Jez San
3D pioneer
Jez San founded Argonaut Software at age 16, pioneered 3D graphics on home computers, and co-developed the Super FX chip that brought polygons to the SNES.
Overview
At sixteen, Jez San founded Argonaut Software. By his early twenties, he was demonstrating 3D graphics on the Game Boy to Nintendo’s engineers. The result: the Super FX chip, custom silicon that enabled Star Fox and established console 3D gaming. San’s career bridged bedroom coding and hardware engineering, proving that British programmers could innovate at silicon level.
Fast facts
- Born: 1966, London.
- Founded Argonaut: 1982 (aged 16).
- Key innovation: Super FX chip (with Nintendo).
- OBE: Awarded 2002 for services to computer games.
Early career
| Year | Achievement |
|---|---|
| 1982 | Founded Argonaut Software |
| 1985 | Skyline Attack (C64) |
| 1986 | Starglider (Atari ST, Amiga) |
| 1988 | Starglider 2 |
San’s early 3D work on 8-bit and 16-bit computers demonstrated polygon graphics when most games used sprites. Starglider proved the Amiga could render 3D environments in real-time.
Nintendo partnership
San cold-called Nintendo after reverse-engineering the Game Boy. His demonstration of 3D graphics on Nintendo hardware impressed engineers enough to greenlight collaboration. The result was the Super FX chip—a RISC processor that sat inside game cartridges, enabling polygon graphics on the SNES.
Super FX impact
| Game | Year | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Star Fox | 1993 | Console 3D showcase |
| Stunt Race FX | 1994 | Racing with Super FX |
| Yoshi’s Island | 1995 | 2D with 3D effects |
| Doom | 1995 | SNES port (Super FX 2) |
Later career
| Venture | Era | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Argonaut Games | 1982-2004 | Game development |
| PKR | 2006-2017 | Online poker |
After Argonaut closed in 2004, San pivoted to online poker. PKR became a significant poker platform before closing in 2017.
Technical legacy
San proved that small UK studios could collaborate with Japanese giants on hardware development. The Super FX approach—custom chips extending console capability—influenced gaming hardware design through the 32-bit era.