Popular games for platform MSX2

Shanghai is a computerized version of mahjong solitaire. After winning a game, the tiles reveal the three-dimensional blinking eye of a dragon behind the game screen. The Macintosh and Sega Master System version shows an animated dragon spitting fire.

Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake is an action-adventure stealth video game created and published by Konami for the MSX2 computer platform. Acting as a direct continuation of the MSX2 version of the original Metal Gear, it was written and designed by the series' creator, Hideo Kojima. Kojima's inspiration for this game arose as a response to the development of Snake's Revenge, a separate sequel being produced simultaneously for the NES, intended primarily for the North American and European markets.

Vampire Killer is a side-view flick-screen game where you are a Vampire hunter who has been tasked to remove Dracula from the 12th floor of a block of flats by a client on the floor below. The problem is, as well as facing and killing a vampire, the job has to be completed before midnight which is only eight minutes away. In your rush to get to the building you have forgotten your equipment like garlic and stakes, which is needed to face Dracula. You have to get to the 12th floor using elevators (which have minds of their own and can take you down as well as up), and you must look behind the doors of each flat for equipment to help you. Some flats are also empty as well as flats that have scares inside you and when scared, you lose part of a shock meter and when it reaches zero then it is game over. Bats and spiders live on various floors with some blocking your route so bullets can be found in the flats to clear the way. Some doors to the flats actually are lift shafts which send you back down to the 1st floor. Before you play the game you can select your skill level from easy, medium and hard.

The hero of Ys is an adventurous young swordsman named Adol Christin. As the story begins, he has just arrived at the Town of Minea, in the land of Esteria. He is called upon by Sara, a fortuneteller, who tells him of a great evil that is sweeping the land. Adol is informed that he must seek out the six Books of Ys. These books contain the history of the ancient land of Ys, and will give him the knowledge he needs to defeat the evil forces. Sara gives Adol a crystal for identification and instructs him to find her aunt in Zepik Village, who holds the key to retrieving one of the Books. With that, his quest begins.

The player takes control of a master, a general capable of commanding as many states as he can acquire, and, if successful, unifies China. As many as eight may play, but only one can succeed. There are five chronologically arranged scenarios. The first has China in its most disorganized period and the last has virtually all of China controlled by one of three generals. The precise requirements for success in each of these scenarios differs, but in all cases the goal is to rule as many states as possible. After the completion of any scenario but number five the game will automatically advance to the next. You may start the game at any scenario.

Adol Christin's long-time friend, Dogi, wishes to return to his home town of Redmont after hearing about strange disturbances that are happening there. Always looking for an adventure, Adol joins him and soon finds out the cause of this new evil. Ys III: Wanderers from Ys breaks away from the "bumping into enemies" battle system of the first two games, allowing Adol to control his sword in a variety of directions. Beside changing the battle system, the game's perspective switches to a side-scrolling view, as opposed to the top-down one of the previous games. Adol also has the ability to jump now. New to the series is the use of magical rings, which give Adol different powering-up abilities such as healing and shielding. The game also uses various key items found along the way to solve minor puzzles and progress the story.

After falling into a dark, deep sleep, little Giana finds herself in a mysterious dreamworld where everything is strange and different. Many fascinating creatures lurk in this place full of traps and complicated mazes. But Giana must possess the magical diamond before she can return! Two players can enjoy this fun-filled game with over 30 completely different levels. The five-voiced musical sounds and the ever-changing graphics will make you want to play THE GREAT GIANA SISTERS over and over again.

Though not the first role-playing game developed by a Japanese company, Dragon Warrior is considered one of the progenitors of the Japanese RPG genre, and the first to appear on a home console. The player navigates a lone pre-made protagonist on a top-down overworld, accessing locations represented by icons, similarly to early Ultima games. As opposed to most other RPGs of the time, dungeons are viewed from an overhead perspective as well. In cities and palaces it is possible to talk to people, rest in inns and buy weapons, armor and items in shops. When wandering around in the wilderness or through dungeons, the player character encounters randomly appearing enemies. Combat is turn-based, with the player selecting menu options while fighting. It is possible to attack with the equipped weapon, cast one of the few available spells (using up some of the magic energy), use an item, or try to run. All the battles in the game are exclusively one-on-one. Killing monsters yields experience, and the player character's attributes improve automatically when he levels up. With the exception of the final location, the entire game world is theoretically open for exploration from the beginning. However, the enemies become increasingly tough as the player character attempts to move away from the starting town, effectively limiting him to confined areas determined by his level. The hero has limited hit points, loses them when attacked by enemies, and dies when he runs out of them, at which point he is automatically restored in a nearby town. It is possible to save the game only by talking to the king in the initial castle.

Metal Gear is considered to be the progenitor of the stealth game genre, it was also the first video game designed by Hideo Kojima, who also directed many of the later Metal Gear sequels. The game revolves around a special forces operative codenamed Solid Snake who goes into a solo infiltration mission into the fortified state of Outer Heaven to destroy Metal Gear, a bipedal walking tank capable of launching nuclear missiles from anywhere in the world. The player must navigate the main character, a military operative codenamed Solid Snake, through various locations, while avoiding visual contact and direct confrontation with patrolling guards. If the player is seen, the game enters the "Alert Mode." In this situation, Snake must escape from enemy's sight in order to resume infiltration. The method of escaping varies depending on the circumstances behind discovery: If Snake is seen and only a single exclamation mark appears over an enemy's head, only the enemies in the player's present screen will attack and Snake can escape by simply moving to an adjacent screen. However, if two exclamation marks appear over the enemy (or the player triggers an alarm by being spotted by a camera, infrared sensor or by using an unsuppressed weapon), reinforcements from off-screen will appear as well. Snake can only escape by eliminating all incoming enemies, going outdoors, or by entering an elevator. The player starts the game unarmed, but eventually acquires firearms such as a Beretta 92F and an M79 grenade launcher, as well as explosives such as remote control missiles and landmines. Ammo and supplies for weapons are limited, but are replenished by picking up ammunition caches or additional supplies. Weapons can not only be used to kill enemies, but also to clear obstacles such as hollow walls and electrified floors. Snake can also use his fists to punch and defeat patrolling enemies. Occasionally, if the player defeats a guard with punches without alerting anyone, the defeated guard will yield a single unit of rations or an ammo box that can be picked up. In addition to enemy guards, the player will also be confronted by mercenaries who will challenge the player to combat, serving as the boss characters. The enemy base consists of three different buildings, with multiple floors (including basement levels) within them. The player uses key cards and other items to unlock doors and explore new areas. Each door will only open to its corresponding key cards. Information can be obtained by rescuing hostages being held within the buildings. After rescuing five hostages, the player's rank will increase by one star (with the maximum rank being four stars), allowing for increased carrying capacity and maximum health. However, if a hostage is killed, the player is demoted to the previous rank. A transceiver is available for the player to communicate with their commanding officer, Big Boss, or one of the resistance members operating covertly near Outer Heaven (Schneider, Diane, and Jennifer). Each of Snake's allies specializes in a specific subject. The player must keep track of their allies' frequency numbers in order to contact them. All of the radio messages are dependent on the rooms where the player is located.

Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa is the sequel to Fantasy Zone, in which you control Opa-Opa, a pretty colored ship with wings on its side. You must destroy the large creatures in each world before moving on to the next. Your task becomes difficult by other small creatures that happen to pass by. If you destroy a large creature, they will drop a dollar bill, which you can pick up and use at the shop to buy items and powerful weapons such as laser beams, x-way shots, and big wings. Another way to get money is to shoot certain kinds of enemies all in a row. More often than not, some large creatures will reveal a warp gate rather than a dollar bill. You can go through the warp gate to get to another part of the land, and destroy more large creatures. Only one of them will have a warp gate in the form of a 'stop' sign - that is your ticket to the round boss, but you must defeat all large creatures in order to pass through it. Also like in the original can you walk on the ground to avoid approaching enemies, and spend money in the shop to get new weapons (but they only last for a limited time).

Dragon Warrior II is an early top-down RPG that expands and improves on its predecessor. Unlike the first game, Dragon Warrior II allows the player to join forces with two other characters, a magic-using princess and a wizard-warrior prince. Also including expanded monster battles involving up to 6 creatures and a much larger world, Dragon Warrior II is an important step in the evolution of the Dragon Warrior series.

Play as five members of a family that set out to kill a dragon hidden within a giant maze.

Ultima (later titled, Ultima: The First Age of Darkness) is the first game in the Ultima series of role-playing video games created by Richard Garriott. The game was one of the first definitive commercial computer RPGs, and is considered an important and influential turning point for the development of the genre throughout years to come.

After obtaining aid from the lords of the realm in Ultima I, your character travels back in time, locates the mad wizard Mondain, slays him, and ends his reign of terror. In Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress, Mondain's protégé, Minax, who studied the mad wizard's teachings and writings, returns to wreak vengeance on the person who slew her teacher and lover -- you. And, instead of waiting for you to return to her native land of Sosaria, she wreaks havoc on your own Earth. Throughout Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress, your quest is quite different in scope from its predecessor. Earth is turned into a half-modern, half-fantasy world by the forces of magic and, as a result, things are much stranger than one might expect. As explained in the introduction, your tasks in the game are to "Battle strange creatures across the face of the Earth, search for clues in careless words spoken at the local pub, traverse deep, dark, deadly dungeons and tall, terrifying towers...and conquer Time itself to battle Minax the Enchantress."

Labyrinth: The Computer Game is a 1986 graphic adventure game developed by Lucasfilm Games and published by Activision. Based on the fantasy film Labyrinth, it tasks the player with navigating a maze while solving puzzles and evading dangers. The player's goal is to find and defeat the main antagonist, Jareth, within 13 real-time hours. Unlike other adventure games of the period, Labyrinth does not feature a command-line interface. Instead, the player uses two scrolling "word wheel" menus on the screen to construct basic sentences.

Sorcerian is a side-scrolling action-RPG. The player can create up to ten characters, from whom up to four members can be present in a party at the same time. Each character is highly customizable, with four different classes/races (fighter, wizard, elf, and dwarf) and over 60 possible jobs/occupations (ranging from clown to exorcist) available for them to perform; each has its own strengths and weaknesses, affecting the seven primary attributes (strength, intelligence, protection, magic resistance, vitality, dexterity, and karma) in different ways, as well as different equipment limitations. The player can choose from fifteen different scenarios, or quests, to play through in the order of their choice. The party must battle enemies and perform tasks within the given levels to clear each scenario, before moving onto another scenario of their choice. The player controls the entire party at the same time, with all four members running in a line, jumping in sequence, and attacking in unison. The party members follow behind in a manner similar to the Options in the arcade shooter Gradius (1985). Sorcerian also employs class-based puzzles, such as using a high-strength character to force open doors. All the characters have a default starting age of 16. Each time a player begins a new scenario, a year passes by, while additional time passes by in towns as a character goes through training or enchants items. The characters age at different rates depending on their race, with humans reaching old age at 60, dwarves at 100, and elves at 200. Upon reaching old age, for every year that passes, a character can die permanently at a random time. There is also an “Advance Time” to speed up the flow of time. Another new feature of Sorcerian was its episodic format that extended across various expansion packs. Besides the default fifteen scenarios that come with the game, there were a number of additional scenario packs released. The aging system was created with the additional scenario packs in mind.

Madou Monogatari 1-2-3 consists of three separate adventures, all of which star young magician Arle Nadja. Billed as a "Magical Voice Role Playing Game", Madou Monogatari 1-2-3 combines diverse, colorful monster design with a then-unusual amount of voice work. The game is also notable for a near-complete lack of numerical stats, instead portraying health, damage, and magic capacity using text cues and Arle's face portrait.

The first game in the popular puzzle series, released one year before the "Action Puzzle Game" arcade title that would turn it into a household name.

In this epic role-playing game, you must guide Prince Logan all accross the beautiful and dngerious world of Isrenasa in the quest to regain his throne. This game features a huge world to explore and many companions to join you on your journey. This game features one of the largest quests and most advanced interface of any role-playing game for the TurboDuo system.

It has been more than forty years since the first nuclear bomb exploded. In that time, the shape of the world has changed dramatically. The power to destroy civilization rests in the hands of the superpowers and now, as either the president of the U.S. or as the General Secretary of the U.S.S.R., you have total responsibility for your nation's course. To succeed, you must enhance your country's prestige without infringing too much on your adversary's interests. If you play the isolationist, you will find yourself alone in a world dominated by your opponent. If you are too aggressive, you could unleash the war that annihilates humankind- and both sides lose. Balance Of Power uses a huge statistical database, a meticulously detailed display of the world, and advanced artificial intelligence techniques to put you in command of one of the world's superpowers. You have vast amounts of information available as you press your country's interest and resist the pressure of the other side. Noted game designer Chris Crawford has created a model of the world which will entertain, educate, challenge, and perhaps frighten you in ways no computer game has ever done before. Covers the eight years from 1986 to 1994.

As told by the ancient scroll Lyle found on his travels, a great five-headed Pentadragon once ruled the Diodoran continent with its legions of monsters. The heavens struck them down, sinking their land far into the earth...until now. With Pentadragon and Diodoran resurfacing to torment the world again, Lyle ventures out with gun and gear to rid this realm of evil and fulfill the gods' prophecy. Testament is a top-down, multi-scrolling shoot-'em-up adventure with several complex levels to explore. You acquire new weapons, items, and bonuses along paths strewn with enemies and hazards to encounter. Each stage features multiple boss fights and an assortment of secrets, either threatening or aiding your quest. You have limited lives and continues to work with, so play carefully and methodically to survive your expedition. This game led to the founding of a studio called Glodia, and it later received a Game Boy spiritual sequel simply called Pentadragon.

In Legend of Xanadu, the player controls a young adventurer named Areios. Monsters attack his homeland, and he is forced to flee. After traveling by ship and arriving at the town Bolda, Areios finds out that strange things have been happening in the North Cave near the town. His first mission will be to venture to the North Cave and investigate the matter. Of course, soon Areios finds himself involved in a battle against sinister forces, and commences the longest and most dangerous adventure of his life! The game is an action RPG set in the Dragon Slayer universe, with a gameplay style similar to Falcom's other popular series, Ys. Controlling Areios, the player explores the top-down world, visiting towns and fighting monsters in vast outdoor areas and dungeons. Like in Ys series, it is sufficient to "bump" into a monster in order to inflict damage. Areios gains hit points and becomes stronger by sustaining damage from enemies and resting. His weapons and armor can gain experience and level up. In many areas, companions will join Areios and help him in combat, controlled by the computer AI. The game is divided into chapters; the final stage of each chapter is a side-scrolling/platform level, which Areios has to navigate in order to reach the boss enemy, defeat him, and end the chapter. In such stages, the combat turns into a more familiar action-oriented style, with the player being required to press buttons in time in order to execute attacks and jump. There is a day/night cycle in the game, manifested not only in graphical changes, but also in the schedules of townspeople: when it's dark, people will return to their homes and go to sleep, etc.

Released in MSX2 Disc Station volume #29.