MSX, X68k, et al.

[Anonymous No.4586320]

Can we have a thread about MSX and other Japanese computers? I realize not many anons can read moonrunes, but I figure at least some of you probably emulate non-text-intensive games on occasion. It would be nice to have a thread to discuss some of the unsung gems not released in Western markets.

[Anonymous No.4586325]

>>4586320
Amazing sound:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-_EOZ8f4JM

Also, more people need to try Knightmare 2.

[Anonymous No.4586328]

I really liked Hi no tori on MSX2.
It was released in Europe as Firebird though.

[Anonymous No.4586346]

How are Jesus and Psy-o-Blade compared to the later console versions?

[Batowl No.4586353]

[Anonymous No.4586379]

>>4586320
King’s Valley is fucking perfect, peak early Konami, and it puts most of its contemporary platformers to shame. You can see the roots of Castlevania in it, too.

[Anonymous No.4586430]

The Konami Antiques MSX Collection releases for Saturn and PS1 aren't half bad. Tragically however they don't allow you to save high scores.

I decided to convert them to VCDs for loading with POPstarter on my PS2. The input delay is surprisingly unnoticeable despite the fact that these games are running behind two different layers of emulation.

[Anonymous No.4586441]

>>4586320
I love the soundtrack for Space Manbow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcZJ64PgtgA

[Anonymous No.4586447]

I love listening to msx osts on youtube, especially Konami ones. from what I see in videos it has really bad scrolling though

[Anonymous No.4586448]

>>4586447
You should get used to that. MSX games tended to look terrible in motion, especially with any kind of screen scrolling.

[Anonymous No.4586467]

>>4586448
At least they’re a step above ZX Spectrum games.

[Anonymous No.4586468]

>>4586320
I have an MSX-related magazine I got along with other old computer-related magazines I got when getting a second Atari ST.
It features a review of one of the earliest (and only) MSX2 models sold here, the Sony HB-F500F. I love that KX-14CP1 monitor they alway show the machine with (both the review and the ads of the very same model). Too bad I missed one of those when they were still going for prices between 5~15€.
>>4586447
Scrolling have never been a strong point of the MSX 1, and the MSX 2 only fixed the issue partially. Despite the choppy horizontal scrolling, konami still made some really good horizontal shooters on the machine.

[Anonymous No.4586635]

>>4586320
does anyone on this board even have an FM Towns or an X68000? Let alone a decent collection?

[Anonymous No.4586663]

>>4586635
>does anyone on this board even have an FM Towns or an X68000?
My x68k is being shipped now. It needs a bit of revision, but it works and it only costed 36 bucks.
>Let alone a decent collection?
I mostly have American and European computers right now.

[babbage's gramps !RATGzMALLY No.4587007]

Currently playing pic related Saturn version

There's a pretty cheap Sony Hit Bit MSX2 on eBay right now, non-FDD version and some special Spain revision that ONLY has PAL composite out but it's under $100 even with shipping to the US which is the cheapest I think I've ever seen a Hit Bit. I'm just not trying to put that much+ in it again for a flash cart and am still holding out for an FDD version with a busted drive to install an FDE into. Also the lack of RGB is pretty alarming.

[Anonymous No.4587045]

>>4587007
I signed up for a mailing list related to an FPGA MSX clone that costs around $100. Actual MSX hardware seems like such a minefield of variations and shipping costs and finding a place to actually store the thing.

[babbage's gramps !RATGzMALLY No.4587097]

>>4587045
The old and very expensive 1chip MSX was actually an FPGA and its core has been ported to MiST but apparently it's not compatible with all revisions. Maybe it'll get ported to Super NT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cm-KdBvilqU

[Anonymous No.4587108]

>>4586663
what's the best place to buy an x68000?

ebay has a bunch of games but no systems available

[Anonymous No.4587151]

>>4586320
A Japanese indie group just released a few tape-based games for Tomy Pyuta. I’m sort of in shock at how expensive the computer and the original games are.

[Anonymous No.4587640]

>>4587108
Japan.
>>4587007
Sony Hit Bit MSX2 without RGB? What model? Every single MSX2 model sony made output RGB through the AV port.

[Anonymous No.4587661]

>>4587007
>>4587640
Was it the Sony HB-F9S? It's a Spain-only MSX2 model.
If it is this one, then yes, it does output RGB through the DIN8 port on the back.

[Anonymous No.4588025]

Got into the MSX early last year after dreaming of it for nearly a decade. Now I own two MSX2 models (a Panasonic MSX2 A1-MKII and a Sony MSX2 HB-F1XD, which may be the sexiest design of anything in existence), plus around 20 or so games for both the MSX and MSX2. The Konami library alone is enough reason to dive in, there's so many incredible exclusives from them that were never ported to another system and remain MSX exclusive.

[babbage's gramps !RATGzMALLY No.4588042]

>>4587661
It's a 20P. The wiki says it's missing the monitor connector but I do see a din 8. I thought it was for a tape drive.

[Anonymous No.4588336]

>>4588042
Well for starter this model is an MSX 1 one, not an MSX2, so it's not that weird if it doesn't have an RGB output (some MSX 1 VDP only output composite).

[Anonymous No.4589852]

>>4588025
That's a nice looking MSX.

[babbage's gramps !RATGzMALLY No.4590220]

>>4588336
Oh well I'm glad I didn't buy it then!

>>4589852
That's the one I want (with broken fdd for to fde swap)

[Anonymous No.4590463]

>>4590220
What I don't understand is how you though it was an MSX2 model in the first place, when it's clearly written "MSX" on the case instead of "MSX2" like on every MSX2 model.

[Anonymous No.4590687]

Dumping what I have.
Menus translation for Pleasure Hearts that some anon did for me.
Its a shmup game and a good one.

[Anonymous No.4590710]

>>4590687
I also have working copy of all 3 disks patched with Melancholia translation of SD Snatcher.

[Anonymous No.4590958]

>>4586320
So far I only have a PC-98. Thinking of buying a second JPC, but torn on which one to get.

X68000s are cool in theory but working ones tend to be expensive on Yahoo Auctions (even just the keyboards go for crazy money), and I'm not really sure its library is actually worth it since so many of its games have ports to other systems. So at the moment I'm leaning toward either a PC-88 or an MSX2.

Any opinions on the FM Towns? I don't really know anything about its games library, but it sure looks cool.

[Anonymous No.4591543]

>>4590958
>even just the keyboards go for crazy money
Actually, like with the sharp x1, the keyboard goes for way more than the base unit price for some reason.
>>4590687
I've seen this pic posted quite a few times since the thread were that picture originally got posted. The anon asking for the translation came back to ask for a Blazing star flyer translation once.

[Anonymous No.4591552]

>>4586320
Reminder this is far better than the NES version.

[Anonymous No.4591557]

>>4591552
It's not a port, and only loosely a remake

[Anonymous No.4591565]

>>4591552
but it is a great game

[Anonymous No.4591796]

>>4586448
Aleste 2 has good scrolling.

[Anonymous No.4591848]

>>4591543
>Blazing star flyer translation once.
Yeah that was me and it was the manual not flyer.

[Anonymous No.4591995]

>>4586448
>>4591796
MSX only handled vertical scrolling well, not horizontal; thus why the Compile games are much smoother than Konami's ones.

[Anonymous No.4592029]

>>4590710
woah, could you post that? I've always wanted to play SD Snatcher.

[Anonymous No.4592257]

>>4591848
>it was the manual not flyer.
Oh well, I didn't remmember that well enough then.
>>4591995
Vertical scrolling only stared to get handled well with the MSX2 thanks to the hardware scrolling stuff, and horizontal hardware scrolling did appear with the MSX2+, some MSX2 games check if you're using a 2+ model and will use the MSX2+ features if you do.

[Anonymous No.4593208]

>>4586320
There's a TON of shmups on the system that are still worth playing.

[Anonymous No.4594086]

Its Contra, except theres no Spread Gun and you have a health bar.

[Anonymous No.4594497]

Okay, for some reason I wasn't aware that Japanese computers are the domain of insane collectors, especially European ones. Ridiculous prices, even when it comes to MSX. Thank kek for emulation.

[Anonymous No.4594824]

>>4594497
MSX was more popular than the 8-bit consoles in some parts of Europe, such as in Spain.
We didn't have a decently strong console market till the 16-bit days (our market was pretty much PCs and arcades back then).
This all ended when the PlayStation came out and devoured the whole market with its immense presence; to this day, people call consoles "plays" here.

[Anonymous No.4594847]

>>4594497
They're not, unless you're shopping on eBay. The only really expensive one is the X68000, which is because they never sold that many of them in the first place, and most have died because they're unreliable pieces of shit. MSX1s can be had for a few thousand yen in Japan, and MSX2s tend go for around 10-12k; a bit pricey perhaps, but cheaper than, say, an Amiga. PC-88/98 are still dirt cheap.

[Anonymous No.4594867]

>>4594847
>the X68000, which is because they never sold that many of them in the first place, and most have died because they're unreliable pieces of shit.
The PSU tend to fail, but PSUs are easily repairable though.

[Anonymous No.4594873]

>>4594867
Failing PSUs have a tendency to take out other components, though. And while it's true that most are repairable, a lot of them simply got thrown out once they stopped working, which contributes to their rarity. Add that to them getting memed up as some sort of mythical home arcade supercomputer, and yeah the prices have gotten a bit silly.

[Anonymous No.4595143]

>>4594847
Cartridges, too. Ebay is the resource I have available to check, and prices are a lot higher than FC games, for example.

[Anonymous No.4595721]

>>4586320
i fucking love the MSX exclusive gradius games, they're so unique

i think they even rival some of the arcade games in terms of difficulty

[Anonymous No.4595737]

>>4595143
If you're only using eBay to check prices/buy MSX games, you're doing it wrong. Most sellers on eBay take advantage of Western collector's ignorance on MSX pricing. You're much better off using a proxy service and bidding/buying on Yahoo Japan Auctions for more reasonable prices and steals.

[Anonymous No.4595740]

>>4595721
1 and 2 arcade aren't that hard so I can see that

[Anonymous No.4595786]

also speaking of MSX gradius, here's a rather impressive hack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elClQUFhYMo

[Anonymous No.4595907]

Anybody know a download source for the Space Manbow soundtrack?

[Anonymous No.4596112]

baaaaaaaaaack again look here.

[Anonymous No.4596132]

>>4591552
absolute bullshit

[Anonymous No.4596136]

>>4595737
You can still get MSX games for a good price in european countries where the MSX had some popularity back then.

[Anonymous No.4596194]

>>4586635
I have a fm towns Marty ,I quite like it.

I wanted a X68000 but the games are so expensive,with the Marty I can burn my own cdrs

Used to have a msx2+ but there weren’t enough games I liked to justify the price of the machine ,playing snatcher on msx is really cool though.

[Anonymous No.4596227]

>>4596194
>I wanted a X68000 but the games are so expensive,with the Marty I can burn my own cdrs

you can't use an sd card?

[Anonymous No.4596243]

>>4596227
I don’t know it’s been a few years since I looked into it ,that would be pretty sweet though.

[Anonymous No.4596283]

>>4596227
You can. The X68000 uses SCSI/SASI, so you can use one of the various adapters. There's even one that connects to a Raspberry Pi and will let you emulate multiple hard drives, CD-ROM drives, MO drives, and even Ethernet adapters. Kind of pricey, though.
https://www.kadenken.com/shopdetail/000000000643/ct76/page1/order/

[Anonymous No.4598309]

>>4586320

[Anonymous No.4598320]

>>4586320

[Anonymous No.4600526]

>>4598309
Too bad early philips MSX2 models only had single sided FDDs. I'd get one if they weren't so expensive for 8 bit computers. But right now I'm trying to score a Canon V20 MSX1 computer for 25€.