Description

The LINKS was a dial-up service that started in March 1986 and was discontinued on 31 October 1994. It was exclusive to Japan and an initiative of Nippon Telenet with investments from Matsushita Electric Industrial Co (currently Panasonic) and Murata Manufacturing Co.

To use it, you needed:

• a MSX computer
• a modem dedicated to this network
• a user-id, required to connect to the network. The user-id was also a kind of 'email' adress which could be used to send messages to other users.

Notes:

• a Kanji-ROM was not required as this network used only Katakana and Hiragana characters, while optimizing the MSX graphical capacities to display messages, reviews, etc... in specific formats.
• a MSX2 computer was of course required for the MSX2 games

Hardware

Three models of modems were released. All have a speed of 1200 bps and are based on a specific protocol developed by Eijiro Taki, president of Nippon Telenet.

In addition, the built-in modem of the MSX2 Panasonic FS-A1FM also provided access to 'The LINKS' network, as did the Panasonic FS-CM1 cartridge.

Navigation

Besides the text menu navigation, one could walk around in a map called A1 Club and visit a building to access a specific section. Alternatively one could directly access a section by typing the assigned code such as SM4CA for MSX Magazine. Some buildings (sections) were subdivided to several rooms.

Software

ROM

• Dires (Bothtec)
• Girly Block (Telenet Japan)
• Super Laydock - Mission Striker Network Version (T&E Soft)

Disk

• Wild Geese (included in MSX-FAN #24)
• Links ultimate crack set 1.0

Download

These games had to be downloaded from the network:

• A1 Grand Prix (Konami-Panasoft, this game is based on Road Fighter)

After downloading you start with the first stage of the game. Every time you complete one stage, you needed to reconnect the server, which records your time and shows you a list of the other competitors, and your "position". The fastest player is shown as "no.1 racer". The feature unseen in F1 spirit is, at certain check point, you are requested to choose one of three "magical stages". If you are lucky, you skip several stages, gaining huge advantage over other not so lucky competitors. Though there was no direct reward to winner (fastest competitor who connected after completing the final stage), the 5-match straight winner was awarded with an "original format" which was usable as a personal template in LINKS mail and BBS services.

• A1 Grand Prix in America (Konami-Panasoft, this game is based on Road Fighter) - Explained in MSX FAN 1987-06 page 52. It is a full online version while A1 Grand Prix (without 'In America') needs to be played offline.

• c-Drive (Nippon Telenet aka Telenet Japan) The box of c-Drive contained only a modem cartridge and a login for the network where you could download the game. Same procedure as for A1 Grand Prix. It started on a separate network from Jan 1 1992 but became accessible from the LINKS several months later. Explained in MSX FAN 1992-03 page 98 and MSX FAN 1992-09 page 98.

• Daiva Dr. Amandora (T&E Soft) - The surviving photo of the game package shows only the standard modem cartridge. MSX FAN articles explain the game had to be downloaded. Sources insist it was never released and the announced sessions were canceled.

• Haphazard 1 & 2 (BAM) - Before being available on disk, the two games needed to be downloaded from 'The LINKS' network. Notes: The compilation with the 2 games includes Life Rumbling (人生ゴロゴロ) as extra game. Haphazard 3 can be found on Disc Station 15

• Knightmare (Konami) - Version with addition of a score registration corner, so that each user can compete.

• Life Rumbling - 人生ゴロゴロ (BAM) - Before being available on disk, this game needed to be downloaded from 'The LINKS' network. Later it was included in the Haphazard 1 & 2 compilation.

• Network Rally (Konami, this game was described as a cross between Road Fighter and Hyper Rally) - Same procedure as for A1 Grand Prix. Also known as "Midnight Rally". Explained in MSX FAN 1987-04 page 44

• Panther (Irem)

• Twinbee (Konami) - Version with addition of a score registration corner, so that each user can compete.

• Wild Geese - Online racing simulation. Explained in MSX FAN 1993/94-12/01 page 92 and MSX FAN 1994 02/03 page 93. Its trailer is in the MSX FAN 1994-02/03 disk 1.

Online adventure game

These are the menu based adventure games played by typing a key while online.

• Ryugu Empire Strikes Back - 竜宮帝国の逆襲 - Underwater adventure explained on MSX FAN 1988-05 page 90. Player could leave an anonymous message for other players.
• Insect Empire Fabre - 昆虫帝国ファーブル - Adventure of Fabre in the insect world explained on ASCII MSX Magazine 1989-12 page 172.

Online role playing game

These are not the game packages themselves but the online tabletop role playing game systems running on the existing LINKS Network. The game master sends the player a notice about the story situation and the player replies how s/he acts. Then the game master sends the player a response. The player can contact and cooperate the other players.

• Amanatsu High School Counterattack - あまなつ高校の逆襲 - The player plays a role of an Amanatsu High School (same school with Haphazard 3) student. Explained in MSX FAN 1990-11 page 73.

• Magician Fairy School - 魔術師妖精学校 (The Links) - A promo can be found on Disc Station 20. The story is about the magic user's school and its title Majutsushi Yousei Gakkou has the double meaning of yousei (fairy) and yousei (education). The session ran between Jan 4 and Mar 29 1991. Explained in MSX FAN 1991-02 page 72.

• RPG School: Applause - RPGすくぅる『Applause』 - The story is about becoming an adventurer in the sword & magic world called Riibabooku. Explained in MSX FAN 1991-08 page 77.

Online sessions

These are not the game packages themselves but the online sessions running on the existing LINKS Network.

• Zero Special Rally Competition - The player reads the rally simulation article in Channel Zero, the LINKS's monthly subscription magazine and submits an email about setting the vehicle to join a rally session. The game master calculates who ran the fastest and is entitled for a prize. Explained in MSX FAN 1992-03 page 98.

MSX・FAN articles and the connection with MSX companies

The MSX・FAN magazine had THE LINKS INFORMATION PAGE which was started from the 1988-01 issue as the monthly article but became irregular after 1993-02. It nevertheless continued until the LINKS's termination was announced. Since almost nothing of The LINKS itself remains and very few information other than a few testimonies are online, those MSX・FAN articles are the rare valuable resources.

MSX・FAN had its own online forum called Meiousei Tsushin ("Pluto News") in The LINKS. Since early 1991 The LINKS started Soft House Labo section for communications between the MSX game manufacturers such as Compile, Micro Cabin, Humming Bird Soft and Riverhill Soft and the users. Tanaka Katsumi, the famous Compile musician, was one of the customer service personnel. It is mentioned on several Disc Station manuals such as #22.

The LINKS offered Game Download service to download software previously contributed by MSX users.

Links

• Interview with The LINKS network developer
• Gigamix Links page (Japanese)
• Disk-Mail (Japanese) * This wasn't the LINKS's official but was privately issued by subscribers.
• The Links utils (Japanese)
• A1 Grand Prix (Spanish) Flyer
• Haphazard series (Japanese)
• MSX・FAN 1987-12 supplement: MSX dedicated communication (Japanese)
• Advertisement; the mixture of the conceptual animations and actual menus (Japanese)
• Promotional video showing the login procedure and the graphical menu called A1 Club (Japanese)
• A1 Club map on ASCII MSX Magazine 1988-11 (Japanese)
• Soft House Labo and Game Download service announcements on MSX Magazine 1991-04 (Japanese)