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History
Daewoo was founded in 1967 by Kim Woo-choong. At the time, the South Korean government had begun a series of five-year economic plans under which the country’s large family-owned business conglomerates (chaebols) were required to meet specific targets. As a newly established company, Daewoo did not become involved until the second of these plans, when it was able to take advantage of government loans for export goods in the clothing and textile industries. Over the following decade, Daewoo continued to support the national economic effort through successive five-year plans. While its primary focus remained on these government objectives, the company also expanded into other sectors and began producing various goods, including consumer electronics. In 1984, Daewoo released its first computer, the DPC-100 based on the MSX1 standard, a standardized home-computer architecture introduced in 1983. The MSX standard quickly became very popular, especially in Japan, where many companies produced MSX-compatible machines. Because South Korea did not yet have copyright legislation protecting computer software, numerous computer-store chains—such as Zemina, Prosoft, Clover, Topia, Screen Software, and Aproman—began producing bootleg copies of Japanese titles. These companies went so far as to add their own copyright notices to the games, presenting them as if they had developed the software themselves. This sudden abundance of MSX software created an opportunity for Daewoo, which in 1985 introduced the first MSX-based video-game console: the Zemmix, followed by the Zemmix V.
A law introduced in 1987 called the Law for the Protection of Computer Programs had reduced the supply of unlicensed MSX software, while official Japanese and American consoles began arriving in Korea. In 1989 Samsung released the Sega Master System as the Gam*Boy, and Hyundai launched the Nintendo Entertainment System as the Comboy. These more modern 8-bit systems put pressure on Daewoo’s ageing MSX1 hardware.
To remain competitive, Daewoo developed a true MSX2 console: the Zemmix Super V (CPC-61).
Release
The Zemmix Super V was released in 1990 at a price of ₩135,000. Unlike the distinctive “winged” design of the Zemmix V, the Super V adopted a simpler, more conventional console shape.
It was offered in two colour variants:
- CPC-61W – White (sometimes described as white/pink or white/silver
- CPC-61B – Black (sometimes listed as black/red)
The console came with a CPJ-600 gamepad and featured a single cartridge slot, two joystick ports, and a connector for an optional dedicated keyboard (CPK-30). A disk-drive interface could also be added, although it occupied the only cartridge slot.
Hardware-wise the Super V represented a significant leap over the earlier models. It used a Yamaha V9938 video display processor, 64 KB of main RAM, and 128 KB of VRAM, giving it full MSX2 compatibility while remaining backward-compatible with most MSX1 software.
Demise
Despite the technical improvements, the Zemmix Super V faced an increasingly difficult market. Official 8-bit and emerging 16-bit consoles continued to gain ground, and the broader MSX platform was already in decline outside of niche circles.
Daewoo made one final attempt to modernise the line with the MSX2+-compatible Zemmix Turbo (CPG-120) in 1991, but the Super V itself was gradually phased out as the company shifted focus away from the ageing MSX standard.
Technical Specifications
- CPU: Zilog Z80A (Goldstar GSS Z8400A) @ 3.58 MHz
- RAM: 64 KB (located in slot 0-2)
- VRAM: 128 KB
- Video: Yamaha V9938 (MSX2 standard)
- Sound: AY-3-8910A PSG (3 channels + noise)
- Chipset: Custom Daewoo DW64MX1 gate array
- Media: ROM cartridges (MSX1 and MSX2 compatible)
- Controllers: 2 × joystick ports + optional CPK-30 keyboard connector
- Extras: Reset button, Hangul BASIC, CPJ-600 gamepad (pack-in)
- Video output: RF, composite, analog audio
- Power: 100–220 V switchable