What exactly is the MSX?

[drummy]

I hear of MSX and its games, which seem to have old versions respectable games. However, when I search "MSX" on EBay, I see mostly games on cassette tapes, although I see some that are shaped like cards. Which is the real MSX? I am so confused. :hmm: x_x :eek 2: @_@ X_x O_O

[Gapporin]

The MSX is not a console, per se, it's actually a computer that was put out by the ASCII Corporation (then called Microsoft of Japan) in Japan around 1983. They apparently were sold in the US as well, but didn't take off at all. Konami had many NES games that had often better a MSX counterpart. (Metal Gear, Castlevania, Gradius). ASCII also released the MSX2 in 1986, MSX2+ in 1988, and the MSX Turbo R in 1990.

For more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSX

[fishsandwich]

Indeed... it was a popular line of computers that were well-received in Japan and parts of Europe and Brazil but are pretty damn obscure everywhere else (or so I believe... not sure how it did in the rest of Asia.)

I understand it's very similar to the Colecovision in terms of performance... it's evidentally not hard to convert MSX game code over to CV code. I think there may even be a homebrew cv GAME based on an old MSX shooter.

It's got high historical value, but no one over here has one (well, I'm sure NO ONE is an overstatement as if anyone has one it's someone on this board, but not many folks in the States have heard of, let alone seen or played, an MSX computer)

Cheers

:D

[digitalpress]

This should help.

http://www.faq.msxnet.org/

[drummy]

Thanks and all, but I couldn't find anything about the cassette tapes for games. Are those MSX games as well?

http://i1.ebayimg.com/03/i/03/f5/47/56_1_b.JPG

This is a sample image of something I found on EBay. Here is the link to it:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=72500&item=8188469691&rd=1

So I guess I'm just wondering if this is not an MSX, what it is? Thanks for the site, DP. :)

[pseudonym]

it's an msx game. it had several different formats like carts, disks, tapes, and i think even an add-on for laser disks (?)as well. a lot of computers were like this back then.

[CRV]

it's an msx game. it had several different formats like carts, disks, tapes, and i think even an add-on for laser disks (?)as well. a lot of computers were like this back then.

Tapes were primarily used in Europe, while Japanese stuff was primarily on cartridges and disks.

[geelw]

in a way, the ms-x was actually the first xbox...sort of. now, if microsoft had remembered this when trying to market the xbox in japan a few years ago, maybe bandai wouldn't be gobbling up namco (he said, completely un-seriouslike and all that) LOL

[InsaneDavid]

I dunno how you could convert the things the MSX could do onto the Colecovision (maybe some of the more basic games) since the NES wasn't up to producing an accurate port of Metal Gear.

If you're a fan of Hideo Kojima's work then you should check out MSX emulation as translated versions of Metal Gear (MSX - cartridge) Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (MSX2 - cartridge - this is NOT Snake's Revenge which was a US only release and had nothing to do with the true Metal Gear lore), and the original release of Snatcher (disks) have been created. Metal Gear 2 is pretty impressive considering the hardware limitations.

[ventrra]

It's got high historical value, but no one over here has one (well, I'm sure NO ONE is an overstatement as if anyone has one it's someone on this board, but not many folks in the States have heard of, let alone seen or played, an MSX computer)

Cheers

:D
Mine can be found here: http://www.geocities.com/ventrra/MSX.html :D


I dunno how you could convert the things the MSX could do onto the Colecovision (maybe some of the more basic games) since the NES wasn't up to producing an accurate port of Metal Gear.
Since the NES uses a 6502 for it's CPU and MSX and the Colecovision both use the same Z80, but different sound processors, it isn't really as hard as you might think. Opcode, for example, (in a matter of speakin) ported the MSX game Sky Jaguar to the Colecovision.

[CRV]

I dunno how you could convert the things the MSX could do onto the Colecovision (maybe some of the more basic games) since the NES wasn't up to producing an accurate port of Metal Gear.

You can port MSX1 stuff to the Colecovision and vice-versa (as has been proven several times), but you will not be able to do MSX2 stuff like Metal Gear.

[towerofsong]

Am really considering getting an MSX. But I don't have a bloody clue why. They don't cost too much on ebay uk, well the original MSX doesn't anyway. Dunno about MSX 2...which is the one I really want.
But yeah, all the different media types for the games make it confusing. Only seem to see tape games on ebay uk.

[The_EniGma]

Thanks and all, but I couldn't find anything about the cassette tapes for games. Are those MSX games as well?

http://i1.ebayimg.com/03/i/03/f5/47/56_1_b.JPG

This is a sample image of something I found on EBay. Here is the link to it:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=72500&item=8188469691&rd=1

So I guess I'm just wondering if this is not an MSX, what it is? Thanks for the site, DP. :)

Whats that "software protection" card do?

[Ed Oscuro]

The "cards" are Sony (!) brand memory cards. It's the prefix to a model number; when searching I usually use MSX -256, though that could potentially block out some peripheral or such (that I likely wouldn't be buying anyway).

One thing I noticed that that there seem to be *two* Uchi Mati games for the system; one's an English fighter with a oriental styled English title, the other was something like a mahjong game.

There are some neat titles for it, but by the mid/late 80s there were much better computer systems to be had in Japan.

[Immutable]

Whats that "software protection" card do?

EDIT: Nevermind. Ed answered for me. :)

[Ruudos]

I;'ve never played one, but it seems they were pretty popular here in Holland.

[jslithy]

The MSX was a great computer for gaming, even if scrolling looked terrible, especially on the original MSX. The MSX2 was significantly more powerful, more like a souped up NES.

There were a lot of MSX and MSX2 games that were exclusive to the system. My favorite is SD Snatcher, Kojima's RPG spinoff of Snatcher with big heads and an excellent battle system.

Today, the MSX is best known for Konami's older games. Most Metal Gear fans agree that the MSX version of Metal Gear is far superior to the NES version. Plus, the MSX got the real Metal Gear 2, which MGS is based off of.