MSX Games quality
Well there was a lot of spectrum conversion with no sprites whatsoever... and using 8x8pixel blocks of only two colours. I just looked at a Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles MSX version on Youtube, and was saddened about how much better it could have looked...
It's difficult to give a precentage figure, but since you ask, I'll try. I think maybe only 10% of cassette games were better than just a plain Spectrum conversion! But I believe everyones experience may wary, since it's quite random which games you just happened to own / used to play. On cartridges, the percentage is somewhat higher - perhaps 50-75%?
As I child, I was not aware of this Spectrum conversion, but did notice that some games were a lot worse and realised they were not using the HW to it's fullest. Only in the Interned era I learned about the spectrum conversion disease... I think someone even called it "the UK conversion disease" or something thereabouts 
In terms of recent scene releases, I would say 50%. Just browsing through the MSXDev archives to refresh my memory, I think many of them look great. Also Johnny Hassink always makes great music, but e.g. also the music of Monster Hunter I like, and several others.
In terms of games from the 80s, there’s a lot with sub-par graphics indeed. Konami helps to bring up the percentage to… 20% 
There are quite a number of MSX1 games with nice graphics actually, it’s just that there’s so many which are kinda crap which bring down the percentage by a lot.
Can't stop looking at your hat, it's hypnotic! 
You have some particular examples of graphics where you think it’s just a shame they didn’t put a little more effort in?
Just want to stare at some pictures and imagine what it could have been . Maybe someone could even make a mockup.
You have some particular examples of graphics where you think it’s just a shame they didn’t put a little more effort in?
Just want to stare at some pictures and imagine what it could have been . Maybe someone could even make a mockup.
just 3 examples:
http://www.generation-msx.nl/software/the-bytebusters/2-hits...
look at title screen on the bottom: the green parts DOES NOT HAVE TO BE 8 pixels wide giving a 8 px lines of green. We have the limitation of 2 colors x 8 px not 1 color per 8px!!!!!
http://www.generation-msx.nl/software/indescomp/supertripper...
Fat pixels like C64 on MSX?? bleah!
http://www.generation-msx.nl/software/eurosoft/winterhawk/2847/
wow! colourfulf sprite and colourfull background . :-(
http://www.generation-msx.nl/software/mastertronic/colony/2685/
monochromatic bk & sprite
take a look @ generation-msx.....
Yeah… good examples. They are ports I guess? Or coderart .
Yeah… good examples. They are ports I guess? Or coderart .
A new contest: "Find the worst gfx example on msx due to zero effort" :-(
Good topic.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/software/indescomp/supertripper...
Fat pixels like C64 on MSX?? bleah!
I think this game does not deserve to be blamed. It definitely is one of the most colourful MSX-1 games, and it´s graphics are very well defined, even more when you look when this game was developed, in 1985. Personally I think Super Tripper´s graphics do look more like Amstrad game, except the sprites are thin. :) It can´t be a bad thing, if MSX-1 game looks like a colourful Amstrad game. :)
What do you people like Trantor then? Ingame graphics do look very Amstrad like, Amstrad version probably has more colour, though. :) I would have been proud of my MSX if more games could had had as colourful graphics as Trantor and Super Tripper! :) "Fat" pixels is no problem for me. B-)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/software/probe-software/trantor...