a Nintendo Butcherd/modified 16 65c816 Risc @21.2Mhz (named 5A22) which also contains an 8-bit parallel I/O and according to the Wiki was mostly unused in the SNES.

But reading a little further, what really opens up the SNES is the fact it has 2 bus'es a 24bit databus and an 8-bit data bus too! (please note that gives 32bits of databus pathway of which 8 bits or 24 bits are indepenent and can be shuttled to differeing custom chips i.e. sound / grahpics) not bad for a butchered 16bit risc chip it can actually read & write at the same time ..... technically.... lol... oh how my Kernals Lecturer would complain on Atomic processing!!!.... err.... moving on....

well you learn something every day

most powerful 8bit computer?.... thats a tricky question.... technically its a compund argument so not sure you are gonna get a definitive answer.....

but I notice no one has mentioned the Sinclair QL

[hedgehog]

Well strictly speaking the QL is a 16 bit machine but with an 8 bit bus so to my mind doesn't count.

Mind I was damned impressed when I stumbled upon the Fujitsu FM-7 home computer. Now there was a beast of an 8bit!

[PanzerGeneral]

Gonna bat one in from leftfield,

I would probably go for the 6809 based Tandy colour computer 3, the cpu was a bit of a mishmash if 8/16 bit engineering - but still strictly speaking - an 8 bit micro. check out the bouncing ball demo which was every bit as good as the Amiga's version - also hosted some arcade perfect conversions and some natty first person perspective 3-d stuff.

[Protoman]

Maybe PC Engine......... don't ATTACK!