Any collectors of MSX or X68000?

[Tempest]

I just read that the JX has a special high resolution mode that the JR doesn't have. I assume most of the good games make use of this and won't work on the JR.

A Japanese PCjr... Wacky!

Tempest

[slapdash]

I for one would love to see pix of PC-JX cartridges, if any of your games are on cartridge... Please?

[blue lander]

The only cartridge I have is the "PC Mode" one that makes the JX act like a PC, unfortunately I don't have any games. I don't even know if any exist. It's really hard to find anything on the internet about the machine, even if you search Google Japan.

When I found a copy of Thunderforce for the JX, I googled the Japanese name of Thunderforce and JX, and nothing came up! I don't think even the Japanese knew it existed. A couple Japanese guys sent me PMs when I posted its existence here a few years ago, asking for manual scans and whatnot. The funny thing is I found the game completely by accident, it came with the JX I bought off of Yahoo Auctions Japan, but it wasn't advertised as being included or anything.

There's a few screenshots and a picture of the disk in this thread: http://digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77255

[slapdash]

Yeah, I couldn't find much of anything when I did a search. Oh well. To anyone who finds this on Google trying to get rid of their JX carts -- pick me! ;-)

[smork]

I've got a Towns Marty, a PV-2000, and a bunch of x68000 software (but no system). I've been keeping an eye on the systems as there are a bunch of good deals to be had. I'd also really like to get a Towns II.

I saw a really nice Pyuuta set recently (boxed with several complete games) but I am about to get into some bidding wars this weekend so I will take care of those first

[Soviet Conscript]

I've got a Towns Marty, a PV-2000, and a bunch of x68000 software (but no system). I've been keeping an eye on the systems as there are a bunch of good deals to be had. I'd also really like to get a Towns II.

I saw a really nice Pyuuta set recently (boxed with several complete games) but I am about to get into some bidding wars this weekend so I will take care of those first

i like the look of the towns II but isn't it signifigantly less powerful then the towns I? weaker GPU or something.

[blue lander]

I've got an FM Towns II, a Towns Marty, and a Car Marty and every Towns game I have plays on all three of them.

I used to tell people if they could only get one Japanese computer, to get the X68000. The PC-98 and FM Towns might be great computers, but they just don't have a large library of games you can play if you don't understand Japanese. The great thing about the X68k is that it has terrific ports of arcade games. But in the era of MAME and emulators, is that so important? There's still quite a few games for the X68k that are great and aren't ports of arcade games you could just emulate, but I think the MSX has a much better library of unique titles.

[ApolloBoy]

I had an MSX2, but since I had trouble finding carts for it and couldn't figure out how to make floppies for it, I pretty much had no choice but to sell it. An X68000 would be nice but I hate dealing with floppies.

[blue lander]

It's been awhile since I've done it, but I think you can write msx disks from any PC. The really hard part is finding double density disks to write them to. High density disks won't work.

[ApolloBoy]

It's been awhile since I've done it, but I think you can write msx disks from any PC. The really hard part is finding double density disks to write them to. High density disks won't work.

They actually do work if you cover the hole with tape. I tried formatting a few HD disks on my MSX this way and it worked.

[blue lander]

I've only had 50% success with that method, but maybe it depends on the disks. What I don't like is that if you try to format the disk in 2dd and it fails, you can't reformat it as 2hd so you just wasted the disk.

[Arkhan]

writing MSX disks to fdd on linux is one of the easiest methods of doing it, even if you just use a cygwin environment.

you type ONE command and POW the disk is ready for the msx

[ianoid]

I have a Yamaha MSX that was released in the US. It's the one for MIDI. It has a cart slow and requires a round RGB cable like those used on the old Commodores and original Gen. I'd love to sell it, it's a spare. It is missing one key. I'd love to get $65 for it. It's probably the best way to get your MSX on with a native unit.

[AB Positive]

I saw that on eBay and was reeeeeeally tempted.

I guess my main questions would be:

1) can it play UK cartridges/disks?

2) can it play JP carts?

Would you be interested in trading perhaps? I have a GeForce 9800 that I've wanted to trade for something semi-juicy.

The yamaha interests me specifically because I love making music with old computers and systems. Having one semi-tweaked towards music already means I'd probably prefer it.

[Ed Oscuro]

I have all three, but with MAME and now the ability to play some original JAMMA boards (not well though) I don't make much time for these computer games right now. The many ports of arcade games I have I bought mainly out of a sense of completeness.

I must have well over 50 X68000 titles (possibly even before dupes which I also have many of), and not nearly as many MSX2+ or FM Towns games. The rarest game I have across these three systems may be the FM Towns port of Blandia.

Systems:
3 X68000
X68000 Ace HD (disassembled heh, and apparently busted monitor), X68000 XVI Compact, and an amazing boxed regular X68000 XVI. I have a Tuner which outputs lousy RCA video (not even S-Video, sheesh). I haven't been able to get a picture from it (when using the Compact, at least). Yeah, after 6+ years I STILL can't use one of the systems I have the most games for...and these are games that may not all have data integrity when I finally get to use them. Feh. Anyway, I shall continue to attempt to get them working when I have time.

1 MSX2+ Sony F1-XDJ. If only this had the specs of the 1MB+ Turbo R computers, it would be the ultimate. As it is, it's wonderful for Aleste II, Space Manbow, and Undead Line just has slowdown in parts. Ren-sha turbo and CPU speed sliders make it a joy to use for most any game even without a controller.

2 FM Towns
FM Towns Car Marty with boxloads of accessories (no doubt bought for too much; I've seen some good deals on Car Marty packages recently, this was a few years ago though when it was still one of those "exotic" systems drawing collectors like moths to flame), and a FM Towns II in its original box, with a monitor in another. Untested still, but I expect it'll work fine.

I agree with Blue Lander that the MSX seems to have the best selection of unique titles. Aleste II and Space Manbow alone are system-sellers for me, and I've got Nemesis III as well (I passed on Nemesis II - I have that one on X68000 as Nemesis '90 Kai, and I hope I won't regret it because Nemesis '90's music seems pretty crap compared to the MSX2 version's, at least the early tracks, going by the tape soundtrack I own).

I have had success writing MSX2 floppies from Windows using Rudolf Lechleitner's Disk Manager program, made specifically for MSX disks. What's more, it's apparently been updated since the MSX FAQ's outdated link shows a version 0.11; it's now at 0.12.

1) can it play UK cartridges/disks?

2) can it play JP carts?

I believe that with an appropriate tape recorder you can play anything, so long as the machine's specs are up to the spec of the software (i.e. no running Turbo R software or features on MSX2+ or lower hardware, and no MSX2 anything on MSX1 machines, and so on). It's always possible that some software will be wonky if designed around 50Hz refresh, but that ought to be it; I don't believe there is any lockout (though it's best to get that from a better source). Hmm, I have a few European MSX games that I could check out shortly.

[ianoid]

1) can it play UK cartridges/disks?

2) can it play JP carts?

Would you be interested in trading perhaps? I have a GeForce 9800 that I've wanted to trade for something semi-juicy.

The yamaha interests me specifically because I love making music with old computers and systems. Having one semi-tweaked towards music already means I'd probably prefer it.

Yeah, I don't have the music keyboard, I would like to get one eventually if space permits. I bought this unit at a yard sale in Orange County when I lived there 8 years ago. They had the keyboard too, but I didn't have the space at the time.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but there is no regionality to MSX, similar to Colecovision and SMS (not including Mark III, etc). And as far as hooking up a disk drive, you should be able to, but I don't know much about that. I don't do disk-soft for most obscure systems.

I wish I'd had this opportunity when I bought your C128! I would love to have traded. Cash is king though. But I don't need a graphics card. I don't play PC games.

[Arkhan]

The Yamaha CX5M is pretty worthless. It's an MSX1 so you won't be getting much of your MSX on with it.

No disk games, only cartridge ones. Tape too if you can find a tape unit. They really aren't great for games.

The computers aren't region specific since that would kind of go against the point of the MSX standard. The only difference between Euro and Japanese models aside from PAL (which doesn't matter if you use RGB!) is that alot of Euro models came stock with 128k ram instead of 64k, so some euro made stuff (cracks) wont work unless you have more ram.

Your best bet if you really want to get into the MSX is finding an MSX2 or 2+. The Turbo R never really had any commercial exclusives (There was a Fray game that had voice samples on the turbo r. whoopeee), so dropping a huge wad of cash on a computer with features you dont need is pointless.

If you're developing, or going apeshit with MSX and putting all sorts of extra stuff on it, then yea a turbo r is probably a nice idea.

A nice Sony/Sanyo/Panasonic MSX2/+ will suit all of your needs though.

[Ed Oscuro]

All excellent points; I didn't realize it was that CX5M being mentioned. Getting one of those really limits your choice of software.

A MSX2+ is really the minimum for a serious MSX user, since without it Space Manbow and Undead Line will be garbage.

The Turbo R actually got a bit more use than you suggest, though I just discovered that what I had always thought - that Undead Line benefits from a Turbo R - is actually wrong; it's just marked for MSX2 and 2+ units. So there's actually very little use for the Turbo R, outside from maybe some of the Ys games or something (I forget what). This makes me feel much better, although it's not nice to find out that there's no way of beating Undead Line's slowdown.

[Arkhan]

The Turbo R was released only in Japan, had no need-to-have exclusive titles, and no real merits to own it other than bragging rights or development power.

Every game you'd ever want to play works on a MSX2 or 2+ and none of them really benefit from being run on a Turbo R

[Ed Oscuro]

The MSX2+ wasn't sold in America either - I think that also was Japanese exclusive; even if it wasn't who wants to import a 220V machine? As I've said before - I really should test this out in BlueMSX - if the Turbo R runs Undead Line, that'd be a real pro for the system. I've no clue though since it either emulates the VDP of the MSX2+ or includes one; neither seems likely to offer different performance. I believe I've seen a list of the Turbo R exclusive games, don't recall anything that stands out.

The only thing I'll say is that any Turbo R exclusive I'd want to play (Illusion City?) I'll emulate.