Where in the World was the MSX Popular | Retro Dream

[@ricardotabone3231]

This is probably the best video anyone ever produced on the MSX! Kudos!

[@RetroDream]

Many thanks Ricardo! Really appreciated

[@pikuma]

The MSX was *really* popular in Brazil. ❤️

[@RetroDream]

Sure! :)

[@leniere309]

I had a Toshiba MSX, loved it, I still have some of the magazines that I got back in the 80s. Thanks for this series. Cheers.

[@RetroDream]

Thanks for your interest! We all loved these fantastic machines. Cheers

[@als5164]

Great content! Gradiente pushed a lot MSX in Brasil. As I recall, it was more common to see MSX computers than PCs on the average household. At some point, maybe around 1988, PC clones starting flooding the market and MSX lost a lot of traction, and was eventually overrun by PC clones. Gradiente also developed a NES clone, called Phanton System, by the begining of the 90s. Also, great to see old computer magazines with codes... good times, life was simpler!

[@RetroDream]

That's right! I agree 1988 or 89 was a turning point for countries where the MSX was the most developed. Nostalgia... Thanks for your interest!

[@pikuma]

verdade. 🙂

[@ricardotabone3231]

Great point! A single event that caused damaged to the MSX standard in Brazil was the release of the Gradiente DD Plus in 1988. It was supposed to be a MSX2 computer, with a bullt-in 3 1/2" floppy drive, internal clock and turbo mode. All oof these features were really introduced, but it was still a MSX 1 computer. If Gradiente (and they subsidiary Polyvox) had REALLY taken the plunge and invested in a real MSX 2 or MSX 2+ computer, it could have lasted much longer in Brazil. Most MSX 2 and 2+ hardware in Brazil was installed as kits. Mine was from AVCS: A MSX 2.0 kit, plus an FM-PAC cartridge and a "MEGARAM" cartridge made my system behave quite close to a full MSX 2+ The MEGARAM was a RAN cart that simulated KONAMI MEGAROM carts but with software loaded from floppy disk.s.

[@CyberMSX2]

@@RetroDream Unfortunately, the Hotbit HB-8000 created by Sharp do Brasil was not even mentioned, which is terrible and regrettable.

[@kivancsil]

Philips NMS8245 MSX2 with monitor and matrix printer in the same style: WHAT a beautiful beast: It's colors were closer to an Amiga than an Atari ST.

[@RetroDream]

A badass configuration for lucky ones!

[@happysprollie]

Holy crap. Weird to see that issue of MSX Computing flash by. I was deputy editor and there's a story behind that illustration of a body builder.

[@RetroDream]

Wow, sounds interesting! Definitely looking forward to hear your story, and any other from people that were on deck during these epic times...

[@Markr7855]

I’m from the UK, I first got a Toshiba HX10 when I swapped my ZX Spectrum for one after I saw Antarctic Adventure in a local shop. I loved it got Nemesis 1 and 2, Salamander, Knightmare plus many others. Signed up for the Konami newsletter which was great. I later had a Philips MSX2 which I swapped for an Amiga 500. I absolutely loved this despite it’s faults. My favourite computer of the 90s and still play through emulation.

[@RetroDream]

Thanks for sharing, Mark! That's comforting to know I wasn't the only one European with a MSX system :)

[@henson2k]

I had my first exposure to Yamaha MSX-2 in Soviet Union 1991 Recently bought Sony MSX-2 for nostalgic reasons

[@vanhetgoor]

Still waiting for the MSX3!

[@back_to_basic]

...and so the long-awaited sequel has arrived, fulfilling all expectations. Great job! :-) Thank you for these nice videos about MSX.

[@RetroDream]

Glad you enjoyed it, and happy it met your expectations!

[@backloggamereviews]

Just bought a Japanese MSX2 and came across this video looking for info on it. Very nice history lesson!

[@RetroDream]

Thanks ;)

[@Anarchronic]

The MSX and MSX2 were the favorite computers of my childhood, I had also C64 and an AMIGA both good too!

[@RetroDream]

Thanks for sharing!

[@markg155]

I still regret giving away my Philips vg8020/20 till this day. I have such great memories about the MSX, its capabilities and flaws. Spent countless hours playing games and dipped my toes into coding on the MSX. It deserved more but in the end the world wasn't ready for a standard.

[@inpurgatory]

This (and part 1) came up in my suggested feed...and I enjoyed it, then looked at your other vids, and how now subscribed and watching the back catalogue haha :)

[@RetroDream]

Tell me which one you think is best!

[@eliezervargas2959]

retro in My blood

[@JustinKieft]

Very nice overview I got my msx late in the systems life but still so many great games and useful programmes it was my first computer and a great one at that. Only after the upgrade to msx 2 (that nice Philips NMS8250 with sperate keyboard and monitor) it was a great little machine and paved the ways for my it career.

[@RetroDream]

Thanks for sharing. I feel I need to discuss further the MSX topic. People are asking about a 3rd episode... If this is the case, I'll talk about programming as well.

[@captchuckles515]

I watched part 1 and 2 back to back, amazing work and content, I just subscribed, keep up the good work! Hopefully part 3 comes!

[@RetroDream]

Thanks for your interest! Given the number of requests, there are chances for a part 3 indeed

[@msxdroid]

Thank you and again, I have enjoyed this episode. Is there coming a part 3 ?

[@RetroDream]

If people demand it, certainly!

[@StephenThorley]

​@@RetroDream Yea please part 3

[@GeorgesChannel]

Great video! I really enjoyed it. The MSX was relatively unknown in Germany. Most people move to 16bit systems for gaming at that time, especially the Amiga. And i imagine, they were quite expensive too. Nintendo and Sega were also very present with their consoles here...

[@RetroDream]

Just like in France... Thanks for sharing!

[@gastonb1318]

Thank you for this content, it is great. You help me remind a great moment of my life enjoying as child with friends my MSX, in which I learned to program and later on still my job. Thank you

[@RetroDream]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@smpsmp8423]

Great video editing and content. Keep making videos!

[@RetroDream]

Sure, thank you!

[@cesco_it]

So we might expect a third episode, where you talk about the failed attempt to create a third MSX standard, and about the Panasonic Turbo-R ?

[@RetroDream]

We might :)

[@back_to_basic]

That would be interesting! I'd like to see a part 3.

[@StephenThorley]

+1 I'd love to watch a part 3

[@alextrusty2585]

About old "MSX3", or the upcoming MSX3, which is KAI about to launch this summer? ;)

[@cesco_it]

@@alextrusty2585 the old attempt of course

[@andrecaruso1666]

Great video, although I need to make a little correction about Brazil. You’re right there was Gradiente MSX machines, but the more popular was Sharp’s HotBit, because it was a lot cheaper.

[@RetroDream]

Thanks for the heads-up

[@aropis]

great content! I'm glad to see the part II. Keep it up! I'm curious, how come you are showing French computer magazine of the eighties?

[@RetroDream]

I'm French :) It's my Canadian friend Richard's voice, to avoid a strong French accent.

[@aropis]

@@RetroDream Ah je comprends tout! :D Because I couldn't tell you were French from your accent. Makes sense now. I thought I recognized some msx news/tilt there. Keep it up!

[@jdmcs]

Ah, the Yamaha CX5M. I think I would have liked it as a kid. As a big kid, I now have a few. Looks like I need to find a few Kinami games for it.

[@RetroDream]

Same thing here ;) Thanks for sharing

[@SquallSf]

Interesting video. I always assumed MSX is something in Japan only. Is it safe to say that MSX had the best specs among 8-bits computers? P.S. Since this is dedicated to MSX video I wish there were more details. Like showing just a video resolution mean pretty much nothing. Mentioning things like is it tile based or linear(bitmap), does it has layers, H/V scrolls,... also no floppy?

[@RetroDream]

No floppy in standard, as described. There should be a sequel episode with more on this.

[@SquallSf]

@@RetroDream I understand that the standard doesn't include a floppy. Even most 8bit computers didn't have (at start) floppy, but around that time it became the golden standard and many manufacturers started to provide one for their systems. If not hobiest did that job :) I had used a system that was developed in UK but was more known in France called Oric Atmos. I used a clone couple of years after the original was stopped, but it had no floppy. So a guy made controller for the expansion slot to connect Apple II drive. He even made an OS that was file compatible with DOS 3.3 (Apple DOS). So although there was no official floppy support it actually had ^_^

[@RetroDream]

Thanks for sharing those details and sorry I didn't saw this earlier: KZbin is terrible about notifying new replies to comments! Sure I know the Oric Atmos... It's full part of my latest release on this channel, along with all other systems from the 80s ;)

[@isaactanner6403]

Uncle Gates, "Bill" helped Kazuhiko Nishi to built the most biggest "standartization" trying ever !! Waiting for (off course 😄) the statistics of the results to apply in his own plan on how to take over the world of computing 😈😈 ! ! And the results we can see today !!

[@RetroDream]

Thanks for your feedback!

[@fabulaattori]

MSX was also very popular in Finland, especially thanks to Spectravideo.

[@DrDroogkloot]

I still have my philips msx 1 computer with its original cassette player. Never repaired and still working.

[@RetroDream]

Incredible quality.

[@Markr7855]

I had a Toshiba HX10 and then a Philips Nms 8245 best computer I ever had. I live in the UK and also had an Amiga I found the Amiga games soulless in comparison.

[@RetroDream]

I can understand that!

[@1697djh]

The price crash and price of used IBM PC compatibles killed the home computer market. Where are Amigas? Atari STs? No longer sold, no software from large software houses.

[@StephenThorley]

what game is that at 6:52 ?

[@back_to_basic]

It's Nemesis/Gradius

[@RetroDream]

It is.

[@jameslewis2635]

A standard for 8 bit computers at the end of the 8 bit era. If they had targetted 16 bit capabilities I could see the standard being better recieved though no doubt it would have pushed up prices. It was a good idea but with the wrong timing.

[@RetroDream]

That summarises it.

[@timoheinonen9570]

In 1983 when the first MSX standard was made there were no real 16-bit home computers. There was TI-99/4 and TI-99/4A computer but it had 8-bit bus, so it was not fully 16-bit computer. Sinclair QL came 1984 but it also had 8-bit bus. One of the first, if not first fully 16-bit home computer was Elektronika BK-0010 from Soviet Union, in 1984. Amiga 500 and Atari ST were not really popular, at least here in Finland until about close to 1990 or something and until that most people had 8-bit computers, mostly C64, CPC or MSX.

[@fr_schmidlin]

The MSX was intended to be "The VHS of the home computers". Just like the VHS, it was intended to be cheap and popular, not high-end. High-end/expensive equivalents would be the Laserdisc and the IBM-PC machines. This explains the decision to base the architecture on an 8bit processor. A Panasonic FS-A1 MSX2 computer costed a meager US$200 when it was released in 1986.

[@ducasp]

Konami games @ 50Hz look soooo wrong, it is a pity they didn't create PAL version of most gamez 😅

[@MonochromeWench]

MSX was no doubt hurt by Microsoft going all in on support for PC Clones. The PC platform was pretty much exactly what they wanted but was also 16 bit and later 32 bit. A standard computing platform that came with Microsoft software Not hard to see why Microsoft in the US didn't care about the MSX, they already had a standard platform of choice and it would end up making Microsoft Billions. If the IBM PC was a failure MSX would have seen big adoption.

[@RetroDream]

That really sums it up. Thanks for your feedback

[@jacobo8773]

We had the MSX 2 and was great but as soon as the 16 bit came with an actually OS like the Amiga and Atari MSX lost. MSX should have pushed more on 32 bit development and an OS. Then maybe it became a succes. But nevertheless great memories.

[@Markr7855]

Sorry not 90s meant 80s 😊😊😊😊