website/content/museum/bandai-gundam-rx-78.md

---
title: Bandai Gundam RX-78
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1983'
cpus:
- Zilog Z80A
params:
  name: Gundam RX-78
  company: /companies/bandai
  company_name: Bandai
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: Gundam RX-78
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Bandai
  - label: TYPE
    value: Home Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Japan
  - label: YEAR
    value: September 1983
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: BS-BASIC delivered on cartridge
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: QWERTY chicklet keyboard, 61 keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Zilog Z80A
  - label: SPEED
    value: 4.1Mhz
  - label: RAM
    value: 30 kb
  - label: ROM
    value: 8 kb
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 30 x 23
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 192 x 184
  - label: COLORS
    value: '27'
  - label: SOUND
    value: 3 voices (4 octaves) + 1 noise generator
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 286 x 210 x 48.5 mm / 1.5kg
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: 2 joysticks sockets, 2 x cartridge slots, RF video, video & sound (RCA)
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: DC 10.6V, 820mA
  - label: PRICE
    value: 59800 yens (Japan, 1983)
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  - software
  - emulators
  - links
  photos:
  - title: RX-78 - ZOOM ON KEYBOARD
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: COMPLETE WITH BOX & JOYSTICKS
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: THE BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Thanks to J. Kubota for this picture\
      Please, visits its [site](http://www3.wind.ne.jp/toragiku/kopa.htm) !
    image: null
  adverts:
  - title: PROMOTIONAL LEAFLET - COVER
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: PROMOTIONAL LEAFLET - INSIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: 'PROMOTIONAL LEAFLET - INSIDE #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  screenshots:
  - title: CARTRIDGES
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: 'GAME #1'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: BASEBALL GAME
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  emulators:
  - title: eRX-78
    url: http://www1.interq.or.jp/~t-takeda/top.html
    platform: Windows
    text: TAKEDA, toshiya's RX-78 emulator
  links:
  - title: ASSEMBLER SITE
    url: http://assembler.roarvgm.com/Gundam/gundam.html
    text: Another picture here with accessories
  - title: Personal Computer Nostalgia (Japanese)
    url: http://member.nifty.ne.jp/s-kato/rx78.html
    text: Another japanese page with some infos
  comments:
  - author: $ 1 3 8 $
    date: Wednesday 14th March 2018
    text: |-
      If I may suggest an alternative introductory sentence-

      I would replace\
      "The Gundam RX-78 was originaly a very popular manga animation movie from the 80''s. Bandai then marketed a personal computer under this name..."

      with\
      "The Bandai RX-78 was named after the titular mecha from the 1979 anime series Mobile Suit Gundam"

      or something along those lines.
  - author: Chester
    date: Tuesday 21st March 2017
    text: (btw, I posted here because the link on the page for adding info is broken upon submission)
  - author: Chester
    date: Tuesday 21st March 2017
    text: |-
      Ok, hope \*this\* works:

      http://bit.ly/2mpepcY
  - author: Chester
    date: Tuesday 21st March 2017
    text: |-
      Here is the correct URL:

      https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id$91032493$40N00$sort$date-taken-desc$text$rx-78$view_all$1
  - author: Chester
    date: Tuesday 21st March 2017
    text: 'Here are some pics (creative-commons, feel free to use them) of an RX-78 I took in Japan recently (they had it exposed at Shosen Book Tower in Akihabara, Tokyo): https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id$91032493$40N00$sort$date-taken-desc$text$rx-78$view_all$1'
  oc_id: 478
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230609172241/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=478
    date: '2023-06-09'
---

The Gundam RX-78 was originaly a very popular manga animation movie from the 80's. Bandai then marketed a personal computer under this name...

Little is known about this small computer. Since the Gundam Rx-78 was only sold in Japan nearly all the information currently comes from Japanese websites.

The capabilities of the RX-78 were not bad at all for 1983, and the space between the keys offered the possibility to use keyboard overlays with games or applications, except maybe for complaints about the poor keyboard quality.

It appears that there were two cartridge slots at the back of the system. One slot was often used for the BS Basic programming language and the other could be used for special expansion cartridges (to connect a printer for example).

The BS-Basic cartridge was also equipped with connectors to plug a tape-recorder into the RX-78.

While games were the main software developed for this computer an asian brand word processor was also available.

<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>