MSX ITALY Association
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On March 19, 2023, in conjunction with the Vigevano Gathering, the MSX Italia Association was born. In our opinion, virtual collaboration on pre-existing social networks is not sufficient to manage events and projects such as gatherings and Devcons representing Italy. The Association with its democratic assemblies organizes at least 3 annual gatherings in Northern, Central and Southern Italy where there are convivial moments of exchange, exhibitions, tournaments and second-hand markets. Furthermore, the association organizes educational spaces where we share our experiences: how to best use the MegaflashROM, the Carnivore2, the V9990, the music modules, MSX BASIC, MSX-DOS etc. explaining it from scratch how to install and use it. And live broadcasts recorded and reserved for members for the exchange of experiences. A confidential archive and new Fanzine in paper and PDF format with a floppy containing exclusive games and software. We have created R&D groups for the C language and software creation, while some of us experiment with repairs and prototyping in hardware.
Combining forces allows us to do larger-scale projects like Devcons!
Follow us and share your experiences.
References: associazioneMSXitalia@gmail.com
Chrono Runner, the game presented at MSXDev 2025 by the MSX Italia Association:
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MSX Italy Association
(opens in a new tab)Ours is a non-profit association for the preservation, promotion and development of old and new MSX systems.
🚀 New MSX turboR homebrew alert! Shin Zero no Houkou (真零の咆哮) is out! This vertical shoot-'em-up by suzuki-black is the latest evolution of the Zero no Houkou series and was created specifically to push the limits of the MSX turboR (R800 + V9958). What's new in this version: • Proper attract mode – leave the title screen alone and the autopilot will fly through stages 1–5 for you • Best 5 high-score table with classic arcade-style name entry (A–Z + [ED]) The game already features mid-bosses on every stage, spectacular unique destruction sequences for the battleships, advanced raster effects, dynamic weather via palette, turboR PCM samples during gameplay, and much more. It's still a work-in-progress prototype, but it's already very impressive! Download the latest release here: github.com/suzuki-black/ZeroNoHoukouR/releases/tag/v0.4.5 Perfect for all MSX turboR owners and lovers of classic shmups. Have you tried it yet? Share your scores! ---🇮🇹 IN ITALIAN 🇮🇹🚀 New homebrew for MSX turboR! Shin Zero no Houkou (真零の咆哮) is out! This vertical shoot-'em-up by suzuki-black is the latest evolution of the Zero no Houkou series and has been specifically designed to push the potential of the MSX turboR (R800 + V9958) to the maximum. New in this version: • Full Attract Mode – Leave the title screen and the autopilot will fly itself through stages 1–5 • Best 5 ranking with classic arcade style name entry (A–Z + [ED]) The game already features mid-bosses in every stage, spectacular, unique destruction sequences for battleships, advanced raster effects, dynamic weather via palettes, PCM sampling of the turboR during gameplay, and much more. It's still a prototype in development, but it's already really impressive! Download the latest release here: github.com/suzuki-black/ZeroNoHoukouR/releases/tag/v0.4.5 Ideal for all MSX turboR owners and classic shmup lovers. Have you tried it yet? Share your scores! #MSX #MSXturboR #Homebrew #SHMUP #MSXItaly
Technical update on MSX graphics hardware: V9968 + Geo3DThe V9968 is an enhanced VDP developed by HRA! for FPGA implementations (cartridge based on Tang Nano 20K / Gowin GW2AR-LV18). It extends the V9958 architecture with additional VRAM (up to 256 KB in supported configurations), extended command set and ID reporting as 3.Geo3D is a 3D geometry coprocessor designed by Alexander Marra (@amoncks) and integrated into the official V9968 Cartridge distribution (from 3 October 2026). Implemented in Verilog on the same FPGA, it performs:- 3×3 matrix transforms (Q2.14 fixed-point) + translation on 16-bit signed vertices - Perspective projection - Edge clipping (Cohen-Sutherland style, near-plane rejection) - Face sorting and flat shading / lighting - Direct generation of LINE and LRMM commands into the V9968 command engine The Z80 (or R800) uploads the 3D model once. Per frame it typically sends only ~30 bytes (page offset, precomputed matrix/translation, RUN command). Geo3D then handles the rest autonomously. Texture mapping uses the V9968's LRMM capability (affine, limited to 4096 texels width).This combination enables real-time wireframe, flat-shaded and textured polygonal 3D on standard MSX2/MSX2+/turboR systems, both in internal (ports 98h) and external cartridge (ports 88h) configurations. Emulator support is available in dedicated openMSX and blueMSX+ forks. A BASIC extension (G3INIT, G3OBJ, G3ROT, G3FRAME, etc.) is also provided.Current limitations include incomplete near-plane clipping for edges, no perspective-correct texturing, and limited hardware verification at the time of writing. Multiple technical demos (cubes, city scenes, textured objects, motion-captured figures) and community experiments are available on GitHub (alexmoncks/V9968_Cartridge, IKATEN-X/V9968-Geo3D-Research, kanon-ai/V9968_Geo3D_SampleDemo).V9968 + Geo3D effectively offloads the heavy geometry and drawing workload, making previously impractical 3D rendering feasible on classic MSX hardware.Nonetheless, the combination demonstrates that a DOOM-like experience using true polygonal 3D is now within reach of enhanced MSX systems equipped with V9968 + Geo3D.---🇮🇹 Italian version 🇮🇹MSX Graphics Hardware Technical Update: V9968 + Geo3DThe V9968 is an enhanced VDP developed by HRA! for FPGA implementations (Tang Nano 20K / Gowin GW2AR-LV18-based cartridge). It extends the V9958 architecture with additional VRAM (up to 256 KB in supported configurations), an extended command set, and ID 3 identification.Geo3D is a 3D geometry coprocessor designed by Alexander Marra (@amoncks) and integrated into the official V9968 Cartridge distribution (as of October 3, 2026). Implemented in Verilog on the same FPGA, it performs:- 3×3 matrix transformations (fixed-point Q2.14) + translation on 16-bit signed vertices - Perspective projection - Edge clipping (Cohen-Sutherland style, near-plane rejection) - Face sorting and flat shading / lighting - Direct generation of LINE and LRMM commands in the V9968 command engine The Z80 (or R800) loads the 3D model only once. It typically sends only ~30 bytes per frame (page offset, pre-calculated matrix/translation, RUN command). Geo3D handles the rest automatically. Texture mapping uses the V9968's LRMM capabilities (affine, max. width 4096 texels).This combination enables real-time 3D polygon rendering (wireframe, flat-shaded, and textured) on standard MSX2/MSX2+/turboR systems, both in internal (98h ports) and external cartridge (88h ports) configurations. Emulator support is available in dedicated forks of openMSX and blueMSX+. A BASIC extension (G3INIT, G3OBJ, G3ROT, G3FRAME, etc.) is also provided.Current limitations: Incomplete near-plane clipping for edges, lack of perspective-correct texture mapping, and limited hardware testing at the time of writing. Numerous technical demos (cubes, city scenes, textured objects, motion-captured figures) and community experiments are available on GitHub (alexmoncks/V9968_Cartridge, IKATEN-X/V9968-Geo3D-Research, kanon-ai/V9968_Geo3D_SampleDemo).V9968 + Geo3D offloads the geometry and drawing workload, making previously difficult-to-achieve 3D rendering feasible on classic MSX hardware.Nonetheless, the combination proves that a DOOM-like experience based on true polygonal 3D is now within reach of MSX systems enhanced with V9968 + Geo3D. #MSX #MSXItaly #V9968 #Geo3D
Here's the video of Giuseppe Pintus's conference at Flashback in Follonica!Thanks to Davide Bottino for kindly granting permission to use the video.
Not just Turrican: challenge all the limits of MSX! - Giuseppe Pintus - Flashback 2026
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This video features a conference by Lorenzo Mancini and Leonardo Vettori... 🚀 Flashback 2026: MSX takes center stage in Follonica!An unforgettable edition of Flashback has come to a close, a weekend packed with nostalgia, computer science, and tons of fun!The event started off somewhat slowly on Saturday, thanks to a pleasant, sunny summer day on this first weekend of October. But on Sunday afternoon, the event really hit its stride: a steady, overwhelming influx of visitors! Many young people, both young and old, were experiencing retro gaming for the first time, joined by countless enthusiasts of vintage machines. It's impossible to count the number of times we heard phrases like: "I had one when I was little!", "I always went to my aunt's house to play it!", or "This was my very first computer!".🎧 A unique and electrifying atmosphereStefano Gallarini took care of heating things up with his presentations (yes, he also had MSX!), and the first-rate DJs, who provided great emotions by projecting the animations of the retro games remixed at full volume on the mega screens.There was really nothing missing from the event: Vintage Arcade and Consoles in quantity;Lots of Commodores, vintage gaming PCs and fully functional Amigas on display; Many associations, industry groups and a well-stocked second-hand market; Video game tournaments and championships;The legendary cars that have made the history of cinema and TV: the DeLorean on display among the vintage cars, the Batmobile and KITT from Knight Rider with his unmistakable audio monologues!🕹️ MSX in the spotlight with the MSX Italia AssociationAmong so many industry giants, this time one of the biggest stars of Flashback was the MSX standard! Thanks to the teamwork of our association and the excellent relationship cultivated with promoter Daniele, our standard took center stage:🎙️ Impactful conferences: On Saturday the presentation was curated by Giuseppe Pintus, while on Sunday the conference was held by Lorenzo Mancini and Leonardo Vettori.📺 Media & Interviews: We also had a chat with Puntozip, where our president Max Privrat also spoke.🏛️ Prime Spot: We had the prime spot right next to the main stage with three dedicated display stands, showcasing a whopping 8 super-rare machines!🎮 Classic games, previews, and the smash hit Chrono RunnerAt our stations, visitors were able to relive classic masterpieces such as Vampire Killer, Aleste and Lupin III, as well as get a first-hand preview of the new titles currently in development created by Giuseppe Pintus: the very latest version of Turrican modified on the spot and the new levels of Space Bash! Once again, however, Chrono Runner took center stage: our association's video game was a huge success, leaving countless young people glued to the screen who literally fell in love with its gameplay!❤️ A heartfelt thank you to everyone!Congratulations to everyone who made this event possible, but a very special thanks goes to our members Fabio Brianese, who traveled from Bologna, and Gianluca Gaggi, who traveled from Città di Castello, who worked tirelessly to man the stand and enthusiastically welcome hundreds of visitors.Thanks to everyone who stopped by: see you at the next MSX event! 🕹️✨
Here is the complete conference of Lorenzo Mancini and Leonardo Vettori at Flashback Museum 2026
Flashback 2026 Conference - A Project to Rewind Time: Chrono Runner
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Lorenzo Mancini and Leonardo Vettori discuss the Chrono Runner project. Stefano Gallarini introduces our members Lorenzo Mancini and Leonardo Vettori
Stefano Gallarini presents Giuseppe Ettore Pintus to the Flashback Museum 2026
Conference of Giuseppe Ettore Pintus to the Flashback Museum 2026
The first images of the Flashback Museum from Follonica!
🏴☠️ AFTER ALL THESE YEARS… A DREAM COME TRUE! 🏴☠️Dear MSX friends around the world,there is some amazing news for all adventure and MSX fans: The Secret of Monkey Island has finally arrived on MSX2 / MSX2+ / TurboR!Thanks to the incredible work of Maggoo, we can now enjoy one of the greatest adventure games ever made on our beloved MSX machines.The port is based on the EGA/AdLib version, runs in Screen 5 with MSX-MUSIC, and supports both mouse and keyboard. It is already fully playable, although it has not yet been completely tested. TurboR users are recommended to run it using the R800. Who cares if he used AI to make it, the important thing is he made it! For years, the MSX community has dreamed of seeing Guybrush Threepwood wandering through our machines. There have been previous attempts and announcements, but now the dream has become a real, playable port!Another fantastic achievement showing just how alive, passionate and creative the MSX homebrew scene still is. ❤️🎥 Check out Maggoo's official video:👉 www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjYBtL3A4uEHave you already tried the port? What do you think?Share your impressions in the comments and spread the news across the MSX community — this one deserves to be seen!Long live MSX… and remember:“I'm selling these fine leather jackets!” 🏴☠️🇮🇹 IN ITALIAN 🇮🇹---🏴☠️ After so many years... a dream come true! 🏴☠️Dear friends of the MSX Italia Association,There's news that will make the hearts of all adventure and MSX fans beat faster: The Secret of Monkey Island has finally arrived on MSX2 / MSX2+ / TurboR!Thanks to Maggoo's work, we can now play one of the greatest classics of all time on an MSX machine. The port is based on the EGA/Adlib version, runs in Screen 5 with MSX Music, supports mouse and keyboard, and is already fully playable (though not yet fully tested). TurboR owners are recommended to use the R800. And it doesn't matter if Magoo used AI to make it; the important thing is to finally get it running on our MSX machines! Long live AI! For years, the community has dreamed of seeing Guybrush Threepwood racing on our machines. There have been attempts and announcements, but now the dream is concrete and playable. This extraordinary achievement demonstrates once again how vibrant and creative the MSX homebrew scene is.Watch the official video for Maggoo: 👉 www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjYBtL3A4uEWhat do you think? Who's already tried the port? Leave your thoughts in the comments and share the news: this deserves to reach the entire community!Long live the MSX and… “I'm selling these fine leather jackets”! 🏴☠️#MSX #MSX2 #MSXItaly #MonkeyIsland #TheSecretOfMonkeyIsland #Homebrew #RetroGaming #PointAndClick
🚀 A possible extra turbo on V9968! Kanon has just released an absolutely mind-blowing tech demo that combines the power of the MSX Turbo R with Hara's (HRA!) new V9968 cartridge and the Geo3D 3D geometry coprocessor. Unfortunately HRA doesn't add this coprocessor on the new V9968 FPGA. BTW it would be impressive. We're talking about true real-time 3D polygonal rendering — vertex transformation, projection, lighting/shading and polygon drawing on the fly. No pre-rendered images, no PCG tricks. The visible faces actually change as objects rotate. Pure magic that until now felt impossible on an MSX!This demo (Night Raven / Hull Breach style) makes us dream of games and experiences we never thought we would see on our beloved machines. With Hara's new V9968 board, the Turbo R is truly getting the turbo it always deserved!Huge congratulations to Kanon and to Hara for pushing the MSX further than ever. The future looks brighter (and more 3D) than ever!---🇮🇹 IN ITALIAN 🇮🇹🚀 A possible super turbo for the V9968! Kanon just released a mind-blowing tech demo that combines the Turbo R with Hara's new V9968 (HRA!) board and the Geo3D 3D geometry coprocessor. Unfortunately, Hara doesn't plan to use this coprocessor in the FPGA. However, it's pretty impressive to see the graphics performance it could take. We're talking real-time polygonal 3D rendering: vertex transformation, projection, shading, and polygon drawing on the fly. No pre-rendered images, no PCG tricks. Visible faces actually change when objects tilt. Things that until yesterday seemed impossible on an MSX!This demo (Night Raven/Hull Breach style) really makes us dream of games and experiences we thought were beyond the reach of our favorite machine. With Hara's new card, the Turbo R finally gets the boost it deserves!Huge kudos to Kanon and Hara for pushing MSX even further. The future is ever more 3D and ever more exciting!More info: github.com/alexmoncks/V9968_Cartridge/tree/main/geo3d#MSX #TurboR #V9968 #Geo3D #MSXItaly
RBSC's new OmniSCC cartridge: ROM + SCC + virtual disks in a single slot! 👾Dear members and friends of the MSX Italia Association,great news from the international hardware scene! The RBSC group (the same ones behind the famous Carnivore family) has released the OmniSCC, a multi-function cartridge based on the Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040) with 16 MB of flash.What does he do?- Load ROMs with auto-mapper (Plain, Konami, Konami SCC, ASCII8, ASCII16)- Emulates Konami's legendary SCC sound chip (on a dedicated core of the RP2040)- Mount .dsk images as drive A: and B: with read/write capability- Graphical menu in Screen 5, configurable favorites and USB drag-and-drop support- Cost of production around €10 (or even less)The project is completely open-source: firmware, schematics, PCB files, printable case, and MSX-DOS utilities are all available on GitHub.🔗 Official repository: github.com/RBSC/OmniSCCMSX Resource Center News: www.msx.org/news/en/a-new-versatile-cartridge-from-rbsc-is-out-meet-the-omnisccWho among you has already got their hands on a soldering iron? Is anyone thinking of making a small batch of these for the Italian community? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or if you have any technical questions—that's exactly what we're here for!Long live MSX and long live those who continue to keep it alive! MSX Italy Association#MSX #MSXItaly #OmniSCC #SCC #RBSC #Retrocomputing #HardwareMSX #OpenSource
We're sharing the Arcade Story video because we're also supporting the cause!
🎮 News from the homebrew scene: new MSX2+ port in progress!Japanese developer @harayoki is working on an interesting project: converting a JavaScript game into a proper retro ROM, with a version already running on MSX2+.The demo video shows a classic 80s-style pixel-art platformer set in a night-time castle. The hero, armed with sword and shield, jumps across platforms, interacts with objects and reads dialogues. The game is already playable, although the sound is still being optimized (the current sound driver was generated with AI help and will soon be replaced by a faster and more feature-rich one).A nice technical effort that mixes modern development with classic MSX hardware. Anyone following the homebrew scene shouldn't miss this!What do you think? Has anyone tried similar demos, or is anyone looking forward to testing it when it's more complete?---IN ITALIAN 🎮 Homebrew news: new MSX2+ port coming soon!Japanese developer @harayoki is working on an interesting project: converting a game originally written in JavaScript into a full-fledged ROM for retro systems, with a version already working on MSX2+.The demo video features an '80s-style pixel-art platformer set in a nighttime castle, with a sword-and-shield-wielding protagonist exploring platforms and interacting with objects and dialogue. The game is already playable, though the audio is still being optimized (the current sound driver was generated with the help of AI and will soon be replaced with a more efficient and complete version).A nice piece of technical work that combines modern development and classic MSX hardware. If you follow the homebrew scene, don't miss it!What do you think? Has anyone tried similar demos or would like to try it out once it's more complete?#MSX #MSX2Plus #Homebrew #RetroGaming #MSXItaly
🎮 Great turnout at GigaCon Tuscany! 🕹️Today, our Association was a key player at GigaCon Tuscany! At our booth, our fantastic member Alessio Garzi—joined for a while by fellow member Igor Maggiorelli—welcomed a large, curious, and enthusiastic audience.🌟 Chrono Runner takes center stage on the Canon V-20!The real star of the day was our video game Chrono Runner, available to visitors in a ROM cartridge version and running on a beautiful, shiny original Canon V-20. The game, created and developed within our association, was a huge hit with both old and new retro gamers!📲 How to play Chrono Runner:💾 Digital Version: You can download it for free directly from our official website.www.msxitalia.org📦 Physical Cartridge Version: The stunning collector's edition on physical media is an exclusive for our members!💬 And did you come to visit us?Have you been to GigaCon Tuscany?Have you played a game of Chrono Runner or chatted with Alessio and Igor?Tell us your impressions and leave a comment #MSXItalia #GigaconTuscany##chronorunnery#MSXr#retrocomputing##retrogamingn#canonv20to#homebrewor#retrogamingitaliatroGamingItalia
A new technical demo for the V9968 has been released by developer kanon_ai_dev.Called “THE SUPER CAT” (SUPER CAT / COASTAL FLIGHT), it shows a pixel-art cat flying over a coastal scene with a large festival boat. The demo demonstrates full-screen rotation, scaling and forward scrolling using the LRMM features of the V9968 on MSX turbo R.Source code and ROM are available here: github.com/kanon-ai/V9968_SampleDemo/tree/main/demos/super-cat-coastal-flightIt is worth noting that the developer is openly involved with local AI tools. The growing use of AI assistance in the creation of retro demos and pixel art continues to spark discussion within the community about authorship, process and what counts as traditional craftsmanship.---🇮🇹 IN ITALIAN 🇮🇹A new tech demo for the V9968 has been released by developer kanon_ai_dev.Titled “THE SUPER CAT” (SUPER CAT / COASTAL FLIGHT), it features a pixelated cat flying over a coastal landscape with a large festival boat. The demo demonstrates full-screen rotation, scaling, and forward scrolling using the V9968’s LRMM capabilities on the MSX Turbo R.Source code and ROMs are available here: github.com/kanon-ai/V9968_SampleDemo/tree/main/demos/super-cat-coastal-flightIt's worth noting that the developer openly works with local AI tools. The growing use of AI in the creation of demos and retro pixel art continues to spark debate in the community about authorship, the creative process, and respect for traditional practices.#MSX #V9968