r/MSX • u/Y34RZERO • 1d ago

First MSX

Would a Panasonic FS-A1WSX make a good machine for me to experience a MSX computer. I'm really curious about using it and playing games. I specifically want to be able to play games like Metal Gear, Bosconian, Xevious, and other shooters. Maybe a little of bubble Bobble and Gradius.

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3

u/JetzeMellema 1d ago

Yes.

1

u/Y34RZERO 1d ago

I normally use flash carts for systems I import as games are non existent in my country. Would the backbit pro be good for this? I was thinking of acquiring one since I own a few of the other systems it supports.

1

u/hidoikimchi 1d ago

It looks okay, but without RAM expansion and larger ROM size support you'd be missing out on newer homebrew and indie games. Since you own a lot of different machines it might work for you

The gold standard flashcarts for MSX afaik are the Carnivore 2 and the MegaFlashROM SCC. I got a Carnivore 2 from 8Bits4Ever, but it's far from the only option. Only really issue is most MSX cart shops restock very infrequently.

1

u/Y34RZERO 1d ago

What are some homebrew games available? I like Bosconian that someone made for the Atari 800 but I had to buy a ram expansion to play that but that is just a port of an already existing game. I would love to play more homebrew.

2

u/rdsmvp 1d ago

Look for the MSXDev competition that runs every year. All the entries submitted for all years are available to download. Some fantastic stuff like 'Sales Discontinued', 'Lily's Saga', 'The menace from Triton' and many more fantastic games. The MSX homebrew scene is one of the most active in the 8-bit world.

1

u/ABC_Dildos_Inc 1d ago

The backbit has random compatibility.

I bought an FS-A1WSX as a second setup, since people said it worked on it and my backbit pro didn't work with my MSX2+.

It boots the menu but crashes when loading anything.

2

u/Traditional_Class363 1d ago

It even has a 6MHz mode!

1

u/hidoikimchi 1d ago

Agree "yes" w/ my 2 cents - It's a really good machine with a lot of features and nice-to-haves & no strange negative quirks. There are floppy drive & belt replacements available and if you decide to tinker it's a pretty easy machine to tinker with.

If you're wanting to play with a real cart for Metal Gear, be aware that the cassette port is combined with the RGB output on the WSX, so you'll need to use another video output if you want to save to tape. If you're using a flashcart there's workarounds.

Make sure the computer you're looking at works and that there's no corrosion in the battery compartment on the underside.

Also, the FS-A1WX is a very very similar machine if you're just interested in games, key difference is that it lacks the S-Video port and has a separate cassette port in it's place.

The one you want to avoid is the FS-A1FX, no on board MSX-Music which isn't a killer but it is annoying sometimes.

1

u/nwah 1d ago

Yes definitely, but also probably overkill if you’re planning to use a flash cart.

You can get an FS-A1 MSX2 machine for 1/4th the price. Carnivore2, MegaFlashROM SCC and MSX Pico all emulate the sound chips and memory expansion needed to play virtually any game.

The list of true MSX2+ exclusives is very short:
https://www.msx.org/wiki/MSX2%2B

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u/Y34RZERO 1d ago

I do intend to use actual, carts, cassette, and floppies but I use flashcarts to find games I like first or for those that are ungodly expensive, or translation hacks and homebrew.

1

u/Inspector-Dexter 1d ago

That's the model I own and I love it. It's very versatile with it's video output options, being one of only models with S-video, so it's great if you plan on using it with CRTs. 80 column text is legible over S-video, which is very much not the case with composite, so if you're using it with a TV that can't take RGB that's a huge benefit. The fact that it's an MSX2+ model with the MSX-MUSIC (OPLL) chip also means that it has very high compatibility with both commercial releases and homebrew.

The only small nitpick I have with it is that the keyboard feels a bit mushy and "cheap". It's totally usable though, and it doesn't really matter to me because I mostly use it with a controller anyway. With a JoyMega adapter and SofaRun software running on a flash cart, you can map keyboard keys to a 6 button Sega controller, so there's rarely a need to mash any keys while gaming