BiGBoSSMk23
A company being excited for their new game is a huge slap in the face to all the fans that liked their old games.
Thread title made me picture an MSX themed cradle with a baby smoking a cigarette inside.
Can someone just tell me that buying an MSX computer and some games will be prohibitively expensive? A shop recently opened in Akihabara that specializes in this stuff, and I'm scared that I'll spend waaaay to much money once I finally see these computers in person.
Thread title made me picture an MSX themed cradle with a baby smoking a cigarette inside.
I have a boxed MSX copy of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, which is near and dear to my heart. It cost me quite a bit of money, but it was totally worth it.
Also, a few years ago, I bought a one chip MSX, which I highly recommend if you're looking to play some MSX games and want the convenience of USB support, S-Video, and two card slots.
Not to mention, it looks sexy as hell.
You mean the Beep shop, right?
Yes, collecting for MSX is expensive.
An MSX2 computer will cost you €70 and up nowadays. MSX2+ is €150 and up. Turbo R is €350+.
Games on cartridges will cost you at least €20 for a loose cart in many cases. Only cassette based games are cheap still. Diskette based games tend to be really expensive too because they came late in the MSX life cycle and I think print numbers were smaller. There are a couple of games on LaserDisc too. Very expensive as well, but not worth it other than for collecting purposes.
A decent number of games go for a couple of hundred euros CIB nowadays, e.g. Space Manbow, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Final Fantasy, Yurei-kun, Aleste 2, Magical Tree, Cabbage Patch Kids, ...
Apologies if this was asked before but
How is MSX and MSX2 emulation on the Wii U? JP eShop has a bunch of MSX1 and 2 games, and am curious if their emulation is good.
I did mean Beep, yes. Going there was incredibly overwhelming, as I've never felt so out of my element in a game shop; Japanese PC games are a complete mystery to me. I think the fact that everything felt so foreign is primarily what's attracting me to the MSX/Japanese computers in general. I love the old PC boxes, the hardware, and the monitors.
Where would be a good place to start? They had so many different options, the cheapest of which seemed to be the Pioneer VX-P60. I'm not a collector, but I really like playing games on their original hardware. I want to learn more.
That VX-P60 is an MSX1 if I'm not mistaken. If you want to play games on your computer, an MSX1 will limit you to games that were produced until 1986. After that most games are either MSX2 exclusive or the MSX2 version of them is the superior one.
Getting an MSX2+ or a Turbo R (the third and fourth generation of MSX computers respectively) is only worth it if you're looking for something specific. So I'd advice to start off with an MSX2.
There are plenty of models out there. Most Japanese MSX2 computers come with 64K of RAM, which is enough in my opinion, but if you want to do other things than just gaming on it, you may want to look for a model with 128K or 256K (or a modded one with 512K) of RAM.
You may also want to look into which output the computer has. There are those with S-Video out, but not all models have it. Also there are models with only 1 cartridge slot. If you plan on collecting Konami games, or plan to use an external FM sound cartridge, you'll need 2 cartridge slots.
Also if you're interested in diskette based games or cassette based games, keep in mind that not all models come with a disk drive or with a port for a cassette player. A model with a disk drive is definitely more desirable.
Noisepurge's has written down this buyer's guide some time ago.
DSC04502 by James Stavrinides, on Flickr
DSC04501 by James Stavrinides, on Flickr
DSC04496 by James Stavrinides, on Flickr
Since those games run on Project EGG's emulators, they should be dead-on accurate. Amusement Center's been doing this kind of service for tons of Japanese PC games since they started in 2001 as Soft-City under Bothtec. I think you should look into signing up for EGG and playing a ton of non-MSX J-PC stuff, too, since prices are fairly low for most games on the service and emulation's not an issue.Apologies if this was asked before but
How is MSX and MSX2 emulation on the Wii U? JP eShop has a bunch of MSX1 and 2 games, and am curious if their emulation is good.
Super Mario World MSX port shaping up surprisingly well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FBsTTt1q1o
One for the soundalike thread
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyBIH7S0HrQ
So I'm wondering if there's any record of who might have drawn the box art for this MSX game?
That looks great. Expensive?
This is a cool thread. I got an MSX a month ago but the only thing I have is Snatcher. Looking forward to picking up some games when I go to Japan this spring.
Could someone give advice about choosing the best MSX models please? Every article says that I should not buy a 2+ or Turbo R, because there are very few games using the plus power. But there are still many variations and editions of MSX2.
So my questions:
-is it really the MSX 2 the best option here? I know that there are few games explicitly requiring the more powerful machines, but all the other games wouldn't run on those with better framerate or smoother scrolling?
-is the operating system locked in language, or could I switch to English if I buy a Japanese or Arabic or any other version?
-are the games region free?
-what are the 3-4 best models of MSX2 for gaming?
Thanks!
Noisepurge's buying guide may be of some help: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=473147
It really comes down to what you're willing to spend on a 30yo computer. An MSX2 is usually the cheaper option compared to an MSX2+ and certainly a Turbo R. That's why it's recommended in most cases imo.
As you mentioned, there are like 10 games that are developed specifically for the Turbo R, and maybe one or 2 of those (Illusion City) are worth it. Those games aren't playable on an MSX2 or MSX2+. There's some Turbo R specific home brew out there as well. So if you absolutely want to play those and you think it's worth the extra dough, go for a Turbo R. A Turbo R will set you back at least $400 nowadays. Personally, I don't think it's worth it, if all you want to do is play games.
Then there are a number of games that will run on an MSX2, but they just run better on an MSX2+. "Running better" can mean that the scrolling is better, and/or that the music is better, or simply that there is an extra splash screen somewhere. The most notable one among the games that are MSX2+ enhanced is Space Manbow imo, which is arguably one of the best 8-bit shoot 'em ups out there. But there's also games like Aleste 2 (developed by Compile, of MUSHA fame), Fray - In Magical Adventure, SD Snatcher, Quarth, and Final Fantasy that take advantage of the MSX2+ specs. If you're going for an MSX2+, I would pick one of the Panasonic models that come with MSX-Music built in. But you could always get another model too, then buy an MSX-Music compatible extension cartridge afterwards. There are also modded MSX2 computers out there that are essentially MSX2+'s. Back in the day, since only Japan got an official MSX2+ release, European users had to get their MSX2's modded to comply with the new standard, and some did.
For most people though any MSX2 computer will do, because most of the MSX software will work on those. If you're going for an MSX2, I would first and foremost try and get a model that is fit for your region. European MSX2 computers run on 220V, Japanese ones run on 100V. So if I were in the States (110V), I'd probably get a Japanese one. There are modded computers out there too that work on 100-220V, btw.
Secondly, make sure your computer has a floppy drive (preferably with a recently replaced drive belt), and that it has 2 cartridge slots.
If you're buying a Japanese computer, you might want to look for a model with more than 64K RAM. Especially for some floppy disk games, home brew and for some extension cartridges, you will need the extra RAM. Again, there are modded computers out there with extra RAM. In most cases 64K RAM will be sufficient though. But if you have the choice, go for more RAM.
So, I don't think there's a better brand or a better model out there per se. But there are certainly a number of things, depending on where you live, you may want to look out for before buying one.
In Europe, I would personally go for one of the following Philips models: NMS 8245, 8250, 8255 or 8280.
Elsewhere I'd probably look into Sony's or Panasonic's MSX2 and MSX2+'s range, keeping all of the above in mind.
But if you bump into another model from another brand that fits all of your requirements, that may be perfectly fine too.
To my knowledge the operating system (MSX-Basic) is always in English. If you just want to play games you shouldn't even give this a second thought. You just plug in the game and it immediately boots to the in-game menu of the game. You won't even see the operating system.
Keep in mind though that there are some games out there where the in-game menu will change depending on what region your computer is from. E.g. the menu of Usas will be in Japanese on a Japanese MSX and in English on a European MSX.
There are a few notable exceptions, but as a general rule: yes.
Notable exceptions:
- a Japanese Metal Gear cartridge will not work on a European MSX computer.
- some games on floppy disk don't work in other regions.
See above.
It's not cheap. But compared to some other MSX titles, it's still doable. I paid around 45 for it.
If you're going to Tokyo, you might want to try the new BEEP shop in Akihabara. They should still have a decent selection. The MSX shelves in stores like Super Potato are completely barren these days from what I've heard. Be prepared to pay some hefty prices though.
You'll probably have better luck finding reasonably priced MSX games outside of Tokyo, or else in Japanese online stores if that's an option for you when you are in the country.
I keep hearing good things about BEEP. Is it a newer shop? I didn't see it on my last visit.
By outside of Tokyo, do you mean small cities in Kanto or Osaka. We'll be heading to Kyoto and Osaka for a few days. We can always go to Chiba or wherever else if you know of any. I have a PC-98, FM Towns and X68000 as well so I'm very much looking for a good shop.
I also use Yahoo Auctions pretty frequently but I'm holding off until I get back to save more money.
NicePC Gamer did a feature on "Japan's underdog PC", the MSX: http://www.pcgamer.com/the-bright-life-of-the-msx-japans-underdog-pc/
Figured I'd keep this thread alive with a recent pick-up, got this bad boy in the mail yesterday for a steal, way less than the going rate for it inbox:
I do prefer the gameplay of the NES Castlevania, but this is a super interesting piece of Konami and Castlevania history that it's worth owing and playing through.
Figured I'd keep this thread alive with a recent pick-up, got this bad boy in the mail yesterday for a steal, way less than the going rate for it inbox:
I do prefer the gameplay of the NES Castlevania, but this is a super interesting piece of Konami and Castlevania history that it's worth owing and playing through.
I bought (haven't played) that when I was in Tokyo recently and less than a week later I saw it complete in box for less than I paid for a loose cart.
I get lost in the Rondo of Blood so I'll probably have a rough time with this one but I am looking forward to playing it after I've gone through a lot of my back log.
Awesome pickup!
Thanks! Just slowly ticking off boxes on my MSX wish list, Famicle Parodic is probably going to be the next one if the copy I'm eyeing doesn't get bought by next payday.
Not sure what the situation is today, but I got a CIB copy of FP2 for around $70 a couple of year back. So I don't think it's super sought after?
Does anyone know a good site to get MSX accessories? My friend needs an MSX mouse or something.
Does anyone know a good site to get MSX accessories? My friend needs an MSX mouse or something.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MSX-ELECOM-EGG-MOUSE-MSX-/302318755664?hash=item46639a1f50:g:GgwAAOSwdzVXjZBK
Found one on eBay for $52, but I wouldn't recommend eBay for MSX collecting as a general rule, everything is very expensive and is aimed at the collector market. MSX is pretty niche to collect for and the eBay listings are aimed at that niche.
Disk full in 40
Figured I'd update this thread with my recent get:
The Sony MSX2 HB-F1XD, probably the sleekest MSX2 made, love the red disk drive, it really seals the look of it.
Also, I can't be the only one somewhat irritated by the title of this thread, am I? The MSX was waaay more than just Metal Gear.
And the cute Konami penguin game.
Get on my level, bro!That's the version I have. I still need to pick up more software though.
I picked that thread title to try and appeal to and lure in the more mainstream gamer who is unfamiliar with the MSX, btw. In the OP on the other hand, I did try to make it clear that there was more out there than Metal Gear.
You know it's a Hideo Kojima game? (featured in MGS4, where Emma is playing it on a PSP)
None of them were over ¥5000, which is unheard of for MSX games on the second hand retail market.
Get on my level, bro!
But seriously, MSX collecting can be really expensive if you're not careful. If you're patient and have resources available to you in Japan, like friends and acquaintances living there who would be happy to look for things, use that. I got a huge chunk of my boxed Konami games thanks to a guy who found them in a Hard-Off store and just asked if anybody was interested. None of them were over ¥5000, which is unheard of for MSX games on the second hand retail market.
I've also been looking at Yahoo Auctions via a proxy service called Buyee, and you can find great deals there if you're dilligent, too.
Yeah I understand, to a lot of people who aren't familiar with the MSX they just know it as where Metal Gear got started, sadly most people aren't curious enough to look into MSX computers otherwise. I've seen Metal Gear fans who spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on copies of Metal Gear 1 and 2 for the MSX2 complete inbox and never bother to actually buy an MSX2 computer to play them on, seems like a waste to me.
Yeah I understand, to a lot of people who aren't familiar with the MSX they just know it as where Metal Gear got started, sadly most people aren't curious enough to look into MSX computers otherwise. I've seen Metal Gear fans who spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on copies of Metal Gear 1 and 2 for the MSX2 complete inbox and never bother to actually buy an MSX2 computer to play them on, seems like a waste to me.