MSX2

The MSX2 standard was conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, the visionary co-founder of ASCII Corporation and a key figure in the Japanese personal computer industry. Nishi had originally created the MSX standard in 1983 in collaboration with Microsoft ??the "M" in MSX is widely believed to stand for Microsoft, though Nishi has given various explanations over the years. His vision was to create the VHS of personal computers: a universal standard that any manufacturer could build, ensuring software compatibility across all MSX machines.

The original MSX had been a commercial success in Japan and several other markets, but its Texas Instruments TMS9918-based graphics were already outdated by 1984. Nishi negotiated with Yamaha to develop the V9938, a powerful new VDP that would form the heart of the MSX2 specification. The V9938 was a substantial engineering achievement, packing 256-color capability, hardware scrolling, and a larger VRAM capacity (128 KB) into a cost-effective package. This chip was so capable that it continued to be used in arcade boards and other applications beyond the MSX platform.

The MSX2 specification mandated a minimum of 64 KB of main RAM and 128 KB of VRAM, along with a real-time clock (a novel feature for home computers of the era) and an optional but commonly included 3.5-inch floppy disk drive. These standardized requirements ensured that any MSX2 software would run on any MSX2 machine, regardless of manufacturer.

Konami's relationship with the MSX platform was uniquely intense. The company maintained a dedicated MSX development team that produced some of the most technically impressive games for the hardware. Hideo Kojima, who joined Konami in 1986, was initially assigned to the MSX2 division. His first credited project was Penguin Adventure (MSX), but his breakthrough came with Metal Gear (1987) for the MSX2. Kojima designed Metal Gear specifically around the MSX2's strengths and limitations ??the emphasis on stealth over action was partly a creative response to the hardware's difficulty in rendering many simultaneous moving sprites during combat.

The competition between MSX2 manufacturers created an interesting dynamic. Sony's HB-F1XD models were known for their sleek design and high build quality. Panasonic's FS-A1 series offered an excellent price-to-performance ratio and became the best-selling MSX2 line. Philips served the European market with the VG-8230 and NMS-8250 series. This manufacturer diversity ensured a healthy, competitive ecosystem but also created slight compatibility variations that occasionally caused software issues.

Nishi's dream of MSX becoming the global computer standard ultimately fell short. In the US and UK, the IBM PC compatible ecosystem and Commodore 64/Amiga had already established dominance. The MSX2's strength in Japan was eroded by the Famicom's gaming dominance and the rising popularity of Sharp X68000 and NEC PC-8801/9801 computers for more demanding applications. Nevertheless, the MSX philosophy of an open hardware standard predating by decades anticipates the modern open-source hardware movement.