Last weekend the MSX Italia Association participated in the MEGACON of Genoa, an important event dedicated to pop culture, comics, music, and gaming, also this year bringing a corner dedicated to retrocomputing and the history of home computing.
In collaboration with friends of RetroCampus, we set up a mini-stand curated by the founding members Lorenzo Moretti And Andrea Di Dio, quickly becoming a point of reference for enthusiasts, nostalgics and the curious of all ages.
Between nostalgia and discovery
Throughout the event, the booth attracted a steady stream of visitors. Many adults stopped to share their MSX memories, while numerous young people and children were able to try these historic machines for the first time, discovering a very different way of playing and programming than today.
The dialogue between generations was one of the most beautiful aspects of the event: parents explaining to their children "how it used to be", while the latter were amazed by the quality and depth of the games.
MSXVR and Sky Jaguar 2: Magnetic attraction
The enthusiasm for the’MSXVR It was palpable, especially thanks to the cartridge of Sky Jaguar 2. It was incredible to see how the game captured the attention of children and parents, who remained glued to the screen for so long that we had to delay dismantling the stand.
The combination of modern MSX-compatible hardware and quality software has once again demonstrated how alive the platform is and how capable it is of exciting even those who have never experienced it before.
Arkanoid like in the arcade
Same goes for the dedicated station Arkanoid, which turned into a real time machine.
The Breaker Pad It offered gameplay that was virtually identical to arcade gameplay, allowing for precise and immediate control of the racket. Completing the experience was the powerful and surprisingly “physical” sound coming from the connected Saba Boombox—a true vintage piece, contemporary with the NMS8245.
The result was immersive: anyone passing by was attracted by the aggressive and familiar sounds, finding themselves catapulted within seconds into the heart of the game, like in an 80s arcade.
Meetings and new connections
Events like MEGACON aren't just exhibitions, but precious opportunities to meet people who share the same passion.
We met several local retrocomputing enthusiasts and MSX enthusiasts as well. A special shout out to Oar of Varazze, Ales of Genoa Sampierdarena And Stefano from Finale LigureWe hope to see you soon at upcoming club events and perhaps join us at our booth.
Community grows just like this—one meeting at a time.
An event full of guests and content
MEGACON offered an extremely varied program, with guests from the world of music, communication and entertainment:
- Cristina D'Avena
- Giorgio Vanni
- Carlo Santagostino
- Vincenzo Schettini
A mix of concerts, panels, cosplay, and activities made the event transversal and accessible to a wide range of audiences, demonstrating how retrocomputing can coexist seamlessly with contemporary forms of entertainment.
Retrocomputing as a living culture
The joint presence of MSX Italia and RetroCampus confirmed how important it is to bring these machines out of specialist contexts and show them to the general public.
It's not just about nostalgia, but about preserving and disseminating a fundamental part of recent technological and cultural history.
Thank you all
We sincerely thank everyone who stopped by, the MEGACON organizers for their hospitality, and our friends at RetroCampus for their collaboration.
The energy, curiosity, and affection shown by visitors confirm that the MSX continues to arouse interest and wonder even after decades.
MSX Italia is here—and will continue to bring the world of MSX wherever there is a passion for retrocomputing. 💙🕹️
Below is an interesting gallery of original arcade cabinets with great games, almost all of which are available on MSX.
