Panasonic M2 Game Console with Pad

[bitrate]

After 10 years of looking I finally located a unit that Panasonic used at trade shows of the mid 1990's along with a final M2 control pad.
Here is the M2 gaming console and pad shown off by Panasonic at various gaming shows of the mid 1990's.




http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03499_20.jpghttp://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2Pad_Final/DSC03070_20.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03501_20.jpghttp://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2Pad_Final/DSC03078_20.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03507_20.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03516_20.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03526_20.jpg


The pad has an analog steering wheel, analog joystick, D-pad, 7 face buttons, 2 shoulder buttons, and a trigger button on the back.



http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2Pad_Final/DSC03070_20edita.jpg

[bitrate]

Here is some software running on the console. This software came with the unit and control pad. I got extremely lucky on this lot.
Some of these demos were photographed and shown in various gaming magazines of the time.

I'll try to get some images of the other demo's as time permits.




Here is the BIOS screen.
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03703_20.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03726_20.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03702_20.jpg



Here is an intro to one of several iterations of the Dolphin demo.



http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03715_20.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03717_20.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03718_20.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03719_20.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03721_20.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03722_20.jpg



Here is another system demo.


http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03760_20.jpg

[bitrate]

Here is the "M2 Racer" demo. Note: this is not the same as M2 IMSA racing. This is a second (more basic) racing title for the M2.


http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03750_20.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03756_20.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03758_20.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03754_20.jpg




Here is a system performance demo.


http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2_Console_Final/DSC03712_20.jpg



As I said, there are some more demos and I'll try to get some images/video posted a little later.

[fahlim003]

To be brief. This is seriously cool, especially seeing the controller. Thanks for sharing this.
Also, is that a direct S-video jack on the rear? If so, that's a decent upgrade from the 3DO.

[bitrate]

To be brief. This is seriously cool, especially seeing the controller. Thanks for sharing this.
Also, is that a direct S-video jack on the rear? If so, that's a decent upgrade from the 3DO.

Yes, that is an S-video port on the back. Although, almost every model of the original 3DO system had S-video as well.

[tom]

That would have been an awesome console if released.

[OldSchoolGamer]

Any chance to show those demos running in video? Upload and link to Youtube or something?

[T2KFreeker]

To be brief. This is seriously cool, especially seeing the controller. Thanks for sharing this.
Also, is that a direct S-video jack on the rear? If so, that's a decent upgrade from the 3DO.

Uhm, the original 3DO system has S-Video. There are also Japanese units that ONLY have S-Video and audio out. We's loveded ous 3DO!

[Tupin]

Very cool. May I ask where you acquired it from? All I have seen for sale are the FZ-35S M2 units that were used in Chevrolet dealerships and sell for like $50.

Nice looking system aesthetically as well...

[Bojay1997]

Very cool. May I ask where you acquired it from? All I have seen for sale are the FZ-35S M2 units that were used in Chevrolet dealerships and sell for like $50.

Nice looking system aesthetically as well...

He got it from a Yahoo.JP auction for just over 200,000 Yen ($2600 US at today's lousy conversion rate) a couple weeks ago. Very cool item.

[fahlim003]

Uhm, the original 3DO system has S-Video. There are also Japanese units that ONLY have S-Video and audio out. We's loveded ous 3DO!
Somehow I forgot about this, as I have a 3DO sitting right in my room and it's been there a while. Still, it's a nice feature to carry over. Only S-video out models though, that's interesting alright.

[Rickstilwell1]

It's amazing how they almost went for completely ripping off the N64 controller's shape. Would the M2 be considered a 64 bit system?

[LaughingMAN.S9]

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2Pad_Final/DSC03078_20.jpg



come on mannnnnn, come onnn

[j_factor]

It's amazing how they almost went for completely ripping off the N64 controller's shape. Would the M2 be considered a 64 bit system?

No, it uses a 32-bit CPU. But it's definitely more powerful than N64.

[cityside75]

Very cool. May I ask where you acquired it from? All I have seen for sale are the FZ-35S M2 units that were used in Chevrolet dealerships and sell for like $50.

The days of $50 FZ-35s's are long gone (unless you are selling one ;)). I scour ebay every now and then for these and the last few have brought in some pretty insane prices. Someone from Japan has been selling beat up units for around $200. He's not charging a lot for shipping, but is estimating 2-3 months delivery time. Before that, someone in the US sold a unit like new in box for somewhere in the range of $1,000!

The leak of the IMSA racing disk image (and the fact that it ran perfectly on the FZ-35s) really spiked interest for that unit.

[bitrate]

Uhm, the original 3DO system has S-Video. There are also Japanese units that ONLY have S-Video and audio out. We's loveded ous 3DO!


Hey there T2KFreeker :). Haven't seen you around the 3DO forums in a while.
Actually, you have it backwards. One of the 5 different 3DO Goldstar models had composite video only with no S-video as one of a few cost cutting measures.



Any chance to show those demos running in video? Upload and link to Youtube or something?


Will do. I will hopefully have some video up shortly. There are some other demo's that I didn't get a chance to picture yet either.


Very cool. May I ask where you acquired it from? All I have seen for sale are the FZ-35S M2 units that were used in Chevrolet dealerships and sell for like $50.

Nice looking system aesthetically as well...


As Bojay pointed out, there was an auction a few weeks back that popped up on Yahoo. After ten years of actively searching I was all but sure that this had been lost to time.

Also, as cityside75 wrote, the FZ-35S's haven't been available for $50 for a long time. The last time that I saw a price like that for an FZ-35S was back in 2004.


No, it uses a 32-bit CPU. But it's definitely more powerful than N64.

Actually, it has two 32-bit Power PC 602's, but it was still considered a 64-bit architecture due to the fact that it had a 64-bit data bus and a 64-bit graphics processor.

[j_factor]

Actually, it has two 32-bit Power PC 602's, but it was still considered a 64-bit architecture due to the fact that it had a 64-bit data bus and a 64-bit graphics processor.

It's as "64-bit" as the Jaguar is. :p

[Jorpho]

It's amazing how they almost went for completely ripping off the N64 controller's shape.The N64 controller didn't look nearly so freakin' phallic! I'm sure that thing must have spooked at least one investor.

[bitrate]

It's as "64-bit" as the Jaguar is. :p



Yeah, I was waiting for the Jaguar parallel to be thrown out there. :)

If you want to call it 32-bit because it has two 32-bit 602's, no problem.


In terms of answering the question posed by Rickstilwell1, yes the system was considered to be a 64-bit system.

[Retronick]

Yeah, I was waiting for the Jaguar parallel to be thrown out there. :)

If you want to call it 32-bit because it has two 32-bit 602's, no problem.


In terms of answering the question posed by Rickstilwell1, yes the system was considered to be a 64-bit system.

It's not too dissimilar from the Dreamcast. The core CPU of that architecture was only 64-bit, but it boasted a 128-bit NEC Power VR second generation graphics chip.

64-bit or not, those screens look a hell of a lot better than most of what I've seen on the N64. I was really looking forward to the successor of the 3DO back in the day.

Thanks for posting pictures of this. I'm glad to see that a few show units have survived the ages.

One side note. That's the most phallic-looking controller I think I've ever seen... Dig the steering wheel though.

[Ludwig]

Would have been an instant hit with the ladies if they would have put some force feedback into the controller.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/bitrate_photos/M2Pad_Final/DSC03078_20.jpg



come on mannnnnn, come onnn

Sometimes an M2 controller is JUST an M2 controller.

[xelement5x]

Very awesome find, I would also love to see a couple gameplay videos if it's not too much hassle. I'm sure it would be a sight to behold.

[Greg2600]

Very nice, thanks for sharing.

[Compute]

Nice. I thought I'd seen all of the consoles. Looks like they're missing one at MGC ;)

[A Black Falcon]

That's pretty awesome, for sure. So can it play IMSA Racing with analog control? :)

[bitrate]

Very awesome find, I would also love to see a couple gameplay videos if it's not too much hassle. I'm sure it would be a sight to behold.


I should be able to get some video's up in a day or so.



That's pretty awesome, for sure. So can it play IMSA Racing with analog control? :)


Yes, and it makes a huge difference in control. Both the analog joystick and the analog steering wheel can be used with IMSA (and the other racing demo as well).

[goatdan]

Nice. I thought I'd seen all of the consoles. Looks like they're missing one at MGC ;)

Well, to be fair the M2 wasn't actually released that I know of, so I don't know if it counts... The Super A'Can was, and I don't know of anything with a lower actual release run than that thing is estimated at, and that is there. We can't cover all the prototypes, because then we're missing the Jaguar 2 also... although the Jaguar VR has made some appearances, as has a bunch of awesome dev stuff... ;)

Having said that, this is really really cool stuff. I was always interested by this system, it's nice to see something come to light. I'd love to see videos when they come out!

Finally, I wasn't thinking phallic with that controller when I saw it upside down. I was thinking that it looked like 3DO was telling the world what they thought of those other video game consoles!