Translation of “BEEP’s ‘Retro’ Hobby Program Contest”

This is ***unofficial*** translation of “1st. Beep’s ‘RETRO’ Hobby Game Program Contest”. If you interested in it, ask official staffs.

Official announcement is here (written in Japanese only)

第1回 BEEP ”レトロ”ホビーゲームプログラム・コンテスト 開催のお知らせ〜!


BEEP’s “Retro” Hobby Program Contest

There are 3 divisions in this contest. Please refer below.

1)8bit division

Gold prize 50000 Yen
Silver prize 30000 Yen
Bronze prize 10000 Yen

Series of MSX(1-2+)/PC8801/PC6001 etc. Free selection of models. Game content is not limited.

Please ask before starting development, because some models are cannot be tested.

2)16,32bit division

Gold prize 50000 Yen
Silver prize 30000 Yen
Bronze prize 10000 Yen

Series of FM-TOWNS/X68000/PC9801 etc. Free selection of models. Game content is not limited.
Please ask before starting development, because some models are cannot be tested.

3)Lottery game division

Gold prize 100000 Yen
Silver prize 50000 Yen
MSX or X68000

SHOP of “Akihabara @BEEP” has been provided coupons or prizes according to score of lottery game for customers who bought more than certain amount. It corrupted because of your enthusiasm. Beep needs second one now.

Shoot’em up style game for score attacking in 5-8 seconds.
Needs setting configuration for
-Number of each prizes
-Amount of lottery tickets
Ex:
Amount of lottery tickets: 100
Special prize:1
Probability is 1/100
Prize should be consumed and no more prizes should be issued in this case.
Configuration for probability of prizewinning. This is increased when user get high score.
Only movement and shot are controllable. Avoid complicated controls and difficult presentation.This game is for momentary playing.
Slightly randomize scoring or appearance occurrence ratio of enemies. (Don’t allow a certain users to get prize every time.)
Player can use only joypad.
Only one user who got high score can entry the name (input with keyboard, within 12 characters of alphabets and numbers. Name entry finished with enter key.)
Sound effects and BGMs
Production for easy understanding of each prize.
Loop or stop scrolling until a certain key is pressed.
Returns title when game finished.
High score and name should be displayed permanently while title screen and playing game.
Winner’s game of this division will be used daily at the Beep store. We want applicant of this division to accept request for (a little bit) modification if win the prize.

Common rule

Dead line: 2017/11/27

Each programs should not be needed special devices.
Ex:
MSX-Audio/68060/Extended MSX**/HDD are not acceptable.

** It might mean FM-7&FM-X convination [note by translator].

Extended devices which is distributed certain degree*** are acceptable.

2M memory for X68000/MSX FM cartridge(MSX-MUSIC)/16 Color Board and 26 Sound Board for PC9801VM

*** Judge by yourself ^^;

Application:

Send disk or tape which can be read by real PCs.

Destination address:
“171,Fujii-Shimogumi,Hanyuu-shi,Saitama-ken,348-0065,JAPAN
BEEP PROGRAM CONTEST”
Tel:+81485986552

Programs which is tested on emulators are acceptable.

Destination mail address
“BEEP PROGRAM CONTEST”
kobayashi[at]pcb-beep.com

Pack these items in parcel together

-Contact information
E-mail address or tel number
-Name and nickname
If your real name can be published, write about it.
-Comments
Comments for your program, free talking, self production, tested environment and explanation how to load the game.

Applied medias are not returned. Results of this contest will be revealed on the site of BEEP.

*Source codes, characters and musics from unlicensed copy righted materials are not allowed.
*Games should be unreleased anywhere else and your original one. If you have copy rights of the product, arrangement or diversion are acceptable.
*Don’t blame or attack certain person or organization.
Ex)
Destruction of XXX building etc.

*Applied games might be produced on the BEEP web site or SNSs. We would like to sell it like ENIX did early times. When it is realized, we will commit contract with winner.
*Application rules and others might be changed without preliminary announcement.


 

2017年の最新MSXゲームをスマホのWebMSXで遊んでみる

MSXdevは、世界中のMSXユーザーが自作のゲームを応募し、その出来を競いつつみんなで遊ぶコンテストです。2003年から毎年開催されてます。

実はこのコンテスト、応募された作品がダウンロードして遊べるんです。
文字通りの「世界の最新のMSXゲーム」が遊べる、とても素晴らしいコンテストです。

コンテストの優秀作品はブラッシュアップされた後、多くが市販されます。秋葉原などの電気街のショップで、外国製の新しいMSXROMゲームを見たことがないですか?

MSXdevの公式サイトに登録すると「コミュニティ賞」への一票を投票できます。最新のMSXゲームで遊んで、コンテストに投票してみんなで楽しめるMSXファンのお祭りなんです。
ここではお手軽に遊ぶためにスマホ(iPhone)からの操作を紹介しています。
(Androidでも同じようなアプリを使えば操作はできるはずです。)

※iPhone5Cでキャプチャしているため、画像は小さめです。ごめんなさい。
※iPhone5系、SEは画面が小さいのでちょっと操作しにくいです。自分は普通に使ってますが。

1.iZIPがあるとiPhoneの使い方が変わります

ZIPファイルを解凍してくれるiZIPというアプリケーション。実はiPhoneにファイルをしまっておくことができます。MSXdev17に応募されたゲームはZIPファイルで公開されているので、入れておくことをおススメします。

2.DROPBOXがあるとWebMSXがぐんと便利になります

WebMSXでゲームを読み込ませるのに便利です。アプリをインストールして、アカウントを作成しておいてください。

3.www.msxdev.orgからデータをダウンロード

応募された作品がウェブサイトで公開されています。ゲーム画面をクリックしてみてください。それぞれの記事が表示されます。

懐かしのフロッピーディスクのアイコンをクリックして、ゲームのZIPファイルをダウンロードします。

注意:
ダウンロードするファイルはちょっとサイズが大きいです(といっても1メガ程度ですが)。通信料が気になる人はWIFI接続してダウンロードしてください。

ダウンロードが完了すると、ファイル名だけが表示された画面になります。ここで「その他」のリンクをタップします。

4.iZIPに展開して保存

iZIPをインストールしていると、「iZIPで読み込む」アイコンが表示されているはずです。これをタップすると、iZIPが起動します。

iZIPが起動すると展開するかどうか聞いていますので、展開してください。(有料版への案内が開いている場合はXボタンで消してください)

これでiPhoneの中にファイルを保存できました。

5.DROPBOXへファイルをアップロードする

展開したファイルの中に、「.ROM」や「.DSK」といった名前のファイルがあると思います。そのファイルの左にある○をタップしてから、下のメニューの右から二番目「Open In」のアイコンをタップします。

 

下の段の一番左にある「Save TO DROPBOX」をタップします。

 

DROPBOXのフォルダが開きますので、わかりやすいところに保存してください。
※この画面では新しいディレクトリが作成できません。必要な場合はDROPBOXアプリの方で、あらかじめ作成しておきます。
※ここに表示されていないフォルダに保存したい場合は「別のフォルダを選択してください」をタップします。

最後に「保存」の文字をタップして終了です。

6.WebMSXから読み込む

では、WebMSXから読み込んでみましょう。

ブラウザを立ち上げたら、webmsx.orgにアクセスします。
最初の画面で「NICE」ボタンをタップするとMSXが起動します。

ダウンロードしたゲームが「.DSK」だった場合は、左から2番目のフロッピーディスクアイコンをクリック

「.ROM」だった場合は、左から4番目のカートリッジアイコンをタップします。

どちらの場合も、1番上の「Load from Files」をタップします。

読み込み先の一覧が表示されますが、DROPBOXをインストールしてから初めて起動した場合はここにメニューがでません。その場合は「その他」をタップします。

DROPBOXのトグルボタンが白くなっているので、これをタップして緑にした後、「完了」をタップします。

再びメニューに戻るので、DROPBOXを選択し、先ほど保存した場所から読み込んでください。

「.ROM」のゲームの場合は読み込んだ後に、自動的にリセットされてゲームが起動します。
「.DSK」のゲームの場合は、1番左の電源マークのメニューから「RESET」をタップすると、リセットされます。

WebMSXはブラウザ以外のアプリケーションに切り替えたまましばらく経つと、読み込みしなおします。こうなるとゲームの内容も消えてしまうので、またDROPBOXから読み込むところからやりなおしです。

他のアプリに切り替えるときには、一番左の電源マークのメニューから「Save State」を選択し、

1~10のどれかに保存してからにしてください。

次に遊ぶ時には、同じ電源マークから「Load State」を選択すれば続きから遊べます。

ちょっと手順は複雑ですが、慣れればそれほどでもありません。
最新のMSXゲームをスマホで、気軽に楽しみましょう!

PC-8001 compatible font on MSX

This is trial for changing MSX font with PC-8001 compatible fonts.

PC-8001 line PCs are produced first “Personal” computer in Japan in 1979 by NEC.It is distributed mainly in Japan but PC-8001A is sold in US.

“Mycom BASIC Magazine” was one of early PC dedicated magazine which publishes type-in style games on it. Many games for PC-8001 were published there.

These games had distinctive taste because graphics were consisted by only characters generated by PCG(Programmable Character Generator) and seemed so attractive for me (at that time).

PC-8001 runs N-Basic, which was based on Microsoft Basic. Mr. Kazuhiko Nishi introduced MS to NEC and realized MS based “N-Basic”. Do you know Mr. Nishi?
Yes, he is one of founder of ASCII corporation, which is one of core company of MSX standard. MSX BASIC is also based on Microsoft Basic as you know.

Thus games on N-BASIC can be ported to MSX-BASIC with ease, I think.
Graphical devices are different between them, but not impossible.
This file is one of preparation for porting such games to MSX.

 

My trial porting (SCREEN0:WIDTH80/TEXT2 MODE of VDP)

Original fonts (cited from the net)

This test purpose file are downloadable from here.

Windows’ memopad like key bindings for Viper text editor

Text editor “Viper” has so many functions so that we don’t know what to do
for the first time. But we should not understand all because VWIN.CFG makes
limit for key binding.

VWIN.CFG is a setting file of “Viper” multi-functional text editor.
It makes viper controllable easily “as far as possible”.
It has minimal key binds like Windows’ memopad.

Text editor “viper” is included in the package of “Text editor V & Z”.
Download v&z2src.lzh at this site below.

Text Editor V & Z site

Would you try this editor with easy key binds?

P.S
VWIN.CFG itself was not attached to this page…
Download it and try. Thanks.

VWIN100

SpliceMSX script ver.0.5alpha is released

SpliceMSX ver.0.5alpha is released

This script installs Hitech-C Libraries for MSX.
Ver. 0.5 is a incremental difference from ver.0.1, 0.2 and 0.4, thus you should execute ver.0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 before ver.0.5.
* 0.3 “Installer for Hitech-C and related files for MSXs” is temporarily skipped due to technical reason.
** Patches for 0.4 are not needed but desireble to extract or patched.

Caution!!

This project is *alpha* version and we still doing trials and errors.
Read document in archive carefully before execute this script.
Version “alpha” files are series of incremental difference. Execute all of
previous versions before latest version.

Detailed(translated) documents will be announced with ver.7.0.
Documents are available in installed package or at web sites. These are written in some other languages and not easy to read now though.

References

Hitech-C ResourceKit#2 by Tatsuhiko Syoji

Hitech-C ResourceKit#2 by Tatsuhiko Syoji

MCLIB, MSX-C compatible library by Tatsuhiko Syoji

GFX Library by Rafael Jannone

Banking library, with BGM, graphic, CPU control

LIBDOS2 and LIBFIX by Arnold Metselaar

NDOS, BTM library by Konamiman

LIBPOSIX by Diederick de Vries

Download

SpliceMSX0.5alpha

What is “SpliceMSX”?

“SpliceMSX” is not a name of particular software, but project for building integrated development environment for MSX, using good softwares from all ages and countries. Cores of this project are install/setup scripts for building development environment for MSX.

Patch1 for SpliceMSX script ver.0.4alpha

Patch1 for SpliceMSX ver.0.4alpha

This is simple convert script for bat file using gnu “sed” command.
batcpm2w.bat calls sed command and change non-pathed Hitech-C commands
into full path expressions in .bat file added by argument. As a result of
execution, “_w” is attached to file name. Generated bat file can be
executed on Windows environment.

*This file is treated as spliceMSX0.4alpha_p1

Download

spliceMSX0.4alpha_p1

SpliceMSX script ver.0.4alpha is released

SpliceMSX ver.0.4alpha is released

This script installs minimal Hitech-C and related files for emulated environment on CP/M Program Executor.
Ver. 0.4 is a incremental difference from ver.0.1, thus you should execute ver.0.1 and ver.0.2 before ver.0.4.

Binaries are based on original and for CP/M(not patched for MSX), thus users other than MSX might use it for your Z80 based computers.

Caution!!

This project is *alpha* version and we still doing trials and errors.
Read document in archive carefully before execute this script.
Version “alpha” files are series of incremental difference. Execute all of
previous versions before latest version.

References

Retrocomputing Archive

CP/M program Executor by Keiji Murakami

LIBF.LIB by Cybernostra Inc.

Hitech-C resource kit#1 by Tatsuhiko Syoji

Hitech-C resource kit#2 by Tatsuhiko Syoji

Download

SpliceMSX0.4alpha

What is “SpliceMSX”?

“SpliceMSX” is not a name of particular software, but project for building integrated development environment for MSX, using good softwares from all ages and countries. Cores of this project are install/setup scripts for building development environment for MSX.

SpliceMSX script ver.0.2alpha is released

SpliceMSX ver.0.2alpha is released

This script installs CP/M Program Executor. Ver. 0.2 is a incremental difference from ver.0.1, thus you should execute ver.0.1 before ver.0.2.

Caution!!

This project is *alpha* version and we still doing trials and errors.
Read document in archive carefully before execute this script.
Version “alpha” files are series of incremental difference. Execute all of
previous versions before latest version.

References

MS-DOS Player

Download

SpliceMSX0.2alpha

What is “SpliceMSX”?

“SpliceMSX” is not a name of particular software, but project for building integrated development environment for MSX, using good softwares from all ages and countries. Cores of this project are install/setup scripts for building development environment for MSX.

SpliceMSX script is released

SpliceMSX is released

“SpliceMSX” is not a name of particular software, but project for building integrated development environment for MSX, using good softwares from all ages and countries. Cores of this project are install/setup scripts for building development environment for MSX.

What can it do?

It can install MS-DOS Player(16bit dos emulator on Windows 32/64 bit) and MSX-DOS1 emulator on MS-DOS (semi) automatically. It uses some emulators to realize MSX environment (32 or 64bit windows > 16bit MS-DOS > 8bit MSX-DOS or CP/M).

MS-DOS and MSX-DOS(1) applications are executable on Windows after installation.(Details should be refered in documents or official sites of these applications).

References

MS-DOS Player

MSX-DOS emulator

Caution!!

This project is *alpha* version and we still doing trials and errors.
Read document in archive carefully before execute this script.

Download

SpliceMSX0.1alpha

Does Windows 10 support MSX floppy disks

“Does Windows 10 support MSX FDDs?”

Answer is “Yes & No”. I explain this.

 

Here is help message of windows 10 format command.

C:\Users\kumo>format /?
Formats a disk for use with Windows.

FORMAT volume [/FS:file-system] [/V:label] [/Q] [/L[:state]] [/A:size] [/C] [/I:state] [/X] [/P:passes] [/S:state]
FORMAT volume [/V:label] [/Q] [/F:size] [/P:passes]
FORMAT volume [/V:label] [/Q] [/T:tracks /N:sectors] [/P:passes]
FORMAT volume [/V:label] [/Q] [/P:passes]
FORMAT volume [/Q]

volume Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon),
mount point, or volume name.
/FS:filesystem Specifies the type of the file system (FAT, FAT32, exFAT,
NTFS, UDF, ReFS).
/V:label Specifies the volume label.
/Q Performs a quick format. Note that this switch overrides /P.
/C NTFS only: Files created on the new volume will be compressed
by default.
/X Forces the volume to dismount first if necessary. All opened
handles to the volume would no longer be valid.
/R:revision UDF only: Forces the format to a specific UDF version
(1.02, 1.50, 2.00, 2.01, 2.50). The default
revision is 2.01.
/D UDF 2.50 only: Metadata will be duplicated.
/L[:state] NTFS Only: Overrides the default size of file record.
By default, a non-tiered volume will be formatted with small
size file records and a tiered volume will be formatted with
large size file records. /L and /L:enable forces format to
use large size file records and /L:disable forces format to
use small size file records.
/A:size Overrides the default allocation unit size. Default settings
are strongly recommended for general use.
ReFS supports 64K.
NTFS supports 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192, 16K, 32K, 64K.
FAT supports 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192, 16K, 32K, 64K,
(128K, 256K for sector size > 512 bytes).
FAT32 supports 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192, 16K, 32K, 64K,
(128K, 256K for sector size > 512 bytes).
exFAT supports 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192, 16K, 32K, 64K,
128K, 256K, 512K, 1M, 2M, 4M, 8M, 16M, 32M.

Note that the FAT and FAT32 files systems impose the
following restrictions on the number of clusters on a volume:

FAT: Number of clusters <= 65526
FAT32: 65526 < Number of clusters < 4177918

Format will immediately stop processing if it decides that
the above requirements cannot be met using the specified
cluster size.

NTFS compression is not supported for allocation unit sizes
above 4096.

/F:size Specifies the size of the floppy disk to format (1.44)
/T:tracks Specifies the number of tracks per disk side.
/N:sectors Specifies the number of sectors per track.
/P:count Zero every sector on the volume. After that, the volume
will be overwritten “count” times using a different
random number each time. If “count” is zero, no additional
overwrites are made after zeroing every sector. This switch
is ignored when /Q is specified.
/S:state Specifies support for short filenames (enable, disable)
Short names are disabled by default
/I:state ReFS only: Specifies whether integrity should be enabled on
the new volume. “state” is either “enable” or “disable”
Integrity is enabled on storage that supports data redundancy
by default.
/DAX[:state] NTFS Only: Enable direct access storage (DAX) mode for this
volume. In DAX mode, the volume is accessed via the memory
bus, boosting IO performance. A volume can be formatted
with DAX mode only if the hardware is DAX capable.
State can specify “enable” or “disable”. /DAX is considered
as /DAX:enable.

There is no description nether about “FAT12” which MSX supported and floppy disk sizes of  “720”, “640”, “360” and “320”.

Windows 10 does not support 2DD floppies any more?

 

I do and confirm format floppies related to 2DD options.

Results are below. There are many interesting responses.

Option “/F:720” is valid and can be formatted!

Then, does it work with other options? I tried this.

Yes. Option “/F:360” is valid and can be formatted as well, but because of FDD itself, caused error this time.

Windows does not officialy support 2DD/1DD but works!

That is very interesting for us, old MSX survivors, isn’t it?