MSX

MSX
Designer	ASCII Microsoft
Manufacturer	Canon, Casio, Daewoo, D4 Enterprise, Dragon Data, Fujitsu, GoldStar, Hitachi, Kyocera, JVC, Mitsubishi, National, Panasonic, Philips Pioneer, Radofin, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Spectravideo, Sony, Toshiba, Yamaha, Yashica
CPU	MSX, MSX2, MSX2+ 3.58 MHz Zilog Z80 MSX TurboR 7.16 MHzR800 3.58 MHz Zilog Z80
Graphics	MSX TI TMS9918 MSX2 Yamaha V9938 MSX2+, MSX TurboR Yamaha V9958
Memory	MSX 8 kB minimum MSX2, MSX2+ 64 kB minimum MSX TurboR 256 kb or 512 kB
Media	ROM cartridge, Cassette tape, Floppy disk
Released	1983-1993
Added to Museum	Not yet

The MSX was a video game hardware architecture concieved by and marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi, Microsoft's former Vice President of Sales for Far East.

Name

Kazuhiko Nishi stated that MSX was named after the United States MX missile (Missile-eXperimental).

It stands for "Machines with Software eXchangeability".

Standards

The MSX standard was created in 1983 by ASCII Microsoft. The standard was updated to the MSX2 standard in 1985.

Microsoft dissolved its partnership with ASCII in 1986 and ASCII Microsoft was absorbed into ASCII.

ASCII created the MSX2+ standard in 1988. The last standard, the MSX TurboR, was released in 1990. Only Panasonic was still releasing MSX computers at this point, so it was the only company to release MSX TurboR machines.

Manufacturers

Microsoft never produced their own machine, but the architecture was licensed and sold by Canon, Casio, Daewoo, Dragon Data, Fujitsu, GoldStar, Hitachi, Kyocera, JVC, Mitsubishi, National, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Spectravideo, Sony, Toshiba, Yamaha, and Yashica.

In all, twenty-two different companies sold MSX-compatible machines worldwide from 1983 to 1993.

Legacy

The legacy of the MSX remains, even after its heyday. Independent games continue to be produced for the system to this day.

In addition, the MSX trademark holders licensed the hardware for computers in the 21st century, such as the 1chipMSX which was released in 2006.

Digital MSX games owned by the WEC Museum

Title	Developer	Release	Notes
Aquapolis SOS	Nisso	1983
Bee & Flower	Think Soft	1983
Daiva Story 4: Asura's Bloodfeud	T&E Soft	1987
Devil Golvellius	Compile	1986
Devil's Heaven	Nisso	1983
Disc Saga: Episode III - Burning Sword!	Compile	1984
Hustle! Chumy	Compile	1986
Gulkave	Compile	1986
Megalopolis SOS	Nisso	1983
Nyanpi ☆ Collection	Compile	1990
Pyramid Warp	T&E Soft	1983
Sorcery Saga 1-2-3	Compile	1990	Includes Sorcery Saga 1, 2, and 3
Topple Zip	Bothtec	1987
Voidrunner	Llamasoft	1987
Zanac	Compile	1986

Digital MSX2 games owned by the WEC Museum

Title	Developer	Release	Notes
B.G.V.: A Bewitching Night	Compile	1991
B.G.V.: Christmas	Compile	1988
B.G.V.: Stray Cat Story	Compile	1990
Blaster Burn: Budruga Episode III - Score Trial	Compile	1991
Children's Wars	Compile	1989
DIRES -giger・loop-	Bothtec	1987
Dragon's Quiz	Compile	1991
Final Jaboon	Compile	1992
Green Crystal	Compile	1992
Jaboon Runner	Compile	1992
Jump Hero II: Life is Jaboon	Compile	1992
Kerosuke's Frigid Hell	Compile	1992
Kerosuke's Winter Training	Compile	1992
Laydock	T&E Soft	1986
Pyramid Warp	T&E Soft	1983
Rabbit Sparrow: Revival of the Hajao	Compile	1989
Randar Burn・April Fool	Compile	1990
Randar's Adventure	Compile	1989
Randar's Adventure II: Revenge of Death	Compile	1989
Randar's Adventure III: A Magician Fascinated by Darkness	Compile	1990
Return of Jelda	Carry Lab	1987
Rune Master	Compile	1989
Rune Master II	Compile	1990
Rune Master III: War Among Three Kingdoms	Compile	1991
Samurai King Mega On Z	Compile	1989
Super Cooks	Compile	1989
Trojka	BCF	1992
True Devil Golvellius: Horizontal Scrolling Demo	Compile	1988
True Devil Golvellius: Vertical Scrolling Demo	Compile	1988
True Devil Golvellius: Illustrated Book	Compile	1989
Turing	Compile	1990
Xak: The Art of Visual Stage	Micro Cabin	1989
Zanac EX	Compile	1986

Digital MSX2+ games owned by the WEC Museum

Title	Developer	Release	Notes
Laydock 2: Last Attack	T&E Soft	1988