Please read all the information regarding hardware and compatibility requirements before purchasing.
New video with several stages (opl4 music)
(The game is not completely finished and we still need to beta-test, fix some bugs and polish some minor details).
Metal Dragon is a parodic "Run & Gun" game based on war games from the 1980s.
We have tried to recreate the 80s arcade experience as much as possible.
The parodic elements are not intended to insult or belittle the original works.
This game requires the v9990 graphics hardware upgrade (Power graph, gfx9000, video9000).
It is not made in a video game mode (P1, 61 colors) but it is developed in a much slower graphic mode but offers 256 fixed colors (identical to the msx2’s screen 8 but faster and with 4 times more vram , so any screenshot of the game would be displayed identically on an msx2, but the game is impossible to do for msx2 without v9990 as this game uses 100% of the resources of v9990, both memory and speed.)
The advantage of making the game in this mode is, of course, that we can display 256 colors on the screen, without any type of limit (the same for software sprites), it also allows using sprites of any size without limit, and allows us to use as many sprites as vram is available, that is, it allows to overcome the limitations of the P1 game mode and display much more advanced graphics.
The disadvantage is that being a copys / blitter mode since the v9990 screen 8 does not have hardware sprites this mode is much slower since absolutely everything is done through copys / blitter (scroll, screen refresh, sprites , double buffer) and the bit depth per pixel is much higher.
I chose to make an arcade game for v9990 with 256 pure colors of msx2 (screen 8) as a personal challenge, to prove to myself that I could. Although it would have been easier to do it in another graphic mode but the challenge was to make it as attractive as possible in 256 colors.
Since this graphics mode is much slower, we need a more powerful CPU to complete all tasks on time for each frame.
For this reason the game has been designed for a CPU with TURBO so that it runs at the original speed:
-Panasonic 2+
-One Chip MSX upgraded to 2+ with turbo
-Zemmix neo and all its variants/clones
-Panasonic Turbo-R
The game runs on non-turbo z80 computers but runs 33% slower (below is a video of non-turbo z80 performance).
We decided to leave non-turbo PC compatibility / functionality open in case someone doesn't mind playing it slower, but the game is designed for Turbo CPU PCs.
Yes, we could have put fewer elements on the screen to make it fast on non-turbo computers, but the objective of this game is not to sell many copies, we make this game for fun and as a personal challenge.
We know some people will be disappointed, but we wanted to raise the bar on the hardware to make the game we wanted to make.
HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS:
CPU:
To play at 100% speed:
-Panasonic 2+
-One Chip upgraded to 2+ with turbo
-Zemmix neo and all its variants
- Panasonic Turbo-R
Supports non-turbo CPU but the game will run slower.
Video:
Any cartridge with the V9990 video chip (Powergraph, gfx9000, video9000 and any of their compatible clones)
Music:
The game supports various sound chips for the music (you need at least 1 of them to play the music):
-opl4 (moonsound and any of its clones) WITH AT LEAST 512Kb of ram for the samples.
Yes, this game needs an opl4 with a minimum of 512Kb of ram for samples instead of the usual 128Kb. The vast majority of opl4 cartridges nowadays have at least 1024Kb of ram, so no problem.
-FM PAC (MSX Music) both internal and external
-Music Module (Msx Audio)
-FM PAC + Music Module both at the same time.
RAM:
The game requires 128Kb of ram BUT the game cartridge includes a RAM memory upgrade that is compatible with turbo modes (most RAM upgrades are not compatible with turbo modes and cause the computer to crash when it enters turbo mode and accesses the expanded ram).
Thus, with the original cartridge, any msx user who only has 64Kb will be able to play the game.
COMPATIBILITY:
MSX2 or higher.
ATTENTION msxVR USERS:
The game has not yet been tested on the msxVR. In principle I will receive my VR this week and I will be able to test it.
Once I test it and see that it works correctly I will let you know.
In the meantime, DO NOT pre-purchase this game if you are going to use it exclusively on msxVR until we confirm that it works properly.
For now we announce the game as NOT compatible with msxVR until it is verified to work.
THE PRE-PURCHASE:
This game uses a special cartridge with much more capacity than the usual 2048Kb that we usually use.
It also includes a memory expansion compatible with cpus with Turbo for users who only have 64Kb on their MSX.
That means that the price that the cartridge costs us is higher than usual.
The game box is fitted with a high-quality, custom-made, factory-made foam holder, providing an ideal, high-quality cartridge holder.
These are additional costs that are reflected in the price of the game.
Therefore, the price of the game in the pre-purchase period is 48 euros + shipping (going to 55 euros after the pre-purchase if there is any unit available).
Since making these cartridges and this foam box holder cannot be done in small runs, it is highly unlikely that we will make a second run.
(I repeat that for us the goal of making this game is not to sell many units, we do it for fun.)
All those who participate in the pre-purchase will be included in the special thanks section of the manual (in order of payment) unless they tell us otherwise (if you do not want to appear on the list of special thanks, please contact us).
The pre-purchase will last one month, from today until 05-22-2021.
Once the pre-purchase is finished, we will order the necessary materials and have the manuals printed and assembled with your names.
We expect shipments to begin in the middle or end of June, but with the times that run can arise unexpected, so please be understanding.
Shipments will also be made in payment order.
Those interested can make the pre-purchase in our online store.
All the most common payment methods are accepted (card, paypal).
To take advantage of the shipping costs, you can take a look at our other MSX games and we can send them to you in the same package:
WHAT ABOUT THE DIGITAL VERSION?
The reason we abandoned MSX commercially a few years ago was piracy.
Seeing how a game we just made is in digital format for sale on the internet at half the price for which we sold it in pre-purchase, before the physical version in a cartridge even reaches its buyers is something that would break anyone's spirit. , but unfortunately that is only one of many examples that we could write.
Therefore, for now we have no intention of releasing the game in digital format. Maybe in a few years, but for now I'm sure not.
I hope you can understand it.
Thank you with all my heart to all those who have shown your enthusiasm and support by learning about this project.
That gives us the strength to do more and better.
Below you can see some videos of the other sound chip configurations apart from the opl4:
FM PAC (MSX MUSIC) + MUSIC MODULE (MSX AUDIO)
FM PAC (MSX MUSIC)
MUSIC MODULE (MSX AUDIO)
Performance video with Z80 without Turbo:
-Music style «Techno»: Robert Vroemisse (Deva)
-Music style «Rock Metal»: John Hassink (Deva, Myths and Dragons, Rune Monster, The Sorrow of Gadhlan'Thur)
-80s style cover: Miguel Angel Jimenez (Myths and Dragons, The Sorrow of Gadhlan'Thur and many others)
-Concept and ideas of the game: Victor Sanchez, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Jose Casanova, Oscar Kenneth
-Story: Victor Sanchez, Oscar Kenneth
In my opinion there is a high demand for them. 
