from scratch. Instead, the system was redesigned to resemble a PC tower with slots that allowed for future modules to increase its capabilities. Very little of the hardware itself was changed from the Tetsujin prototype, although it upgraded to a new 32-bit V-810 RISC CPU. The system was renamed to the PC-FX, the "PC" believed to be a nod to the PC Engine brand. Unusual for a fifth generation console, the PC-FX does not have a polygon graphics processor. NEC's reasoning for this was that polygon processors of the time were relatively low-powered, resulting in figures having a blocky appearance, and that it would be better for games to use pre-rendered polygon graphics instead. The PC-FX was announced in late 1993 and showcased at the 1994 Tokyo Toy Show in June. Presented alongside several competing systems—the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Neo Geo CD, and Bandai Playdia—its PC tower design was met with ridicule from commentators. Hudson demonstrated FX Fighter, a full-motion video fighting game created in response to Sega's Virtua Fighter, to showcase the system's capabilities. Its smooth-shaded polygonal visuals were met with praise from publications, which contributed to the anticipated launch of the console. The system's target audience was roughly five years older than that of the PC Engine, in hopes that PC Engine fans would be brought over to the successor console. The console was launched in Japan on December 23, 1994 at the price of ¥49,800. In an interview roughly a year before the system launch, a representative stated that NEC had all but ruled out a release outside Japan, concluding that it would most likely sell poorly overseas due to its high price. The PC-FX was discontinued in early 1998 with only 400,000 units sold. Technical specifications The PC-FX uses CD-ROMs as its storage medium, following on from the expansion released for its HuCard based predecessor. The game controller is virtually identical to a DUO-RX controller, but the rapid fire switches have been replaced with mode A/B switches. Peripherals include a PC-FX mouse, which is supported by strategy games like Farland Story FX and Power DoLLS FX. The PC-FX is able to decompress 30 JPEG pictures per second while playing digitally recorded audio, essentially a form of Motion JPEG. This gives the PC-FX superior full motion video quality over all other fifth generation consoles. The PC-FX's computer-like form factor was unusual for consoles at the time. It