MSX... a "you had to of been there" console?

Post by **Flak Beard** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 4:12 pm

Despite being old enough to have owned and remembered the MSX, I've never personally even seen one in the US. Now that I've gotten back in to the retro-gaming scene, I've read a lot about the MSX recently. I decided to finally get around to trying out some games via emulation, but I'm having a hard time getting into the system. Most of the Konami games seem better on NES and the lack of scrolling really kills it for me.

Can anyone recommend some must play MSX titles? Or is this a system that is really appreciated by those who owned one back in the day?

Post by **SileoNex** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 6:08 pm

Try Metal Gear (Re-released as a crappy port on the NES) and Metal Gear 2 ("Real" version never released on NES). Also, I believe the first Bomberman was release on the MSX.

Post by **Kevman** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 6:32 pm

Contra and Castlevania were both different from the NES counterparts.

Post by **Flak Beard** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 7:13 pm

Kevman wrote:Contra and Castlevania were both different from the NES counterparts.

Yeah it's crazy to see the differences in these games. I think Castlevania is solid on MSX, but Contra on MSX is really lacking compared to the arcade and NES versions.

Have you played any of the Dragon Quest games on MSX? How do those compare to the NES versions?

Website · Post by **Lodestar** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 7:16 pm

No scrolling? WTF?

Post by **Flak Beard** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 7:21 pm

Lodestar wrote:No scrolling? WTF?

From what I've read, the MSX didn't have the inherent ability of scrolling. Notice how Contra uses single screens...

Some games faked it by redrawing every second, but it feels all jittery...

Post by **Ivo** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 3:26 am

Flak Beard wrote: Some games faked it by redrawing every second, but it feels all jittery...

Probably not as bad that it doesn't have scrolling as it is not a game console, but rather a home computer which also has games.

I agree it gives a weird feel for example on Thexder games where it seems like there is frameskip going on all the time

Ivo.

Post by **Pulsar_t** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:27 am

I had an MSX. My folks bought tons of edutainment titles for it, plus the usual platformers and puzzlers/shmups. I'll remember it mostly for King's Valley 2 (took me years to finish it, and frankly it's better and not to mention spookier than many western puzzlers for the MSX's counterparts). Learning now that the MSX lacked scrolling is astonishing because Penguin Adventure looked absolutely amazing back in the day.. but then what do you expect of Hideo Kojima? The MSX ought to be more renowned due to Pengiun Adventure alone.

Thexder was weird as heck, I had a cassette of that game (which I had to load for many minutes haha) and I could never get into that game. Finally, I'd like to add that we MSX gamers played the Goonies long before Famicom owners had the chance to. It's a decent little platformer and I'm enjoying the remake very much!

Edit - PA actually makes a cameo appearance in MGS4! Cute.

Post by **Ivo** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 9:56 am

Pulsar_t wrote: Thexder was weird as heck, I had a cassette of that game (which I had to load for many minutes haha) and I could never get into that game.

Edit - PA actually makes a cameo appearance in MGS4! Cute.

I played the Amiga port of Thexder which for some reason is really really hard (the MSX isn't easy) - it's like in the Amiga version the laser either isn't connecting with the enemies or they have double or triple the health or something. Makes the game rather broken IMO.
But how is it weird? It's a robot that transforms into a jet, that wasn't weird in the 80s

(Transformers!!!).

I heard there's also a hidden Gun del Sol from Boktai in MGS4.

Ivo.

Post by **Pulsar_t** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 10:20 am

Ivo wrote:
Pulsar_t wrote: Thexder was weird as heck, I had a cassette of that game (which I had to load for many minutes haha) and I could never get into that game.

Edit - PA actually makes a cameo appearance in MGS4! Cute.
I played the Amiga port of Thexder which for some reason is really really hard (the MSX isn't easy) - it's like in the Amiga version the laser either isn't connecting with the enemies or they have double or triple the health or something. Makes the game rather broken IMO.
But how is it weird? It's a robot that transforms into a jet, that wasn't weird in the 80s (Transformers!!!).

I heard there's also a hidden Gun del Sol from Boktai in MGS4.

Ivo.

It was probably the music. And those dark corridors lol!