![[Unreleased Game Music] Emerald Dragon (MSX2) - Main Theme (Opening Version) @Wyrdwad](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xOiVF1Mp2no/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded July 2017 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Music from the MSX2 version of the JRPG "Emerald Dragon," developed and published by Glodia.
Accompanied by game footage, though the capture equipment used to get this footage is not very good (clearly!), and the game is extremely dithered and messy-looking to begin with (even the text boxes have dithering on them!) due to being a rather sloppy PC-88 port, so apologies for the blurry and highly pixelated video. Best I can do for the moment!
Despite being a rather ugly game visually, however (well, aside from the base art, which is quite beautiful!), Emerald Dragon is a pretty fun and addictive RPG with a particularly great soundtrack -- and though it's been ported to practically every microcomputer and console under the sun, the console versions all have a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SOUNDTRACK from the microcomputer versions (as far as I can tell, anyway), so those of you who've played this fan-translated on Super Famicom or dabbled in the PC-Engine CD version have probably never heard any version of this particular track before. Which is a shame, because I quite like it (thus me sharing it on YouTube!), and I think I even prefer it to the version found on other microcomputers (though I'm a bit biased toward the MSX's unique brand of FM-synth).
This particular track is the game's main theme, as played during the opening cutscene (and accompanied by the footage that plays alongside it during that cutscene).
(Apologies for the crackling at certain parts; I assure you, it doesn't sound that way in the game, I'm just not using the best audio equipment!)
Story-wise, your main characters are the dragon Atrushan who's taken human form, and a human girl named Tamryn who was the only survivor of a shipwreck just off-shore from the dragons' den when she was a little girl, so she was raised by dragons and only recently left to rejoin human society. Shortly after doing so, however, war broke out between humans and demons, and the humans... were basically on the verge of losing. Unsure what to do, Tamryn blew into the dragon horn Atrushan gave her before she left the dragons' den, signaling to Atrushan that she needed help. Thus, Atrushan came to her aid in human form, and the two of them set about wandering the land of Ishburn together, picking up allies as they went and more or less engaging in grassroots resistance efforts against the demons to help turn the tides of the war, despite all odds. It's a humble and unassuming plot, but reasonably well-written, with a lot of short, concise cutscenes and simple but effective plot developments. The only real issue with the story is that a lot of what happens is unexplained -- you're just kind of asked to blindly accept some pretty extreme leaps of logic from time to time. But considering the dialogue is all fairly good and the main crux of the plot is decent, I have no problems letting that slide. ;)
Note: You can listen to the entire MSX-version soundtrack to Emerald Dragon here (not my video):
youtube.com/watch?v=6HOXsbwJkDs
However, do be advised that the audio contained therein is not representative of the game being played on actual MSX hardware; I suspect it was emulated, or used third-party audio hardware. The audio attached to my video is recorded directly from a Panasonic FS-A1WX MSX2+ computer, which has built-in MSX-music FM-synth, so aside from any degradation due to my crappy capture equipment, what you're hearing in this video should be fully representative of what you'd hear back in the late '80s when popping these disks into your MSX computer system.
Music from the MSX2 version of the JRPG "Emerald Dragon," developed and published by Glodia.
Accompanied by game footage, though the capture equipment used to get this footage is not very good (clearly!), and the game is extremely dithered and messy-looking to begin with (even the text boxes have dithering on them!) due to being a rather sloppy PC-88 port, so apologies for the blurry and highly pixelated video. Best I can do for the moment!
Despite being a rather ugly game visually, however (well, aside from the base art, which is quite beautiful!), Emerald Dragon is a pretty fun and addictive RPG with a particularly great soundtrack -- and though it's been ported to practically every microcomputer and console under the sun, the console versions all have a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SOUNDTRACK from the microcomputer versions (as far as I can tell, anyway), so those of you who've played this fan-translated on Super Famicom or dabbled in the PC-Engine CD version have probably never heard any version of this particular track before. Which is a shame, because I quite like it (thus me sharing it on YouTube!), and I think I even prefer it to the version found on other microcomputers (though I'm a bit biased toward the MSX's unique brand of FM-synth).
This particular track is the game's main theme, as played during the opening cutscene (and accompanied by the footage that plays alongside it during that cutscene).
(Apologies for the crackling at certain parts; I assure you, it doesn't sound that way in the game, I'm just not using the best audio equipment!)
Story-wise, your main characters are the dragon Atrushan who's taken human form, and a human girl named Tamryn who was the only survivor of a shipwreck just off-shore from the dragons' den when she was a little girl, so she was raised by dragons and only recently left to rejoin human society. Shortly after doing so, however, war broke out between humans and demons, and the humans... were basically on the verge of losing. Unsure what to do, Tamryn blew into the dragon horn Atrushan gave her before she left the dragons' den, signaling to Atrushan that she needed help. Thus, Atrushan came to her aid in human form, and the two of them set about wandering the land of Ishburn together, picking up allies as they went and more or less engaging in grassroots resistance efforts against the demons to help turn the tides of the war, despite all odds. It's a humble and unassuming plot, but reasonably well-written, with a lot of short, concise cutscenes and simple but effective plot developments. The only real issue with the story is that a lot of what happens is unexplained -- you're just kind of asked to blindly accept some pretty extreme leaps of logic from time to time. But considering the dialogue is all fairly good and the main crux of the plot is decent, I have no problems letting that slide. ;)
Note: You can listen to the entire MSX-version soundtrack to Emerald Dragon here (not my video):
youtube.com/watch?v=6HOXsbwJkDs
However, do be advised that the audio contained therein is not representative of the game being played on actual MSX hardware; I suspect it was emulated, or used third-party audio hardware. The audio attached to my video is recorded directly from a Panasonic FS-A1WX MSX2+ computer, which has built-in MSX-music FM-synth, so aside from any degradation due to my crappy capture equipment, what you're hearing in this video should be fully representative of what you'd hear back in the late '80s when popping these disks into your MSX computer system.
![[Unreleased Game Music] Emerald Dragon (MSX2) - Main Theme (Opening Version)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xOiVF1Mp2no/mqdefault.jpg "[Unreleased Game Music] Emerald Dragon (MSX2) - Main Theme (Opening Version)
Music from the MSX2 version of the JRPG Emerald Dragon, developed and published by Glodia.
Accompanied by game footage, though the capture equipment used to get this footage is not very good (clearly!), and the game is extremely dithered and messy-looking to begin with (even the text boxes have dithering on them!) due to being a rather sloppy PC-88 port, so apologies for the blurry and highly pixelated video. Best I can do for the moment!
Despite being a rather ugly game visually, however (well, aside from the base art, which is quite beautiful!), Emerald Dragon is a pretty fun and addictive RPG with a particularly great soundtrack and though its been ported to practically every microcomputer and console under the sun, the console versions all have a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SOUNDTRACK from the microcomputer versions (as far as I can tell, anyway), so those of you whove played this fan-translated on Super Famicom or dabbled in the PC-Engine CD version have probably never heard any version of this particular track before. Which is a shame, because I quite like it (thus me sharing it on YouTube!), and I think I even prefer it to the version found on other microcomputers (though Im a bit biased toward the MSXs unique brand of FM-synth).
This particular track is the games main theme, as played during the opening cutscene (and accompanied by the footage that plays alongside it during that cutscene).
(Apologies for the crackling at certain parts; I assure you, it doesnt sound that way in the game, Im just not using the best audio equipment!)
Story-wise, your main characters are the dragon Atrushan whos taken human form, and a human girl named Tamryn who was the only survivor of a shipwreck just off-shore from the dragons den when she was a little girl, so she was raised by dragons and only recently left to rejoin human society. Shortly after doing so, however, war broke out between humans and demons, and the humans... were basically on the verge of losing. Unsure what to do, Tamryn blew into the dragon horn Atrushan gave her before she left the dragons den, signaling to Atrushan that she needed help. Thus, Atrushan came to her aid in human form, and the two of them set about wandering the land of Ishburn together, picking up allies as they went and more or less engaging in grassroots resistance efforts against the demons to help turn the tides of the war, despite all odds. Its a humble and unassuming plot, but reasonably well-written, with a lot of short, concise cutscenes and simple but effective plot developments. The only real issue with the story is that a lot of what happens is unexplained youre just kind of asked to blindly accept some pretty extreme leaps of logic from time to time. But considering the dialogue is all fairly good and the main crux of the plot is decent, I have no problems letting that slide. ;)
Note: You can listen to the entire MSX-version soundtrack to Emerald Dragon here (not my video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HOXsbwJkDs
However, do be advised that the audio contained therein is not representative of the game being played on actual MSX hardware; I suspect it was emulated, or used third-party audio hardware. The audio attached to my video is recorded directly from a Panasonic FS-A1WX MSX2+ computer, which has built-in MSX-music FM-synth, so aside from any degradation due to my crappy capture equipment, what youre hearing in this video should be fully representative of what youd hear back in the late 80s when popping these disks into your MSX computer system.")
![[MSX2] Yume Pro RPG 3 scenario 1 - Sample Gameplay](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xrq2yzsKMX4/mqdefault.jpg "[MSX2] Yume Pro RPG 3 scenario 1 - Sample Gameplay
Sample gameplay from Yume Pro RPG 3 (scenario 1 of 6) by Syntax, for the MSX2/2+/Turbo R home computer system, taken from the Yume Pro RPG Shaonban (Special Edition, or more literally, Gratitude Edition) compilation disk.
This third game in the trilogy goes for a first-person perspective, and also pairs you with a slime buddy... who starts off the game dead, and takes quite a lot of MP to revive. Lovely. ;) Seems really cool, though!
Recorded directly from my Panasonic FS-A1ST MSX Turbo R system using S-video and dual-mono composite audio, so apologies for any visual fuzziness or background hissing.")
![[Unreleased Game Music] A Life M36 Planet - Title & Password Theme](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/y-jG4RfvIV4/mqdefault.jpg "[Unreleased Game Music] A Life M36 Planet - Title & Password Theme
Music from the 1987 MSX game A Life M36 Planet: Motherbrain Has Been Aliving (yes, thats really what its called!), developed by Studio Pixel.
This is a game I tracked down solely because (1) I love Metroidvanias, and (2) DAT NAME. But after finally trying it out via a flash rom cartridge, I was kind of shocked to discover that its actually a really good game probably one of my top 10 favorites on the entire MSX! Its very ambitious, and not nearly as much of a Metroid rip-off as I expected when I first saw and heard footage of it (its much more story-heavy and atmospheric, and contains a lot of towns and NPCs and such, making it a bit more like a sci-fi take on something like Faxanadu).
Its not perfect, of course there are a lot of bugs, and the sprite flickering is pretty intense (likely due to an attempt by the developers to overcome the MSX1s sprite color limitations by layering multiple sprites on top of one another) but overall, its a game I found myself really enjoying, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone else looking for a great unsung 8-bit Metroidvania to check out.
In fact, Ive done something to make playing it a bit easier for non-Japanese speakers: Ive written up a full walkthrough + translation guide for the game! You can find it here, if youre interested:
https://www.cheatmsx.com/en/faqs/1367/pixel-1987-a-life-m36-planet-motherbrain-has-been-aliving.html#faqs_collapse
Theres a guy working on patching my translations into the game, too, so keep an eye out for that in the future!
Also, if anyone reading this happens to own a copy of this game complete-in-box, or knows where I can find a copy, and especially would be willing to send me a copy (I will pay handsomely for it!), please drop me an email at wyrdwad@metalbat.com Id be forever in your debt.
Anyway, since theres so little video of this game in action anywhere on the internet, I figured Id contribute this lovely piece of PSG music, backed by shaky semi-interlaced footage I took while playing (I cant seem to clean it up any better than this; sorry!).
This is the title screen and password entry theme, so its the first track you hear when you boot the game, and the last track youll hear when you inevitably get a Game Over and take a moment to write down your password. Its not exactly catchy, but it is really interesting its a very creepy and unique piece of music, unlike most anything else youd hear from a video game in 1987. And yes... it does sound a lot like the Metroid title music at first, but very quickly deviates from that, ultimately doing its own thng. I like it! Hopefully, you will too. ;)")
![[MSX2] SD Gundam Gachapon Senshi 2: Capsule Senki - Full Game vs. CPU (Easy, Full Moon Island)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/z5kiSRSXDhM/mqdefault.jpg "[MSX2] SD Gundam Gachapon Senshi 2: Capsule Senki - Full Game vs. CPU (Easy, Full Moon Island)
Apologies for the game screen suddenly going black and white during the ending for a short while; thats the result of the USB connection from my capture device randomly loosening at the worst possible moment (seriously, couldnt it have waited like, another minute?!). The game does not normally turn black and white at all, even if the timing of it did look suspiciously fitting!
Anyway, this is a recording of one full game of SD Gundam Gashapon Warriors 2: Record of Capsule Wars (as I might translate the title) for the MSX2 microcomputer, published by Banpresto on floppy disk in 1990. I selected to play on the Full Moon Island map, versus the CPU, on the easiest difficulty, with the option set for both sides to start with a larger number of units, and a starting fund of 5,000 CT (credits, I guess?) for both sides as well. In retrospect, I shouldve picked a higher difficulty level, as the CPU is an absolutely MORON on Easy. ;)
The goal of the game is simply to take the enemys main base, which is guarded by the most powerful unit in the game: the Musya-Z. Whichever side takes the opposing base first wins.
Along the way, you can capture cities, artillery, satellites, etc., each of which adds to the amount of money you receive at the beginning of each turn (represented by the IC number at the bottom of the screen).
Money can be spent at your main base or any of your sub-bases to buy new units, each of which take a certain number of turns to be constructed (between 1 and 3) and can then be deployed at will from that specific base for as long as you still own it. That last part is important, as it is possible to take over enemy sub-bases and if there are any units under construction or ready to be deployed when you take them over, they become YOUR units!
I took over one of the enemys sub-bases during this game, in fact, but then lost it before the Z-Gundam Id commissioned was finished being built. Fortunately, the CPU was TOO STUPID to deploy said Z-Gundam (despite having ample opportunity to do so!), so I was able to retake the (completely unguarded) sub-base on my very next turn, then immediately deploy my Z-Gundam and use it to finish off the enemys Musya-Z to win the match. Not the best strategy there, CPU! ;)
During battle, your unit generally has a button 1 attack (a ranged weapon) and a button 2 attack (usually a beam sword), and possibly a tertiary attack thats triggered by pressing both buttons together (grenade, homing missile, etc.). There are also a number of power-ups and power-downs that appear at random in the stage: oil to repair your unit or shoes to make you move faster are the good ones, but the talisman is the worst, as it freezes you in place for 5 seconds. The clock, then, reduces the amount of time remaining before the battle is declared a draw, and if you happen to pick up a flashing clock, it just ends the battle in a draw right then and there.
There are also tiny robots, jellyfish, etc. that exist solely to get in your way, but can be moved around or have their movement direction reversed by shooting them, potentially allowing them to be used strategically.
One thing that I didnt actually do at all during this match was deploy a carrier unit these are units that CAN fight other units, but cant take over cities, artillery, satellites, etc., nor can they capture bases. Instead, they can carry other units (up to three at a time) over long distances, as well as directly fire missiles or beams at other units on the map (missiles do a lot of damage but are most likely to miss, while beams do little damage but are most likely to hit). I probably shouldve used these units more strategically in this match, especially with all the obstacles making movement from one end to the other pretty slow-going, but... hey, the CPU was an idiot, so it didnt really matter in the end. Heheh.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this footage! Theres a little bit of gameplay from the MSX version to be found on YouTube already, but its very minimal, and doesnt show an entire match from beginning to end, so I figured Id do the honors of being the first to upload that for your viewing enjoyment. This isnt a quick game to play, but it is a lot of fun, and has sparked my interest in the other SD Gundam games (none of which Ive ever played!), so all in all, Im really glad to have gotten my hands on this one, and definitely give it a recommendation for other MSX gamers especially those looking for a really nice 2-player title!")
![[Unreleased Game Music] Multiverse - Montys Theme](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zCFURheuVUA/mqdefault.jpg "[Unreleased Game Music] Multiverse - Montys Theme
Music from the 2018 homebrew MSX action/adventure game Multiverse by Hikaru Games and Micromancers, composed by Carlo Bandini.
This Metroidvania-esque game sees two characters a boy named Monty Scott and his loyal dog, Nicemoon traversing two parallel worlds named Terra and Fable to rescue Montys missing scientist father.
Players can switch between Monty and Nicemoon on the fly, and will need to do so frequently, as each character has different core abilities needed to complete the game: Monty can jump high, climb ladders, and use weapons, while Nicemoon can jump far and is invulnerable to monsters and basic hazards. Both characters can flip switches, and this will become the main reason to swap between them, as certain switches can only be reached by either Monty or Nicemoon, generally causing obstructions in the other characters section to vanish when flipped.
The game is a lot of fun, and is full of really cute, vibrant, detailed backgrounds, though the character-swapping mechanic is a bit underutilized IMHO Nicemoons role in the adventure is over well before the games halfway point, and hes only used for brief segments before that, so youll be spending a good 80% or more of your time playing as Monty.
Fortunately, playing as Monty is fun, and the world is a joy to explore, so Multiverse still comes very highly recommended though I do feel Hikarus previous MSX offerings, Caos Begins and Children of the Night, are overall better games.
One things for sure, though: Carlo Bandinis PSG music is absolutely superb in every Hikaru Games release, and Multiverse is most certainly no exception to that! There are two main tracks that play throughout your advehture, changing depending on which character youve selected (though this video is accompanied by Montys theme ONLY, without sound effects, so as to showcase that particular piece of music).
Montys theme is the catchier of the two IMHO, but Nicemoons is very cute and happy, just like Nicemoon himself! It calls to mind Pochis theme from the MSX versions of Dragon Slayer IV: Drasle Family (and given his invulnerability to monsters, Nicemoon himself seems more than a little inspired by Pochi!).
Please enjoy, and if youre a fan of MSX homebrew (or Colecovision homebrew!), be sure to support Hikaru Games physical releases and keep up with their future titles via the Micromancers website here:
http://micromancers.com/")
![[MSX wo 10-bai Tanoshimu Disc] - 04 - Super Laydock - In the Defence Line](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zFF2dhuC6BE/mqdefault.jpg "[MSX wo 10-bai Tanoshimu Disc] - 04 - Super Laydock - In the Defence Line
Track ripped from the 2008 WOODSOFT indie/doujin music CD MSXを１０倍楽しむディスク (MSX wo 10-bai Tanoshimu Disc / Disc for Enjoying MSX 10x as Much).
This CD is currently out-of-print and unavailable outside of resellers, so Im uploading it to YouTube to help give it more exposure. If anyone from WOODSOFT sees this video and wishes for it to be removed, please let me know and I will gladly defer to your wishes. There are numerous other out-of-print WOODSOFT albums available on YouTube, but this one was notably absent from the mix, and its simply much too good an album not to share!
Homepage for the album:
http://woodsoft.jp/html/msx.html
Track: IN THE DEFENCE LINE
Game: Super Laydock
Arranger: mobius")
![[♫] Wings of Arguis (MSX2) - Town Theme](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zS39T_EICzk/mqdefault.jpg "[♫] Wings of Arguis (MSX2) - Town Theme
Music from the MSX2 game アルギースの翼 (Arugiisu no Tsubasa) by Kogado Studio.
Pretty cool little obscure RPG with a really nice soundtrack!
This particular track is one of the first youll hear in the game, and if youre a classic gamer, your first thought will inevitably be... isnt that the Wonder Boy stage theme? ;) But fortunately, this town theme diverges in a very interesting direction after just a moment, turning all sorts of jazzy. I didnt like it at first, but it very quickly grew on me!
Loops only twice before fading out, since its a deceptively long track.")
![[MSX2 Game OST] Kyokugen - GO MAD! (9th BOSS2)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zer8XVRUK6k/mqdefault.jpg "[MSX2 Game OST] Kyokugen - GO MAD! (9th BOSS2)
BGM from the indie homebrew MSX2 shmup Kanzen Kouryaku Kyokugen, a.k.a. The Ultimate Conquest KYOKUGEN: The Shooting Star Children, developed and released in 1997 by M-KAI and receiving a Dutch English release in 2000 from MSX-Info Blad.
A soundtrack CD for both this title and its sequel, Pleasure Hearts, was produced and sold in Japan by Primitive Sound, though the websites order form unfortunately no longer seems to be active. Im still seeking a copy of this soundtrack, but in the meantime, a kindly anonymous donor ripped the disc for me after I mentioned how much I liked it, and Im sharing it on here in its entirety with his permission. This is an unauthorized upload done for the purpose of preservation, and I will gladly and immediately take down this video if M-KAI, Primitive Sound, or anyone else associated with this music asks me to. I claim no ownership of it, and sincerely apologize if this upload causes anyone any trouble in any way.
As far as I can tell, its composer is the same guy who made the entire game: Shinobu Hatakeyama, who went on to create a ton more shmups for a bunch of different systems, including legendary titles like Judgement Silversword and Eschatos. (The music is simply credited to M-KAI, but the in-game credit scroll accompanying B- and C-rank endings seems to imply that M-KAI was basically just him at this point in time.) This was his very first shmup, and its pretty much one of the best shmups on the entirety of the MSX in my opinion you can choose from any of 12 different playable characters at the start of the game (including Izumi from his previous JRPG title, Izumic Ballade), all of which have wildly different shot and bomb types, as well as different attack, defense, and speed stats. There are also 2 time-attack modes, 4 additional unlockable characters/ships, 7 difficulty levels (the upper 3 of which bring with them an FMV-esque cutscene and an additional stage with additional bosses), 2 gameplay styles (regular and double-size), and a second loop through the game when completing it on the hardest difficulty. Add to that unique endings for each character on each difficulty level (most of them consisting of textual changes only, but still!), and you have one impressive outing for a game made on an 8-bit platform by a single high school kid (yeah, he was still in high school when he made this!).
For more information on the soundtrack CD, please check out its listing on Primitive Sounds official website here (though, again, the order form seems to no longer be functional):
http://www.primitivesound.info/pscd1001.html
You can also check its VGMdb listing here:
https://vgmdb.net/album/17784
I hope you enjoy this music as much as I do!")
