Nom: Release of MSX2
Why: Made MSX most advanced 8-bit platform.

Nom: Sunrise Swiss developing the GFX9000
Why: taking MSX to the next level, graphics-wise. And it's just a great piece of hardware ^_^


Nom: Sunrise - hardware
Why: creation, maintaining and sales of new and interesting hardware.

Nom: FAC Soundtracker
Why: Truly the start of the musicscene within the MSX demoscene


Nom: MSX disk drive
Why: Read/Write random access media gave new speed to MSX development, game loading and piratism.No more shitting around with tapes.

Nom: Metal Gear Solid series
Why: (I'm in a Metal Gear mood, but...) the PSX installment of this game - and the success and prequels/sequels that followed it - earned the MSX respect all over the world and gave the MSX community some well-deserved self-confidence. Many people (re)discovered the MSX thanks to this game, and Hideo Kojima did his share of MSX namedropping as well. Of immense promotional value.


Nom: Konami
Why: This company basically made the MSX system into what it is still known for nowadays, and many of their game franchises still popular today had their roots or some of their early installments on this computer. They were also superior to everyone else on the MSX, which they never quite achieved in such a way on any other system...and I doubt anyone else ever did.

Nom: Wammes Witkop
Why: being a visual MSX icon, and keeping MCCM in the air far beyond what a typical publisher would think as 'sane'.


Nom: Compile
Why: Brought some amazing releases (like the already mentioned Aleste 2), introduced the concept of Disk magazines and supported MSX for a very, very, very long time

Nom: The release of Nemesis 1
Why: Konami's first megaROM, and probably the first one on MSX.


Nom: Japan software houses
Why: For all the great games

Nom: Microcabin's music in general
Why: introduction of a new FM-Pac sound, it sounded quite different compared to 'normal' FM games (or scene music for that matter), it's still unmatched!


Nom: Sunrise - gameproductions
Why: offered gameproduction (box, manual, sales) to the scene.

Nom: ESE Artists Factory
Why: Mega-SCSI, Mega-SCC, initiating and playing a key role in the One Chip MSX project


Nom: The release of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Why: first of all, it is the last game Konami ever released on MSX (as far as I know, correct me if I'm wrong). Moreover, it is arguably their best MSX game (maybe together with SD Snatcher, and a case can be made for Space Manbow). More even than the first Metal Gear, it established the genre of Tactical Espionage. All elements of Metal Gear Solid's gameplay are already present (the radar, the plot developments, temperature changes, crawling, the ladies' room) and Konami really pushed the limits of MSX2 with this game, both of which it didn't do with the first Metal Gear. And it's Konami's only 4-megarom.

Nom: Tilburg fair
Why: one of the two major MSX fairs in the central MSX years


Nom: FM-Pac
Why: Not the first add-on soundchip, but it became an MSX standard, made the use of external soundchips in games and demo's all the more popular, was relatively easy to use even for a beginner (MSX Basic support), wasn't limited to one company, wasn't limited to one country either, and became sort of an essential for everyone with an MSX2 or better computer.

Nom: MSX turboR
Why: Finally the long waited new CPU for MSX! Made MSX the most advanced 8-bit platform... again!


Nom: MSX Resource Center
Why: central MSX-website of nearly everything MSX'ish (all except warez ^_^), big role in bringing old ppz and new ppz together again

Nom: MSXDev'05
Why: the compo became more international, while MSXDev'04 already gained quite some respect, it was MSXDev'05 that started somewhat of an MSX1-craze. It also turned a lot of hi-spec ppl into dev'ing for MSX1 who wouldn't have done so otherwise.


Nom: The Moonsound
Why: interesting soundcard, esp. compared to the traditional soundextensions

Nom: V9938
Why: First hardware accelerated video chip on 8-bit computers.


Nom: V9958
Why: Hardware scroll, many colorNom: The release of Aleste 2

Nom: The release of Aleste 2
Why: the best vertical shoot'em up on MSX2 ever, graphics, sound and gameplay-wise, and if it weren't for Space Manbow (already nominated), it would be the best shoot'em up, period.


Nom: The release of SD-Snatcher
Why: according to many, the best RPG on MSX (or best GAME even)

Nom: The release of Metal Gear 1
Why: The game did not only proved to be one of the best MSX games ever, it also changed the shape of the gaming industry with a radically new approach to military shooting games: Tactical Espionage. Even to date, the game is one of the most important series in the gaming industry, still introducing new people to the MSX computer system.