We all know about the "arcade perfect" ports of the X68000, but did you also know that these are the least interesting games on the system? Since its launch in ???? the various ports have been re-released over the years, in equally perfect or improved formats. Failing that there's MAME. Why waste time on arcade games available elsewhere when this system has several fantastic exclusives found nowhere else?
The system had thousands of games, especially when you take into account home-made doujin soft. To put it another way, to dive into the world of the X68000 is akin to doing the same with the Amiga or ZX Spectrum home computers. All are distinct ecosystems which have some overlap with arcade, computer, and console games, but are so rich with their own unique creations and social culture, that it's quite bewildering.
This is not a definitive list of any kind. Such a thing is impossible until players outside of Japan fully explore and document its back catalogue. Rather consider this a fleeting glimpse of an as yet mostly unexplored new frontier in retro games.
For anyone wanting to explore retro Japanese computers further, I can strongly recommend the Tokugawa Forums.
So the announcement of the X68k mini:
https://www.timeextension.com/news/2022 ... ni-consoleI decided to get back into this computer, since it's been a long time since I wrote about it or played its games:
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcom ... puters.htmThen I thought, most people outside of this forum obsessively only go on about the arcade ports. I have less than zero interest them. I have MAME. What I am interested in, is the system exclusives. Stuff like Geograph Seal, or Barusa no Fukushuu! (I had lunch with one of the guys from the company that made Barusa - AMA.)
Anyway, I lost my X68k archive years ago, so I compiled a list of games I want to check out and I have questions.
1) In 2022 what is the easiest and best emulator, especially if I want to take screenshots? Please do not recommend RetroArch, I have tried for years to get it working smoothly, and it gives me nothing but trouble! So I'm boycotting it. Also I mentioned MAME above, but I don't like MAME for similar reasons - too fiddly. What is
easy?
2) I'm going to post a list shortly - in terms of exclusives, have I hit most of the bases? I was mainly into PC-88 and PC-98 back in the day, so never dug too deep into the X68. Am I missing any obscure classics? How many games even came out on the system? How many commercial versus doujin? I feel like there's thousands of cool oddities that we're missing out on.
3) Can some kind soul ZIP up the games with (!) after the title? MyAbandonware has quite a lot of games, but not all of them. I cannot find Gardis Light or Last Tempest for example. Apparently Last Temple is a pain in the ass to get running? Does anyone have pre-made quick load files for it?
I realise pulling together download is a big ask, so as thanks I will send you a free PDF of my book, The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers, rather than having to buy a copy off Amazon.
Where do most people go to download X68 games?
Most of the links on here died years ago.
MY CURIOSITY LIST:Akazukin Cha Cha Cha
Aquales
Barusa no Fukushuu (!)
Blade of the Great Elements (!)Chijou Ikusa
Chiteisenki (!)Cho Ren Sha 68k
Choujin
Dancing Sword (!)Die Bahnwelt
DIOS (!)Dive On
Duel Fighter
Etoile Princess
Flame Wing
Gamma Planet
Ganbare Paichan
Gardis Light (!)Geograph Seal
Goddess' Blazeon
Jeena no Taibouken
Knight Arms
Lagoon
Last Tempest (!)Lyrical Party (!) - (like Popful Mail?)
Mad Stalker
Marchen Maze
Metal Sight
Neural Gear
Partial Axiom
Pizza Busters: The Final Task (!)
R+R (!)Red Arms
Reinforcer (!)
Silk Road 2 (!)Star Cruiser (English!)
Star Wars
Street Harrier (!)Twin Soul
Undeadline: Genjuuki (!)
Ys I (!)Any recommendations?