• Tag Archives MSX

  • Your Computer (March 1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Your Computer – March 1984

    Your computer is a magazine that was published in the U.K. that covered the popular computers there during the early to mid 1980s. Game coverage was pretty heavy though it was not exclusively a game magazine. The March 1984 issue includes:

    • Editorial and Your Letters -Letters from readers about the Lynx computer, the Dragon and saving machine language files, using the MicroDrive with the Spectrum, auto starting programs on the Spectrum, and more. Plus and editorial about the MSX.
    • News – Apple introduces the Macintosh; Romox introduces reprogrammable cartridges; an add-on that allows the Spectrum to output sound through the TV; Commodore introduces the 264; and more.
    • First Bytes – 32-bit computers vs. 16-bit computers and a look at the Sinclair QL; comparing printers for the Spectrum; and more.
    • Computer Club – A vision of computers in education.
    • Software Shortlist – Reviews of various games including Scuba Dive (Spectrum), Revenge of the Mutant Camels (Commodore 64), Oblivion (BBC B), Defender (VIC-20), Centipede (VIC-20), Dancing Feats (Commodore 64), Air Strike II (Atari 400/800), Astro Fighters (VIC-20), Zalaga (BBC B), and Lost In Space (Oric-1).
    • Quest Corner – A look at new adventure games including Snowball (Atari, Commodore 64), Streets of London (Commodore 64), and Mad Martha II (Spectrum).

    • Atmos – A look at the Oric Atmos, a new computer featuring a 6502A CPU @ 1 MHz, 48K RAM, 16K ROM (including BASIC), and more. This was basically an upgrade to the Oric-1.
    • MSX Invaders – A look at several new MSX computers including he Spectravideo SV-318, Spectravideo SV-328, Mitsubishi ML-8000, Toshiba Pasopia IQ HX-10, National CF-2000, and Yamaha YIS-503.
    • Spectrum Software – A look at some of the best and worst Spectrum software available.
    • Commodore Zagorsk – An adventure game writing tutorial and type-in adventure game for the Commodore 64 called Treasures of Zagorsk.
    • VIC Millipods – A type-in Millipede clone for the VIC-20.
    • ZX Pac-81 Man – A type-in variation of Pac-Man for the ZX-81.
    • Sinclair Clean-Up – How to keep your ZX Printer clean and in good working condition.
    • MTX-500 Start-Up – An introduction to the Memotech MTX-500 computer.
    • VIC CESIL – An introduction to low level programming on the VIC-20.
    • Oric Ape – A type-in program for the Oric called Krazy Ape that looks a lot like Donkey Kong.
    • BBC Sprite Graphics – A type-in sprite creator and animator for the BBC.
    • Dragon Graphics – Creating hi-res color graphics on the Dragon. Includes programming examples.
    • Spectrum Graphics – Creating graphics on the Spectrum.
    • Compander – A type-in text compression routine for the ZX-81.
    • Heartstop – A look at artificial intelligence and how it works. ChatGPT may be new but computers and AI go way back.
    • Review – A look at the supposed chip an computer shortage. Plus a look at some of the best selling and newest PCs including the Spectrum, IBM PCjr, Sinclair QL, and more.
    • ZX-81 Prograid – A type-in program for adding nine new functions to your ZX-81.
    • CBM-64 Asteroid Lander – A type-in game for the Commodore 64 that looks a bit like Lunar Lander.
    • Spectrum Cosmazoigs – An Asteroids-like type-in game for the Spectrum.
    • Cosmic Clash – A type-in game for the BBC that is reminiscent of Star Raiders.
    • Atari Maze Miner – A type-in maze game for Atari 8-bit computers in which you have to disarm mines.
    • Response Frame – Answers to reader questions about converting a type-in game to work with a joystick; the best CPU; upgrading Spectrum RAM; and more.
    • Software File – Short programs submitted by readers.

    …and more!


    📂This entry was posted in Computer Arcana 📎and tagged

  • Personal Computer Games (October 1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Personal Computer Games – Issue Number 11 – October 1984

    Personal Computer Games is a magazine dedicated to computer games that was published in the U.K. in the 1980s. This is another magazine we didn’t really have an equivalent to in the U.S., at least in the 8-bit era. It covered computer games for multiple systems, including the Commodore 64, Spectrum, BBC/Electron, VIC-20, MSX and others. It also included type-in games. The October 1984 issue includes:

    Features

    • Commodore 64 – A review of Jeff Minter’s latest game, Ancipital; Jeff Minter gives game play tips on one of his first games, Revenge; and a type-in soccer game from Tony Crowther.
    • Spectrum – Reviews of Frank N Stein, SOS, Dartz, Mad Hatter, On the Oche, Ahhh!!!, Froot Loop, and Gremlins; a type-in game from the creator of Football Manager; and game play tips for tons of games including maps for Lords of Midnight.
    • BBC/Electron – Reviews of Drogna, Wallaby, and Mineshaft plus hints for Frak! from its programmer.
    • VIC-20/Oric – Reviews of Bricks, Starbase, Psycho Shopper, Max, Maze Gold, Squish, Minitron and Luv Bug for the VIC-20 and of Spooky Mansion for the Oric.
    • Games Competition – Win cash by submitting an idea for a game based on the theme of saving energy.
    • Football Manager – A competition to win a copy of Football Manager for the Commodore 64, BBC, Electron, Oric, Dragon, or ZX81.
    • Coin-Op Action – A look at some of the latest arcade games including Mach 3, Hyper Sports, TX-1, and Bomb Jack.
    • Autumn Mega-Games – A look at the contenders for the best game to be released leading up to the Christmas season. Some games previewed include Backpacker’s Guide to the Universe, The Great Space Race, Sherlock, Quo Vadis, Ancipital, Elite, Kokotoni Wilf, Combat Lynx, Doomdark’s Revenge, Cliff Hanger, Travel with Trashman, Underwurlde, Trollie Wallie, Poster Paster, and Seaside Special.
    • MSX Exclusive – A first look at some of the games for the new MSX computer. Games previewed include Circus Charlie, Super Cobra, Monkey Academy, Antarctic Adventure, Hyper Olympics, and others.

    Regulars

    • Notice Board – Random stuff including graphics tips for the C64, news bits, comics and more.
    • Buzz – The latest news including counterfeit cassette software, new game releases including Astrochase, Flip & Flop, Terrahawks, American Football, Battlecars, D-Day, SAS Commander, Paranoid Pete, K-Fighter, Strike Force, and lots more.
    • Byte Back – Letters from readers about liquid damage to a Spectrum, Formula 1, World Cup by Arctic, Spectrum vs. the Atari vCS, and much more.
    • Adventure World – A look at several adventure games including Eye of Bain (Spectrum), Gisburne’s Castle (BBC), Robyn Hode (Spectrum), Crusoe (Spectrum), Return of the Ring (Dragon), and Ruby Runabout (Spectrum).
    • Challenge Chamber – Two contestants face-off in Forbidden Forest for the Commodore 64.
    • The Final Conflict – The ongoing progress of a nationwide war game.

    …and more!


    📂This entry was posted in Computer Arcana Retro Games 📎and tagged

  • Seiko Matsuda for Sony HiT BiT HB-55 (1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    MSX is a standard computer architecture that was developed by Microsoft and ASCII. Despite Microsoft’s involvement, MSX was virtually unheard of in the U.S. Though there were a couple of MSX computers released here, they did not do well. However, in some markets they did very well, especially in Japan where 9 million MSX computers were sold.

    The original MSX standard called for a Zilog Z80A CPU running at 3.58 MHz, at least 8 KB of RAM (though most machines had 32 KB to 64 KB with some having up to 128 KB), a Texas Instruments TMS9918 video display processor, an AY-3-8910 sound chip and two cartridge ports among other features. Cassette and floppy drives were available but at least with the original MSX standard most software came on cartridge or cassette. MSX-DOS was the primary OS and it was similar to CP/M and early versions of MS-DOS, using the same file system for disks.

    The first MSX computers were released in 1983 and there were quite a large number of companies that released computers based on the MSX standard including Sony, Yamaha, Canon, Casio, Daewoo, Dragon Data, Fujitsu, GoldStar, Hitachi, JVC, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, Sanyo, Samsung, Sharp, SpectraVideo, Toshiba, and others. Before the Famicom (A.K.A. the Nintendo Entertainment System) came along, the MSX was the primary platform for games in Japan. Many popular franchises got their start on the MSX including Bomberman, Metal Gear, Parodius, Aleste and others. Many other franchises saw releases on the MSX platform including Castlevania, Contra, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Gradius, R-Type, Wizardry, Xevious, Ys, and many others.

    The MSX standard was enhanced over the years with the MSX2, MSX2+ and MSX TurboR (which was originally to be the MSX3). The newer standards had newer built in software (e.g. newer versions of BASIC) and upgraded sound and video capabilities, larger amounts of standard RAM on average, and other upgrades. Only the TurboR had an upgraded CPU. It had an R800 running at 7.16 MHz but had an embedded Z80 for backwards compatability. By the time the MSX TurboR came along in 1989, Panasonic was the only manufacturer of MSX computers. They continued to make them up until 1993 when they stopped making them to focus on the 3DO instead.

    The Sony HiT BiT HB-55 released in 1984 was an early Sony MSX computer (their first I believe) and was fairly typical of computers following the MSX standard. It featured 16 KB of RAM (plus 16 KB of video RAM), included RF video output, composite video output and mono analog sound output. One unique feature of the HB-55 was a battery backed-up SRAM cartridge that could be used for storing data instead of a cassette or disk. It could store a whopping 4 KB of data. Japan was much better at making their computers seem sexy and futuristic. The fact that J-Pop star Seiko Matsuda was used to advertise the HiT BiT probably helped with that first part for Sony. The HB-55 also came in red and grey when computer makers in the U.S. could only even think in various shades of beige.

    Sony produced a number of other MSX computers over the years and most of them weren’t beige. There were black ones, blue ones, grey ones, and of course red which seemed to be a recurring color choice. The last MSX computer Sony produced was the MSX2+ based HB-F1XV which was released in October 1989 though that one only came in black. Most MSX computers and the Sony ones in particular looked like they were made for the future.

    The MSX is a computer I’ve never had the chance to use personally but it is one that I’ve always kind of wanted. I would love to have that red HB-55 from Sony along with the matching red Sony monitor. Maybe it’s because red is my favorite color…or maybe it’s just because of the advertising. Don’t get me wrong, I had a Commodore 64 and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything at the time but it was about as futuristic looking as a potato. Maybe from the 1960s it would have looked futuristic. However, I would argue that it did have better graphics and sound than the MSX.

    https://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/696670783077072896/contac-seiko-matsuda-for-sony-hit-bit-hb-55


    📂This entry was posted in Computer Arcana 📎and tagged