Anybody collect non-MSX 8 bit Japanese computers?

[blue lander]

It seems like the only 8 bit Japanese computer that gets any attention from western gamers is the MSX and its sequels. Nobody cares about other Japanese "gaming computers" that were around at the time. Personally I collect for the Fujitsu FM-7, Sharp X1, NEC PC-6001 and PC-8801 and Tomy Pyuuta, as well as the MSX. And there are others like the Sony SMC-777 and Sharp MZ-1500 that I'd like to get into eventually. All of these computers have large libraries of great action games, and although many of these are also available on the MSX, there are quite a few "diamonds in the rough" that aren't available elsewhere.

The original Thunder Force, for instance, isn't available on the MSX. There are also a few unique Mario games that can only be had on various non-MSX computers like Mario Bros. Special, Punch Ball Mario, and Super Mario Bros. Special, all of which were developed by Hudson. Hudson in particular developed quite a few interesting games for these systems, including the original Bomber Man and a 3D version of Bomber Man.

[Adol]

I have tons of games for those systems as well :)
X1,FM-77,FM77-AV,PC-8801 & PC-9801 for the most of the collection

[blue lander]

I'd love to get an FM-77 or 77AV, but they're way too expensive. I got my beat up old FM-7 off YJ for around 1000 yen and it works fine (although I had to make cables to hook it up to a TI-99/4a tape deck) The FM-77's and later seem to go for closer to 10,000 yen, and even the FM NEW7 or whatever it's called costs quite a bit (probably because it has a built in joystick port).

The only game I have for the FM-7 that I can actually play is Thunder Force, and unfortunetly it's probably the worst version of the game (no diagonal movement, crappy scrolling and crude sound effects). I've also got one game on 5.25 disk(I forget the name), but It'll probably be a long time before I have a drive to play it on.

[Ed Oscuro]

I'd love to get some other 8-bitters, but unfortunately I have no idea where you come across them outside YAJ.

[DDCecil]

The only thing I have is a PC-9801 version of Ys III: Wanderers of Ys. It came in a great box with a mousepad, postcards, a thick book with sheet music, and some Falcom adds for some Sorcerian products! At $10, I couldn't pass it up! I unfortunately don't have anything to play it on...

[blue lander]

I've got the MSX2 version of Ys III and it comes with all that cool stuff (except the mousepad), too. Most of Falcom's early releases come with tons of neat goodies. Star Trader is another good example.


I'd love to get some other 8-bitters, but unfortunately I have no idea where you come across them outside YAJ.

Beats me, I got all of mine off YAJ with Rinkya. Shipping isn't that bad if you use the slowest shipping method and don't mind waiting two months for the package to arrive. Actually, I should have another package coming from them within the next couple of weeks, with another PC-8801 (an older one that can use a tape drive) as well as an IBM PC JX (Japanese version of the PC Jr.) and a Playdia.

Edit: The PC-8801 mkIIsr and Playdia came in today, although the PC JX didn't. The PC-8801 seems to work perfectly, but I need to find my PC-88 keyboard to test it with.

I'm thinking of writing an import guide to the PC-8801/PC-8001. There's over a dozen different models in the series that fall into three or four incompatible sub-groups, so it can be difficult to know what model computer works with which games and which peripherals. And speaking from experience, nothing's more frustrating than buying a game and finding it won't work with your machine, especially with import shipping prices being so high. I had to buy two computers and two keyboards before I ended up with a working system that'd play the games I wanted to play.

[Ed Oscuro]

I'm thinking of writing an import guide to the PC-8801/PC-8001. There's over a dozen different models in the series that fall into three or four incompatible sub-groups, so it can be difficult to know what model computer works with which games and which peripherals. And speaking from experience, nothing's more frustrating than buying a game and finding it won't work with your machine, especially with import shipping prices being so high. I had to buy two computers and two keyboards before I ended up with a working system that'd play the games I wanted to play.
That would be totally sweet.

Personally, I almost decided to get a 7xxx series machine...uh, the silver one with voice synth (I'm thinking 7501? Can't say, just a vague memory now) off eBay, but shipping on that one was more than I could afford at the time (story of my life). I knew full well that nothing would play on it, but damn, it looked so nice.

Anyway, yeah, NEC compatibility is a pain. Even trying to keep the model numbers straight is a pain - like 8001 versus 8801. Huge difference! NEC's computers were the most popular in Japan, but their insistence on ignoring such niceties as introducing standards or backwards compatibility (if I understand that correctly), coupled with the huge variety of incompatible models released for the market, doomed the Japanese computer as a wholly homegrown machine using older western parts when DOS-V showed up. DOS-V came around, worked on all sorts of hardware, and boom - the market had been fragmented by NEC, and eventually Windows won.

[dj898]

i have ancient - yes circa 198? = Fujitsu FM-NEW7 with analog RGB monitor and FDD unit... since I lost the FD box on my mov few years back haven't pulled 'em out of their boxes...

[blue lander]

Anyway, yeah, NEC compatibility is a pain. Even trying to keep the model numbers straight is a pain - like 8001 versus 8801. Huge difference!

That's bad enough as it is, but at least most games say on them if they're for the PC-8001 or the PC-8801. What really bothers me is that there are at least three semi-compatible PC-8801 modes that only some models support, and you have to have the right PC-88 in the right mode for the game to play. If you have some PC-88 game you want to play, it's a huge headache trying to figure out what kind of machine you'll need to play it.


i have ancient - yes circa 198? = Fujitsu FM-NEW7 with analog RGB monitor and FDD unit... since I lost the FD box on my mov few years back haven't pulled 'em out of their boxes...

Are there any FM-7 games really worth playing? The only ones I've played seem like cut-down ports of PC-8801 games. I also wonder if it's better to get a FM-7 and an external 5.25" drive or an FM-77 with a built in 3.5" one.

[dj898]

guess rom collection perspectie FM-NEW7 is much more sought after though you need to remember there are games only available on 3.55" FDD...

personally I liked Relics - it's beautiful on FM-NEW7 on its all high res glory compared to MSX at that time. :D

if you are going to play lots of games I'd suggest FM-77/AV models...

[slapdash]

An aside... I'll collect it if it takes cartridges, at least game cartridges. But that limits things a bit -- the Pyuuta, the M5, the RX-78 Gundam, and I guess an NEC (can't remember the model, but it might be the same as the NEC Trek here -- PC-8801?).

But did the Fujitsu FM-7 (etc) ever have game cartridges for it? Are there others I should know about?

[dj898]

none that I'm aware...
heck I don't think even FM-8 had the cart slot... apart from bubble memory slot...

And I don't think PC-8801 ever had cart slot - I used PC-8001 for the micro mice testing eons ago and that thing didn't have the cart slot either though had a nice expansion bus connector that you can use for many things... if my memory serves me right today. :D

[blue lander]

Can the FM-NEW7 play any games that the FM-7 can't? I thought the only difference was a built in joystick port.

The PC-8001 didn't have a cartridge slot, but the PC-6001 does. I'm not sure about the PC-6601, though. I don't think there were too many games released on cartridge for the PC-6001, and most seem to be by Konami. The only one I have is Tutankham. And the PC-6001's graphics are rather crude with a limited color pallette. They remind me of Tandy Color Computer games.

On the other hand, the PC-6001 has some pretty interesting games for it, especially from Hudson. The original Bomberman and Bomberman 3D were released for it, I think. There's also Hudson's two Mario Bros. games for it (Punch Ball Mario and Mario Bros Special), but you can get those for just about any 8 bit Japanese PC.