Advanced Pico Beena
From Sega Retro
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| Advanced Pico Beena | |||||||||
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| Manufacturer: Sega Toys, Applause Technologies | |||||||||
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The Advanced Pico Beena (アドバンスピコ・ビーナ), meaning "Be Natural"[1] is a video game console jointly developed by Sega Toys and Applause Technologies[2]. It was released in August of 2005 and is the successor to the Sega Pico. Similar to its predecessor, the Advanced Pico Beena is aimed at children between the ages of 2 and 8 and stands primarily as an educational device. It has since been streamlined further, and is now commonly referred to simply as the Beena (ビーナ) or BeenaLite (ビーナLite).
Unlike the Sega Pico, the Advanced Pico Beena has not been released outside of Japan, and is maintained entirely by the Sega Toys division of the company (which also took control of the original Pico later in its lifespan). The final game released for the platform was Cars 2 Racing Beena: Mezase! World Champion! in 2011. The Beena continued to be produced after the release of its final game until it was officially discontinued two years later in 2013.
In August 2024, Sega Fave announced the ePico, the successor of Beena[3][4][5]. The console is planned to be released in Japan on October 2024 with at least two games being confirmed: Soreike! Anpanman: Hajimete Dekita yo! Oboeta yo! Anpanman Hitori de Deki Chatta![6] and Disney Princess / Magical Academy[7].
Contents
Hardware
The Advanced Pico Beena is built similarly to the original Sega Pico, though is more powerful from a technology point of view and has a much more streamlined design. Similar to the Pico, the Beena is a large, plastic foldable unit which acts as a hybrid between traditional cartridge-based video game consoles, tablets and electronic book readers. Cartridges are book shaped and the system keeps track of which pages have been turned, and the device connects to a television, with the users manipulating the game with the touch screen, magic pen and face buttons.
Like later models of the Pico, the Beena does not have a solid base to keep the top half of the unit upright, instead relying on a much thinner retractable plastic stand. Beenas can, however, be flipped 360 degrees, and every page of the cartridge can be manipulated by the magic pen (as opposed to just the last page as seen with the original Pico). This effectively creates a tidier, tabletop touch-screen device, hiding the buttons for games which do not need them. The Magic Pen can also be removed in the Beena, and a second can be aded for two player play.
Unlike the Sega Pico, the Advanced Pico Beena caters for both left and right handed children, with two sets of 
, 
, 
, 
and 
buttons.
Newer Beena models can be powered by batteries as well as through an AC adaptor, and unlike the Pico, all Beenas have built-in speakers (similar to the Wii Remote). The system is also compatible with SD cards which can be used to save game progress. The Beena also offers score ranking and playtime which can be set by a parent, as well as superior graphics and sound.
Technical Specifications
The following specifications originate from a product catalog provided by the on-board LSI chip's manufacturer Applause Technologies[8][9].
- LSI chip: Sega Toys 9H0-0008 (Applause Technologies AP2010)
- CPU: 32-bit ARM7TDMI clocked at 81MHz (Input Clock: 27MHz)
- On-Chip ROM: 128KB
- On-Chip RAM: 16KB
- Graphics: Composite Video Output
- Resolution: NTSC (704×480), PAL (704×576 / 704×480)
- Color palette: 32768 colors (BGR555)
- Sprite plane: 128 sprites on screen
- External RAM: 512KB x 16-Bit x 2 Banks (16MB) SDRAM (ICSI IC42S16100-7TG[10] / ESMT M12L16161A-7T[11])
- Pen Tablet
- Resolution: 176×122 / 352×244
- Audio
- Input: 8-bit Mono
- Output: 12-bit Stereo
- MIDI: SMF format, 32-voice polyphony
- Speech coding: CELP (8kHz / 16kHz) encoded with Speex-1.0.4
- Serial interface: UART (RS-232C, 16-byte FIFO × 1ch, 1.152Mbps maximum baud rate)
- Debug interface: JTAG
Models
- Main article: Beena consoles.
History
Release
Sega Toys expected to ship 250,000 units before the end of 2005, but by November 2006 had only sold 150,000 units. By May 2008 more than 350,000 units had been sold.
The Beena's poor sales were presumably caused by the success of the Nintendo DS, which was released a year earlier.
Games
List of games
- Beena Town e Youkoso (2005)
- Partner In TV! o-Uchi ni Wan-chan ga Yattekita (2005)
- Soreike! Anpanman Hajimete Kaketa yo! Oboeta yo! Hiragana Katakana: Gojuuon Board Kinou-tsuki (2005)
- Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart (2005)
- Kouchuu Ouja Mushiking: Mori no Tami no Densetsu: Minna de Tanken! Kouchuu no Mori (2005)
- Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation Pokémon Suuji Battle!! (2005)
- Doraemon Tanoshiku o-Keiko Hiragana Katakana (2005)
- Game ga Ippai Kikansha Thomas (2005)
- Kazoku Minna no Nouryoku Trainer (2005)
- Shoku Iku Series 1 Soreike! Anpanman: Sukikirai Nai Ko Genki na Ko! (2005)
- Meitantei Conan: Kanzen Suiri! Kazu to Zukei no Nazo (2006)
- Narumiya Mezzo Piano Oshare & Lesson (2006)
- Doraemon Tanoshii En Seikatsu Youchien Hoikuen (2006)
- Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star (2006)
- GoGo Sentai Boukenger Kazu to Katachi o Oboeyou! (2006)
- Oshare Majo Love And Berry: Cute ni Oshare (2006)
- Tomica de Asobou! (2006)
- Cinnamoroll: Cafe Cinnamon de o-Tetsudai (2006)
- Nihongo de Asobo (2006)
- Point Gakushuu 10-masu Keisan (2006)
- Point Gakushuu Kakijun (2006)
- Point Gakushuu Tokei (2006)
- Kouchuu Ouja Mushiking: Nebu-Hakase to Kazu Katachi ni Challenge! (2006)
- Doraemon Chinou Daikaihatsu! Waku Waku Game Land (2006)
- Shimajirou no Eigo Activity Ehon: ABC Park de Asobou! (2006)
- Chiiku Drill Oshare Majo Love and Berry: Moji Kazu Chie Asobi (2007)
- Geneki Toudai-sei ga Tsukutta! 'Dekiru Ko ni Naru Seikatsu Shuukan Dragon Sakura Youji-hen' (2007)
- Chiiku Drill Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl: Moji Kazu Chie Asobi (2007)
- Oden-kun: Oden Mura no Tanoshii Nakama-tachi (2007)
- Pururun! Shizuku-chan: Asonde Tanoshiku Nouryoku Up (2007)
- Taiko no Tatsujin Ongaku Lesson (2007)
- Meet Bub: Bub to Eigo Tanken (2010)
- Soreike! Anpanman Waku Waku Eigo Game! (2011)
- Suite PreCure: Happy Oshare Harmony (2011)
SD Card Reader support
- Anpanman no Waku Waku Game Oekaki (2007)
- Juuken Sentai Gekiranger: Niki Niki! Kazu Katachi ni Challenge! (2007)
- Omoiyari o Hagukumu Katarikake Ehon Miffy to Asobou Utaou (2007)
- Yes! PreCure 5: Asonde Oboeyou Hiragana! (2007)
- Disney Tanoshii Oekaki: o-Mise-ya-san o Tsukutchaou! (2007)
- 1-nichi 10-pun de E ga Jouzu ni Kakeru Beena (2008)
- Hello Kitty no Hiragana Katakana o-Namae Kaitemiyou! (2008)
- Engine Sentai Go-onger Mach de Oboeru! Aiueo!! (2008)
- Yes! PreCure 5 GoGo!: LoveLove Hiragana Lesson (2008)
- Kamen Rider Kiva Hiragana Suuji Chie Battle!! (2008)
- Anpanman o Sagase! (2009)
- Samurai Sentai Shinkenger Battle ga Ippai! Iza Mairu! (2009)
- Issho ni Henshin Fresh Pretty Cure (2009)
- Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl Pokémon o Sagase! Meiro de Daibouken! (2009)
- Doraemon Waku Waku Sekai Isshuu Game: Asonde Oboeru Chizu Kokki (2010)
- Tensou Sentai Goseiger Super Battle Daishuugou! (2010)
- Oshare ni Henshin HeartCatch PreCure! (2010)
- Pocket Monsters Best Wishes! Chinou Ikusei Pokémon Daiundoukai (2010)
With accessories
- Disney Tanoshii o-Benkyou Series: Mic de Kantan ABC (2005)
- Go! Go! Advance Drive: Muttsu no Machine ni Chousen da! (2005)
- Soreike! Anpanman Card de Tanoshiku ABC (2006)
- Pashah to Henshin Beauty Academy (2006)
- Densha Daishuugou! Card de Asobou (2006)
- Kodai Ouja Kyouryuu King D-Kids Adventure: Dino Slash! Kyouryuu Battle !! (2007)
- Cooking Beena: o-Ryouri Dekichatta! (2007)
- Oshare Beena: o-Mise de Kisekae Make Haircut (2008)
- Soreike! Anpanman Doki Doki! Rescue Drive: Car Navi-tsuki (2008)
- Soreike! Anpanman o-Mise ga Ippai! TV de o-Ryouri Tsukutchao (2009)
- Shooting Beena Toy Story 3: Woody to Buzz no Daibouken! (2010)
- Cars 2 Racing Beena: Mezase! World Champion! (2011)
Magazine articles
- Main article: Advanced Pico Beena/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
Gallery
Older logo
Newer logo
Patents
WO2006107071A1
WO2006107072A1
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://www.beena.jp:80/index.html (Wayback Machine: 2005-06-22 02:39)
- ↑ http://www.applause-tech.com/pdfs/news/pr20050405_e.pdf (Wayback Machine: 2009-01-05 18:53)
- ↑ https://www.segatoys.co.jp/epico/ (Wayback Machine: 2024-08-20 05:48)
- ↑ https://preservetube.com/watch?v=sFJKW_xkk4I (Wayback Machine: 2024-08-20 05:44)
- ↑ https://preservetube.com/watch?v=yzj7FhZ3DQc (Wayback Machine: 2024-08-20 05:41)
- ↑ https://www.segatoys.co.jp/epico/software/anpanman/ (Wayback Machine: 2024-08-20 05:55)
- ↑ https://www.segatoys.co.jp/epico/software/disneyprincess/ (Wayback Machine: 2024-08-20 05:57)
- ↑ http://www.applause-tech.com/en_US/products/ap2010.html (Wayback Machine: 2007-05-17 04:29)
- ↑ http://www.applause-tech.com/ja_JP/products/ap2010.html (Wayback Machine: 2006-01-10 21:19)
- ↑ https://www.semiee.com/file/EOL/ICSI-IC42S16100.pdf (Wayback Machine: 2022-12-05 16:38)
- ↑ https://www.esmt.com.tw/upload/pdf/ESMT/datasheets/M12L16161A(2Q).pdf (Wayback Machine: 2022-03-14 08:35)
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