THE MSX2+ COMPUTER

3.1 MSX2+ Standard definition and remarks

After 1986, Microsoft stopped with supporting MSX and ASCII in Japan took over further develoment of the MSX system. Due to ASCII's lack of interest in European market the MSX2+ was never manufactured and sold outside Japan. Rumours and plans existed in the Netherlands to make a European MSX2+, but they never came to reality.

At least 64kB RAM. Most MSX2+ machines have a 64kB memory mapper.
32kB BASIC/BIOS ROM and 16kB SUB ROM (MSX-BASIC version 3.0, with the command SET SCROLL added, for smooth scrolling in BASIC! And of course the new screenmodes 10-12 were added, see below)
16kB KANJI BASIC ROM + KANJI ROM
16kB DISK ROM
Yamaha V9958 Video Display Processor: backward compatible with TMS-9918/TMS-9928 and V9938 (for more info: V9958 MSX Video Technical Data Book). The V9938 also had light pen support circuitry built in though, which was removed in the V9958, probably because it was never used and the extra room on the chip could be used for the new V9958 features.
720kB 3,5" floppy drive built in
Optional: MSX-Music built in (see also FM-PAC: OPLL YM-2413, 9 channel FM synthesizer). It's not defined in the standard but most MSX2+ machines have it
- 16kB FM-BASIC ROM.
RGB connector (the only one that can be used with European monitors due to different TV system used in Japan (NTSC)).
CVBS/RF output, which is unusable without NTSC capable TV/monitor.

3.2 Graphic capabilities and other features

Mode	Resolution	Colours	Image size
10	256×212/424	12499 YJK (at once and + 16 out of 512 RGB in ML)	54kB
11	256×212/424	12499 YJK (at once) + 16 out of 512 RGB	54kB
12	256×212/424	19268 YJK (at once)	54kB

Note that the size of the images is the same as those of the MSX2 screens. This is because in the MSX2+ screens also a sort of "color spill" effect is acting (like on screen 2, see the MSX1 section). It can be compensated a bit in Screen 11 with the RGB colours.
Another note: the VDP is in the same mode for screen 10 and 11, but BASIC handles it differently. So in ML they are the same (both with RGB colours).
Additional KANJI screen modes (Japanese text screen modes). Hires graphics not possible.

Mode Resolution Colours Char. size

0 40×24 16 colours out of 512 8×8

1 32×24 16 colours out of 512 8×8

2 256×192 16 colours out of 512 8×8

3 64×48 16 colours out of 512 8×8

Note: The Kanji-character size is 16×16.

Mode	Resolution	Colours	Char. size
0	40×24	16 colours out of 512	8×8
1	32×24	16 colours out of 512	8×8
2	256×192	16 colours out of 512	8×8
3	64×48	16 colours out of 512	8×8

Additional features: hardware bit-scroll, vertical and horizontal

With the MSX2+ machines two other hardware features were introduced:

Ren-Sha Turbo: built-in autofire system. The repetition speed can be adjusted with a slider and most implementations have a LED that shows the repetition rate.
speed controller: slider that can be moved to slow down the MSX

Note that also some less common MSX2 machines have a Ren-Sha Turbo and/or speed controller. They are mentioned here, because most MSX2+ machines have one or both of these feature. Especially the Sony machines. Another feature that existed before, but was added to almost all MSX2+ machines is the hardware pause button that pauses the CPU. This pause cannot be circumvented in a software way.

3.3 Software

Actually there is not much "pure" MSX2+ software (especially games). Some MSX2 games are using optional features of an MSX2+ if they run on an MSX2+ computer. Sometimes only scroll feature is used if MSX2+ is detected. An example is Konami's Space Manbow, which looks a lot better on MSX2+. Mostly all image viewers gain benifits of MSX2+'s graphic capabilities. Due to the great amount of colours, GIF/BMP and JPG pictures are displayed very well. For several years there has not been any graphic program for screen 11 until a French group made one (Screen 11 designer).

Some MSX2+ software:

Columbus: drawing program for screen 12, by TENCAS, Italy.
Doozle: micro drawing utility for screen 11/12.
Graph Saurus v2.0: drawing program, also for screen 12, by Bit².
Mous Master: drawing program for screen 12.
Screen 11 designer: drawing program for screen 11, by FUC.
Dix: game with optional screen 11/12 drawings/pics, by MSX-Engine.
F1-Spirit 3D special: racing game, using scroll and screen 12 images, by Konami.
- Find out how to make a 2 players CABLE-LINK !
Golvellius 2: RPG with very nice screen 11 drawings and scroll; there's also a MSX2 verson). By Compile.
Laydock 2 - Last Attack: shoot'em up game, uses scroll and screen 11/12. By T&E SOFT.
Megadoom: platform/shooting game using screen 12 and scroll, by FCS.
Nyacle Racing: (sort of) racing game, with optional screen 12 pics, by Bit².
Quinpl: Puzzle-game, with optional screen 12 pics, by Bit².
Sea Sardine Side II: game using scroll, by MSX-Magazine (ASCII).
Space Manbow: shoot'em up game using scroll, optionally. By Konami.
Starship Rendez Vous (Special Stage Michelle): sex game using screen 12 pics optionally; on MSX2 screen 7 is used. By Scap Trust.
Super Cooks: RPG, uses scroll, optionally. By Compile.
Twinkle Star: shoot'em up game, using scroll. By Yoshida.
The Golf: 3D golf game using screen 12. By Pack-in-Video.
Tetris II: Tetris clone using screen 12, by RAM.

3.4 Companies which produced MSX2+ computers.

All MSX2+ computers in Europe are imported from Japan or are upgraded from MSX2 (or even MSX1) to MSX2+ internally or with special transforming kits (Brazil). MSX2+ computers were only produced by Panasonic, Sony and Sanyo. Here they are (I hope it's all of them!):

Sony HB-F1XDJ: 64kB RAM, 128kB VRAM, 720kB 3,5" floppy disk drive, MSX Music, MSX-JE, 256kB JIS-1 and JIS-2 ROM, speed controller, Ren-Sha Turbo (autofire), hardware pause key

Sony HB-F1XV: 64kB RAM, 128kB VRAM, 720kB 3,5" floppy disk drive, MSX Music, MSX-JE, 256kB JIS-1 and JIS-2 ROM, speed controller, Ren-Sha Turbo (autofire), hardware pause key

Sanyo WAVY PHC-70FD: 64kB RAM, 128kB VRAM, 1 720kB 3,5" floppy disk drive, MSX Music, Ren-Sha Turbo (autofire), hardware pause key, 128kB JIS-1 ROM, built in MSX-BASIC Kun 2.x (run time basic compiler)

Sanyo WAVY PHC-70FD2: 64kB RAM, 128kB VRAM, 2 720kB 3,5" floppy disk drives, MSX Music, built in MSX-BASIC Kun 2.x (run time basic compiler), 256kB JIS-1 and JIS-2 ROM, RGB connector (DIN)

Sanyo WAVY PHC-35J: 64kB RAM, 128kB VRAM, 128kB JIS-1 ROM, Ren-Sha controller (autofire), pause key

Panasonic FS-A1FX: 64kB RAM, 128kB VRAM, 720kB 3,5" floppy disk drive, 128kB JIS 1st KANJI, Ren-Sha Turbo (autofire), internal software (A1 Cockpit), Z80 compatible CPU built in MSX Engine (T9769x) that can be switched to from 3.58MHz to 5.38MHz via I/O port

Panasonic FS-A1WSX: 64kB RAM, 128kB VRAM, 720kB 3,5" floppy disk drive, MSX Music, 256kB JIS 1st+2nd Kanji, Ren-Sha Turbo (autofire), hardware pause key, firmware (A1 Cockpit, Word Processor with Color Print Support for Color Printers, MSX-JE), no cassette interface, S-Video output, Z80 compatible CPU built in MSX Engine (T9769x) that can be switched to from 3.58MHz to 5.38MHz via I/O port

Panasonic FS-A1WX: 64kB RAM, 128kB VRAM, 720kB 3,5" floppy disk drive, Ren-Sha Turbo (autofire), hardware pause key, MSX Music, 256kB JIS 1st+2nd Kanji, firmware (A1 Cockpit, Word Processor, MSX-JE), Z80 compatible CPU built in MSX Engine (T9769x) that can be switched to from 3.58MHz to 5.38MHz via I/O port

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