MSX Games That Were Innovative and/or Ahead of Their Time
1982:
Zork I-III (PCs, /MSX, 1982)
1983:
Hustle Chumy (MSX, 1983)
Lode Runner (PCs, /MSX, 1983)
1982:
Zork I-III (PCs, /MSX, 1982)
1983:
Hustle Chumy (MSX, 1983)
Lode Runner (PCs, /MSX, 1983)
1984:
Binary Land (MSX, 1984/NES, 1985) - Action Puzzle/Maze
-Control mechanic used as a metaphor for a bond between people (later used in Brothers)
Ghostbusters (PCs/MSX, 1984/SMS, 1987) - Early RTS/Trapping/Sandbox game
-Map out your route before traveling to your location via top down racing segments, pick between four different cars with different properties
H.E.R.O. (PCs/MSX, 1984) - Maze Shooter/Rescue Mission; Flight, bombs that temporarily light up dark rooms, partially destructible environment, side view, limited fuel/timer
Comic Bakery (C64/MSX, 1984) -
Binary Land (MSX, 1984/NES, 1985) - Action Puzzle/Maze
-Control mechanic used as a metaphor for a bond between people (later used in Brothers)
Ghostbusters (PCs/MSX, 1984/SMS, 1987) - Early RTS/Trapping/Sandbox game
-Map out your route before traveling to your location via top down racing segments, pick between four different cars with different properties
H.E.R.O. (PCs/MSX, 1984) - Maze Shooter/Rescue Mission; Flight, bombs that temporarily light up dark rooms, partially destructible environment, side view, limited fuel/timer
Comic Bakery (C64/MSX, 1984) -
1985:
Eggerland Mystery (MSX, 1985) - Action Puzzle, Collectathon, Top Down View
-Pretty creative level design (evolution of Sokoban: can move half a tile's length, can block two tiles with one block, distinct enemies, can shoot some enemies (certain jewel icons give shot ammo) to turn them eggs which can be pushed around (can be used as temporary boats if pushed into water in some levels) or shot to remove the enemy from the level for a short time, timing based puzzles, arrow tiles - one way movement, still water and water streams), pretty good variation, construction mode (basic level editor), good length (105 levels), password save (pretty short but only once every five levels), two game modes (types a and b - a plays like the NES game, b adds a time limit and hidden items you can collect for points), unlockable final five levels (get part of the special word in the bonus levels - these are quite hard though), limited special abilities in some levels (flip arrow tile, place bridge, place block), can use some enemies as shields against other enemies, good puzzles overall and starts off fairly easy, some levels have more than one solution,
Hydlide (PC-60/PC-88, 1984/MSX/PC-98, 1985/NES, 1986) - Open World ARPG, TD view
-One of the first ARPGs (along with Courageous Perseus and Dragon Slayer)
-Health and magic slowly regenerates when standing still
-Quick save/load via passwords
-Switch between attack and defense modes/stances
Dragon Slayer (PC-88/PC-98/FM-7/X1, 1984/MSX, 1985/GB, 1990) - ARPG/Dungeon Crawler RPG, Collectathon, TD View
-Map feature (as a spell), warp points, pushable blocks (need the ring - similar to the bracelet in Zelda) and you can also push your house around (!), plays a melody as you move on PC-88, ghost enemies can steal any item in your inventory (they'll put the item somewhere else on the map), other enemies can permanently reduce your attributes, diagonal movement after gaining 30K exp, some interesting items (can't be attacked while carrying a cross and it also kills the reaper enemy (which makes you unable to cast spells), buy attack power upgrades with orbs, tombstone - spawns monsters) and spells (teleport (to the last item a ghost dropped after stealing it) with the jump spell or home with the return spell, break - breaks blocks, kick - moves blocks which can also kill enemies, freeze - freeze all enemies near your avatar, flash - temporarily paralyze all enemies on the map, fly - temporarily transform into a bird to move over obstacles (also changes the bgm)), heal and buy stuff at your home, tile-based movement,
Courageous Perseus (FM-7, 1984/MSX, 1985) - Open World ARPG, TD View
-Hunger/draining HP mechanic, large inventory and world for the time
King's Valley (MSX, 1985) - Puzzle Platformer/Trapping; Pretty good enemy AI, a thrown weapon stays in the level where it landed
Starquake (PCs/MSX, 1985) - Platform Adventure/Proto-Metroid
The Goonies (MSX, 1985) - Maze Platformer; Gear that carries over to the next level, pretty good enemy AI (the human enemies), etc.
Alien 8 (PCs/MSX, 1985) -
Boulder Dash (PCs, 1984/MSX, 1985) -
Jet Set Willy (PCs, /MSX, 1985) -
Jet Set Willy II (PCs, /MSX, 1985) -
Master of the Lamps (PCs/MSX, 1985) -
Spellbound (PCs/MSX, 1985) -
Pippols (MSX, 1985) - Humanoid-Based Vertical Shoot 'Em Up
Eggerland Mystery (MSX, 1985) - Action Puzzle, Collectathon, Top Down View
-Pretty creative level design (evolution of Sokoban: can move half a tile's length, can block two tiles with one block, distinct enemies, can shoot some enemies (certain jewel icons give shot ammo) to turn them eggs which can be pushed around (can be used as temporary boats if pushed into water in some levels) or shot to remove the enemy from the level for a short time, timing based puzzles, arrow tiles - one way movement, still water and water streams), pretty good variation, construction mode (basic level editor), good length (105 levels), password save (pretty short but only once every five levels), two game modes (types a and b - a plays like the NES game, b adds a time limit and hidden items you can collect for points), unlockable final five levels (get part of the special word in the bonus levels - these are quite hard though), limited special abilities in some levels (flip arrow tile, place bridge, place block), can use some enemies as shields against other enemies, good puzzles overall and starts off fairly easy, some levels have more than one solution,
Hydlide (PC-60/PC-88, 1984/MSX/PC-98, 1985/NES, 1986) - Open World ARPG, TD view
-One of the first ARPGs (along with Courageous Perseus and Dragon Slayer)
-Health and magic slowly regenerates when standing still
-Quick save/load via passwords
-Switch between attack and defense modes/stances
Dragon Slayer (PC-88/PC-98/FM-7/X1, 1984/MSX, 1985/GB, 1990) - ARPG/Dungeon Crawler RPG, Collectathon, TD View
-Map feature (as a spell), warp points, pushable blocks (need the ring - similar to the bracelet in Zelda) and you can also push your house around (!), plays a melody as you move on PC-88, ghost enemies can steal any item in your inventory (they'll put the item somewhere else on the map), other enemies can permanently reduce your attributes, diagonal movement after gaining 30K exp, some interesting items (can't be attacked while carrying a cross and it also kills the reaper enemy (which makes you unable to cast spells), buy attack power upgrades with orbs, tombstone - spawns monsters) and spells (teleport (to the last item a ghost dropped after stealing it) with the jump spell or home with the return spell, break - breaks blocks, kick - moves blocks which can also kill enemies, freeze - freeze all enemies near your avatar, flash - temporarily paralyze all enemies on the map, fly - temporarily transform into a bird to move over obstacles (also changes the bgm)), heal and buy stuff at your home, tile-based movement,
Courageous Perseus (FM-7, 1984/MSX, 1985) - Open World ARPG, TD View
-Hunger/draining HP mechanic, large inventory and world for the time
King's Valley (MSX, 1985) - Puzzle Platformer/Trapping; Pretty good enemy AI, a thrown weapon stays in the level where it landed
Starquake (PCs/MSX, 1985) - Platform Adventure/Proto-Metroid
The Goonies (MSX, 1985) - Maze Platformer; Gear that carries over to the next level, pretty good enemy AI (the human enemies), etc.
Alien 8 (PCs/MSX, 1985) -
Boulder Dash (PCs, 1984/MSX, 1985) -
Jet Set Willy (PCs, /MSX, 1985) -
Jet Set Willy II (PCs, /MSX, 1985) -
Master of the Lamps (PCs/MSX, 1985) -
Spellbound (PCs/MSX, 1985) -
Pippols (MSX, 1985) - Humanoid-Based Vertical Shoot 'Em Up
1986:
Vampire Killer (MSX, 1986) - Platform Adventure/Maze Platformer/Action Platformer;
-Well realized horror theme, good variation (most enemies require a different strategy to beat), cool and mostly useful sub weapons (though less varied and useful than on NES), hidden items (SMB), smart bombs and invincibility power ups (however they activate as soon as you pick them up), less linear level design, hidden shopkeepers, shield gear (red one lowers damage by half, yellow/beige one blocks projectiles), walking speed and jump height power ups (boots and wings respectively), map feature (need to find the map in each area), more forgiving hit detection near the moving spike traps, adds an item (candle) that shows breakable blocks, some areas loop/wrap around horizontally, need to find keys to open chests (yellow) and to progress in levels (white)
King Kong 2: Yomigaeru Densetsu (MSX, 1986) - Action Adventure/ARPG, Top Down View
-Zelda/Ys-like gameplay (explore a large world for the time, NPCs who give hints and directions, shops, basic character building, overworld and dungeons (cellars) layout, weapon & item inventory), mini-bosses, pretty good enemy variation, save feature (cart combination?), three different endings (use less continues and spend less time for a better one), can walk away from any dialogue (down), water sandals (walk on water), the game shows enemies' stats as you face them (up to two kinds per screen), some large and detailed sprites, do more damage by attacking from behind? (some enemies can only be hit from behind - Zelda 1), spin attack (via the whirl spell, very strong), partially non-linear, can use some objects as weapons (big boulder - very situational though as it only damages one enemy type in the first area), loosely based on the 1986 movie King Kong Lives, unlimited continues, modern-ish island setting (similar to an Indiana Jones movie),
Bouken Roman (MSX, 1986) - Maze Platformer/Puzzle Platformer (only E's (ammo) and the red+blue pills/discs (HP) carry over to the next level); item inventory (3 items), basic map feature (shows the world layout and your location but nothing else), hidden doors, flight power up, teleport back to beginning item (W),
Knight Lore (PCs, 1984/MSX, 1986) -
Eggerland 2 (MSX, 1986) -
Zanac EX (MSX, 1986) - Vertical Shoot 'Em Up
-Large special weapon arsenal (8 different kinds) with 3-6 (depends on the weapon and weapon 5 can turn into a different weapon (the laser) with its own levels, 6 for the standard weapon but it can only be reached normally if you use special weapon 0 and there's no upgrade between the 5th and 13th power chip you collect - the other ways of reaching it are crashing into boxes containing power chips or shooting the Eye Eye building (appears in lvl 3, 5, 8, 11, 12) with the standard gun) levels of upgrades per weapon, intense action, respawn on the spot without losing all weapon power, mini-bosses, smart bombs (they trigger when picked up but you can let them hover for a while, weapon 6 also shoots slow moving smart bomb style projectiles - however these will destroy power chips), some hidden items (fairies - acts as a smart bomb when appearing and sticks around to destroy the next boss, also lowers the difficulty), the enemy AI gets more aggressive/difficult depending on a few factors (weapon power (weapons 2 and 3 increase enemy aggression more), how many enemies you kill and how much you fire, how long you stay alive, if you fail to destroy a base within the time limit; using weapon 6 and smart bombs decreases aggression), smooth scrolling, two special weapons also serve as a shield, very long for a shoot 'em up (12 levels), can upgrade your rate of fire several times (red lander - shoot blue lander (very rare power up you can get from the sander ships) until it turns red), can destroy enemy projectiles with certain special weapons, unlimited continues?, ammo/time limit on weapons (see Fantasy Zone)
Penguin Adventure (MSX, 1986) - Rail Shooter/Rail Platformer
-Acceleration control (can almost stop completely, can speed up and slow down in mid-air), pretty large and detailed sprites overall, good visual variation, puzzle style boss fights, hidden bonus levels/warps/shops (buy items with the fish you collect) - drop into the slightly smaller holes, temporary flight via the cloud power up, temporary invincibility power up (also lets you break certain obstacles), pretty good length (~45-60 min if you play well), speed/HP (rare)/jump height upgrade items, bell item rings when near a warp (sound queue), cute animations when beating a level (similar to Kirby), respawn on the spot, two endings (however the way to get a good ending is pure trial & error and unrelated to what the king says - need to pause the game a certain number of times during your playthrough), level map screen (non-interactive - see Ghosts 'n Goblins etc.), time limited levels (green heart adds time), Santa Claus cameo (gives a free item - best to pick the map since you'll need it in levels he appears in), slot machine mini-game in shops (win fish), keep all items after dying
Castle Excellent (MSX, 1986) - Platform Adventure; One permanent upgrade (scuba gear lets you move through water), platforming and physics puzzles, basic map feature
Batman (PCs/MSX, 1986) - Isometric Action Adventure
Cross Blaim (MSX, 1986) - Platform Adventure (Mostly linear?); shops, destroy certain walls and blocks with grenades or exploding darts, basic leveling system (killing bosses certain bosses makes you level up which extends your lifebar), can choose to kill or save the guy near the final boss, pretty bland and repetitive level design and background visuals, the bosses are pretty large but they're all stationary, password save, no map?
Knightmare (MSX, 1986) - Humanoid-Based Vertical Shoot 'Em Up; Upgradeable speed and weapons (Gradius), smart bombs (trigger when touched though), levels loop horizontally (see the vertical segments in SMB2 for example), time stopper power up, temporary shield (only protects your front against smaller projectiles though) and invincibility power ups, hidden warps,
Magical Kid Wiz/Mahou Tsukai Wiz (MSX, 1986) - Action Platformer
Arkanoid (Multi/MSX, 1986) - Breakout clone, Action Puzzle
Nemesis (MSX, 1986?/SMS, 1987) - See Gradius 1 (1985)
Knight Tyme (PCs/MSX, 1986) -
Nightshade (PCs, 1985/MSX, 1986) - Isometric
Choplifter (1982 PC/1985 ARC port/SMS, 1986/MSX, ?) - Hostage rescue, scrolls in both directions (Defender), 2.5D element (foreground enemies),
Yie Ar Kung Fu II (MSX, 1986) - Fighting/Beat 'Em Up, Side View
Trailblazer (PCs/MSX, 1986) -
Moai no Hibou (MSX, 1986) - Puzzle Platformer
Guardic (MSX, 1986) - Maze Shooter/Shoot 'Em Up, Top Down
Mobile Planet Stylus (MSX, 1986) - Maze Shooter
Vampire Killer (MSX, 1986) - Platform Adventure/Maze Platformer/Action Platformer;
-Well realized horror theme, good variation (most enemies require a different strategy to beat), cool and mostly useful sub weapons (though less varied and useful than on NES), hidden items (SMB), smart bombs and invincibility power ups (however they activate as soon as you pick them up), less linear level design, hidden shopkeepers, shield gear (red one lowers damage by half, yellow/beige one blocks projectiles), walking speed and jump height power ups (boots and wings respectively), map feature (need to find the map in each area), more forgiving hit detection near the moving spike traps, adds an item (candle) that shows breakable blocks, some areas loop/wrap around horizontally, need to find keys to open chests (yellow) and to progress in levels (white)
King Kong 2: Yomigaeru Densetsu (MSX, 1986) - Action Adventure/ARPG, Top Down View
-Zelda/Ys-like gameplay (explore a large world for the time, NPCs who give hints and directions, shops, basic character building, overworld and dungeons (cellars) layout, weapon & item inventory), mini-bosses, pretty good enemy variation, save feature (cart combination?), three different endings (use less continues and spend less time for a better one), can walk away from any dialogue (down), water sandals (walk on water), the game shows enemies' stats as you face them (up to two kinds per screen), some large and detailed sprites, do more damage by attacking from behind? (some enemies can only be hit from behind - Zelda 1), spin attack (via the whirl spell, very strong), partially non-linear, can use some objects as weapons (big boulder - very situational though as it only damages one enemy type in the first area), loosely based on the 1986 movie King Kong Lives, unlimited continues, modern-ish island setting (similar to an Indiana Jones movie),
Bouken Roman (MSX, 1986) - Maze Platformer/Puzzle Platformer (only E's (ammo) and the red+blue pills/discs (HP) carry over to the next level); item inventory (3 items), basic map feature (shows the world layout and your location but nothing else), hidden doors, flight power up, teleport back to beginning item (W),
Knight Lore (PCs, 1984/MSX, 1986) -
Eggerland 2 (MSX, 1986) -
Zanac EX (MSX, 1986) - Vertical Shoot 'Em Up
-Large special weapon arsenal (8 different kinds) with 3-6 (depends on the weapon and weapon 5 can turn into a different weapon (the laser) with its own levels, 6 for the standard weapon but it can only be reached normally if you use special weapon 0 and there's no upgrade between the 5th and 13th power chip you collect - the other ways of reaching it are crashing into boxes containing power chips or shooting the Eye Eye building (appears in lvl 3, 5, 8, 11, 12) with the standard gun) levels of upgrades per weapon, intense action, respawn on the spot without losing all weapon power, mini-bosses, smart bombs (they trigger when picked up but you can let them hover for a while, weapon 6 also shoots slow moving smart bomb style projectiles - however these will destroy power chips), some hidden items (fairies - acts as a smart bomb when appearing and sticks around to destroy the next boss, also lowers the difficulty), the enemy AI gets more aggressive/difficult depending on a few factors (weapon power (weapons 2 and 3 increase enemy aggression more), how many enemies you kill and how much you fire, how long you stay alive, if you fail to destroy a base within the time limit; using weapon 6 and smart bombs decreases aggression), smooth scrolling, two special weapons also serve as a shield, very long for a shoot 'em up (12 levels), can upgrade your rate of fire several times (red lander - shoot blue lander (very rare power up you can get from the sander ships) until it turns red), can destroy enemy projectiles with certain special weapons, unlimited continues?, ammo/time limit on weapons (see Fantasy Zone)
Penguin Adventure (MSX, 1986) - Rail Shooter/Rail Platformer
-Acceleration control (can almost stop completely, can speed up and slow down in mid-air), pretty large and detailed sprites overall, good visual variation, puzzle style boss fights, hidden bonus levels/warps/shops (buy items with the fish you collect) - drop into the slightly smaller holes, temporary flight via the cloud power up, temporary invincibility power up (also lets you break certain obstacles), pretty good length (~45-60 min if you play well), speed/HP (rare)/jump height upgrade items, bell item rings when near a warp (sound queue), cute animations when beating a level (similar to Kirby), respawn on the spot, two endings (however the way to get a good ending is pure trial & error and unrelated to what the king says - need to pause the game a certain number of times during your playthrough), level map screen (non-interactive - see Ghosts 'n Goblins etc.), time limited levels (green heart adds time), Santa Claus cameo (gives a free item - best to pick the map since you'll need it in levels he appears in), slot machine mini-game in shops (win fish), keep all items after dying
Castle Excellent (MSX, 1986) - Platform Adventure; One permanent upgrade (scuba gear lets you move through water), platforming and physics puzzles, basic map feature
Batman (PCs/MSX, 1986) - Isometric Action Adventure
Cross Blaim (MSX, 1986) - Platform Adventure (Mostly linear?); shops, destroy certain walls and blocks with grenades or exploding darts, basic leveling system (killing bosses certain bosses makes you level up which extends your lifebar), can choose to kill or save the guy near the final boss, pretty bland and repetitive level design and background visuals, the bosses are pretty large but they're all stationary, password save, no map?
Knightmare (MSX, 1986) - Humanoid-Based Vertical Shoot 'Em Up; Upgradeable speed and weapons (Gradius), smart bombs (trigger when touched though), levels loop horizontally (see the vertical segments in SMB2 for example), time stopper power up, temporary shield (only protects your front against smaller projectiles though) and invincibility power ups, hidden warps,
Magical Kid Wiz/Mahou Tsukai Wiz (MSX, 1986) - Action Platformer
Arkanoid (Multi/MSX, 1986) - Breakout clone, Action Puzzle
Nemesis (MSX, 1986?/SMS, 1987) - See Gradius 1 (1985)
Knight Tyme (PCs/MSX, 1986) -
Nightshade (PCs, 1985/MSX, 1986) - Isometric
Choplifter (1982 PC/1985 ARC port/SMS, 1986/MSX, ?) - Hostage rescue, scrolls in both directions (Defender), 2.5D element (foreground enemies),
Yie Ar Kung Fu II (MSX, 1986) - Fighting/Beat 'Em Up, Side View
Trailblazer (PCs/MSX, 1986) -
Moai no Hibou (MSX, 1986) - Puzzle Platformer
Guardic (MSX, 1986) - Maze Shooter/Shoot 'Em Up, Top Down
Mobile Planet Stylus (MSX, 1986) - Maze Shooter
1987:
Metal Gear (MSX2/NES, 1987) - Stealth Action/Action Adventure
-Version differences: http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2009/08/metal-gear-msx-and-nes-comparison.html
-Stealth mechanics
-Radio communication feature (can get tips from NPCs)
-Interesting gear (binoculars (view adjacent screens - respawns enemies on NES), enemy uniform, tracker item (can be placed on you by the enemy if you get captured), silencer, etc.)
-Boss introductions
-Find destructible walls by listening for differing sounds when hitting them
-Creates a sense of vulnerability at times (the dogs, losing your gear before the first boss)
-Checkpoints at the beginning of each area and when exiting or entering a building
-Some interesting level design (flying enemy triggering an electric floor trap, moving infrared beam alarm room, tank fire in the desert)
-Basic level up/rank system (Zelda, Metroid)
-Fairly impressive PSG music
-Escape sequence (Metroid)
-Save feature (loading puts you in the previous elevator room though)
Ys: Vanished Omen/Ancient Ys Vanished (MSX, 1987/SMS, 1988) - ARPG, Top down view
-Basic dialogue trees
-Gradually learn enemies' stats by killing more of them
-Bargain with one of the clerks
-Teleport back to town (wing)
-Health regen outside dungeons if standing still
-Detailed artwork during important dialogue
-Save anywhere except during dialogue or boss battles
-Somewhat non-linear structure
-Fairly impressive FM (YM2413) music?
Knightmare II: Maze of Galious (MSX, 1987) - Platform Adventure/ARPG/Action Adventure, Side View; Switch between two different characters on the fly (one boy and one girl - boy jumps higher and destroys rocks quicker but can only shoot/put 2 sub weapons at once (without the earrings and bracelet) and dies quickly from being underwater, girl can shoot/put 3 sub weapons at once and swim+stay longer underwater but needs 15 hits to destroy a rock (without the ring) and can't destroy weak walls (without the pendant) nor pass the rotating doors (without bread & water)+has a set jump height, ), basic character building (beat bosses to upgrade your health bar), large consumables inventory (keys and arrows), good enemy variation, some good enemy AI (blue knights, shooting ghosts, yellow enemies in world 8), pretty large arsenal of sub weapons and various tools/items, fairy rooms (Zelda), large world (9 sub areas+1 hub area), some interesting items/tools (mines, rolling fire (fireball moving around a platform similar to in SMB2 - it won't go up a wall though), oar - walk on water, magnifying glass - examine gravestones, vase - boosts exp gain, carpet - turns the lava in world 8 to stone and removes fireballs, bible - freezes all enemies in a room, halo - lets you teleport from any world/sub area back to the beginning/hub area (last password room - F1 then Enter), feather - teleports you to an opened world portal/door (press the corresponding number key), bell - rings when nearing a world/sub area (Penguin Adventure & Dragon Quest?), speed upgrade item (boots - Monster World/WBiML or Golvellius?), minor puzzles (breakable walls - usually obvious where to strike, read gravestones to find the spell/word to open the seal to the boss in a world/sub area - kinda like Zillion, kill all enemies in certain rooms to make an item appear - Zelda 1?), sub area maps (need to find them, no hub area map), can revive the other character at death's shrine (room L11, fairly expensive, reload to be able to do it again), pretty large bosses, optional handicap items that help with the boss fight in each world, consumables (key, coins, arrows) respawn when loading a password save, enemies respawn when moving 1-2 screens away (some rooms have constantly respawning enemies),
Golvellius (MSX, 1987) - TD Action Adventure/Action Platformer/Vertical Shoot 'em up Hybrid
-Early action adventure
-Hybrid gameplay (action platformer and vertical shooter segments)
-Fairly large boss sprites
-Good musical and visual variation
-Pretty impressive PSG music overall
-Movement speed upgrades
Legacy of the Wizard/Dragon Slayer IV: DF (NES, 1987) - Sidescrolling Platform Adventure/ARPG-ish Hybrid (no leveling system)
-Early sidescrolling ARPG, five different playable characters (Xemn - can't jump but can push blocks with the glove and throw axes which is a strong attack, Meyna - poor jump but great magic and can equip items like a device that lets her “shoot” blocks around (making them ricochet of any enemy/wall/party member they come into contact with), Roas - weak but can wield the dragon slayer sword, Lyll - high jump which can be upgraded and can break blocks with the mattock, Pochi - is a monster meaning he doesn't get attacked by most enemies and can either walk through or ride them/strong but short range attack/can't use items and his jump sucks), large world, partially destructible environment, warps (can use the paintings to teleport after getting crowns from bosses), use certain enemies as platforms, stash/vault at your house and at inns, a few shops and inns, password save, limited inventory (three items), fall damage when falling past your char's jump height, no checkpoints or respawns unless you have an elixir, many different rooms compared to the NES ver. (mainly on the eastern side of the world), no scrolling here
High School! Kimengumi (SMS, 1986/MSX, 1987) - Early (Top Down View) Quest Adventure; Comical tone, expressive sprites, anime/manga license
The Treasure of Usas/Usas (MSX, 1987) - Maze Platformer/Puzzle Platformer
-Two playable characters with different stats and moves, basic character building (speed and jump length can be upgraded using money you collect during the levels), can heal using collected money (pretty cheap) outside of boss battles, choose your own path (small hub area with four levels holding keys that unlock a boss's chamber, then four more?), each character has four different moves (but can only perform one at a time by collecting the correct power up), walk in mid-air as Cles using the fourth/rightmost power up (keep holding the d-pad), minor puzzles (block pushing and stacking (Boulder Dash) to reach higher, timed doors opened with switches), short warning sfx when low on health which doesn't repeat, can stomp small enemies but you'll get no money from them if you do, some creative level design/mechanics (bounce pads - similar to Sonic springs, roll move as Cles - can jump during it, double jump (only when using Wit's leftmost/fourth move)),
Bubble Bobble (ARC, 1986/MSX, 1987/Multi) - 2-player Co-op Action Platformer/Collectathon, Single Screen; Ghost appears and kills you after some time (a sort of time limit), use enemies as platforms, large bosses, unlock items by collecting letters to a word, many levels
War of the Dead (MSX, 1987/PC-88, 1989) - Action Adventure/Survival Horror
Firebird/Hi no Tori Hououhen (MSX, 1987) - Humanoid-Based Vertical Shoot 'Em Up/Maze Shooter; Jumping, shop, basic map feature, etc.
Head over Heels (PCs/MSX, 1987) - Isometric Action Adventure/Puzzle Platformer; Two character team gameplay (switch on the fly), object interaction
Welcome to Heaven/Tengoku Yoitoko (MSX, 1987) - Platform Adventure/ARPG/Action Platformer
-Unusual premise and setting (a japanese/buddhist version of the christian heaven?), platform adventure/ARPG gameplay (hub town with NPCs, shopping, gear and tools, stat building (collect stars from killed enemies - each kind of star boosts either a stat or your gold)), can stand on NPCs and enemies (SMB2, kill enemies by jumping on them repeatedly to bury them in the ground beneath), very good jump controls (SMB1) and separate jump button, can kill town NPCs and you're punished for it (you'll lose virtue although it's a very small amount, virtue stat is increased by killing enemies), comments from some enemies during gameplay which doesn't interrupt it (see River City Ransom), some interesting gear (wings allow flight but only in one dungeon (button mash style), halo - thrown projectile that locks enemies in place, upgraded halo - gets stuck where it's thrown and can then be used as a platform), can replay beaten dungeons, return points in dungeons (similar to Wonder Boy III but not as well implemented), burying enemies on a single tile platform just makes them fall through it (sometimes into spikes), somewhat non-linear structure (need to grind to break from the beaten path though),
OutRun (1986 ARC port/SMS, 1987/MSX, ?) - Driving/Race against the clock
-Many alternate routes (shows a course map after completion), slopes, music selection before play, gear shifting (Hang-On), very good visual variation, stone arcs
Nemesis 2 (MSX/SMS, 1987) - See Gradius 2?
Salamander (ARC, 1986/MSX, 1987) - Different?
Colony (PCs/MSX, 1987) -
Super Runner (MSX, 1987) - 2-player Action Platformer/Racing?
Higemaru Makaijima (MSX, 1987/NES) - Action Adventure?; Pirate theme
Elite (PCs, 1984/MSX, 1987) -
Ashguine Story II (MSX, 1987) - Top Down Hack 'n Slash/Maze Action
AshGuine Story III (MSX, 1987) - ARPG?, Top Down
Knightmare III: Shalom (MSX, 1987) - JRPG
Metal Gear (MSX2/NES, 1987) - Stealth Action/Action Adventure
-Version differences: http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2009/08/metal-gear-msx-and-nes-comparison.html
-Stealth mechanics
-Radio communication feature (can get tips from NPCs)
-Interesting gear (binoculars (view adjacent screens - respawns enemies on NES), enemy uniform, tracker item (can be placed on you by the enemy if you get captured), silencer, etc.)
-Boss introductions
-Find destructible walls by listening for differing sounds when hitting them
-Creates a sense of vulnerability at times (the dogs, losing your gear before the first boss)
-Checkpoints at the beginning of each area and when exiting or entering a building
-Some interesting level design (flying enemy triggering an electric floor trap, moving infrared beam alarm room, tank fire in the desert)
-Basic level up/rank system (Zelda, Metroid)
-Fairly impressive PSG music
-Escape sequence (Metroid)
-Save feature (loading puts you in the previous elevator room though)
Ys: Vanished Omen/Ancient Ys Vanished (MSX, 1987/SMS, 1988) - ARPG, Top down view
-Basic dialogue trees
-Gradually learn enemies' stats by killing more of them
-Bargain with one of the clerks
-Teleport back to town (wing)
-Health regen outside dungeons if standing still
-Detailed artwork during important dialogue
-Save anywhere except during dialogue or boss battles
-Somewhat non-linear structure
-Fairly impressive FM (YM2413) music?
Knightmare II: Maze of Galious (MSX, 1987) - Platform Adventure/ARPG/Action Adventure, Side View; Switch between two different characters on the fly (one boy and one girl - boy jumps higher and destroys rocks quicker but can only shoot/put 2 sub weapons at once (without the earrings and bracelet) and dies quickly from being underwater, girl can shoot/put 3 sub weapons at once and swim+stay longer underwater but needs 15 hits to destroy a rock (without the ring) and can't destroy weak walls (without the pendant) nor pass the rotating doors (without bread & water)+has a set jump height, ), basic character building (beat bosses to upgrade your health bar), large consumables inventory (keys and arrows), good enemy variation, some good enemy AI (blue knights, shooting ghosts, yellow enemies in world 8), pretty large arsenal of sub weapons and various tools/items, fairy rooms (Zelda), large world (9 sub areas+1 hub area), some interesting items/tools (mines, rolling fire (fireball moving around a platform similar to in SMB2 - it won't go up a wall though), oar - walk on water, magnifying glass - examine gravestones, vase - boosts exp gain, carpet - turns the lava in world 8 to stone and removes fireballs, bible - freezes all enemies in a room, halo - lets you teleport from any world/sub area back to the beginning/hub area (last password room - F1 then Enter), feather - teleports you to an opened world portal/door (press the corresponding number key), bell - rings when nearing a world/sub area (Penguin Adventure & Dragon Quest?), speed upgrade item (boots - Monster World/WBiML or Golvellius?), minor puzzles (breakable walls - usually obvious where to strike, read gravestones to find the spell/word to open the seal to the boss in a world/sub area - kinda like Zillion, kill all enemies in certain rooms to make an item appear - Zelda 1?), sub area maps (need to find them, no hub area map), can revive the other character at death's shrine (room L11, fairly expensive, reload to be able to do it again), pretty large bosses, optional handicap items that help with the boss fight in each world, consumables (key, coins, arrows) respawn when loading a password save, enemies respawn when moving 1-2 screens away (some rooms have constantly respawning enemies),
Golvellius (MSX, 1987) - TD Action Adventure/Action Platformer/Vertical Shoot 'em up Hybrid
-Early action adventure
-Hybrid gameplay (action platformer and vertical shooter segments)
-Fairly large boss sprites
-Good musical and visual variation
-Pretty impressive PSG music overall
-Movement speed upgrades
Legacy of the Wizard/Dragon Slayer IV: DF (NES, 1987) - Sidescrolling Platform Adventure/ARPG-ish Hybrid (no leveling system)
-Early sidescrolling ARPG, five different playable characters (Xemn - can't jump but can push blocks with the glove and throw axes which is a strong attack, Meyna - poor jump but great magic and can equip items like a device that lets her “shoot” blocks around (making them ricochet of any enemy/wall/party member they come into contact with), Roas - weak but can wield the dragon slayer sword, Lyll - high jump which can be upgraded and can break blocks with the mattock, Pochi - is a monster meaning he doesn't get attacked by most enemies and can either walk through or ride them/strong but short range attack/can't use items and his jump sucks), large world, partially destructible environment, warps (can use the paintings to teleport after getting crowns from bosses), use certain enemies as platforms, stash/vault at your house and at inns, a few shops and inns, password save, limited inventory (three items), fall damage when falling past your char's jump height, no checkpoints or respawns unless you have an elixir, many different rooms compared to the NES ver. (mainly on the eastern side of the world), no scrolling here
High School! Kimengumi (SMS, 1986/MSX, 1987) - Early (Top Down View) Quest Adventure; Comical tone, expressive sprites, anime/manga license
The Treasure of Usas/Usas (MSX, 1987) - Maze Platformer/Puzzle Platformer
-Two playable characters with different stats and moves, basic character building (speed and jump length can be upgraded using money you collect during the levels), can heal using collected money (pretty cheap) outside of boss battles, choose your own path (small hub area with four levels holding keys that unlock a boss's chamber, then four more?), each character has four different moves (but can only perform one at a time by collecting the correct power up), walk in mid-air as Cles using the fourth/rightmost power up (keep holding the d-pad), minor puzzles (block pushing and stacking (Boulder Dash) to reach higher, timed doors opened with switches), short warning sfx when low on health which doesn't repeat, can stomp small enemies but you'll get no money from them if you do, some creative level design/mechanics (bounce pads - similar to Sonic springs, roll move as Cles - can jump during it, double jump (only when using Wit's leftmost/fourth move)),
Bubble Bobble (ARC, 1986/MSX, 1987/Multi) - 2-player Co-op Action Platformer/Collectathon, Single Screen; Ghost appears and kills you after some time (a sort of time limit), use enemies as platforms, large bosses, unlock items by collecting letters to a word, many levels
War of the Dead (MSX, 1987/PC-88, 1989) - Action Adventure/Survival Horror
Firebird/Hi no Tori Hououhen (MSX, 1987) - Humanoid-Based Vertical Shoot 'Em Up/Maze Shooter; Jumping, shop, basic map feature, etc.
Head over Heels (PCs/MSX, 1987) - Isometric Action Adventure/Puzzle Platformer; Two character team gameplay (switch on the fly), object interaction
Welcome to Heaven/Tengoku Yoitoko (MSX, 1987) - Platform Adventure/ARPG/Action Platformer
-Unusual premise and setting (a japanese/buddhist version of the christian heaven?), platform adventure/ARPG gameplay (hub town with NPCs, shopping, gear and tools, stat building (collect stars from killed enemies - each kind of star boosts either a stat or your gold)), can stand on NPCs and enemies (SMB2, kill enemies by jumping on them repeatedly to bury them in the ground beneath), very good jump controls (SMB1) and separate jump button, can kill town NPCs and you're punished for it (you'll lose virtue although it's a very small amount, virtue stat is increased by killing enemies), comments from some enemies during gameplay which doesn't interrupt it (see River City Ransom), some interesting gear (wings allow flight but only in one dungeon (button mash style), halo - thrown projectile that locks enemies in place, upgraded halo - gets stuck where it's thrown and can then be used as a platform), can replay beaten dungeons, return points in dungeons (similar to Wonder Boy III but not as well implemented), burying enemies on a single tile platform just makes them fall through it (sometimes into spikes), somewhat non-linear structure (need to grind to break from the beaten path though),
OutRun (1986 ARC port/SMS, 1987/MSX, ?) - Driving/Race against the clock
-Many alternate routes (shows a course map after completion), slopes, music selection before play, gear shifting (Hang-On), very good visual variation, stone arcs
Nemesis 2 (MSX/SMS, 1987) - See Gradius 2?
Salamander (ARC, 1986/MSX, 1987) - Different?
Colony (PCs/MSX, 1987) -
Super Runner (MSX, 1987) - 2-player Action Platformer/Racing?
Higemaru Makaijima (MSX, 1987/NES) - Action Adventure?; Pirate theme
Elite (PCs, 1984/MSX, 1987) -
Ashguine Story II (MSX, 1987) - Top Down Hack 'n Slash/Maze Action
AshGuine Story III (MSX, 1987) - ARPG?, Top Down
Knightmare III: Shalom (MSX, 1987) - JRPG
1988:
Snatcher (MSX/PC-88, 1988/) - Graphic Adventure/Visual Novel
Shin Maou Golvellius (MSX, 1988) - TD Action Adventure/Action Platformer/Vertical Shoot 'em up Hybrid
-Early-ish action adventure
-Adds a hometown and NPC encounters on the overworld
-Hybrid gameplay (action platformer and vertical shooter segments)
-Fairly large boss sprites
-Very good musical and visual variation
-Better bosses than in Zelda overall
-Impressive FM music overall
-Separate final area a bit reminiscent of SMW and Zelda 3
-Diagonal movement (but not attacks)
R-Type (1987 ARC port/SMS/MSX, 1988) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
-Pod mechanic, large bosses, battleship level, hidden optional level on SMS, great variation, fairly impressive FM (YM2413) music,
War of the Dead 2 (MSX, 1988/) - Action Adventure/Survival Horror
King's Valley II (MSX, 1988) - Puzzle Platformer
-Level editor (can save levels), one new weapon (boomerang) and three new digging tools (drill - two 1x2 blocks horizontally, hammer - one 1x2 block horizontally, shovel - one 2x1 block downward), basic level map feature (shows room connections plus the gems and the exit locations but not the full layouts with ladders and platforms), a thrown weapon can keep flying indefinitely in a looping segment of a level, pretty good enemy AI, some interesting level design additions (levels tend to loop around horizontally and/or vertically like in SMB2, one way gates/revolving doors that change direction after passing through them, pushable 2x2 blocks - Boulder Dash, disappearing floors and ladders) and puzzles, some hidden bonus levels (tricky to find as you need to fall or jump at the right spot, some of these are sound test screens with the keys of a keyboard representing each track selection), much longer (60 levels),
Malaya no Hihou (Malaya's Treasure) (MSX, 1988) - Maze Platformer (level-based) w/ RPG/AA elements (Small towns with NPCs (tips and flavor text) and shops, minor puzzles)
-Bombable walls, upgradeable sub weapon (fire projectile), shows bosses' health bars, password save (pretty short)
Nemesis 3: The Eve of Destruction (MSX, 1988) - Horizontal Shoot 'Em Up
-Four different player ships and each one has some customization options (two different shield types, three gun drone/option formations - up to 2 drones at once), pretty impressive music (SCC chip), animated background elements, large and detailed bosses, background hazards, boss explosion samples, some interesting level design (gravitational fields in level 3, sand waterfalls in level 6, parts of the interior being torn off and flying towards you in the green base level), smart bombs (rare though and they trigger when touched), hidden items (there's also a hidden item radar but it appears after three of the four hidden items (green base level) and it's pretty much needed to find the items) - forced collecting, two endings, upgradeable laser (moai level, level 6, level 7?) - with three upgrades you have pretty great firepower shooting in three directions at once, some multi-jointed sprites, extended play/new game+ (can't save after beating the game though),
Power Strike/Aleste (SMS/MSX, 1988) - Vertical Shoot 'em up
-Large weapon arsenal with several levels of upgrades (Zanac), intense action (Zanac), respawn on the spot without losing all weapon power, ammo/time limit on weapons (Fantasy Zone, Zanac), mini-bosses, fairly impressive PSG & FM music overall
Rastan/Rastan Saga (1987 ARC port/MSX, 1988/SMS, 1989) - Action Platformer
-Down- and up stab (Dragon Buster, Zelda II was first on consoles), wall jump, slopes (SMB3 first on consoles?), partially destructible environment (SMB1),
Zoids (MSX, 1988) - JRPG w/ FPS battles;
Psycho/Psychic World (MSX, 1988/SMS, 1991) - Cutscenes between some levels, female protagonists, temporary flight power, teleport power (back to previous checkpoint), create platforms in some segments (Solomon's Key)
Herzog (MSX, 1988) - TD Run 'n Gun/RTS Hybrid; Buy cpu-controlled troops that fight alongside you in the levels
Zombie Hunter (NES, 1987/MSX, 1988) - ARPG/Action Platformer
XZR (PC-88/MSX2, 1988) - ARPG/Platform Adventure
Parodius (MSX, 1988) -
Predator (MSX ver., 1988) - Platform Adventure?
Differences: Branching paths and a vague world map shown when moving between areas (Battle of Olympus), weapon inventory and you start out with three different weapons, mines are useful since predator bosses start off being invisible except for their eyes / falling into water moves you back to the beginning of an area, some cheap enemy placements when entering new screens, no continues?
Temptations (MSX, 1988) - Action Platformer
Barbarian II (C64/MSX, 1988) -
Quinpl (MSX, 1988) - Platformer
Laydock 2: Last Attack (MSX, 1988) - Shoot 'em up
Strategic Mars (MSX, 1988) - Shoot 'em up
Snatcher (MSX/PC-88, 1988/) - Graphic Adventure/Visual Novel
Shin Maou Golvellius (MSX, 1988) - TD Action Adventure/Action Platformer/Vertical Shoot 'em up Hybrid
-Early-ish action adventure
-Adds a hometown and NPC encounters on the overworld
-Hybrid gameplay (action platformer and vertical shooter segments)
-Fairly large boss sprites
-Very good musical and visual variation
-Better bosses than in Zelda overall
-Impressive FM music overall
-Separate final area a bit reminiscent of SMW and Zelda 3
-Diagonal movement (but not attacks)
R-Type (1987 ARC port/SMS/MSX, 1988) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
-Pod mechanic, large bosses, battleship level, hidden optional level on SMS, great variation, fairly impressive FM (YM2413) music,
War of the Dead 2 (MSX, 1988/) - Action Adventure/Survival Horror
King's Valley II (MSX, 1988) - Puzzle Platformer
-Level editor (can save levels), one new weapon (boomerang) and three new digging tools (drill - two 1x2 blocks horizontally, hammer - one 1x2 block horizontally, shovel - one 2x1 block downward), basic level map feature (shows room connections plus the gems and the exit locations but not the full layouts with ladders and platforms), a thrown weapon can keep flying indefinitely in a looping segment of a level, pretty good enemy AI, some interesting level design additions (levels tend to loop around horizontally and/or vertically like in SMB2, one way gates/revolving doors that change direction after passing through them, pushable 2x2 blocks - Boulder Dash, disappearing floors and ladders) and puzzles, some hidden bonus levels (tricky to find as you need to fall or jump at the right spot, some of these are sound test screens with the keys of a keyboard representing each track selection), much longer (60 levels),
Malaya no Hihou (Malaya's Treasure) (MSX, 1988) - Maze Platformer (level-based) w/ RPG/AA elements (Small towns with NPCs (tips and flavor text) and shops, minor puzzles)
-Bombable walls, upgradeable sub weapon (fire projectile), shows bosses' health bars, password save (pretty short)
Nemesis 3: The Eve of Destruction (MSX, 1988) - Horizontal Shoot 'Em Up
-Four different player ships and each one has some customization options (two different shield types, three gun drone/option formations - up to 2 drones at once), pretty impressive music (SCC chip), animated background elements, large and detailed bosses, background hazards, boss explosion samples, some interesting level design (gravitational fields in level 3, sand waterfalls in level 6, parts of the interior being torn off and flying towards you in the green base level), smart bombs (rare though and they trigger when touched), hidden items (there's also a hidden item radar but it appears after three of the four hidden items (green base level) and it's pretty much needed to find the items) - forced collecting, two endings, upgradeable laser (moai level, level 6, level 7?) - with three upgrades you have pretty great firepower shooting in three directions at once, some multi-jointed sprites, extended play/new game+ (can't save after beating the game though),
Power Strike/Aleste (SMS/MSX, 1988) - Vertical Shoot 'em up
-Large weapon arsenal with several levels of upgrades (Zanac), intense action (Zanac), respawn on the spot without losing all weapon power, ammo/time limit on weapons (Fantasy Zone, Zanac), mini-bosses, fairly impressive PSG & FM music overall
Rastan/Rastan Saga (1987 ARC port/MSX, 1988/SMS, 1989) - Action Platformer
-Down- and up stab (Dragon Buster, Zelda II was first on consoles), wall jump, slopes (SMB3 first on consoles?), partially destructible environment (SMB1),
Zoids (MSX, 1988) - JRPG w/ FPS battles;
Psycho/Psychic World (MSX, 1988/SMS, 1991) - Cutscenes between some levels, female protagonists, temporary flight power, teleport power (back to previous checkpoint), create platforms in some segments (Solomon's Key)
Herzog (MSX, 1988) - TD Run 'n Gun/RTS Hybrid; Buy cpu-controlled troops that fight alongside you in the levels
Zombie Hunter (NES, 1987/MSX, 1988) - ARPG/Action Platformer
XZR (PC-88/MSX2, 1988) - ARPG/Platform Adventure
Parodius (MSX, 1988) -
Predator (MSX ver., 1988) - Platform Adventure?
Differences: Branching paths and a vague world map shown when moving between areas (Battle of Olympus), weapon inventory and you start out with three different weapons, mines are useful since predator bosses start off being invisible except for their eyes / falling into water moves you back to the beginning of an area, some cheap enemy placements when entering new screens, no continues?
Temptations (MSX, 1988) - Action Platformer
Barbarian II (C64/MSX, 1988) -
Quinpl (MSX, 1988) - Platformer
Laydock 2: Last Attack (MSX, 1988) - Shoot 'em up
Strategic Mars (MSX, 1988) - Shoot 'em up
1989:
Super Cooks (MSX, 1989) - Action Adventure/ARPG, Top Down View
-Parody theme (cooking themed remake/reimagining of Golvellius - Kelesis has a chef outfit, bibles turn into cook books, your sword turns into a frying pan, etc.), improved platforming segments (can turn around, better variety and more interesting level design), mini-bosses, less grinding than in Golvellius, save feature (anywhere on the overworld, three slots), alternate main weapons (salt & pepper, kitchen knife, fire), alternate attacks taught by NPCs (shift+space - you can freeze enemies temporarily with the pan, create a temporary shield/spin attack with the salt & pepper, throw the knife, make the fire move back and forth around a spot; each use of these costs a bit of money, somewhat easy to accidentally switch weapons instead), Kelesis learns some new real world languages during the adventure to understand NPCs in some new areas (shallow gameplay-wise as it's just a lock and key/trigger to be able to buy items but it is immersion building in a way), NPCs change outfits to fit the theme of each new area, can melt the giant chocolate santas in the christmas candy area with the fire attack,
Laser Squad (PCs, 1988/MSX, 1989) - TBS
Xak: The Art of Visual Stage (MSX, 1989/Multi) - ARPG, Top Down
Aleste 2 (MSX, 1989) - Vertical Shoot 'em up
-Nice cutscenes, mini-bosses, well-sized weapons arsenal (6 special weapons with 5 (!) levels of upgrades each, many levels of upgrades for the main gun), frantic action, respawn on the spot (with the default special weapon and lowest levels - not enough later on), 8 pretty long stages, pretty good variation and better pacing, Landar power up (fully upgrades current special weapon, rare), smart bombs (trigger upon touch though and are often handed out when not that useful), temporary shield power up (spinning ball - can be stolen by bosses, can have three at once but it's hard to achieve this until level 5 or so), adjustable ship speed, choose starting special weapon before beginning, a couple of voice samples (scratchy though), good bosses overall (some with multiple phases), smooth scrolling
Mr. Ghost (MSX, 1989) - Flight-Based Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun
-Flying ghost avatar, hidden time limited bonus levels, partially destructible environment (breakable blocks and certain ground/wall tiles - SMB), combo attacks (bonus points?) - butt slam into a block to make it hit enemies passing by (can also be used to dodge), buy items with money collected during the levels (from enemies/blocks/bonus levels - WBiML), mixes in some auto-scrolling levels, time stopper power up (lasts pretty long but activates when picked up), temporary shield power up (makes your regular attack projectiles spin around your avatar - kinda slow though and not useful early on), some large and detailed sprites (huge level 7 boss), pretty impressive PSG music
Space Manbow (MSX, 1989) - Horizontal Shoot 'Em Up
-Some very large and detailed sprites, pretty good variety, some nice effects (parallax), two gun drones (can't change their position but can switch between three formations - forward, backward, both directions vertically), keep your current base weapon power level after dying, smart bombs (can be triggered manually but it's mapped to the fire button so it's hard to use it optimally), level hazards (large tanks/ships/bases, asteroid field which blocks enemy laser shots), parts of levels sometimes scroll diagonally and vertically, weapon upgrade levels degrade over time (the bar at the top of the screen show which level you're currently at)
Contra/Gryzor (ARC, 1987/NES, 1988/MSX, 1989) - Run 'n Gun, Side View;
Undead Line (MSX, 1989) - Humanoid-Based Vertical Shoot 'Em Up
-Choose your own path between the first six levels (out of seven) - MM1, level up in-between levels (strength - axe and throwing knife/spread damage, MP - ice beam and familiar damage, dexterity - fire and boomerang damage, agility - movement speed) - need to find and collect fairies during the levels, three different characters to choose from here (fighter has a shield (can't block while shooting though and generally only protects against small shots (one exception is the giant squid's and giant bat's shots)), sorcerer can turn invisible (makes you immobile while active, not as good but can avoid lava with it), ninja can jump), very good enemy variation, some cool weapons (familiars (they work like the gun drones in gradius or the clones/shadows in ninja gaiden)), environmental hazards, smart bombs (trigger when touched though), armor power up (soaks up 1-2 hits of damage) and temporary invincibility potion (yellow - short duration though), lifebar in a shoot 'em up (relatively long), each weapon can be upgraded six times though the changes are less interesting than in the MD version, instant upgrade (P - rare, Zanac EX) and random item power ups, teleporters and breakable doors in level 5/cavern, smooth scrolling, some large and detailed sprites (dungeon boss, final boss), nice cutscenes in this version (some animation),
Aleste Gaiden (MSX, 1989) - Humanoid-Based Vertical Shoot 'Em Up
Mon Mon Monster (MSX, 1989) - Action Platformer
Hydefos (MSX, 1989) -
Double Dragon II (ARC, 1988/MSX, 1989) - Different and choppy port; 2-player co-op console brawler, throw barrels, pits, platformer elements,
Super Cooks (MSX, 1989) - Action Adventure/ARPG, Top Down View
-Parody theme (cooking themed remake/reimagining of Golvellius - Kelesis has a chef outfit, bibles turn into cook books, your sword turns into a frying pan, etc.), improved platforming segments (can turn around, better variety and more interesting level design), mini-bosses, less grinding than in Golvellius, save feature (anywhere on the overworld, three slots), alternate main weapons (salt & pepper, kitchen knife, fire), alternate attacks taught by NPCs (shift+space - you can freeze enemies temporarily with the pan, create a temporary shield/spin attack with the salt & pepper, throw the knife, make the fire move back and forth around a spot; each use of these costs a bit of money, somewhat easy to accidentally switch weapons instead), Kelesis learns some new real world languages during the adventure to understand NPCs in some new areas (shallow gameplay-wise as it's just a lock and key/trigger to be able to buy items but it is immersion building in a way), NPCs change outfits to fit the theme of each new area, can melt the giant chocolate santas in the christmas candy area with the fire attack,
Laser Squad (PCs, 1988/MSX, 1989) - TBS
Xak: The Art of Visual Stage (MSX, 1989/Multi) - ARPG, Top Down
Aleste 2 (MSX, 1989) - Vertical Shoot 'em up
-Nice cutscenes, mini-bosses, well-sized weapons arsenal (6 special weapons with 5 (!) levels of upgrades each, many levels of upgrades for the main gun), frantic action, respawn on the spot (with the default special weapon and lowest levels - not enough later on), 8 pretty long stages, pretty good variation and better pacing, Landar power up (fully upgrades current special weapon, rare), smart bombs (trigger upon touch though and are often handed out when not that useful), temporary shield power up (spinning ball - can be stolen by bosses, can have three at once but it's hard to achieve this until level 5 or so), adjustable ship speed, choose starting special weapon before beginning, a couple of voice samples (scratchy though), good bosses overall (some with multiple phases), smooth scrolling
Mr. Ghost (MSX, 1989) - Flight-Based Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun
-Flying ghost avatar, hidden time limited bonus levels, partially destructible environment (breakable blocks and certain ground/wall tiles - SMB), combo attacks (bonus points?) - butt slam into a block to make it hit enemies passing by (can also be used to dodge), buy items with money collected during the levels (from enemies/blocks/bonus levels - WBiML), mixes in some auto-scrolling levels, time stopper power up (lasts pretty long but activates when picked up), temporary shield power up (makes your regular attack projectiles spin around your avatar - kinda slow though and not useful early on), some large and detailed sprites (huge level 7 boss), pretty impressive PSG music
Space Manbow (MSX, 1989) - Horizontal Shoot 'Em Up
-Some very large and detailed sprites, pretty good variety, some nice effects (parallax), two gun drones (can't change their position but can switch between three formations - forward, backward, both directions vertically), keep your current base weapon power level after dying, smart bombs (can be triggered manually but it's mapped to the fire button so it's hard to use it optimally), level hazards (large tanks/ships/bases, asteroid field which blocks enemy laser shots), parts of levels sometimes scroll diagonally and vertically, weapon upgrade levels degrade over time (the bar at the top of the screen show which level you're currently at)
Contra/Gryzor (ARC, 1987/NES, 1988/MSX, 1989) - Run 'n Gun, Side View;
Undead Line (MSX, 1989) - Humanoid-Based Vertical Shoot 'Em Up
-Choose your own path between the first six levels (out of seven) - MM1, level up in-between levels (strength - axe and throwing knife/spread damage, MP - ice beam and familiar damage, dexterity - fire and boomerang damage, agility - movement speed) - need to find and collect fairies during the levels, three different characters to choose from here (fighter has a shield (can't block while shooting though and generally only protects against small shots (one exception is the giant squid's and giant bat's shots)), sorcerer can turn invisible (makes you immobile while active, not as good but can avoid lava with it), ninja can jump), very good enemy variation, some cool weapons (familiars (they work like the gun drones in gradius or the clones/shadows in ninja gaiden)), environmental hazards, smart bombs (trigger when touched though), armor power up (soaks up 1-2 hits of damage) and temporary invincibility potion (yellow - short duration though), lifebar in a shoot 'em up (relatively long), each weapon can be upgraded six times though the changes are less interesting than in the MD version, instant upgrade (P - rare, Zanac EX) and random item power ups, teleporters and breakable doors in level 5/cavern, smooth scrolling, some large and detailed sprites (dungeon boss, final boss), nice cutscenes in this version (some animation),
Aleste Gaiden (MSX, 1989) - Humanoid-Based Vertical Shoot 'Em Up
Mon Mon Monster (MSX, 1989) - Action Platformer
Hydefos (MSX, 1989) -
Double Dragon II (ARC, 1988/MSX, 1989) - Different and choppy port; 2-player co-op console brawler, throw barrels, pits, platformer elements,
1990:
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (MSX, 1990) - Stealth Action/Action Adventure
-Radar feature (turns off temporarily when detected or while in air ducts, shows enemies and some important NPCs), enemy soldiers now move between screens (King's Valley), somewhat improved stealth mechanics (you can now lure enemies towards a spot by punching the wall - doesn't always work as expected though, certain terrain makes noise that will get the enemies' attention, you can crawl under tables and some vehicles (also helps to avoid the aforementioned noises)), can speed up text on a per paragraph/text box basis, more fleshed out characters and gear descriptions, better bosses overall, more varied environments, checkpoints at the beginning of each area/when exiting or entering a building (Psycho World?), get tips from NPCs via the transciever (they won't always reply though - a bit jarring in the beginning when you're told to call people and they don't reply), placed items like ammo now replenish when you leave the area instead of the room, some comical parts (mainly the bosses, the sauna soldier, lockers big enough to fit several people into), some interesting level design (final bosses, more complex level architecture overall, getting transported to places by using the box disguise, escort segment, the rooms with soldiers hiding among soldier mannequins, moving infrared laser rooms (new variations on them, garbage room in the first building, enemies turning off the lights), changed level up/rank system (increases inventory sizes and ammo supply) - now it's increased after each boss fight, boss introductions, pretty good at creating a sense of vulnerability at times (beginning, ), save feature (loading puts you at the previous checkpoint though), some decent puzzles (pigeon message, Natasha's key), other interesting gear (use the cigarettes to detect infrared lasers, mortar missile (chopper boss), mouse robots to distract enemies with, the enemy can place a tracker in your inventory if you get captured (can be thrown away), robot mouse, night vision goggles, national anthem casette tape (freezes soldiers for ~10 seconds), etc.), two escape sequences, about twice as long as the prequel, nice intro and ending,
Fray in Magical Adventure (MSX, 1990) - ARPG/AA, Top Down View
SD Snatcher (MSX, 1990) - JRPG
Xak II: Rising of the Redmoon (MSX, 1990/Multi) - ARPG, Top Down
Dragon Slayer VI: The Legend of Heroes (MSX, 1990/Multi, ) - JRPG
Columns (SMS/MSX, 1990) - Early match the colors puzzle game (Puzznic the first?), diagonal line ups, "clear all of one color" power up, 2-player (tetris),
1991:
Xak: The Tower of Gazzel/"Xak 2.5" (MSX, 1991) - ARPG, Top Down
Illusion City (MSX, 1991) - JRPG
1992:
Frantic (MSX, 1992) -
1993:
Brisk (MSX, 1993) - ? Chip's Challenge-like
D.A.S.S. (MSX, 1993) - ? Vertical Shoot 'em up; Pretty impressive music
1994:
Eggbert/Toki Tori (MSX, 1994) - Puzzle Platformer
1995:
Shrines of Enigma (MSX, 1995) - ? Spiritual sequel to King's Valley 2
1996:
1997:
1998:
1999:
Pleasure Hearts (MSX, 1999) - Homebrew
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (MSX, 1990) - Stealth Action/Action Adventure
-Radar feature (turns off temporarily when detected or while in air ducts, shows enemies and some important NPCs), enemy soldiers now move between screens (King's Valley), somewhat improved stealth mechanics (you can now lure enemies towards a spot by punching the wall - doesn't always work as expected though, certain terrain makes noise that will get the enemies' attention, you can crawl under tables and some vehicles (also helps to avoid the aforementioned noises)), can speed up text on a per paragraph/text box basis, more fleshed out characters and gear descriptions, better bosses overall, more varied environments, checkpoints at the beginning of each area/when exiting or entering a building (Psycho World?), get tips from NPCs via the transciever (they won't always reply though - a bit jarring in the beginning when you're told to call people and they don't reply), placed items like ammo now replenish when you leave the area instead of the room, some comical parts (mainly the bosses, the sauna soldier, lockers big enough to fit several people into), some interesting level design (final bosses, more complex level architecture overall, getting transported to places by using the box disguise, escort segment, the rooms with soldiers hiding among soldier mannequins, moving infrared laser rooms (new variations on them, garbage room in the first building, enemies turning off the lights), changed level up/rank system (increases inventory sizes and ammo supply) - now it's increased after each boss fight, boss introductions, pretty good at creating a sense of vulnerability at times (beginning, ), save feature (loading puts you at the previous checkpoint though), some decent puzzles (pigeon message, Natasha's key), other interesting gear (use the cigarettes to detect infrared lasers, mortar missile (chopper boss), mouse robots to distract enemies with, the enemy can place a tracker in your inventory if you get captured (can be thrown away), robot mouse, night vision goggles, national anthem casette tape (freezes soldiers for ~10 seconds), etc.), two escape sequences, about twice as long as the prequel, nice intro and ending,
Fray in Magical Adventure (MSX, 1990) - ARPG/AA, Top Down View
SD Snatcher (MSX, 1990) - JRPG
Xak II: Rising of the Redmoon (MSX, 1990/Multi) - ARPG, Top Down
Dragon Slayer VI: The Legend of Heroes (MSX, 1990/Multi, ) - JRPG
Columns (SMS/MSX, 1990) - Early match the colors puzzle game (Puzznic the first?), diagonal line ups, "clear all of one color" power up, 2-player (tetris),
1991:
Xak: The Tower of Gazzel/"Xak 2.5" (MSX, 1991) - ARPG, Top Down
Illusion City (MSX, 1991) - JRPG
1992:
Frantic (MSX, 1992) -
1993:
Brisk (MSX, 1993) - ? Chip's Challenge-like
D.A.S.S. (MSX, 1993) - ? Vertical Shoot 'em up; Pretty impressive music
1994:
Eggbert/Toki Tori (MSX, 1994) - Puzzle Platformer
1995:
Shrines of Enigma (MSX, 1995) - ? Spiritual sequel to King's Valley 2
1996:
1997:
1998:
1999:
Pleasure Hearts (MSX, 1999) - Homebrew
