What are some of your favorite MSX games? TELL US!!!!

MSX computers were very popular in South America and Europe. They were the best 8-bit machines ever released!

You guys really do some outstanding work.

"In this lava level you'll die if you fall into it, so watch out!" Thanks for the protip Dave

40 minutes of Sack? Fuck yeah!

Translations for the Japanese Portions of the Video: Hey y'all, one of the hardest parts about enjoying the MSX is that a lot of its library is in Japanese. To help out with this im going to translate the Japanese sense in this episode to, perhaps, further entice you into picking up this really interesting computer. 3:55 : 魂斗羅 (Contra) 5:51: 夢大陸アドベンチャー Literal translation: "Dream Continental Adventure" (The Penguin does actually go to different continents in the game) Western Translation: "Penguin Adventure" 9:46: なまえをいれてください（１０もじまで） Literal / Western Translation: Please enter a (your) name (Up to 10 characters) 9:49: あたまとふくをえらんでください Literal Translation: Select a head and some clothes please. Western Translation: Choose a Head and Some clothes. 10:13 どうしますか？ Literal Translation: What would you do? Western Translation: Select an action. 10:15 Undead B が　GameSack に　９　の　ダメージをあたえた! Literal Translation: Undead B gives damage of 9 to GameSack! Western Translation: Zombie B deals 9 damage points to GameSack! 10:17 GameSack が　Undead A に　7　の　ダメージをあたえた! Literal Translation: GameSack gives damage of 9 to Undead A! Western Translation: GameSack deals 9 damage points to Zombie A! 10:20 すすめません!! Literal Translation: (You) Don't advance!! (There's a wall there) Western Translation: You cant move forward!! (There's a wall there) 10:26 Grem F が　GameSack に　3　の　ダメージをあたえた! Literal Translation: Grem F gives damage of 3 to GameSack! Western Translation: Gremlin F deals 9 damage points to GameSack! 10:28 どれをこうげきしますか　GameSack? Literal Translation: Which are you going to attack, GameSack? Western Translation: Which enemy do you wish to strike, GameSack? 10:31 GameSack が　Grem A をしとめた！ Literal/Western Translation: GameSack killed Gremlin A!

Ah, MSX. It is most nostalgic 80's PC system in Japan and Korea. It was released in Korea as Zemmix, which is only one console version of MSX in the world. My favorite games are Knightmare(魔城伝説), Cabbage Patch Kids, King's Valley(王家の谷), Magical Tree, ZANAC, THEXDER(テグザー), Yokai Yashiki(妖怪屋敷).

Great video guys, very well covered, especially as you said it was virtually unknown in the US. We were lucky here in Australia as we saw about six MSX 1 models from various companies, including from Spectravideo which was used as the basis of the MSX standard. An important point as they were two Hong Kong based Americans. Spectravideo and Microsoft programmers created the original Spectravideo Basic that became MSX Basic for the standard. There is also a vibrant home brew development scene, with some absolutely amazing titles being published on a regular basis. MSX added hardware vertical scrolling, with horizontal scrolling being done in software, but with a lot more video ram allowing page flipping to do it much better than MSX 1. MSX 2+ added hardware horizontal scrolling as well as more high resolution modes and colours. Space Manbow detects if you have a MSX 2+ and uses the hardware scrolling and runs faster. MSX is the System I released all my original game titles for back in the day, and I still love working on home brew titles for it. I have one of largest MSX collections in the world (not the largest though).

Many people like me grew up with the MSX in the 8-bit era instead of the NES. It's a country-related thing I guess. Excellent episode as always and thanks for the positive take in this important platform.

Those MSX scene transitions are amazing, Joe. Added a lot!

I am glad that MSX was populair in the Netherlands in the 80s and i got to know all those great Konami games that were not in this video. Like Knightmare, Maze of Galious (best MSX-1 game), F1-Spirit, Kings Valley II, Usas, Salamander, etc.

The MSX was a fantastic system and I'm really happy I grew up with its amazing library of games back in the 80s. Maze of Galious is probably my favorite MSX game it was basically our Zelda: great action adventure gameplay, tons of worlds, items and secrets. And Vampire Killer MSX > Castlevania NES ha! Just saying :) Some of my other favs: Usas, Kings Valley 2, the 2 Metal Gears, King Kong 2, F1-Spirit, Knightmare, Nemesis 2, Penguin Adventure, Pippols, Androgenius, Feud, Jack the Nipper 2, Scooter, Auf Wiedersehen Monty, Dragon Slayer IV... aww too many awesome MSX games :) And don't forget the cartridge combo! For example if you insert Nemesis 2 and Penguin Adventure you can play Nemesis 2 as Pentaro the penguin, how awesome is that!? Lastly without the MSX there would be no La Mulana! Just imagine a world without Elder Xelpud, Catball and Surprise Fish... :( The thought alone makes my stomach hurt! ;)

I lost it at "Did someone sneak a Voodoo graphics card into my MSX" lmao XD

There are so many great msx games. You guys need to play: Firehawk, Undealine, Psycho World, Hinotori, Quarth, Columns, Puyo Puyo, Dragon Slayer series, Xak series, Fray, and so many others... Thanks the episode was simply amazing!

The MSX was huge where I'm from! It was almost in every home just like how the US is with the NES. This system had amazing games

Who should we send to infiltrate Outer Heaven? You guessed it: Frank Stallone.

14:50 It's because the MSX 2 added vertical scrolling and tile offset capabilities. (Tile offset had to be used for horizontal scrolling, causing the strange lines at the edges of the screen) Horizontal scrolling was added in the 2+

The favorite computer if my childhood. It was very popular in Brazil. Today I'm in the US, and still love it. I have 50 msx computers and counting!

Grew up with an MSX2 in the Netherlands and still love the system! I have a small collection of originals including my favourite: Penguin Adventure. Konami was king in this era.

I love the MSX. It's my favorite home computer of all time. Where I'm from, Dubai, the MSX was really popular. It was named "Sakhr" ("Boulder" in Arabic) and was marketed as an educational computer, with some games too. There were numerous edutainment games on it, like, (I'm translating these titles), "Who?", "Avicenna", and "Journey to Mecca". There was even a Quran on the MSX! My mother told me she had an AX170 MSX when she was younger which my gramps bought her so that she can learn to read the Quran using the Quran program. Also, I heard that it was the very first Quran to be on a home computer. I didn't live during the time of the MSX, (I'm 15), but I do have a fondness for how my parents lived in the 80s. I have a fondness for old computers in general.

...the penguin game looks legit. inviting character, different, creative, slight addictive alluring factor, light RPGish items giving depth. thats a classic formula if i ever heard one. I want more games with penguins. I don't care how. good ones. with penguins.

damn, finally. now we need these guys to play the PC98 and FM TOWNS !!!!!!!!!

Back in the day, They were pretty popular here in Brazil

I think the MSX is something most gamers know about but have never seen in person. Heck, I'm sure few people will have seen gameplay from the system before watching this. I'm glad to see the MSX episode come together and it's impressive knowing just how long you've been working on it. I look forward to finishing it in the morning.

Sometimes when I'm feeling down, your videos really cheer me up. Thanks dudes.

Awesome video as always guys! You two fine gentlemen have introduced me to so many consoles I've never seen and/or heard of and not to mention, a ton of great retro games I didn't know were out there either. Every Game Sack episode is like an awesome online class on retro collecting, thanks for lessons again!

"This shop owner gets really mad, when you stop buying things" Nice to know Konami would behave the same way, years later

You guys are absolutely awesome, you definitely deserve more subs, been a fan for about 2-3 years!

MSX was pretty popular here in Brazil after 86 (two suppliers, Sharp and Gradiente). I had one back in the day, and the hot thing was to get it upgraded to a MSX2 via an expansion board, as well as a Megaram cartridge to enable loading megarom games from disk. Those were the days! Notable omissions: Knightmare, Maze of Galious, Hinotori and USAS. Nemesis Series. All Konami. Should have mentioned in the computer intro that the hw is closely related to SEGA Mark I and Coleco, there are some ports or conversions from those systems. Master System is also related, but with a much better graphics chip. MSX2 fixed that, although still suffers for scrolling in some games.

these guys deserve much more subscribers

I have a Sony MSX HibBit Mezzo, red like a ferrari, it looks like a cyberdeck from a William Gibson novel. It's just an MSX 1 with 16kb ram, but it's the sexiest computer you'll ever see. I love it to death. The best game on MSX 1 is by far Maze of Galious, it's a "metroidvania" and kicks Metroid 1 and Zelda 2 ass. Knightmare, the previous game in the series, is fantastic as well, a vertical shooter with fantastic music. Then there's King's Valley, a very fun puzzle platformer. Think Solomon's Key on NES, but even better. For MSX 2 you missed Shalom, that is the third game in the Knightmare series and The Treasure of Usas, give them a try!

One game to definitely check out on on the MSX2 is "Treasure of Usas". It's really sad Konami never ported it any other system since I had only discovered it through emulation. "Fray in Magical Adventure" is another good one I tried through emulation. I only tried it on the Turbo R, but a MSX2 version was done as well.

Once again your sack had some pleasant surprises for us. Thank you guys. 👍

Wait, wait, WAIT.... a kewl Sega dude and a Nintendo chap?! How did you manage to remain friends for this long?

Nice to see you two branching into covering older computers too!

Great episode since MSX is rarely talked about on youtube. MSX was the first console in our house back in the late 80s. It was popular in Kuwait since there is a Kuwaiti company named Sakhr Computers that has the license to produce Arabic computers in the middle east using the msx technology. 2 games you guys should play: The Castle which is a puzzle platform & also try Rambo.

Great video guys! Joe, your attention to detail is amazing, excellent work.

That Snatcher game looks pretty freaking cool.

I want an Amiga episode!

I don't really play games any more due to a mix of reason, but you guys still somehow find a way to stay entertaining. Well done

I think the Vampire Killer ROM you have there is bugged. Because the one I have here doesn't have any issues to destroy the candles. So try a different version of the ROM. SD-Snatcher was not just "Snatcher cutified", it was Konami's answer to the success of YS2 and Dragon Slayer 6. :) Some bonus tips: - On MG2, you can also save you game on floppy disks or on Game Master 2 SRAM (like a memory card), provided that you have those - On Space Manbow, you can hold the bomb as long as you don't shoot - On both Aleste games, the timer of the secondary weapon only decreases if you use it. So use the 1st and 2nd buttons of the joystick wisely. (It's mapped on the SHIFT and Z keys of the keyboard, BTW) - On Aleste-2, you can pause the game by pressing STOP. Then you can select your ship speed with RIGHT/LEFT. I personally prefer to set it to 7. If you press SELECT while stopped, there's a little easter egg that will animate the sprites while the game is paused. - In Penguin Adventure, there's one bell item that rings to tell you where the secret passages are. You don't have to fall on each crack on the floor obsessively as you did. :) - Buy yourself a Flash cartridge, and the "lots of disks" factor won't be an issue anymore. :) - There are patches to allow turbo support for many games. In fact, there are plenty of patches for MSX games. Always look for them, as they'll provide you a better experience.

27:45 “Seriously dude, what the f-“ “Especially...” lol

It was an attempt by Microsoft to monop-- excuse me, "standardize" home computers

I got a little drunk after coming home from work on St. Paddy's Day, and this video helped cool my jets after I saw the second episode of "The Alienist." Thanks, Game Sack! I'm sure no one's ever thanked you guys in this way before!

Thank you so much for this review. I owned an MSX (and MSX2) back in the day and your review really brought back some great childhood memories. It lifted my spirit.

The choppy scrolling is not much of an issue once you get up to an MSX2+ or a Turbo R. The scrolling is fairly smooth on those machines. Plus, if you get a Sony Hit Bit MSX2+ the FM sound capabilities are pretty much built in. So most games sound amazing. especially Konami games.

In Front Line, you DO know you were trying to blow up your own tank?

I was looking for name of that song you used in tech analysis part for DAYS man. Thanks Joe! You're a lifesaver!

So stoked for this episode. My neighbour used to have a MSX, and I have fond memories of some of the games.

Can you guys cover the NEC PC-98? I'm really interested in the game lineup.

Dave's "annoying joke" is the peak of GameSack humor in this video. Well done, Dave!

Top notch editing. Another great episode.

MSX is the most magical computer of its time.

You're doing computers, there's hope you'll do something about the C64

A home computer? on Game Sack? Does this mean we're getting closer to a Commodore 64 episode?

I'm very thankful that you uploaded the video of you editing this episode Joe, as this episode, as well as a few before this, did not appear in my sub box at all. This is arguably my favorite show on YT of all time, so I'm glad I can finally get caught up

Congraturations for making this video and having us here.

30:08 "I'm not sure if it's any better if it's played on an MSX2+ or not." Answer is yes.

MSX = Microsoft Extended Basic = One of the countless attempts by Microsoft to conquer the Computer world until they had finally success with Windows.

Hey ! The MSX was my very first computer/console in 1986 ! My dad brought it to me from a trip in Saudi Arabia.. so I had an arabic version with the arabic keyboard !! 😆 And he brought with it 20 games !!!! but most of them were educative games in arabic ! 😅 I remember I had Road fighter, Yie ar kung fu, Circus Charlie, Knightmare, Athletic land, Comic Bakery and King's valley ! and mostly it was since this moment that video games became an important part of my life ! So this machine was very meaninfull for me ! 😊

The stop-motion and box shots are FIRE!

Been looking forward to this, since I'm a pretty avid MSX collector. Pretty nice info overall, but there were definitely some notable omissions... which I will, of course, detail for you now! ;) Psycho World is one of the most technically impressive games on the system, featuring totally smooth scrolling in all four directions with really detailed graphics and great FM music -- and unlike the SMS and GG versions, it has 8 full stages, each with branching paths, and a whole lot of neat manga panel-style cutscenes. It's easily one of the best games on the system, and a real showpiece for what the MSX2 is capable of in the right hands. The MSX2 also has the best version of Fire Hawk: Thexder the Second Contact (IMHO), which remains my number one favorite MSX game -- it's insanely long, really well-designed, super-fun, and has an absolutely wonderful FM soundtrack that I like WAY better than the DOS version's (which Sierra messed with a little too much for my tastes). The MSX version also has a proper intro and ending, which Sierra apparently couldn't be bothered even porting over to DOS. For unique shmups, Konami's "Hinotori" is pretty notable -- it's an MSX2 exclusive, and a really fun and unique game. It's a vertically scrolling shooter where you control a dude, like Aleste Gaiden, but the levels all loop if you just keep on scrolling up. Instead, you have to exit off the sides of the screen, where there are always two other levels looping in parallel with your current one, and you need to kind of weave your way back and forth through all three areas, looking for keys to unlock doors that will allow you to access other parts of the level and -- eventually -- the exit to the boss room and the next level. Except... you also need to find special keys throughout the game that unlock the FINAL boss room, which means you'll need to backtrack to earlier levels after getting specific keys to unlock specific doors in them, and... well, it's complicated! But it's really cool. It's like they jammed a shmup together with the dungeon stages from Zelda 1. Very, very highly recommended. There's also a Konami platformer that's unique to the MSX2 called "Usas" (or "Treasure of Usas" in Europe), which has two dudes named Wit and Kles exploring ancient ruins all around the world. You choose which of them to take into each level, and they each play very differently... plus, you can change their emotional states by collecting power-ups, which affect everything from their attacks to their jump mechanics. The boss door of each level is locked, too, and you need to be in a certain emotional state in order to open it (not sure how that works, but it's a video game, so let's run with it!). I like this game a lot conceptually, but I find the gameplay kind of frustrating due to some rather player-hostile level designs. Still, it's considered an MSX classic, and is definitely one that's at least worth checking out! Oh, and speaking of classic Konami games, I'm really shocked you guys left out The Maze of Galious! That's one of the system's defining games. Basically, it's like the MSX's true answer to Zelda, but side-scrolling instead of overhead. Also, it was the inspiration for modern indie games like La-Mulana, Unepic, and Hydra Castle Labyrinth. ...I could probably go on listing games all day (I have a pretty sizable collection at this point), but I think the last thing I'll mention is the homebrew scene. The MSX homebrew scene is AMAZING -- I think there are more homebrew games available for the MSX than for any other system I've ever seen, even including the NES. And most of them are really damn good, often doing things with the hardware that I didn't even know was possible! Fans have even created add-ons for the MSX to increase its capabilities, like the "Moonsound" cartridge that adds sample-based OPL4 audio (allowing you to compose music that seriously sounds like it's coming out of a SNES), as well as the V9990 cartridge that essentially gives the system 16-bit graphics processing capabilities. If you ever decide to check out any homebrew titles, my highest recommendations of where to start would probably be The Cure (an MSX1 Castlevania game, basically, and a DAMN GOOD ONE), The Sword of IANNA (think Prince of Persia but with a Conan the Barbarian aesthetic), Ghost (basically sci-fi Maze of Galious), Kyokugen (the best shmup on the system, by far), and Pumpkin Adventure 3 (a mid-'90s turn-based RPG developed in Europe that's got the humor stylings of like, Beavis and Butthead, yet manages to be one of the deepest and most involving RPGs on a system that's known -- in Japan, at least -- for its deep and involving RPGs). Hope to see another MSX episode from you guys sometime, and if so, feel free to hit me up for more suggestions -- I could literally give you dozens of them, and possibly even supply the games if you promised reeeeeeal nicely that you'd send them back afterward! ;)

Dude, Dave, That blue/red tank in frontline is your own. stop trying to destroy it an enter it! :)

Hi mates, nice video as always. The MSX was kind of well known and liked in Brazil back in the 80’s and beginning of the 90’s. Only richer kids had it though as their parents would buy it for them hoping they would use it to learn computer programming and whatnot. I had a few friends who had it and they were even sent to computer schools in order to learn how to use the computer and program on it. However, kids would, of course, mostly use it to play games. The MSX version my friends had in those days was a computer set with a keyboard, a HD base and a green and black screen monitor on top (only one of those friends of mine had the system plugged to a colour tv and it looked the same as you show in your video) so most games I used to play with them were only seen in green and black. Few cartridges were around though as cartridges were expensive. Instead, they had the MSX cassette tape player and lots of games recorded in cassette tapes. The most liked and played games I remember were: - Ghostbusters (similar to the Master System or NES version) - Magic Tree - Yie Ar Kung Fu 1 and 2 - Kings Valley 1 and 2 (my favourite) - Gunfright - Galaxian - Rally X - Rambo - Knightmare - Penguin adventure - Thexder - Arkanoid - The goonies - Metal Gear 1 and 2 And a few others I can’t remember the name now...

Your console (in this case computer) videos are my favorite. Awesome to see another one

Sweet timing!

That penguin game looks badass

Always love it when you bring up the "easy to remember" passwords lol

I got my first MSX computer in 1995 in Iraq (MSX2 Yamaha AX350II Sakhr). Thank you very much for this episode. :)

Got the notification, clicked "Like," don't even know what I'm watching or what an MSX is! Keep up the great work :)

Oohhhhh, so THIS is what retro games look like without nostalgia glasses. Huh.

You guys forgot to add The Maze of Galious! Absolutely one of my favorite games on the MSX.

The first very first Parodius game was made for the MSX! This version is included in the Parodius Collection for the PSP.

I was pleasantly surprised here... The graphics for the first system vary wildly, from stuff that looks like it belongs on Intellivision, to stuff that looks as good as Famicom. I guess it comes down to whoever was programming. Wonder how different the history of gaming would be if this had come to the US before the NES, or had better marketing so we knew it even existed.

Congraturations on another excellent episode.

I'd never want to get an MSX for myself, but I enjoyed watching you guys show it off and talk about it.

I really like the stop-action animation in Game Sack. Sets it apart from other game shows. Does Joe or Dave do that? Or do they hire it out?

Awesome to see you cover a home computer. I would love to see you cover the Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari etc :)

Never heard about the MSX until now, great episode guys. :)

Nice to see you guys taking a look at the MSX. Pretty solid platform despite so many manufacturers and configurations.

At last! A episode about the ColecoVision's more finished brother.

Game Sack > Santa's Sack

Awesome video. Love the stop motion disassembly.

These system review episodes are some of your best! Even if I have played a lot of these games I'm always introduced to some more which I haven't when you make them!

funny how I was looking for a game on the Msx yesterday and the video popped up on my notification, it helped me learn about the system since I didn't even remember what it was 😅

Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 are the best games on the MSX and were seriously way ahead of their time

Man the sound is what got me hocked up on Msx. These sounds are my childhood am not from usa so i grew up with it. Gradius series had some epic tones on the device. Penguin adventures the start screen mad me heart cry when I was a child...am i right 80 s kids.

Working on finals this video is a great excuse to take a break. Thanks for the videos guys!

Joe is the jay Leno of video games

My two gay gaming uncles telling me about retro games, I just love it.

man, I'm always watching new eps without realizing. i thought this was an older ep. u sneaky gamesack.

Superb production quality! You guys rock. :)

This just makes me want to dig out and play more master system...

Its about time you guys talk about a home computer system

I use to own an MSX 2 system the MSX 370 and that is when i first played Metal Gear Solid, Nemesis, Salamander, King's Valley, Antarctic Adventure 1,2 and my first racing game that i loved F-1 spirit!

Never played an MSX. But first heard about it in 89. We had an exchange student from Japan. And he was telling us about how Metal Gear and some other game on the NES had first came out on the MSX. Great episode guys.

I'm pretty sure Scion is pronounced as "sai-on" (sai like in the weapon Sai), not "sky-on". I know this because in Magic: the Gathering we have a creature called an Eldrazi Scion, and everyone pronounces it "sai-on")

Never clicked on a video faster! Man, I'm so friggin' stoked, I'm literally jumping up and down on the damn couch!

great episode! Always wanted to know more about the MSX, and what a cool game to end on!

Another great video guys, Congraturations!