Sega System E

The Sega System E is an arcade platform produced by Sega between 1985 and 1988. It is based upon the Sega Master System hardware, using a Z80 as its main CPU, but with superior VDP hardware. As such, several System E games received accurate home conversions on the Master System. The system is interesting as the main CPU is stored on the game cartridge or secondary PCB (not sure which) rather than on the board itself, allowing for things such as Z80 chips with built-in encryption technologies.

Specifications

• CPU: None; game cartridges are expected to provide their own 8Mhz Z80s
• ROM: 32K for code + up to 4 x 32/64K for banks
• RAM: 16K
• Video RAM: 64K (2 banks of 16K for each VDP)
• VDP: 2 x 315-5124
• Colors: 64 (32 for each VDP. Each VDP picks its palette from a possible 64 colors)
• Resolution: 256 x 192
• Audio: 6 tone channels and 2 noise channels
• Characters: 8 x 8 (448 definitions per VDP)
• Sprites: 8x8, 8x16, 16x16 (up to 128 on screen at a time)

Hardware Images

• 

  Main Board

List of Games

• Astro Flash / Transformer (TransBot on the Master System) (1986)
• Fantasy Zone II (1988)
• Hang-On Jr. (1985)
• Opa Opa (Fantasy Zone: The Maze on the Master System) (1987)
• Riddle of Pythagoras (1986)
• Slap Shooter (1986)
• Tetris (1988)

Sega Arcade Boards
Originating in Arcades
8080/Z80-based	Sega Blockade Hardware | Sega VIC Dual | Sega G80 | VCO Object | Sega Zaxxon Hardware | Sega Laserdisc Hardware | Sega System 1 | Sega Appoooh Hardware | Sega System 2 | Sega System E | Sega Gigas Hardware | Sega Sharp Shooter Hardware | Sega Space Position Hardware Sega Shooting Zone System (MAME alias for Sega Sharp Shooter Hardware; which name is correct?) Custom Z80 Boards (TODO the only one left is Bank Panic which needs to be handled differently; it's by Sanritsu and runs on the same hardware as exactly one other game)
68000-based	Pre-System 16 Hardware | Sega Space Harrier Hardware | Sega OutRun Hardware | Sega System 16 | Sega X Board | Sega System 24 | Sega Y Board | Sega System 18
NEC V60/V70-based	Sega System 32 | Sega Model 1
Intel i960-based	Sega Model 2
PowerPC-based	Sega Model 3
SuperH-based	Sega Hikaru
Based on Home Hardware
SG-1000-based	SG-1000-based Arcade Hardware
Mega Drive-based	Mega-Tech | Sega System C/C2 | Mega Play | High Seas Havoc special board
Saturn-based	Sega Titan Video (ST-V)
Dreamcast-based	Sega NAOMI | Sega NAOMI 2 | Sega Aurora | Sammy Atomiswave
XBOX-based	Sega Chihiro
GameCube-based	Triforce
PC-based	Sega Lindbergh | Sega Europa-R | Sega RingEdge | Sega RingWide