The soundtrack for Final Fantasy on the MSX has a very different sound than for other platforms.  It's unfortunate that this music was never officially released.  I guess after 27 years of waiting, it's time to stop crossing our fingers

If you haven't heard it, a link to the soundtrack on YouTube is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR9wQqL … E7A2C6D20F

Separately, there are actually two very different variants of FF soundtrack for the MSX: the "MSX2" variant and the "OPLL" variant.  The link above is for the OPLL, but if you want to hear the MSX2, you can get the raw music file here:

http://www.zophar.net/music/kss/final-fantasy-kss-.html

and play it back using a plugin for Winamp or foobar2000.  In my opinion, the MSX2 variant sounds "thinner" overall than the OPLL, but is still a good and interesting listen.

Good music aside, the gameplay on the MSX looks hilarously clunky.  If the NES version played like this, I'm not sure I ever would have completed it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69zQ0EbLzBI

I... know quite a lot about video games and the FF franchise but somehow I never had any idea there was an MSX port of the original Final Fantasy.  This is fascinating!

yeah, the gameplay on the MSX is gross (namely, the exploration piece ... I can handle the combat). The game looks and runs great on NES.

But the MSX music is a joy all to itself. I wish S-E would release the MSX soundtrack, even if only as a digital release.

For those who care to know, the "arrangement" / sound programming to MSX was done by none other than Ryuji Sasai. Which, after you know that fact, and if you know his other works (especially FFMQ) ... it all makes sense.

If I could magically will any one person who's left the game music composition scene back in, even just for one project, it would be him.

Ditto. Mystic Quest was amazing.

I was holding a copy of Rudra No Hihou in my hands last summer at a Book Off in Kyoto, but unfortunately they actually knew what that one was worth and were charging accordingly.  One of the few old school CDs I'm still always on the look for, but in close to 4 years total time spent in Japan I think I've seen the thing only 2 or 3 times.  Perhaps someday...

I had to check this out since you mentioned it. Wow... nice stuff.

To think I sold a brand new copy of Rudra no Hihou for €45...it's been years though. How much is it worth nowadays?

Hehehe:

https://solarisjapan.com/products/rudra … nd-version

holy jeebus.

I had a new/sealed of Rudra no Hihou for $30 from otaku.com, bought in like ... '99. Looks like I should've kept it.