The MSX is one of the most niche mainstream gaming devices in the medium’s history. It was only available in Japan, and despite this had a number of different highly influential titles released on it. Konami was one of the most prolific MSX developers and they brought their trademark quality to it. This is where Metal Gear saw its start, for example. Two main iterations of the hardware released; the MSX and MSX2. While the latter was a decent upgrade to the hardware fans generally put games for both under the same umbrella. That’s what I’m going to do here. I’m often asked what the best MSX games are, and if you know me then you know I love to do top 10 lists. I’m going to take that a step further today. Here is my list of the top 25 best MSX (and MSX2) games of all time!
#25. Bomberman 3-D
We’re kicking things off with a real oddball. Bomberman has always been an over-the-top view multiplayer fest. So what happens when Hudson Soft tries their hand at a first person maze game? Well, the end result is Bomberman 3-D. Here you wander corridors and do battle with enemies by blowing them up. It’s not a true 3D title, and instead resembles something like the dungeons from the original Phantasy Star. The downside is that this has very little in common with the traditional Bomberman experience. The main character looks like the guy from Lode Runner, but I suppose that’s where Bomberman got his start. Bomberman 3-D is a fun game, but it can be frustrating. Still, it’s easily one of the best MSX games around.
#24. – Princess Maker
I won’t sugar coat it. Princess Maker is undoubtedly the weirdest game to make this list. Here you play as a knight who just defeated a great evil in the land. At this point he adopts a child as his daughter, and it’s up to you to raise her how you see fit. You can do things like have her interact with people (and choose her responses), buy outfits, send her to school to learn things, and even have her work jobs. Your end goal is to raise her to fit whichever ending you want. She can be good, bad, and everything in between. It’s a very slow paced game and the language barrier is high (you can follow translations thankfully). The main reason Princess Maker makes the list is just not because it’s one of the best MSX games, rather, because it’s one of the most unique.
#23. Gradius 2
I’m not going to lie; normally Gradius 2 would be much higher on a list like this. I absolutely love the game… on other platforms. Yes it’s sad to say that the MSX2 hardware just wasn’t on par to re-create Gradius 2 in all of it’s splendor. In screenshots it looks perfectly fine, but it’s clear the sprite work is a step down from the Famicom port. When in motion things get considerably worse. The MSX hardware had a huge problem with proper scrolling. This means it’s choppy as heck, and the screen seems to move along an inch at a time. At first I didn’t even want to play it. As I did I realized this wasn’t hard to look past. It’s still Gradius 2, darn it, and it’s still worth playing even here.
#22. – Chuka Taisen
Here’s another game we got in the West, but on different platforms. Those of you who owned a Sega Master System will instantly recognize by it’s English name Cloud Master. Chuka Taisen is a fairly unusual side scrolling shooter wherein you play as a cute little guy riding atop a cloud. You manuever around the auto moving screen shooting foes with bursts of energy. What’s unique about this one is that you can find various doors wherin you can buy upgrades. This includes extra lives and fire power. Another highlight is just how weird Chuka Taisen is. You’ll fight a miriad of different foes from birds with human faces, teapots, and more. I didn’t like it much on the Sega Master System, but this MSX port grew on me. The scrolling is choppy but not nearly as bad as usual.
#21. – Contra
Let’s get one thing straight. Contra is going to be at the top of most lists regardless of platform, and it’s no different here with the MSX. This is still the same old run and gun adventure with which Konami stole so much time from our childhoods. It’s a side scrolling action game wherein you run from one end of a stage to the other shooting everything that moves. You can collect a variety of power-ups which change your weapon’s power and trajectory. There are also behind the back areas where you shoot foes in the distance. Unfortunately a few concessions had to be made for this port. For one thing there’s no scrolling. The levels are divided into single screen areas the link together. Secondly we have no multiplayer. That’s a bummer, but not enough to stop this from being one of the best MSX games ever released.
#20. – Road Fighter
Despite the title there isn’t any ‘fighting’ that happens here, but it does in fact take place on a road. This is the only racing title I’m going to highlight on the list, and it’s a rather good one. Road Fighter was developed by Konami, and you can tell instantly because it’s one of the smoothest experiences on the system. You view the action from an overhead perspective as you drive from point A to B. There aren’t turns, nor are their boosts of any kind. Instead this is entirely based on reflexes. You have a limited amount of fuel which depletes as you drive. The only hazards you must deal with are other vehicles. Smacking into them slows you down which might not sound like a huge problem, but with the limited fuel you’ll need to be accurate. It’s a fun little romp and is very technically impressive.
#19. – Thexter
Here’s another one of those smooth scrolling games on the MSX that you wouldn’t initially expect to be possible on the platform. In this case you play as a mecha robot equipped with a laser to dispatch foes. Lucky for you it automatically locks on to the nearest foe and can fire in any direction. It’s a side scrolling action game, but is set up sort of like a maze. You have multiple layers in most screens. The exploration aspects make this feel like a hybrid Metroidvania, but with less emphasis on backtracking. What makes this one of the best MSX games is that you can transform into a plane. Movement is significantly faster in this mode but you’re essentially harmless. Changing back and forth can be a little tedious. Thexter is both fun and unique.
#18. – Salamander
We know this one as Life Force in the West when it was released on the NES. Salamander is a spin-off of the Gradius series and instead of taking place in outer space you’re inside a giant snake. This means instead of enemy ships you’re doing battle with organic material which I always thought was kind of neat. Like Gradius 2 however the gameplay can’t be perfectly replicated with the antiquated MSX hardware. This means the scrolling is super choppy and the screen moves an inch at a time. The action is much slower than in the original Life Force which is disappointing, but it’s still serviceable once you get used to it. Best yet the multiplayer mode is actually recreated here!
#17. – Antarctic Adventure
Antarctic Adventure is one of the most impressive MSX games in terms of visuals. It uses the behind the back perspective with scaling backgrounds to create the illusion of 3D. This works pretty well, actually, and I’d go so far as to say this is one of the best MSX games in a technical sense. Your goal here is to guide our heroic penguin protagonist Penta to his girlfriend who awaits at the end of each stage. You’re under a strict time limit, and you can only move him left or right, but he can also jump. In addition you’re given control over how fast he’s moving. You’ll need to make adjustments on the fly because hazards are everywhere. Antarctic Adventure is a fun little romp.
#16. – Arkanoid
If you’ve been reading my best of lists then you’re probably tired by now of hearing about Arkanoid. Something about the basic formula keeps me coming back for more, and this MSX version is a good recreation of the original title. Plus, every platform needs a good puzzle game and this suits the bill quite nicely here. Arkanoid has you controlling a paddle on the bottom of the screen as you deflect a ball. Your goal is to use the ball to destroy all the blocks on each stage. This is the perfect game for the MSX because it doesn’t rely on any scrolling whatsoever. Each level is a single screen. It’s hardly original, but you could do much worse. Especially on the MSX.
#15. – Dragon Slayer IV: Drasle Family
I must admit I was surprised to see the Dragon Slayer series is so storied. Before this I had only played the original. It’s a side scrolling action platformer rich with RPG elements. You control the various members of the Drasle family in their plight to find the Dragon Slayer sword hidden away behind four secret crowns. Each of the characters has their own basic abilities, and basic gameplay has you hopping and bopping your way through a variety of different levels. The RPG elements are a bit light, and combat is in real time which may turn off some. It can be a bit basic and clunky, but for my money this is one of the best games of it’s kind on the MSX.
#14. – Vampire Killer
If you can’t already tell Konami has some major staying power on this list. Vampire Killer is by far one of the more interesting titles for the MSX. This game actually belongs to the Castlevania series, and was released almost parallel with the original on the NES. It features the same premise; you play as Simon Belmont on his quest to rid the world of Dracula. This is easier said than done because you have to whip your way through his entire castle to the end where is awaits. The reason I said Vampire Killer is interesting is because it’s not a straight port. While it shares it’s story, enemies, and setting the castle has been remixed. Vampire Killer has a much more labyrinthine layout which is more akin to later installments. It’s definitely worth playing for any fans of the original.
#13. – Aleste
Aleste is big among shmup fans but it’s relatively unknown by everyone else. A big part of this is the fact that for the longest time it was a Japan only release. When the developers finally did port it to other platforms the name was often changed. Believe me when I say that this is a hard game. Aleste will chew you up and spit you out over and over again. What makes this shmup unique is it’s weapon system. Your primary firepower can be shot in whichever direction you’re holding on the directional pad. Your secondary weapon is the one that gets powered up, and while there aren’t a ton of options they all stand out from one another. What makes Aleste one of the best MSX games is that fact, along with the smooth scrolling.
#12. – Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
There are a few common misconceptions about this title. No, it’s not a port of Snake’s Revenge for the NES. Instead this is the real sequel to the real Metal Gear, and it was only available in Japan unfortunately. Stealth gameplay was not an element many developers experimented with back then. Metal Gear 2 will have you sneaking around and trying to take down foes without being spotted. When they do see you alarms sound and backup arrives. It’s definitely in your best interest to be secretive in your actions. While I like this game it’s just not as good as the original release. The action is a bit slower which makes gameplay feel like Snake is walking through molasses at times.
#11. – Penguin Adventure
For all intents and purposes this is the sequel to Antarctic Adventure. They just changed the name which unfortunately makes that fact less obvious. Penguin Adventure plays in much the same was as it’s predecessor. You view your character from behind as he charges forward in a psuedo 3D world. You can control his speed, and you’ll need to do so because there’s a time limit in each level to reach the goal. Penguin Adventure has several upgrades that make this one much more fun than the original. For one thing the scrolling is even smoother. Then there are the stage designs that offer significantly more diversity (the level where you’re flying through space is awesome). Konami even added in RPG elements which fits better than I could have expected. Here’s some trivia for you; this was one of the first games Hideo Kojima was attached to during development.
#10. – Space Manbow
Space Manbow is one of the select few MSX games that could be mistaken for something on the Sega Genesis. In terms of it’s graphics it’s one of the best MSX games for sure. Do you like R-Type? Then you’ll probably enjoy Space Manbow. This is because the weapons system is a pretty clear copy of that. It also has one of my favorite features for the platform; smooth scrolling! That’s a major win in my book. Technical feats aside the level design throws a lot at you, and you’ll have to make some very tricky manuevers. You better get used to the hitboxes, and quick, if you plan to survive. I really like the hazards and level designs here. It’s tough, but a whole lot of fun.
#9. – Bubble Bobble
Who doesn’t like Bubble Bobble? It’s one of my favorite single screen action platformers of all time. I love it in the arcades, on the NES, Master System, etc. I also like it here. Anyone that knows me knows I wouldn’t be able to leave this one off a list of the best MSX games. It’s really that good. Because it’s a single screen sort of game there’s none of that pesky scrolling to worry about. As far as I can tell this port is nearly arcade perfect (the audio is a bit lacking but that’s no big deal). You can even play with a second player which is always a blast. I’ve yet to find a really bad port of Bubble Bobble and this MSX version is capable and worth playing.
#8. – Dead of Brain
There’s just something about the atmosphere of 8-bit horror games that draws me in. Better yet, this is a text adventure title. This is something the MSX was built for considering the genre absolutely thrived on computers. It’s not particularly scary but the story is eerie. You play as a guy named Cole who gets a call from one of his friends who happens to be a professor. He has made a gruesome discovery and wants to show him. It turns out he has invented a revival serum but every body he uses it on comes back as a flesh eating zombie. As you can guess it escapes and pretty soon people are dying left and right. It’s up to you to solve the mystery. There’s a big language barrier here but a fan translation is available for anyone wanting to give this gore fest a try.
#7. – Golvellius
Every console needs a good action adventure title like Zelda. I originally played Golvellius on the Sega Master System and I used to think that’s where it originated. It was rather surprising to see this one came out on the MSX before that. Golvellius at first looks to be an uninspired clone. You wander an overworld from an overhead perspective as you slash your sword at a variety of different enemies. Your goal is to reach and complete the various dungeons, but simply finding them is often a puzzle in and of itself. When you do reach these areas the gameplay perspective switches to a side view and you’ve got platforming elements to contend with. It’s a great game and this is a good version to play.
#6. – Aleste 2
Did you like Aleste, but wanted more of the same? The MSX has you covered with a bigger and better sequel. It’s also a heck of a lot prettier. Aleste 2 uses the same gameplay engine as the original including it’s unique approach to weapons and sub-weapons. The major difference is in how much better looking it is. If we went by just graphics alone then Aleste 2 would easily be one of the best MSX games in that regard. The scrolling is faster (and smoother) this time around with a lot more things flying your way at once. Unfortunately the infamous difficulty returns, and even this has been amped up a bit. This is one of those ‘get good’ 8-bit games your parents warned you about.
#5. – Metal Gear
Once again, if you go in assuming this is a port of the NES game then you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The original Metal Gear is not only significantly better but is also much more atune with what the series later became. Metal Gear has you playing as the secret agent Snake whose goal is to infiltrate an enemy base. You must do so primarily by sneaking around. It’s not that he isn’t armed to the teeth with weapons, rather, should he use them it will alert all of the guards in the immediate area. The stealth elements were pretty far ahead of their time. The stage designs tend to be a bit bland but are made far more interesting as you plot out how you’re going to get from point A to B without being seen. Metal Gear is fantastic, and might just be the best game in the franchise.
#4. – SD Snatcher
Hideo Kojima seems like a pretty funny game. SD Snatcher proves that fact beyond the shadow of a doubt. In this case he took the original Snatcher and re-created all of the graphics to make the characters super deformed. Chibi, as it were. He didn’t stop there; he completely re-invented Snatcher to be a turn based RPG. The story is largely the same, but rather than investigating and moving from one area to the next now you encounter enemies and input commands to whittle down their hit points. It’s a novel concept, but it turned out to be a surprisingly good game. I can actually forgive the choppy scrolling here because it doesn’t affect gameplay. SD Snatcher is beyond a doubt one of the best MSX games ever released.
#3. – Shin Mahou Golvellius
This here is more of a remake to Golvellius than a true blue sequel, but I’m including it just because of how different it is from the original. Shin Mahou Golvellius contains the same core gameplay; it’s an action RPG where you wander a top down overworld fighting monsters and collecting items. The perspective changes to a side view action platformer when you enter a dungeon, and in this sense it’s similar to Zelda II. This version of the game just feels more complete. It adds in a starting town, and various new characters and items with which to interact. That’s not to mention the graphics. Shin Mahou Golvellius has seen a major overhaul in the visual department. This is most noticeable in the outlines around the characters which makes everything easier to see. If you want to play Golvellius on the MSX then this is the best version.
#2. – Mr. Ghost
Mr. Ghost is one of those genre bending games you can’t help but love. It’s a side view adventure/shooter hybrid in which you play as the titular character. You can move in all eight directions and fire shots forward to dispatch foes. Mr. Ghost can also slam your opponents with your ghostly body, and that tends to do more damage but you must be up close first. You can get a miriad of power-ups but these are gained only by spending Japanese Yen. It’s easy enough to collect money so that’s not a concern. What is however is the fact that you can only do so in the in-game store. Mr. Ghost is an absolute blast to play with some truly inventive level design and great stage theming. It’s not hard to see why this is one of the best MSX games of all time.
#1. – Snatcher
Was there every any doubt? Snatcher is not only the best MSX game, but also the very best title Hideo Kojima has ever created. It was an absolute landmark release and was one of the pioneers in the cyber punk genre. In this you play as a detective in a futuristic version of Tokyo. Artificial intelligence has become prevalent, and with it a series of criminally intent robots. These are able to adorn human skin and hide among the general population. It seems that their goal in the beginning is simply to murder humans, but as you progress through this text adventure their ambitions become more clear. It’s full of personality, an amazing art style, and a killer soundtrack. The story is reminiscent of Blade Runner, but dare I say, Hideo Kojima did it even better. Snatcher was later released on other platforms but there’s some simple charm here.
