THE MSX2+ COMPUTER
3.1 MSX2+ Standard definition and remarks
After 1986, Microsoft stopped with supporting MSX and ASCII in Japan
took over further develoment of the MSX system. Due to ASCII's lack of interest in European market the MSX2+ was never manufactured and sold outside Japan.
- At least 64kB RAM (Was this defined in the standard???).
- 32kB BASIC/BIOS ROM and 16kB SUB ROM
(MSX-BASIC V3.0, with the command SET SCROLL added, for smooth
scrolling in BASIC! And ofcourse the new screenmodes 10-12 were added, see
below)
- 16kB KANJI BASIC ROM + KANJI ROM
- 16kB DISK ROM
- New Yamaha V9958 Video Display Processor (backward compatible with TMS-9918/TMS-9928 and V9938)
- 720kB 3,5" floppy drive built in
- MSX-Music built in (FM-PAC
(OPLL YM-2413) - 9 CHANNEL FM SYNTHESIZER (8-bit)). It's actually not
defined in the standard but most MSX2+ machines have it, I know only one who
doesn't
- RGB connector (the only one that can be used with european monitors due to different TV system used in Japan (NTSC)).
- CVBS/RF output (is unusable without NTSC capable TV /
monitor (only on the original MSX2+)).
3.2 Graphic capabilities
Mode | Resolution | Colours | Image size |
10 | 256*212/424 |
12499 YJK (at once and + 16 out of 512 RGB in ML) | 54kB |
11 | 256*212/424 | 12499 YJK (at once) + 16 out of 512 RGB | 54kB |
12 | 256*212/424 | 19268 YJK (at once) | 54kB
|
- Note that the size of the images is the same as those of the MSX2
screens. This is because in the MSX2+ screens also a sort of "color spill"
effect is acting (like on screen 2, see the MSX1
section). It can be compensated a bit in Screen 11 with the RGB
colours.
- Another note: the VDP is in the same mode for screen 10 and 11, but
BASIC handles it differently. So in ML they are the same (both with RGB
colours).
Additional KANJI
screen modes (Japanese text screen modes). Hires graphics not possible.
Mode
|
Resolution
|
Colours
|
Char. size
|
0
|
40*24
|
16 colours out of 512
|
8*8
|
1
|
32*24
|
16 colours out of 512
|
8*8
|
2
|
256*192
|
16 colours out of 512
|
8*8
|
3
|
64*48
|
16 colours out of 512
|
8*8
|
Note: The Kanji-character size is 16*16.
- Additional features as: hardware bit-scroll - verical and horizontal
3.3 Special MSX2+ machines
- Sony HB-F1XV MSX2+
- Has got a kind of speed adjuster so it
is possible to choose the speed manually by moving a slider.
- Has Ren-Sha Turbo, which is a built-in auto-fire system. The repetition
speed can be adjusted with a slider
- Built-in hardware-pause-key, which always works! You can't go around it,
like the one of the Turbo R in R800 mode
- Sanyo WAVY-PHCF70FD MSX2+
- Has built in XBASIC (MSX2+ version of XBASIC, I guess. It's also called KUN
BASIC/KUN COMPILER, but it's real name seems to be MSX BASIC KUN (which means
Mr. MSX Basic))
- Has Ren-Sha Turbo, which is a built-in auto-fire system. The repetition
speed can be adjusted with a slider
- Built-in hardware-pause-key, which always works! You can't go around it,
like the one of the Turbo R
- Some more stuff below at the picture.
3.4 Software.
Actually there is not much
"pure" MSX2+ software (especially games). Some MSX2 games are
using optional features of an MSX2+ if they run on an MSX2+
computer. Sometimes only scroll feature is used if MSX2+ is detected.
Mostly all screen converters gain benifits of MSX2+ graphic. Due to great
amount of colours, .GIF/.BMP and.JPG pictures are displayed very well. For several years there has not been any graphic program for screen 11 until a French group made one (Screen 11 designer). So, now we can only wait for MSX2+ software? Hmmm...
Some MSX2+ softwares:
- Columbus - drawing program - (Screen 12). By TENCAS (Italy).
- Doozle - micro drawing? utility - (Screen 11/12).
- Graph Saurus V2.0 - drawing program - (Screen 12). By BIT2.
- Mouse Master - drawing program - (Screen 12).
- Screen 11 designer drawing program - (Screen 11). By FUC.
- Dix - game - (Screen 11/12 drawings/pics, optional). By MSX-Engine.
- F1-Spirit 3D special - racing-game - (scroll). By Konami.
- Golvellius 2
- RPG - (Very nice screen 11 drawings/scroll, there's also a MSX2 verson). By
Compile
- Laydock 2 - The Last Attack - Shoot'em up game - (Scroll). By T&E SOFT.
- Megadoom - Platform/shooting game - (Screen 12 pics. & scroll). By FCS.
- Nynacle
Racing - Kinda racing game - (Screen 12 pics, optional). By BIT2.
- Quinpl -
Puzzle-game - (WOW! nice screen 12 pics!). By BIT2.
- Sea Sardine Side II - game - (Scroll). By MSX-MAGAZINE (ASCII).
- Space
ManBow - Shoot'em up game - (Scroll, optional). By Konami
- Starship Rendez Vous (SPECIAL STAGE MICHELLE) - Sex-game - (Screen 12
pics, optional, on MSX2 screen 7 is used) ;-). By Scap Trust.
- Super Cooks - RPG - (Scroll, optional). By Compile.
- TERMINATOR 2 PICTURE DEMO - picture demo - (Screen 12 pics/scroll). By The Red Devil. Get it from here. Go to the software section.
- Twinkle Star - Shoot'em up game - (Scroll) / and hmm... the another one..ehh.. By YOSHIDA.
- The Golf - 3D golf game - (Screen 12 pics.). By Pack-in-Video.
- Tetris II - Tetris clone - (Screen 12) by RAM
3.5 Companies which produced MSX2+ computers.
All MSX2+ computers in Europe are imported from Japan or are upgraded from MSX2/(MSX1) to MSX2+ internally or with special transforming kits (Brazil). MSX2+ computers were only produced by Panasonic, Sony and
Sanyo. Here they are (I hope it's all of them!):
|
Sony HB-F1XDJ MSX2+ (64kB RAM, Speed Controller,
Rensha-Turbo, MSX-JE, MSX-Music, etc. One of the completest MSX2+ systems)
|
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Sony HB-F1XV (64kB RAM, MSX-Music, Speed Controller and Rensha Turbo)
|
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Sanyo WAVY PHC-70FD (64kB RAM, MSX-Music, Pause key (hardware), XBASIC and Rensha Turbo)
|
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Sanyo WAVY PHC-70FD2 (64kB RAM, MSX-Music, XBASIC, 2*FDD)
|
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Sanyo WAVY PHC-35 (Please mail me the specs!)
|
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Panasonic FS-A1FX (64kB RAM, Rensha Turbo, KANJI-ROM)
|
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Panasonic A1-WSX (64kB RAM, MSX-Music, built-in software and Rensha Turbo)
|
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Panasonic FS-A1WX (64kB RAM, MSX-Music, built-in
software, Rensha Turbo (adjustable auto-fire), hardware Pause-key, speed
adjustable by software via I/O port (3.5 or 7 MHz) and MSX-JE)
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