We have just added rMSX 1.3 to our ever growing freeware database. This program, by NYYRIKKI, is the next generation of the former MSX1EMU. It's now possible to enjoy all the MSX2 goodies, directly from your harddrive! Other changes include the license, which has changed from freeware to shareware. You can either visit the upcoming MSX Info Update 2009 party or send five euro to NYYRIKKI, the former option is of course the most fun! Other new elements in this version:

• MSX2 support added to loading routine
  
• I/O sounds are now disabled by default
  
• New commandline parameters: MSX1 (default), MSX2, IOSOUND, NOMENU
  
• Shortcut key to change between 50/60Hz added
  
• MSX2 related changes in HZ, PALLETTE and EXIT commands
  
• Partial MSX-Music support (without ROMs)
  
• Keyboard online menu has been rewritten = Much better compatibility with games
  
• New command LICENSE & shareware note added
  
• Fixed: disk LED support works even when IOSOUND is off.
  
• Fixed: a bug that caused delay on CALL command handling.
  
• Fixed: a bug that caused _SYSTEM not to work

Relevant link: rMSX 1.3

VEDIT is an excellent text editor for the CP/M operating system that was released as freeware by Greenview Data Inc. A new MSX version is configured to run properly on an MSX machine and has a wrapper included, that allows it to run from a subdirectory under MSX-DOS2. You can use it to edit the AUTOEXEC.BAT and any other BAT or text configuration file on your MSX machine.

Relevant link: VEDIT Plus 2.33 for MSX

RUNDOS1 is a small utility developed by sd_snatcher. It enables you to run MSX-DOS v1.x on top of MSX-DOS v2.x. As weird as it sounds, doing this allows you to run a lot more games, since it will free quite a bunch of RAM for memory hungry games.

It solves the problem of running the Playball III - Enhanced HD version over MSX-DOS v2.3x, but can also be used with any other game or even to try to workaround compatibility problems with the MSX-DOS2. The included text file has instructions on how to install and use this tool.

Relevant link: RUNDOS1

A new version of MSX1EMU has been released and added to our ever growing freeware downloads section. MSX1EMU emulates an MSX1 on an MSX turbo-R. New in this version:

• Memory mapper (internal) support up to 1MB, enabling it to play cracked megaROMs
  
• All file access is using DOS2 commands, now this program can be started directly from CD-ROM
  
• Added possibility to mount up to 10 disks
  
• CHDSK command now supports multiple disk images
  
• Diskless MSX1 now boots faster
  
• Internal memory usage reduced to 16KB (1 mapper page)
  
• New BASIC command: MUTE
  
• CASREV and CASAUTOREV renamed to CASREW and CASAUTOREW
  
• Commandline parameters and internal commandline help implemented
  
• Control menu during emulation implemented
  
• Default ROM-loading directory is now executable loading directory (the emulator can be put to the PATH environment variable)
  
• ROM loading directory can be changed with EMUROMS variable

Relevant link: MSX1EMU 1.2

FIXBOOT (Fixb00t according to AuroraMSX) is a small MSX-DOS2 tool by BiFi for undoing a glitch caused by Sunrise's FDISK 3.10. Version 1.1 adds an option to force creation of an MSX Volume ID and fixes a small bug causing FIXBOOT not correcting partitions with the so-called dirty disk flag set. The tool can be downloaded from BiFi's website, in the Downloads section, under Bugfixes.

Relevant link: BiFi's Home Page

We have added Bargain 8.50 to our ever growing freeware downloads section. Bargain is a lossless compression tool for MSX images in screen mode 5 up to 12. If you have any freeware material you'd wish to share with the world, you may consider our downloads section. Each download or group of downloads gets a newspost, and if it does well enough: a position in our monthly downloads statistics.

Relevant link: Bargain 8.50

It's finally possible to run the popular Micro Cabin games from harddisk or CF-IDE on a real MSX now. It doesn't matter which type of bus (e.g. SCSI or IDE) you are using or which filesystem (e.g. FAT12 or FAT16).

The RunIt program provides its own diskrom which makes it possible to have a complete DOS1 environment under the DOS2 environment you use in cooperation with your harddisk or CF-IDE interface. Along the games of Micro Cabin a lot of games from other well known publishers will work with Runit of course.

Games which are now assumed to work correctly and caused some problems earlier are: Xak 2, Xak Tower of Gazzel, Fray MSX2, Firehawk Thexder and Aleste 2.

At this moment Runit is a so called open beta program. Near Dark hasn't had the time to test all the Micro Cabin games 100% yet. They ask future users to report any bugs in this forum thread. In this thread details can be found about the games which work and games which cause bugs.

Relevant link: RunIt 2.0 development thread

We have added Bargain 8.40 to our ever growing freeware downloads section. Bargain is a lossless compression tool for MSX images in screen mode 5 up to 12. If you have any freeware material you'd wish to share with the world, you may consider our downloads section. Each download or group of downloads gets a newspost, and if it does well enough: a position in our monthly downloads statistics.

Relevant link: Bargain 8.40

A new version of Sjasm has been released yesterday. Sjasm is a cross-assembler, developed by XL2s. New in this version:

• Fixed XOR HL,HL. This should generate an error message.
• Hacked EX AF,AF'
• Added DEFB, DEFW and friends

Relevant link: XL2s

A new version of ExecROM has been released. New in this version:

• Support to set the Japanese Character set using the /J option. The /B option will be ignored in this mode. Now games like Final Zone and Young Sherlock can be played on western MSX models with the correct character set instead of the usual crippled text.
  
• Support for external palettes for MSX1 games, besides CoolColors.
  If a file ROM_NAME.PLT is found, it will be loaded as a palette, so you can build a custom palette for every game. As a bonus there are a lot of classic 8-BIT system palettes bundled in the package. You can enjoy discovering what your favorite MSX1 game would look on Apple 2, Commodore 64, CGA, ZX-Spectrum and many more. There's also the original TMS9921 palette in the package, which will allow you to play the MSX1 games on a MSX2 or higher exactly as it was on the original MSX1.
  
• Fixed the bug that caused data corruption when loading big XPC patches under MSX-DOS1. This solves the GRADIUS2.XPC problems many people reported.

This release was a joint effort of DJC (Japanese character set and external palette routine) and FRS (external palette routine, XPC bugfix and classic 8-BIT palettes).

Relevant link: ExecROM