(Cont’d)

MSX packaging: Here are some scraps from Sony and Sanyo. The HB-T7 even had a modem.

(Image: Ben Schwan)

Nevertheless, the business continued to go well there, thanks to the many games of countless well-known studios. There was even a separate online game service called THE LINKS. Konami debuted popular series such as “Metal Gear” on MSX today. There were titles like “Dragon Quest” or “Final Fantasy”, “Vampire Slayer” and many more for MSX, in wonderfully detailed pixel graphics. The last rearing of the standard, the MSX turbo R, with which only Panasonic/Matsushita dared a new beginning from 1990 onwards, was consequently also a purely Japanese phenomenon. The very interesting machine had installed an R800-RISC chip, which was Z80A compatible, but could also switch to a proprietary mode with 29 MHz.

Computer love in the eighties

I myself came to MSX by chance. A electronics-loving relative had brought the computer from a wholesale market where he was on offer. It was an MSX 1 from Sony from its “HitBit” line, an HB-75D (the “D” was of course for German keyboard). The 1984 machine had 64 KByte RAM and a connection for a cassette drive, a great cursor pad to play for playing and was made in chic black with grey and red accents.

It was a machine made for young computer enthusiasts, including a easily understandable manual with typical Japanese charm. The integrated BASIC from Microsoft was much better than the annoying POKErei, which you had to perform on a Commodore. I got my first games on cartridge from Konami, which you put into one of two slots. Later, a game master was added, a second cartridge, which was inserted in parallel with a game and which then unlocked cheats and Easter Eggs. I spent countless afternoons with “Nemesis” and his followers, “Penguin Adventure” or “F1 Spirit”. I taped dozens of long pages of listings, so that the machine singed a current hit with the not really good original sound chip (unfortunately much worse than that of the 64) or invited me to a round spaceship ball mill.

“Space Manbow” by Konami: One of the dream games of my youth. Unfortunately, they did not want to sell this advertising sign, which is in a showcase – exhibit.

(Image: Ben Schwan)

After Sony’s MSX1 followed an MSX2 from Philips. He then already had a built-in 3.5-inch floppy drive and the said better graphic. My last MSX was an MSX2 from Sony, but used and with a repeatedly wobbly contact DIN plug for the keyboard, which I soldered myself together. Since MSX was not widely used in Germany, despite the well-known brand names, there was a nationwide network. There were also MSX fans in Switzerland and especially in the Netherlands. At early, tinkerers and importers were working on a lot of material from Japan, whether they are exciting magazines or (of course, in particular) games. Getting to know other people who had MSX things that had never seen before was always exciting for everyone involved. And an early love for Japan also established itself with many MSX fans, even before you knew the hype about anime and manga in this country.

The standard lives (a little bit)

If you want to deal with MSX today, you have a lot of opportunity to do so. In addition to collecting the hardware itself, which can really go into the money (see below), there are countless locally running emulators. JavaScript-supported Web-Emus such as FileHunter, which provide many of the largest MSX hits and run completely installation-free in the browser, is an entry point. Really great are, for example, “Quarth” and “Space Manbow” by Konami, “Columns” by Sega or “Gorby’s Pipeline” by Compile, to name just a few random examples. “SD Snatcher” is an absolute Konami classic, which almost nobody knows.

The MSX0 stack : A current portable MSX clone, which is only medium-good to operate.

(Image: Ben Schwan)

The right dose of MSX is available but only with real hardware. However, you should only buy used MSX calculators (unless you have a landing condition) if they have been maintained and, if necessary, brought back into shooting. If you are from Japan, it needs a power supply converter. Typical retrocomputer problems such as leaked equipment that makes a recapping necessary, drive straps that crumbling, or discolored enclosures are commonplace. And suitable change is also needed with more special models. For example, Japanese dealers are currently selling Sony’s very last MSX, the 1989 MSX2+ system HB-F1XV, in an adequate state for almost 1800 dollars. For Panasonic’s FS-A1GT, the second and last MSX turbo R (and therefore very last MSX calculators) from 1991, a saying 4000 dollars are being called on eBay for a model including complete accessories.

And the hobbyist scene continues. Platforms such as MSX.org and conferences such as the MSX2 GOTO40 (this year in the fall in Holland) gather screwdrivers, developers and other freaks that have not given up the MSX standard, connect modern hardware, translate games and much more. MSX Father Nishi also remains active. He has been dreaming of MSX 3.