Slashdot Mirror

A classic '80s war, I'd say :P Anyway, there have been made some comparison between Amiga and MSX here in this thread on the MSX Resource Center: http://www.msx.org/forumtopic6582p75.html Might be entertaining to read.

Actually, in The Netherlands there was a programme on radio that broadcast data tapes (!). Just tape the radio show to cassette, run a translator from BASICODE (which was the "univeral" basic dialect the broadcasts were in) to your home computer's very own basic dialect, and you were in business.

Fond memories, indeed. Funny how history repeats itself: BASICODE could be seen as a precursor to Java. Write once, run anywhere, early 1980s version.

One funny detail is that the former Communist East Germany's state radio (of all places) copied the idea and also broadcast German BASICODE programs.

Also, I recollect (fondly) an issue of MSX Magazine which had a flexi disc record

I still have that issue. :-) That was specific to MSX computers, though.

I agree totally, what's interesting about Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, is that many of the elements that made Metal Gear Solid such a fantastic experience first debuted in this title. Including the epic Hind-D battle.
A pity this game is often roped in the with risible Snakes Revenge, as this classic never saw the light of day off of the shores of Japan and the MSX. However, thankfully, there is a high quality fan translation out there, which goes highly recommended.

I just wrote the following e-mail to the author of the article:

Hello Frank,

I just read your SNK article on GameSpot.com. A very nice in-depth article!

Although, I think you forgot to mention that SNK also produced software for the MSX system, which is virtually unknown in the USA, but used to be very popular in Japan and certain parts of Europe, as well as Brazil.

For some more information about this home computer system, you might want to check out these sites:
The Ultimate MSX FAQ
The MSX Resource Center

The only MSX product of SNK I know is Ikari Warriors. For some information about the game, see this page: Ikari Warriors on Generation MSX.

In short: it was released in 1987 for the MSX2 system (the second generation standard of MSX). It's a 2Mbit game.

Some scans of the cover in a higher resolution: front, back, side.

I'm also in posession of this game myself. :-)

I hope you will update the article!
(At least pages 2 (near the bottom) and page 31 should mention the MSX port of Ikari Warriors, I think.

There is even an MSX radio channel.

And history repeats, but usually not so quickly. Everywhere I read that Microsoft is new to the game, unexperience, etc. These make me laugh. Its clear that there's more animosity towards MS than the X-Box itself (though it may well deserve animosity on its own).

Ever heard of the MSX(or for the matter of experience, MS Flight Sim)? While MS wasn't really involved with the hardware production, neither can they be said to have been very involved with their latest exploit. The MSX was a PC version of Pinoccio, the console that wanted to be a PC. To a large extent it is. Soviets used it quite a bit in education. Microsoft's involvement was MS BASIC as an operating system. MS now denies that the MS in MSX means Microsoft, but the OS was originally called MicroSoft eXtended BASIC. Go figure.

Interestingly, there was more than crap edutainment games made for it. Ever hear of Metal Gear? Both MG 1 and 2 were made for the MSX. Looks way better than the NES version too. Crazyness, I tell you!

And when did this whole MSX thing happen? "back when [you were] 13, playing Zelda or Sonic!"

But it did!.. :) .. Read again.. I had one of these(SVI-728) and even one of the predesessors: SVI-328 wich was almost MSX. They were very nice and expandible machines for their times. Only thing that buged me was the 8-pixels at a time scroll that Konami always used... gaaaaaahhhhh!!!....

To continue the previous guys rant: MSX was actually kindof an open standard. There were specifications which several electronic manifacturers had agreed on and they could build their own computers with aditional memory, bells and whisles as long as they complied to the standard. MS wasn't that big at that time so they played nice in the small-middle league. But that's history. The standard was developed because all the different home computer systems that were evolving were uncompatible and it wasn't cost effective to make games and port them around. I smell some Java thinking there..... but then again it may be just me... :)

For more info: www.msx.org

Cheers...