Casio Loopy

Lore & Background

The Casio Loopy was powered by a Hitachi SH7021 SuperH 32-bit RISC CPU running at 16MHz, with 1MB of RAM and 2MB of ROM. It could display 512-color graphics and play 4 channels of 12-bit PCM audio. The console has one controller port for use with a standard game controller or a separately sold mouse. Its built-in thermal color printer could create stickers from game screenshots. The optional Magical Shop accessory was a video capture device that obtained images from VCRs and DVD players, allowing users to add text and make stickers. Including Magical Shop's own built-in software, the Loopy library contained 11 titles. Developer Kenji Terada worked on I Want a Room in Loopy Town!. Software development ended in November 1996, and Casio ceased production in December 1998.

Reader's Guide

The Casio Loopy is notable as a rare example of a console explicitly marketed to female gamers in the mid-1990s. Its built-in thermal color printer and the Magical Shop video capture accessory set it apart from other consoles of the era, emphasizing creativity and personalization over traditional gaming. With only 11 titles released, including PC Collection and Lupiton's Wonder Palette (both available stand-alone or bundled with the mouse), its library was small and niche. The console's development ended in November 1996, and production ceased in December 1998, making it a short-lived and obscure system. Its focus on sticker-making and image capture from external video sources foreshadowed later trends in user-generated content, though it never achieved commercial success. Today, the Loopy is a collector's curiosity, remembered for its unique hardware features and targeted marketing approach.

Did You Know?

• The Casio Loopy includes a built-in thermal color printer for making stickers from game screenshots.
• The optional Magical Shop accessory could capture images from VCRs and DVD players.
• Only 11 titles were released for the system, including PC Collection and Lupiton's Wonder Palette.