Fujitsu FM Towns Marty¶
The first 32-bit games console (February 1993, Japan): it's an FM Towns repackaged as a console, with a built-in CD-ROM drive — released before the 3DO and the PlayStation. 386SX based, compatible with part of the FM Towns library on CD. Repair: CD drive, battery, recap.
FM Towns Marty — photo by Evan-Amos, public domain (Wikimedia Commons).
Identification¶
| Model | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|
| FM Towns Marty (FMT-Marty) | 1993 | CD console, 386SX @ 16 MHz, 2 MB RAM |
| Marty 2 | 1993 | revision (case/price), same specs |
| Car Marty | 1994 | in-car variant (navigation) — a curiosity |
- CPU: Intel 386SX; sound FM (YM2612) + PCM (RF5C68); hardware sprites.
- Media: CD-ROM + a 3.5″ floppy slot (external/optional per config) + cards.
- RGB output (SCART possible) — crisp as-is.
Repair (technician)¶
- CD-ROM drive: loading belt, aging laser → optical clean; an ODE alternative for preservation (see ODE mods).
- Recap: PSU and board electrolytics → Recap.
- Battery (CMOS/RTC) that leaks → remove/replace, repair traces → backup batteries.
- Controllers / connectors: contacts, cables.
Common faults¶
| Symptom | Likely cause | Lead |
|---|---|---|
| CD not read | belt / laser | Optical clean, belt, ODE |
| Instability | PSU/board caps | Recap |
| Wrong clock / corrosion | CMOS battery | Remove, repair traces |
| No picture | RGB / PSU | Check RGB cable, recap |
Modernisation & mods — what to buy, how¶
- CD → ODE 🟡: an optical-drive emulator (images from SD/USB) → removes the tired laser/belt; image your CDs while they still read. FM Towns solutions (the Marty shares the architecture) transpose. → ODE mods.
- Native RGB video 🟢: the Marty already outputs RGB → SCART cable then OSSC / RetroTINK or RGB2HDMI for crisp HDMI. No internal mod.
- External floppy: the Marty also handles floppy (FM Towns compat) → a Gotek / HxC (drive emulator, images from USB/SD) replaces a dead drive.
- RTC battery 🟡: replace with lithium + diode (no recharge) to avoid leakage; preventive recap of power/audio stages.
⚠️ Do not host games/BIOS — method only.
See also¶
Sources & attribution¶
- Photo FM Towns Marty — Evan-Amos, public domain, Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FM-Towns-Marty-Console-Set.jpg
- Wikipedia — FM Towns Marty (386SX, CD-ROM, 1993, first 32-bit console) — CC-BY-SA — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FM_Towns_Marty
- Established FM Towns community knowledge (CD, recap, battery) — synthesis.
Review & corrections
How this space is used
Spotted a wrong value, an outdated procedure, a chip reference that does not match your board? Say so here, with what you observed (model, board revision, serial number, measurement). Every report is cross-checked against a source before anything changes — an unverifiable correction is published as “reported by …, not cross-checked” rather than silently applied.
Reading is open to everyone; posting requires signing in with Discord. Reports from the wiki's declared reviewers are handled first; anyone else's are read too, but go through a human before anything is changed.