The Official MSXALL Blog

TRH9000: an Open Source video card based on the original GFX-9000 | By MSXALL

2022-08-05T03:10:00.001-04:00

The V9990 was once pointed as the new VDP chip of choice that should have been released together with the MSX Turbo-R in 1991. Yet today, it is uncertain if it is actually true, but the fact the MSX Turbo-R was released with a VDP no other than the very same used in its predecessor, the V9958; and based on the fact the V9990 is not exactly retro-compatible with it, but in fact some sort of "complementary upscale" chip, the story makes a lot of sense.

Stories apart, the point is: it is not possible to replace the V9958 by the V9990 and have a functional MSX as it is somewhat possible with the V9938 and V9958 (the VDPs of the MSX 2 and MSX 2+ respectively). The V9990 can surely operate as an additional power module for its predecessors and even other VDP's, but for it to be possible an entire video card circuit must be implemented to integrate the chip features to the equipment and allow a functional MSX machine to operate with it.

The first successful cartridge that managed to bring the V9990 to the MSX was the GFX-9000, developed and released by Sunrise in 1994, designed exactly as an expansion cartridge and functioning as an additional independent video controller for the system.

Since the inception of the GFX-9000, a few other cartridges have been released and sold through the years...

GFX9000
By Sunrise

GFX-NINE V9990
By TMT Logic

KrakenGraph Lite
By MSXCalamar

V9990 Power Graph
By Tecnobytes

V9990 Power Graph Light
By Tecnobytes

Some of the most well-known V9990 Cartridges

Unfortunately, the V9990 is not a low cost chip, neither easy to find, reason why V9990 expansion cartridges are generally expensive, and many MSX users dwell with the idea of investing in a hardware that only a handful of software can actually use.

The V9990 pinout page of the current schematics of the new TRH9000 project.

The TRH9000 project aims to change exactly that. By creating a viable open source hardware that anyone can easily reproduce as a home-brew equipment. The idea is to make it more viably accessible, then hopefully users will feel more compelled to own it, which could transpire in more developers finding the V9990 features attractive to produce new games and projects targeting the video chip advanced capacities, thus opening a new era in MSX software development.

The open source project is an initiative of Cristiano Goncalves and has been receiving incredible support of many savvy and well-known hardware designers in the MSX Bazillian scene.

The project is available on GitHub at https://github.com/cristianoag/trh9000, and the first revision is already available at https://github.com/cristianoag/trh9000/blob/main/Docs/TRH9000_Schema_Revision_0.pdf.

It is a very interesting project to follow closely and hope it will succeed. In the MSX history, only a handful initiatives made a real difference in the scene, and an open source V9990 project - if viable and easy to produce - can be the one bringing new oxygen into the standard's flame and opening a new wide avenue for projects and revamped products to be produced. Just imagine some of those incredible games from more advanced platforms, the ones we always wanted but could never see running on an MSX machine exactly because the slowness of the MSX traditional VDPs, now finding its way to the MSX Standard thanks to the V9990 and its open source implementation.

Published on MSXALL at https://is.gd/3fdqs2.

TFMSX | By MSXALL

2022-08-04T23:05:00.001-04:00

What happens when the great mind behind the TF Amiga Cards (among other amazing projects) gets his attention to the #MSX? 🤔

Yeah! A new MSX Clone, a MSX 2+ based on real chips: VDP, FM, Z80, etc., but with RGB, USB, and more... 🤩

Project by @TerribleFire!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK1CzNio7ao

The project is still in beta, under tests and bug fixes, but based on how neat the video demonstration above is, and considering the incredible history of projects behind the people working on this project, this is one MSX Clone that will surely make an impact when released!

Not surprising its first version is already a fully functional MSX 2+!

Published on MSXALL at https://is.gd/Tvl1ms.

A 64K EEPROM Advanced MSX Cartridge | By MSXALL

2022-07-18T21:57:00.001-04:00

Wouldn't it be cool if, in the eventuality you have a 64Kb FlashROM memory (W27c512) handy, you could record four 16Kb ROMs or two 32Kb ROMs in it, plug it to the MSX, and select which ROM would be executed via switches or jumpers?

Well... this is exactly what this project is all about!

Thanks to the collaboration of PAKOTOMSX with the initial MSXMakers! project, the team completed their 64Kb EEPROM cartridge page where they explain about their project and provide advanced details on how to prepare and program it with a ROM that is a combination of multiple games.

The proposed cartridge is fully programmable by users with a 64 Kb ROM file that is a combination of multiple MSX programs, as far the ROMS are either 16Kb or 32Kb. The instructions are fairly simple and can be found in this post.

Basically, the ROMS must be combine in a way each individual ROM will seat on an exactly position in the EEPROM, so the device can be configured (via jumper/switches) to point to that location and set the cartridge address to correctly allow that program in ROM to be executed.

We don't know if the cartridge itself will soon be release as Open Source Hardware (as many MSXMakers! projects are), or if it will be sold as DYI Kit, or maybe as a full scale product. As soon as we know, you will now...

For now, we only have the information provided above and the original post that announced it. Stay put!

#MSX

Published on MSXALL at https://is.gd/z8sntd.

Now you can play MIDI files with GR8Net | By MSXALL

2022-07-09T01:07:00.001-04:00

MSX hardware and software developer, Eugeny Brychkov (@Eugeny_Brychkov), who brought to us the amazing platform known as GR8BIT, also created the incredible MSX extension GR8NET, a standalone Network cartridge compatible with any MSX generation that also provides 8 distinctive mapper modes, 7 composite mapper modes, a very extensive MSX-BASIC add-on, flash ROM, SD-Card interface accessible through internal _NET instructions (FAT16/FAT32/exFAT) and/or through Nextor (in composite mapper modes - FAT12/FAT16), plus a range of display options and several multimedia devices such as MSX-MUSIC, MSX-AUDIO, OPL4, PSG, and SCC that also has been able to - until now - to operate as a MP3 media player by playing MP3 files either from the network, the SD-card, or online streams (internet radio).

I said "until now" because with the help of Maarten Loor and Laurens Holst, Eugeny was able to extend the GR8Net and add MIDI replay features and capabilities to his already Herculean device.

The upgrade package is available for download HERE. DOS 1 and DOS 2 are supported, however, only MIDI format 0 is supported for now. Someone suggests the GNMidi Application can be used to convert MIDI files to MIDI format 0. GR8Net owners may also like to update the OPL4 firmware to the latest because it now contains MIDI MathPack.

There is a very good set of information, links, and comments in this MSX Resource Center post. We'd suggest anyone who wants to upgrade their GR8Net cartridge to start from there. The post offers several valuable technical information, even counting with comments from Eugeny Brychkov himself, who provides additional specific notions and add offer additional downloadable items.

While reading the comments, don't forget to take a quick pick at the Python script to convert MIDI files to MIDI format 0 gently shared by the user SjaaQ. It seems awesome.

The GR8NET playing OPL4 / Midi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87HjyiyDs68&feature=youtu.be

By Eugeny Brychkov

GR8Net Technical Specifications

RJ-45 UTP Ethernet connection, 10/100 Mbit auto-negotiation / auto MDI, IPv4 TCP, UDP, RAW and HTTP communication protocols
Built-in simple web browser to browse web server directory tree
DHCP configuration, DNS auto-resolution
2 user programmable sockets
MSX-BASIC extended command support
Built-in terminal application
Built-in HTTP-based bload application
Operation as 1 Megabyte mapped RAM
ROM mapper emulation (plain, Konami)
Built-in SCC for standalone and Konami implementations
Hardware accelerated functions:
- Interrupt generator using time period or frequency, with watchdog
- PCM buffered 8 and 16 bit mono performance
- Data prefetch from onboard RAM, ROM and W5100
- Micro-SD card interface
Mathpack for FAT16/FAT32 and 32-bit multiplication and division
Native stereo output since serial number 6C
Mixed GR8NET mapper 512K, Mapped RAM 512K mode plus Nextor with SDC support
RAM-disk 2KB to 720KB, user programmable size
Operates at standard 3.58 MHz as well as at overclocked 7.11 MHz bus speeds
Built-in OPLL (YM2413, MSX-Music) with its ROM BIOS (in mapper mode 8)
Built-in OPL-1 with ADPCM (Y8950, MSX-Audio)
MP3 audio streaming from network and SD-card into additional MP3 cartridge
TCP/IP UNAPI version 1.0 implementation

The cartridge is so powerful in terms of resources and capabilities that most likely we are overlooking many of its great and valuable resources in this small list. For a through view of the GR8Net, please check the extensive 325 pages manual in PDF format that can be freely downloaded from this link.

GR8cfg – The GR8NET Configuration Tool:

This quick News Article wouldn't be complete if we did not speak about the GR8cfg tool (available for download here), which is a valuable resource GR8Net owners can use to:

Show info on current device firmware versions and dates
Show info on current network settings
Change network settings via DHCP or your own fixed settings
Change GR8cloud settings
Change Audio mixer settings and volumes, for PSG, SCC, MSX-MUSIC, MSX-AUDIO, PCM, WAVE
Change Mapper modes and Boot mapper modes
Switch to MP3 FPGA in a second
Use a quick url to use Netbrowse
Use a slotfix if needed for use of FM-PAK rom in mode 8, some models have issues like HB-F700, this solves it.

The Originally News about MIDI addition to the GR8Net was published on The MSX Resource Center.
Additional content in this article is provided by MSXALL.

#Hardware, #MSX

Published on MSXALL at https://is.gd/TDRA6i.

UniMapper MSX (MSX universal mapper cartridge) | By MSXALL

2022-07-08T20:53:00.001-04:00

ASCII8, ASCII16, Konami, Konami SCC - all these names are well known in the MSX community. These are so-called "mappers" that allow games larger than 64kb to work on our favorite MSX computers. The mapper technology requires additional electronic components to be used on a cartridge board. Those could be custom chips by Konami that incorporate mapper and SCC sound or special ASCII8/16 mapper chips. Those chips are impossible to buy these days. So, if your cartridge has a broken mapper chip, it's unlikely that you can fix it.

There are several available multimapper cartridge solutions for MSX, and each solution has its pros and cons. However, a commonality among most of the universal solutions is that they either require CPLD or FPGA chips, which are costly and hard to come by these days.

The Unimapper project by RBSC features an easy multimapper solution

Unimapper 3D Printed Cartridge
(https://www.thingiverse.com/groups/rbsc/things)

With one single question in mind (how to make things easy for everyone?), the RBSC Group came out with very good answer! The new member of RBSC - Pyhesty - decided to help the community by building a project based on a very simple and effective solution that he named "Unimapper". The new design is based on commonly available PLD (programmable logic) chips and uses a simple FlashROM!

The Unimapper project allows the cartridge to be assembled in two different variants: with 2 or 3 PLD chips. By reprogramming those chips, it's possible to support four different mapper types:

Konami
Konami SCC
ASC8
ASC16

The cartridge supports up to 512kb EEPROMs, so it's even possible to run large games like Metal Gear 2 using it. Moreover, the v3.0 of the cartridge supports Konami SCC mapper, opening the doors for DSK2ROM converted floppy disk images to be put into MSX cartridges, which is something very cool.

Product/Project Availability

Version 3.0 Board

The project has been openly released at the RBSC's GitHub repository and it is available for everyone to try it: https://github.com/RBSC/Unimapper

The board just needs 3 or 4 commonly available chips, a few resistors and capacitors. The chips are in DIP casing, so even an amateur can assemble this cartridge. Feel free to take a look at the project's files in the repository.

The project has been released into the RBSC's repository and is available for everyone to try. The board just needs 3 or 4 commonly available chips, a few resistors and capacitors. The chips are in DIP casing, so even an amateur can assemble this cartridge. Feel free to take a look at the project's files in the repository.

As usual, RBSC is willing to allow others to produce the Unimapper cartridges commercially. Please, contact the RBSC's coordinator if you are willing to make a commercial batch. More information can be found in this link: https://rbsc.su/en/licensing/

This news article is based on a originally post published on The MSX Resource Center.

#MSX, #NewProject

Published on MSXALL at https://is.gd/BkexI6.

New version of DC-DC power supply for the OMEGA MSX | By MSXALL

2022-07-01T01:21:00.001-04:00

Initially, the omega design contemplated a 2.1mm barrel connector for 5v power or an 8-pin connector to power the motherboard with +5v, -12v and +12v. Not even a power switch was contemplated. Although the OMEGA MSX can work with just the 5v from the barrel connector, there are multiple interfaces that would require additional voltages, so having all the voltages available became crucial for the overall project.

The new version of the DC-DC mini power supply installed, perfectly fitting in the project construction design.

As usual, Jordi Solís published a fully detailed step-by-step article following the DIY spirit carefully written to allow anyone to reproduce the adapter at home! The tutorial is as through as it can be, complete with explanations, list of parts, schematics, diagrams, photos, and project annotations to assure anyone can have a pleasant time and successfully constructed the device.

The complete tutorial for the new version of DC-DC power supply can be found here (in Spanish).

About the OMEGA MSX

The OMEGA MSX Implementation

The OMEGA HOME COMPUTER is an incredible open source implementation of an MSX 2 compatible computer created by Sergey Kiselev, and built using a combination of 1980’s era components (Z80 CPU, V9958 VDP, AY-3-8910/YM2149F PSG, 8255 PPI, 7400-series logic), but with some newer components as well, such as 512 KiB SRAM and 512 KiB Flash ROM and a few simple programmable logic devices.

Time after time, Jordi Solís and the MSXmakers Team bring something new for the OMEGA MSX project, enhancing and expanding the overall great project.

The OMEGA MSX is a must have DIY MSX for anyone who loves the standard and collect MSX computers, especially for those who have some ability with the soldering iron and has no fear of investing many weeks following fine detailed project guidelines.

It is a lot of fun build your own MSX!

Published on MSXALL at https://is.gd/9bQPVk.

Decade Dungeon Gaiden, a new MSX RPG game by HABIT SOFT (JP) | By MSXALL

2022-06-30T01:45:00.001-04:00

Game Plot

Adventurer, I often visited you. On the outskirts of this city, there is a decaying dungeon, and it is said that treasures sleep deep underground. However, there are many evil monsters lurking, and there are countless adventurers who have exhausted themselves in the dungeon. If you still want to challenge yourself, be prepared. May you have the blessing of God!

How to Play

Explore the dungeon while defeating monsters and leveling up. The treasure chest contains valuable items. Watch out for mimics while trying to defeat the boss monsters hidden in the bottom layer. Once you have the jewels, return to the entrance. It's a dungeon crawl until you get home!

When you defeat a monster, you will gain experience points and level up. As you level up, the maximum life value will increase and your life will be restored. If the maximum life value does not increase, the life will be restored to a large extent.
You can get the item by taking the treasure chest. In rare cases, mimics mimic a treasure chest.
Go down the stairs and aim for the bottom layer. If you move the floor, the displayed map will be reset.
There is a boss monster in the bottom layer. When you defeat the boss monster, a treasure chest containing jewels will appear.
Once you have the jewels, go up the stairs and return to the entrance to the dungeon. It will be clear if you can return safely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQTh6h5XduA

Controllers

Keyboard	Joystick (Port A)	Movement
←	Left lever	Move player to the left.
→	Right lever	Move player to the right.
↑	Upper lever	Move up the player.
↓	Lower lever	Move down the player.
Space	Trigger	Attack with a sword. Use items while selecting items.
B or N or M	Trigger	Item selection.
F1		Pause the game.

Game Technical Sheet

Release Date: July 30, 2022
Origin: Japan
Language: English
Price: ¥ 8,800
Software house: Rabbit Soft
Box picture illustration: Sho Kobayashi
Package design: Mahoro Ariya
Pixel art: loose
Number of Players: 1
Platform: MSX 1
Sound: PSG
Controllers: Keyboard or Joystick (with both triggers being used)

Game Price And How To Buy It

The game will be released on July 30th in an event in Tokyo.

Among may confirmed visitors, there will be a guest appearance by Takeaki Kunimoto, a former composer of video game music who used to work for Hudson Soft and who is known for famous game hits such as Star Soldier, Milon's Secret Castle, Mickey Mousecapade, and Robowarrior. The game is also scheduled to be featured on an event in Nagoya on July 31st.

The game will be exclusively sold at the Game Impact website. Price is ¥ 8,800 (equivalent to US$ 64.50 or EUR 61.67€). Shipping is not included, but it is calculated as ¥ 600 for Japanese buyers. Sadly, there is a note on the website saying "An overseas person can't buy it", but lets hope it will change with time.

The Game Set contents is described as: Paper Box, Instruction Manual, Cartridge.

Published on MSXALL at https://is.gd/5uAws4.

The game ‘Stan, the Dreamer’ gains a MSX 2 version thanks to the TPM SCUMSX2! | By MSXALL

2022-06-26T00:05:00.001-04:00

The group The Pets Mode, led by Rafel Pérez (JamQue), in 2013 entered the game 'Stan, the Dreamer'in the MSXDev'13 contest, in which it ranked 5th place. A few years later, the game was re-released alongside with Hans’ Adventure. Just now, almost a decade later from its original debut, a new version of the game is released, new revised to run on MSX 2 computers. As expected, this newest released comes with great improvements, renewed graphic set, dialogues, and exclusive SCC music by Toni Cano. The graphics work of the game, in special, deserve honorable mention. Signed by the graphic artist Fran Barrionuevo, the background images were produced on beautiful shades of gray concept, bringing the game experience to an innovative delightful level.

But, there is more about this game project than our eyes can see...

This new version of the game is the result of a long work that took over four years in collaboration with the artist Alejandro Bernat. In 2018, Alejandro came across The Pets Mode on a Telegram channel about MSX. He then showed Rafael an amazing script and they begun talking about a lot of ideas around a potentially great adventure game they could build together. That's how Rafael's new PC tool project, called TPM SCUMSX2 Adventure Game Editor, came to life. Basically, the game 'Stan, the Dreamer' for MSX 2 version was used as their proof of concept before they pursue building the great adventure wrote by Alejandro (yet to come).

The SCUMSX2 Adventure Games Editor

Purely written in C++, the TPM SCUMSX2 Adventure Games Editor was created to produce optimized MSX code in assembler towards the construction of graphic game adventures. It is a full-featured development engine, in the style of the classic Sierra, that based on what we can see in the Stan, the Dreamer is extremely powerful and very well constructed.

Many platforms, including the MSX, have a very large legions of fans devoted to adventure games. Now, with the inception of the TPM SCUMSX2, the hopes that a new era may be about to begin around this game genre is at its highest. We expect new game creators may soon gain access to this new Adventure Games Editor and take advantage of such a great engine to produce a new supply of creative adventure games that, beyond the entertainment they normally provide, may come with new gorgeous visuals screens, music, intelligent dialog, and other new cool features the new tool may may provide that we are yet to be introduced to.

About the game 'Stan, the Dreamer'

The game Stan, the Dreamer is a graphic adventure in the style of the famous and traditional LucasArts SCUMM games, or the classic King's Quest by Sierra. It can be played with mouse, joystick, or keyboard, and it is available for download at itch.io.

Stan sleeps in his room… He dreams about his favorite book: "Treasure Hunt", a world where there are apples in strange forests, a witch jealously guards the key to the treasure, a mysterious house is blessed by a sacred idol, and the bridges are magical...

Stan has to go up, turn left, go down and left again... Well, dreams are dreams!

Game Specifications:

Graphics: Screen 5
Sound: SCC & PSG
Code: MSX Z80 Assembler (built using the TPM SCUMSX2)
Size: 256Kb ROM (requires 16Kb RAM)
Idiom: Spanish

Game Production:

Code: Rafel Perez - JamQue (@jamqueTPM), Napalm
Graphics: Fran Barrionuevo (@frangalaxy8)
Music: Toni Cano

Released by: The Pets Mode
Release date: June, 25th 2022

#MSX, #Msxdev

Published on MSXALL at https://is.gd/XMNL7m.

Zanac A.I. (ザナック) | By MSXALL

2022-06-22T22:19:00.001-04:00

Zanac is a unique shoot ’em up game highly advanced for its time, combining gameplay elements from successful franchises such as Xevious, in which the most noticeable similarities lie in the extensive power-up system and the vertical-scrolling gameplay that features both air and ground targets. However, the distinguishing aspect of Zanac is its unique enemies artificial intelligence, called at the time the "Automatic Level of Difficulty Control", which auto-tweaks the System’s aggressiveness and the game’s difficulty depending on the player's abilities, such as attack pattern and skill level.

Story

Millennia ago, an unknown alien race created a tiny device known as the "System" containing boundless wisdom and knowledge. The artifact was protected by a safety mechanism capable of unimaginable destructive power. If properly disabled through the riddles, it would grant access to untold enlightenment and technology, but if improperly accessed it would unleash unlimited levels of havoc and destruction.

It was when humanity began traveling into space and exploring other worlds when they found the ancient artifact. Without understanding the device's history, scientists naively attempted to hack into it and failed, triggering its defenses. From that tiny Icon, the destructive forces spread throughout all known areas of space, conquering and destroying all in its path, posing a mortal danger to all life in the universe.

The AFX-6502 (AKA "Zanac")

Countless desperate attempts were made to fight or contain the System Defenses, but nothing seemed to be able to overthrow its power, not even the most powerful fleet of fighters ever assembled.

The same scientists who unleashed its power, also discovered that the defense system was designed to overcome massive attacks and fleets. In theory, they believed they found a flaw in its strategy. Based on their learnings, they estimated one lone starfighter would not be considered a major threat by the System, allowing a capable enough pilot with a powerful enough craft to punch his/her way into the heart of the System to destroy it.

Then, with everything that was learned from the previously failed attempts, the AFX-6502 (AKA "Zanac") was built, and you were chosen to be the pilot to fly it through the System Defenses and save the universe.

The ship is simply the most advanced starcraft ever produced. A small vessel for a single pilot that was enhanced with the capacity of integrating some of the weapons and technologies released by the System along the way, which can eventually be used to destroy the ancient intelligence once its core has been reached.

Gameplay

In the game, you control the spaceship AFX-6502 as it flies through various planets, space stations, and outer space through an armada of enemies comprising the defenses of the game's main antagonist — the "System". Your mission is to fight through eight long levels and find your way into the System Core to destroy its defenses and eliminate its ancient intelligence.

Along the way, you will have to shoot down opponents while destroying enemy projectiles and terrestrial bases. Time after time you will find compatible weapons you will be able to integrate into your craft and enhance it, while allies will try to help by sending your way capsules (pods) that may contain additional enhancements and lives.

There are also totems (bolder statues) that may release energy balls that you can use to destroy all enemies in range. Some of those energy balls also hidden keys to access secret levels or jump to different areas of the game. You just need to wait long enough to see if the bright ball will turn black or simply vanish.

Game tip: the only way to access the eighth and last level of the game to destroy the System AI Core is by finding the right totem in level seven that will release a power ball with a hidden key to access the hidden level eight. Otherwise, level seven will be an endless loop.

The game starts with three lives. After losing a life, gameplay continues with the player reappearing on the screen but losing all previously accumulated power-ups. Because the action does not stop, the player reappears with temporary invincibility.

The game ends when all lives have been lost (of course) or after completing the eighth and final area. However, the player can earn 1-ups (extra lives) throughout the game by accumulating high point scores or finding additional life pods. In addition, Zanac has a continue option that allows players to restart the game from the level at which they lost their last life.

The ship is initialized with a rapid-fire main cannon, which can be upgraded by collecting power-ups found in triple-boxes that periodically descend from the top of the screen. But, be careful, not all boxes have enhancements. Some may have nothing, some may be a trap!

As the main cannon's power level is upgraded, the number of bullets fired - as well as their speed - increases. In addition to the rapid-fire main cannon, the ship is also equipped with a specialty exchangeable weapon that can integrate with the System's alien weapons and that can be fired independently from the main cannon.

There are eight different specialty weapons, each represented by a differently numbered power-up and color. The player can change the type of specialty weapon equipped by collecting a differently-numbered power-up. The specialty weapon can be upgraded by collecting a numbered power-up that matches the one in use. These weapons range from a variety of different styles, including directional bullets, shields, indestructible projectiles, and phasers.

Below are the different weapon types and their maximum levels:

Weapon Number and Name	Maximum Level
Main Cannon - Rapid-Fire	4
Specialty Weapon 0 - All Range Phaser	3
Specialty Weapon 1 - Straight Crusher	5
Specialty Weapon 2 - Field Shutter	5
Specialty Weapon 3 - Circular	5
Specialty Weapon 4 - Vibrator	5
Specialty Weapon 5 - Rewinder	10
Specialty Weapon 6 - Plasma Flash	4 (Level 5 is a one time special)
Specialty Weapon 7 - High Speed	5

The entire gameplay experience can be seen in this LongPlay video by the World of Longplays:

https://youtu.be/I5JAT7t0pZo

Curiosities

The name “Zanac” is an anagram for “Nazca”. The mountains-and-plains setting is practically identical to Namco’s Xevious, released two years before, which featured the mystical Nazca Lines from southern Peru. Zanac doesn’t have these, but a similar setting is apparent. This connection only applies to the MSX release though, as the later versions substantially changed the game's appearance.

The game story of Zanac follows the E.I. - Exa Innova story style. It was a similar, yet primitive game released in 1983 by Compile when it went by the name Programmers-3. It depicts some common enemies with Zanac and a cruder version of Zanac's famous Artificial Intelligence.

The game AI is called the "Automatic Level of Difficulty Control" or ALC (no, it is not ALDC, it is indeed ALC). This innovative technology can make every game experience different due to its sophistication. The ALC measures the System's aggressiveness and the game's difficulty depending on the actions of the player, such as attack pattern and skill level. The ALC increases for experts but decreases for inexperienced players. For instance, shooting the main cannon frequently, collecting power-ups, and destroying bosses within the specified time limit increases the ALC, resulting in a greater number of tougher enemies appearing on the screen. Basically, if the player fires more, the AI reacts by sending more powerful enemies. However, actions such as losing lives, starting a new level, or destroying reconnaissance pods in a bad timing reduce the ALC, resulting in fewer on-screen enemies.

Zanac was officially and non-officially released multiple times for the MSX system before debuting on other platforms.

Variations

The Original Version

Original Cartridge Version:

Original Tape Version:

Zanac A.I. was created by Compile and released in 1986 by Pony Canyon as a cartridge game in Japan. Later the same year it was released in Spain in cassette tape format.

There are very few but noticeable differences from the original cartridge version to the tape version. The most perceptible is the "AI" logo in the opening credits, which in the tape version appears written in light green using a styled font, while in the original version it uses the same font and color as the rest of the texts in the game.

The logo itself strongly varies in the product boxes in between both versions. The tape has the game name written in common condensed font instead of the game logo as it appears in the Japanese cartridge version.

Beyond that, there are very very few other discrepancies, mostly noticeable in the game map, in the distribution of the enemies, and in the score panel.

Zanac 2nd Version

Beyond the original releases, there was a non-official Zanac AI 2nd version release that entirely differs from both original versions. While the game, ship, weapons, and enemies are unchanged, the gameplay and the map are all quite different. Here some of the most noticeable differences you may encounter in the Zanac 2nd version:

It features 12 rounds instead of 8
It is harder
Many scenes and scenery are totally different
The music pace is faster on the 2nd version
The last round (12) is drastically shortened if compared with the last round of the original version (8), only featuring the final boss.

In addition to all that, several different variations of the 2nd version exist with the opening credits altered (examples below). Also in the final credits the name “MASAKAZU MIYAMOTO” is replaced by “PRESENTED BY PONY” but missing the “INC” designation.

Zanac original cartridge version opening

Zanac 2nd version modified from tape release

Such discrepancies can also be found in the original version of Zanac, most likely from outside Japan, in which the texts “GAME DESIGNED BY COMPILE” and “PRODUCED BY AII” sometimes can be found as “GAME DESIGN BY COMPILE” and “PRODUCED BY AAI” (instead of “AII”).

The true origin of the Zanac 2nd version is unknown. In 2017, Satoshi Fujishima (designer of games like Guardic, Gulkave, and Golvelius) was found discussing via Twitter about the game with its creators, Masamitsu Niitani (Moo) and Takayuki Hirono (Jemi), and the conclusion was that that the Zanac 2nd Version was a fake release re-engineered from the tape version (because the AI logo is the same as the tape version). They all confirm that no "official" 2nd Version was ever created, nor released, either by Compile or by any one of them.

Here you have a great video from MSX Wiki demonstrating the gameplay experience of the Zanac A.I. 2nd Version:

https://youtu.be/fFNfDyKc4a0

Zanac 3

In the middle of all that confusion, there is also a 3rd version of the Zanac game, which is a Hack (Cracked version) created by Magicracks. They intended to release the game as an upgrade, but it was considered bad in general, having problems in the element colors and mediocre playability.

Additional opening image from Magicracks

Zanac 3, modified opening credits

Check out this video demonstrating the experience provided by the Zanac 3 game version:

https://youtu.be/KThvahHI1FM

Popularity and Continuity

Zanac is a memorable game that was ported and heavily reworked for other platforms. The game was so popular that soon after its debut in the MSX system it was ported to Nintendo Family Computer Disk System (FAMICOM) and NES, among other systems, and including less capable ones such as the PalmOS.

The PalmOS port of Zanac

The game Experience on PalmOS (no sound)

https://youtu.be/5nbXjpLlySU

Other Releases

Yet in 1987, the same year Zanac was released for MSX 1, it was officially reworked by Compile itself and released for the MSX 2 system as Zanac EXt, now recolored and featuring improved graphics, smooth scrolling, and extended music over the original version. It was very similar to the Famicom version, albeit with different colors, and at a noticeably slower pace.

In 2001 Compile once again resorted to Zanac's reputation and success and released a compilation titled Zanac X Zanac for Sony's PlayStation in Japan. Then, in 2007, the NES version was re-released for the Wii Virtual Console by the D4 Enterprise.

For Compile, the game Zanac - together with Puyo Puyo - was a very important product that helped the company to gain a reputation among Game Producers in Japan and open a profitable market worldwide. Utmostly, Zanac is one of MSX's most classic and well-known games, loved by many, and yet today a challenge for most.

Published on MSXALL at https://is.gd/vEJ6Kk.

IronStar | By MSXALL

2022-06-22T22:17:00.001-04:00

You have been assigned the one and only mission to track down and fight Taured to retrieve the Power Sphere that has been stolen from your people.

Your secret name for this mission is Tucano.

While it may sound simple, it will be nothing less than an ultimate challenge.

Taured is an android powered by an incredibly advanced Artificial Intelligence, something that will be used to its maximum extent to prevent you from accomplishing your mission.

But, fear nothing! You are well prepared for the fight, and to help with the almost impossible task of defeating Taured, you have been granted full access to the most secret and highly advanced starfighter of all times, and all its state-of-the-art features!

An epic battle is about to unfold!
The greatest pilot with the best ship against the most proficient AI android ever made.

Gameplay and Difficulty

The game has 8 levels and several enemies to be faced simultaneously.

It is not an easy game to play and the challenges are immediately noticeable as soon as the game starts, which is one of the most fascinating characteristics of this game. Larini knows he built a very hard game to play because we cried a lot to his years when he presented the game to us in 2005. Thanks to our tears, he nicely added a "continue" feature as a "last minute" change. It is included in the current version of the game that is freely available for download at the end of this article.

Larini believes his game is not as hard as - for instance - Aleste 2, but it is something we gently disagree with. The game pace is actually intense, and the enemies are fierce, which is one of the reasons this game is amazing, but also because the playability is incredibly well-done and players do have the chance to win. But, be warned: if you master paying IronStar without cheating it may ruin your taste for Shoot 'Em Up games, as you risk find everything else too easy and boring.

The game is played with the keyboard arrow keys, plus the spacebar to shoot the weapon. There is no secondary weapon available as most traditional Shoot 'Em Up games have, which makes it even more challenging. Everything else is related to reflexes and strategy.

Are you up to the challenge? You can try it on WebMSX right now if you want...

Creating IronStar

This game project took about 4 years and was concluded in 1990.

The entire game was designed and programmed by Paulo Larini alone. At that time, Larini was a young MSX user from Brazil who believed he had what it takes to build a complete game all by himself. And he was right! He did it! But it was not an easy task. He basically learned the necessary techniques required to build a game while he was writing the lines of code, which is remarkable given the final result.

Larini was only 13 years old when he had his first encounter with the computer world. It all begun when his sister-in-law gifted him with a subscription to a computer school to learn BASIC. At the school, he was introduced to the ZX-81 (Sinclair clone), and he immediately loved everything about it. Not much later he was presented with a TK-85, a ZX81 clone with the ZX Spectrum case, which was the last ZX-81 compatible machine produced by the Brazilian Microdigital (image on the right). It was on the TK-85 that Larini made his first serious steps into game development. He managed to produce a few small titles at the time, such as Lunar, Thunder Cats, and Space, and while working on those titles he had the opportunity to approach and learn more in-depth about Z80 ASM.

Paulo Larini in 2005 with his MSX 1, a HotBit by Sharp

His first MSX came in 1986, a HotBit model produced by Sharp in Brazil. He was so impressed with the new set of features that he immediately decided to work on a new fighting game based on Karate. Unfortunately, his programming skills were quite not there yet, similarly to his martial arts skills, forcing him to slow down his plans until he could learn more about the MSX architecture.

As the internet wasn't yet a thing at that time, as many of us did, Larini resorted to books and invested heavily in learning all he could about MSX-Basic and Z80 ASM. Of course, part of the time was invested in playing all MSX games he could possibly play, but he never stopped practicing and improving his programming skills. Larini lost count of how many small tools and routines he created for almost everything, such as a music ripping tool (to "steal" music from games to be played in the BASIC). He summarily invested time on anything that could push him closer to become more comfortable programming on an MSX, and it was how he kickstarted his new game project called "THE GAME" (later to be known as IronStar).

All that personal investment in learning paid off and proved that Larini was right when he believed he could build a game all by himself. He not only did program all of it in Assembly, but also found that he was very good at creating images and visual design, also good music and sound effects composer, and - most importantly - that he was a hardcore game player.

Even then, building games for MSX 1 is not walking in the park. The standard also offers several limitations and challenges, especially for the things he was aiming to accomplish. Most experienced MSX programmers are well known about those limitations, and how it takes a lot of out-of-the-box thinking and experiments to overcome them. One of the challenges that slowed him down quite a bit was the Screen 2 "characteristic" that uses blocks of 8 pixels with one color only, which is not less than a challenge on its own if it wasn't the additional fact that Larini was developing a color game on a Black & White TV. Believe it or not but, in certain regions, some "old fashion folks" believed that computers could harm Color TVs. It wasn't before the third month into development when Larini was finally able to acquire a 14" Color TV to use with his MSX, and that was the first time he has actually seen his game in color.

There were many other challenges during the development of IronStar, such as the synchronization of all the moving elements, and even the development environment was limiting for the game need. At that time he was coding using the Mega Assembler program, which has several limitations for large source codes. It almost stalled the project, but luckily for him (and us) he was introduced to the M80 Pack and the game was saved. The ultimate challenge, however, was to coordinate the project with his school and work, forcing him to code on the weekends only.

During the course of the project, he got great ideas and insights from his close friends, which he used to enrich the game. The game music is also an interesting piece of the project. Not only he composed all of it by himself, but he used a program called HotMusic, which was another one of his creations!

The public release of the game

The IronStar game has never been released for sale or distribution when it was completed. Its first "official release" only happened in April of 2005, more than 15 years after the game was completed, when Larini approached the MSXALL Team and presented the game to us. It was when we publish a dedicated page for the game on our old website with a free download option. Before that, only a few closer friends were contemplated with a courtesy copy of the game. Larini explained that the main reason why he never sold or presented the game for distribution before was that his MSX broke soon after he completed the game, and he never repaired it. At that time, the MSX was already fading away from the market and other standards were surfacing to take its place. It was when he moved on and bought a Commodore Amiga, leaving behind almost all of his MSX stuff and projects. Luckily (for us) he saved a few of his old MSX floppy disks, including the IronStar game and its assembly source code.

Larini only rediscovered the MSX around the year 1999 as a result of the "age of emulators". It was then when he decided to revive his game just to satisfy his own curiosity if it would stills be playable. And that is how the game resurfaced from oblivion and was brought to life.

The re-release of the game

It brings us to today's date. For over 15 years the IronStar game was forgotten, left in "darkness", until when it was brought to "light" in 2005 when the MSXALL Team published a page about the game on the MSXALL Website. However, it was only for a certain period. The reason is that the old MSXALL Website was discontinued a few years later and when that happened, the game once again disappeared because none of the cataloging initiatives at the time were considering it for cataloging. It was not uncommon for homebrew games to be disregarded from catalogs at that time, hence, IronStar never made it to any other repository or list, and with the old MSXALL site was brought offline, the IronStar game once again vanished from the MSX scene.

That's why we brought back this revised version of the old article. We found its draft on our old backups and realized the game was virtually inexistent online, including on our own games' list. Because of that, we took upon ourselves the responsibility to bring it back to the MSX community, the article, plus a link for the game download. IronStar is now once again available, and this time it is included on our own game repository, so it will never be lost again.

IronStar is the only one game Larini has ever finished for MSX, and also a piece of history that was forgotten for a long period of time, almost lost, twice! It took 15+ years to travel from Larini's shelves to the web, and then another 15+ years from the time when its page was taken down to today's re-publishing. It is not fair treatment to a game that took so much effort to be developed and is actually very cool and challenging to play. For all that, IronStar deserves our attention and respect, and a rightful place in the list of great MSX games.

We invite you to download the game, play it, and try to win without cheating. The game is a nice "time machine" for the golden era of the MSX 1 games, and a perfect example of how the MSX can be an easy computer to develop, so easy that a young boy was able to build an entire game by himself without any advanced development knowledge. Not just Larini, but a lot of other people around the world have also created amazing software products for the MSX, many probably yet unseen by most of us.

DOWNLOAD the original IronStar game from here.

Published on MSXALL at https://is.gd/4atEYn.

MSXDev'22 New Sponsor: Panasonic FS-A1 MSX 2 Computer | By MSXALL

2022-06-22T21:00:00.001-04:00

For the 22th edition of MSXdev, hardware seller sdsnatcher73 donates a Panasonic FS-A1 MSX2 computer.

The ever-growing MSXDev'22 Winners Loot-box just got stuffed a little more with a Panasonic FS-A1 MSX 2. Donated by hardware seller Peter Hanraets (@sdsnatcher73). This mighty fine and sweet looking modified machine is fully functional and for any winner of the dev show to take home.

As the MSX system is a general computer manufactured by many different brands of hardware companies, the variety is plenty. Panasonic is one of the manufacturers that made some brilliant, good looking MSX machines. The Panasonic FS-A1 MSX 2 is no exception as it’s colorful, compact, and a pleasure to look at. This particular item has been modified with the removal of the built-in Deskpac firmware and a cartridge slot cover that has been replaced with a 3D printed replica.

A Panasonic FS-A1 MSX2 computer – sponsored by @sdsnatcher73

This Japanese Panasonic MSX 2 machine from 1986 is equipped with 64 KRAM and 128 KVRAM. Originally, the Panasonic FS-A1 was available in black and in red. This one is the black edition, with shiny orange keyboard buttons. For a full oversight of its specs, visit the MRC Wiki about this machine.

If you are in the market for a physical MSX, Peter offers a wide variety of MSX hardware for sale on the MSX Resource Center Trading Forum.

Source: MSXDev News

#Contest, #Hardware, #MSX, #Msxdev, #Sponsorship

Published on MSXALL at https://is.gd/2Ev0t1.

MSXDev'22 New Sponsor: Angelic Warrior DEVA | By MSXALL

2022-06-22T20:30:00.001-04:00

Super hero action game DEVA digital ends-up in the Winners Loot-Box

Go full throttle with the action platform game Angelic Warrior DEVA, an original modern-made MSX 2 game. The game was released as physical ROM cartridge in 2020 and as a digital version in 2022. This digital version found its way into the MSXDev'22 Winners Loot-Box for the true DEV-Warrior.

For those who don’t know about the game – it’s a fast paced action platform game with adventure and RPG elements. If you’re into Psycho World or Valis 2, you’ll love DEVA. You’re to navigate elaborate set-pieces and fend off a wide range of foes with varying attack patterns. These enemies will drop jewels, which you can trade in shops in order to expand your magic powers (offensive as well as defensive).

https://youtu.be/1TT-xAk9XPs

Gameplay by Seba Singer

The game itself showcases quite the technical feats, graphic-wise, as it includes parallax scrolling paired with colorful and animated backdrops. Also, it offers a lengthy as well as varied soundtrack. Furthermore, it has a built-in save-game option allowing you to save progress.

All in all, there’s enough to enjoy, so we salute Team DEVA for their gift to our beloved contest. They sponsored MSXDev'22 with 2 digital copies of Angelic Warrior DEVA.

To get a copy of Angelic Warrior DEVA yourself, contact Team DEVA by e-mail (teamdevamsx@gmail.com). For €15,00 the game is yours to enjoy. It’s worth it.

Game Specs

System: MSX 2, MSX 2+, or MSX Turbo-R
Memory: 128 Kb minimum
Music: MSX Music and/or MSX Audio (Moonsound can be used instead of MSX Audio)
Note: the game doesn't have exclusive OPL4 soundtracks or SFX
Formats:
- Cartridge: 2048Kb MegaROM with S-Ram
  Note: Save game in cartridge
- Digital: MegaROM file plus a 16-page full color manual in PDF format
  Note: It runs on any emulator that supports MSX 2
Joymega support (only available in the Cartridge version)
Important: V9990 NOT required!

Source: MSX Resource Center

#Contest, #Game, #RPG, #Sponsorship

Published on MSXALL at https://is.gd/KxXc7U.

Tri-Nauts, a new game by Physical Dreams that lurks in the horizon | By MSXALL

2022-06-20T19:30:00.001-04:00

On a Facebook post, Jose Luis Salguero just shared that he and the Physical Dreams team are working non-stop on their new game, TRI-NAUTS. Despite "Campanera"being their next title to hit the market, their goal is to have it completed before the end of the year!

The game looks awesome and the music is nothing less than a gift to the years, all full MSX flavored. It is not a new video, but it is awesome to watch and bring a small flavor of what is about to come:

Do you like the graphics? The game-play? The music? Of course you do! But, there is more. Check out this other video and simply get delighted with the quality of what is about to come for our beloved MSX:

The most interesting concept of Tri-Nauts is the unique idea that players will have to control 3 characters at a time. But, on a clever twist, on some levels there will be only one player. So, when players get use to combine efforts to solve the puzzles, the game will throw a curved-ball and isolate one of the characters to play solo and solve a level without any help.

It is said that hardcore players will have to bring forward a good mix of skills in platform and RPG games to see this game through... But surely everyone will enjoy it!

To stay up-to-date with Physical Dreams Games and their amazing projects, just follow them on Twitter: @physicaldreams1

#Game, #News, #RPG

Published on MSXALL at https://is.gd/4r2l7P.