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Msx2
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MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s. It was a Microsoft-led attempt to create unified standards among hardware makers, conceived by one-time Microsoft Japan executive Kazuhiko Nishi. Despite Microsoft's involvement, MSX-based machines were seldom seen in the United States but were hugely popular in other markets. Eventually 5 million MSX-based units were sold world-wide.
Nishi proposed MSX as an attempt to create a single industry standard for home computers. Inspired by the success of VHS as a standard for video cassette recorders, many Japanese electronic manufacturers along with Goldstar, Philips and Spectravideo built and promoted MSX computers. Any piece of hardware or software with the MSX logo on it was compatible with MSX products of other manufacturers. In particular, the expansion cartridge form and function were part of the standard; any MSX expansion or game cartridge would work in any MSX computer.
Franchises established on the MSX
Several popular video game franchises were established on the MSX:
- Bomberman
- Metal Gear
- Puyo Puyo
- Parodius
Others got various installments on the MSX, including some titles unique to the system or largely different to the games on other formats:
- Aleste
- Castlevania (as Vampire Killer)
- Contra
- Dragon Quest
- Dragon Slayer
- Final Fantasy
- Golvellius
- Gradius (Nemesis)
- Wizardry
- Xak
- Ys
- Zanac
Technical specifications
- Processor: Zilog Z80A running at 3.58 MHz
- ROM: 48 kB
- BIOS + Extended BIOS (32 kB)
- MSX BASIC V2.0 (16 kB)
- DiskROM (16 kB) (optional)
- MSX-Audio BIOS (32 kB) (optional)
- RAM: commonly 128 kB (64 kB on Japanese computers, Sony HB-F700P had 256 kB)
- Memory mapped (4 MB/slot max)
- Video Display Processor: Yamaha V9938 (aka MSX-Video)
- Video RAM: 128 kB (sometimes 64 kB or 192 kB)
- Text modes: 80×24 and 32×24
- Resolution: 512×212 (16 colours out of 512) and 256×212 (256 colours)
- Sprites: 32, 16 colours, max 8 per horizontal line
- Hardware acceleration for copy, line, fill, etc.
- Interlacing to double vertical resolution
- Vertical scroll register
- Sound chip: Yamaha YM2149 (PSG)
- 3 channels + noise
- Clock chip RP5C01
Some well known MCX2 emulators today are:
- RuMSX v0.27
Top Roms
- Akin
- Aleste
- Aleste 2
- Aleste Gaiden
- Andorogynus
- ARC
- Ash Guine
- Ash Guine Story II
- Ash Guine 3
- Blade Lords
- Burai
- Columns
- Contra
- Crimson
- Daiva Story 4
- Deep Forest
- Dix
- Dixdaef
- DragonSlayer IV: DraSle Family
- DragonSlayer VI: The Legend of Heroes
- Eggerland II
- Famicle Parodic
- Famicle Parodic 2
- Feedback
- Final Fantasy
- Firehawk: Thexder the Second Contact
- Frantic
- Fray in Magical Adventure
- Ganbare Goemon
- Gorby's Big Pipeline Operation
- Great Strategy II
- High School! Kimengumi
- Hino Tori
- Hydefos
- l'Affaire
- Lenam: Sword of Legend
- Magnar
- Match Maniac
- Metal Gear
- Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
- Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World
- Mon Mon Monster
- Mr. Ghost
- NOSH
- Nyancle Racing
- Pac-Mania
- Penguin Wars II
- Pennant Race II
- Pixess
- Princess Maker
- Psy-O-Blade
- Psychic War : Cosmic Soldier 2
- Psycho World
- Pumpkin Adventure III 'The hunt for the unknown'
- Puyo Puyo
- Quarth
- R-Type
- RAD-X 8
- Replican
- Rune Worth
- RuneMaster
- RuneMaster II
- RuneMaster: War among Three Empires
- Sa-Zi-Ri
- SD Snatcher
- The Shrines of Enigma
- Snatcher
- Sorcerian : Dragon Slayer V
- Space Manbow
- Super Cooks
- Teacher's Terror
- Tetris
- Trojka
- Undeadline
- The Treasure of Usas
- Valis II
- Vampire Killer
- Xak: The Art of Visual Stage
- Xak II: The Rising of the Red Moon
- Xak: The Tower of Gazzel
- Xevious
- Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished
- Ys II
How to Play
Please check our Getting started page for more information.
External links
