Getting Started with MSX Games — MSX1 vs MSX2, SCC and Emulator Setup
MSX was a standard several manufacturers built to, rather than a single machine. In Korea it spread mainly through Daewoo's IQ series and the game-only Zemmix, so a good number of people spent their 8-bit years on one.
Coming back to MSX games today, a few things trip people up. Pick the wrong machine and nothing boots; play the same game on a different setup and the music sounds thin. This article sorts out those forks in the road.
MSX1 and MSX2 are different machines
Check this first. MSX2 games do not run on an MSX1.
| MSX1 | MSX2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Colour | 16 at a time | Palette-based; up to 256 depending on screen mode |
| Screen modes | Text and low-resolution | Adds high-resolution graphics modes |
| Scrolling | Effectively none | Vertical scrolling supported |
| Representative titles | Gradius, King's Valley | USAS, Metal Gear, Akumajō Dracula |
The Zemmix, by far the most common machine in Korea, is MSX1-based. Owners could not run MSX2 games such as USAS or Akumajō Dracula at home, which is why so many people remember playing those round at a friend's house on an IQ 2000.
If a game stops at a black screen in your emulator, nine times out of ten the machine is set to MSX1 and the game is MSX2.
SCC — why the sound differs
If a Konami game ever sounded thinner than you remembered, this is why.
The MSX's stock sound chip is the PSG, a simple part with limited range. Konami's answer was to put an extra sound chip, the SCC, inside their own cartridges. Plugging in the game plugged in the sound hardware along with it.
The result is that the same game sounds substantially fuller from a cartridge containing an SCC. Many cartridges sold in Korea shipped without one to keep costs down, so for a lot of people the sound they grew up with was not the sound as designed.
In an emulator, set the mapper type to the SCC variant when loading the ROM. Most will detect it automatically, but if the sound feels hollow, check this first.
Choosing an emulator
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| openMSX | Prioritises accuracy. You assemble a machine — model, expansion slots, disk drives — the way a real one was configured. More to set up, but very little it cannot do |
| blueMSX | Friendlier configuration. Pick a model from a list and go |
| RetroArch (blueMSX core) | If you already use RetroArch, just add the core and manage MSX alongside everything else |
Whichever you pick, the same four things need setting:
- Machine — MSX1 games on an MSX1, MSX2 games on an MSX2. If you are unsure, an MSX2 will also run most MSX1 games
- Region / keyboard — Japanese games are safest on a Japanese machine; it prevents a lot of garbled text
- Sound — enable SCC. Depending on the machine you can also add expansions such as FM-PAC
- BIOS — MSX emulators need the system ROM for each machine. Without it nothing starts
File formats
| Extension | What it is |
|---|---|
.rom | Cartridge game. The most common by far |
.dsk | Floppy disk image, for games released on disk |
.cas | Cassette tape image, used by early titles |
.rom files divide by mapper depending on size. Simple games of 32KB or less just run, but the larger MegaROM titles need the right mapper — Konami's scheme (with or without SCC), ASCII's scheme, and others. Most emulators work it out from the size and contents.
Common problems
Stops at a black screen Most likely the machine is set to MSX1 and the game is MSX2. Next most likely: a missing or wrong BIOS.
The sound is thin Either SCC is disabled, or the ROM is a build without it. Some games circulate in both forms.
The picture is cut off at the top and bottom The machine's region is wrong. Japanese machines run at 60Hz, European ones at 50Hz.
Garbled text Common when a Japanese game runs on a European machine setting. Switch to a Japanese machine.
Summary
- Separate MSX1 from MSX2 first. Most black-screen problems start there
- If a Konami game sounds hollow, check the SCC setting
- Choose between openMSX (accuracy) and blueMSX (convenience)
- MSX emulators will not start without a BIOS
MSX game reviews are on the reviews page, and translation patches are grouped under the MSX entry on the translation patches page.