] > >Apart from that, programming for this config is quite easy: standard
] > >MSX2 graphics handling and lots of music tools available. If you want
] > >to develop for e.g. 2+, the only really valuable extra features are:
] > >(and you said so yourself, IIRC)
] > >
] > >- horizontal scroll in HW
] > >- extra colordepth for background graphics.
] >
] > Using the MSX-standard, yes. So the MSX-MUSIC, built-in Kanji or sometimes
] > even DOS2 are ignored.
]
] Those have nothing to do with MSX2+... At least not the MSX-Music and DOS2.
MSX-Music was for the first time a MANDATORY music device on MSX2+. So, all
MSX2+ computers and higher have a build-in MSX-Music. This has led to the
broad support of MSX-Music by most companies. Otherwise, MSX-Music would most
probably have stayed a niche-device with only little support.
] Kanji is a bit useless for us European users, and besides I think it was
] already there before the MSX2+ too (how else would the Japanese have to
] enter their characters?) (at the other hand, then why hasn't it been used in
] games before the MSX2+ era?).
JIS1 rom with all kanjis was not there. At least, not in the extend as the
MSX2+ has it. Ofcourse, the Japanese models did have katakana. But Kanji is
not katakana.
But I admit that JIS1 (and also JIS2 and MSX-JE) are rather useless for
non-Japanese users.
] Yeeh!!! But err... smooth horizontal scrolling can't be done on an MSX2 if
] you still want to do something else (moving one software-sprite can still be
] done, but more can't). And if you don't want to flip the borders, switch to
] 50Hz and you've got enough time left to enable the sprites.
There you are. So, if you want to develop a platform game, a shooter, or
anything else with SMOOTH scrolling, you DO need the MSX 2+.
I think that for example Nemesis or R-Type would have looked much better if
they would have had smooth scroll. Just like space-manbow looks very cool
with its smooth scroll.
Kind regards,
Alex Wulms
--
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