#and also I made Rom in it because it fits with all the simulation and corruption shit

[shinyzango]

Tfw you want to talk about a game but it's a R18+ one so you can't talk freely about it dfkgjn

Anyways I started playing Saints Row 4 again and I forgot how much I love this dumb game.

[theromcomcatalog]

Love Actually

It’s been a few years since I’ve sat down and watched this, and with so many ‘Love Actually is actually problematic’ discussions going around lately, I decided to give it another watch with a “fresh set of eyes” to see if the current social climate would somehow diminish my enjoyment of Richard Curtis’s 2003 holiday rom-com.

It didn’t. Are there some issues with this movie? Of course there are. Natalie (Martine McCutcheon) is called chubby and comments are made about her butt and her thighs, although… Natalie is not fat. Not even close. The fat jokes simply made no sense and had no point other than to draw laughs. The majority of storylines focus on men getting their happy ever after (Mark is the exception, although he still gets an uplifting, favorable send off) while the two storylines centering around women (Emma Thompson’s Karen and Laura Linney’s Sarah) end in infidelity and heartbreak.

There is also a distinct lack of diversity and LGBT representation. I’m pretty sure the movie could have ditched the Creepy Colin Goes to America to Get Laid storyline and reinserted the deleted scenes featuring Frances de la Tour and Anne Reid as a lesbian couple dealing with terminal illness. Of course, had that happened we would have probably been talking about the 'Bury Your Gays’ trope that has plagued television and cinema, where the already sparse representation of the LGBT community gets killed off (most notably queer women).

So does Love Actually have problems? Yes, it does. But despite these issues, I was still able to love and appreciate Love Actually for what it is. A movie that shows us what love is 'all around us’, whether it’s romantic, platonic or unrequited. It’s complicated and messy. Awkward and charming. Heartbreaking and painful. Problematic!

There are some hits and misses in the movie. Some of the stories suffer from a lack of adequate screen time to develop the relationships, so to believe in some sudden, all-encompassing love is difficult. But some are a couple of well developed, emotionally nuanced plots that make the movie worth a watch. I’ve ranked my favorite Love Actually storylines from worst to best below:

- Colin’s desperate need to get laid - Decides he’s the god of sex stuck on the wrong continent so he goes to America to pick up hot women and succeeds. Meh. His accent isn’t cute enough to dismiss his obnoxious behavior.

- Juliet, Mark and Peter - 'Self-preservation’ is no excuse for being a jerk to someone you’re supposedly in love with, even if that someone is your best friend’s new wife. Also, don’t confess said love on Christmas Eve while your best friend watches television upstairs. It’s creepy.

- Sarah and Karl - Sarah feels like she can’t follow through on a relationship with a man at work whom she’s been in love with for a couple of years because of her mentally ill brother, who has come to depend on her, even though he lives in a facility. If Karl knew what was good for him, he would be willing to give a try anyway, despite the constant phone calls. Boo on Karl.

- David and Natalie - There is an instant spark between the Prime Minister and his new employee, Natalie. She curses a lot, which is cute. He’s Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister, also cute. He decides to change his stance on foreign policy with the President of the United States (a smarmy Billy Bob Thornton) when he catches the President hitting on Natalie. Then he “redistributes” Natalie because of his attraction to her. Also, there are the fat jokes. The saving grace to this story is when David goes door to door to find out where Natalie lives and ends up singing a carol for three adorable little girls with one of his security guards.

- Jamie and Aurelia - Jamie’s brother is having an affair with his girlfriend, so he goes to France for a while to write a crime novel. There he meets Aurelia, a Portuguese woman who cleans his villa and cannot speak English. Jamie can’t speak Portuguese, so they learn to communicate in other ways. This is a cute story and honestly, the only one I feel could have been its own movie. I wanted to see them get past the language barrier and cultural differences on their way to love. But we don’t get a lot of development here, so the proposal at the end, while adorable, is insanely unrealistic. But… Colin Firth, so I’m willing to let it go.

- Billy Mack and Joe - Billy Mack is by far the most entertaining part of Love Actually. An aging rock star who records a horrible Christmas song only to find it becoming a surprise hit thanks to his No F*cks Given attitude while promoting the single, Billy is soon back on top and invited to Elton John’s Christmas bash. Turns out he would rather spend the holiday with his manager than a bunch of scantily clad women. “You turned out to be the fucking love of my life.”

- Harry and Karen (and Mia) - Okay, yes we know Mia is a tart. They’re sure to overplay just how much of a tart she is, with her overt flirtations with Harry, asking him for a pretty present in exchange for 'everything’. She wears devil horns to the Christmas party and wears racy red lingerie while Karen (a devastatingly good Emma Thompson) laments that she feels like Pavarotti in her frumpier wardrobe. We get it. Mia bad. But as usual, Harry’s role in this extramarital flirtation/affair is sometimes lost in the Mia hate. As painful as this storyline is, it’s also one of the more believable ones. Harry and Karen have a home, and two kids and a relationship that feels comfortable, though not overly passionate. Harry’s attention is caught by his attractive assistant and he buys her a gold necklace while gifting his wife a CD she probably already owns. The brilliance of Love Actually is captured in only one scene, where Karen discovers Harry’s infidelity and stands alone in their bedroom while Joni Mitchell plays. She’s not allowed to lose control or release her heartbreak. She has to keep it together as not to spoil her family’s Christmas. Emma Thompson is truly the movie’s MVP.

- John and Judy - This story doesn’t get enough credit when people discuss Love Actually. We get to witness their cute, awkward courtship as they simulate fake sex as stand-ins on a porno. Perfectly normal and charming, this is by far one of the best stories in Love Actually. I wish they’d had more screentime.

- Daniel, Sam and Joanna - Heartfelt and pure, this was much more about Daniel and Sam’s relationship as stepfather and son after a tragic loss than it is about Sam’s crush on Joanna. This is one of the only storylines we get a true conclusion to, and is it a rom-com if there’s not an airport chase scene?

Love Actually is not in my yearly Christmas rotation, but I do consider it an above average holiday film and rom-com. It’s not perfect, but it’s a warm, feel-good movie with some wonderful performances, and the end montage of friends and family greeting each other at the airport will surely tug at your heartstrings.

Fun Facts:

Kris Marshall (Colin) allegedly returned his paycheck for the scene where the three American girls undress him. He said he had such a great time having three girls undress him for twenty-one takes, that he was willing to do it for free, and thus returned his check for that day.

The airport greeting footage at the beginning and end of the film is real. Richard Curtis had a team of cameramen film at Heathrow airport for a week, and whenever they saw something that would fit in they asked the people involved for permission to use the footage.

According to Richard Curtis they had to put Emma Thompson in a “fat suit” to make her appear heavier because she is actually a very thin woman.

Keira Knightley was only 17 when she filmed Love Actually. Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Sam) was 13.

Richard Curtis had been working on two separate scripts when he decided to merge them and create Love Actually. The two scripts were the Prime Minister’s story and Jamie’s trip to Frane where he meets Aurelia. 

Notable Song: Christmas Is All Around by Billy Mack

Rating: 💍💍💍.5

[thearkhound]

Letters to the MSX

Letters to the MSX (MSXにおくる手紙/MSX ni okuru tegami) is an article that was published in the final issue of MSX-FAN magazine (dated August 1995), in which the publication sent out a questionnaire to various people within the video game, computing and consumer electronics industries (from companies such as Micro Cabin, Compile, Game Arts, Sony and Matsushita), asking them about their involvement with the MSX and their thoughts about the platform, which was being discontinued from the market after 12 years in the market.

Originally I only intended to translate Hideo Kojima’s answers to the questionnaire, but then I decided to do the whole article because not only does it bring a lot of insight to the MSX culture in Japan, but it also provides a picture of how the computer industry was back in the mid-90′s and where it was heading. This is why it took me a while to publish this translation (and why I have been inactive on Twitter for almost a month now), since it was not only quite a long article, but there’s also quite a bit of technical jargon and idioms that I wanted to make sure I would get right.

Anyway, I hope that you will enjoy it.

Introduction

We sent out this questionnaire to as many companies as possible who were involved with the MSX via fax or PC. We wanted to publish the thoughts of the people who were involved during that period. We do believe this will lead to our next step.

The contents of the questionnaires are as follows. Please read them fully and compare them.

The text has been printed the way it was sent to us, but editor’s notes have also been in parts that we believe might be too difficult for some readers to comprehend. The text after the red circle is written by the editorial department to introduce the developer who answered the questionnaire, followed by their answers to each question. If the answers to question 1 and 4 given by the person in the previous section, then “same as above” will written in its place.

MSX-FAN Final Questionnaire

Company’s name

Name and current department

Job(s) during the MSX era

Most notable MSX products by the company

Your most nostalgic MSX moment and why

Words you wish to impart to MSX-FAN readers

Bonus/ Secrets, inside stories or such you wish to share

Tokihiro Naito

We can’t help but feel from reading Mr. Naito’s comment that the MSX was a machine that everyone made good use of. With such powerful talents, his games have served as an inspiration to numerous players. Before long, people learn about the enjoyment of creating games just like Mr. Naito... We feel it’s quite a wonderful chain.

T&E Soft

Tokihiro Naito, Development Division

DD Club/Pattern Editor Programming and Manual Manuscript Creation, Undead Line/Game Design. Hydlide/Game Design and Direction, Hydlide 3/Main Programming, Rune Worth/Game and Direction. I feel there were more projects (I’ve worked on), but I don’t remember any of them.

3D Golf Simulation, Hydlide series, Laydock series, Daiva, Psy-O-Blade, Rune Worth, DD Club, T&E Disk Magazine, and more

Laydock/ The truth is that I want to talk about everything I’ve worked on, but this particular title left the most lasting impression. This had an unexpectedly short development time, meaning that it was released even before the new MSX hardware. However, the developing target was pretty unstable, and with the hardware and BIOS specifications changing everyday, it led to a difficult development period. The person in charge was all (^ ^;

The MSX was a very interesting job for me. The MSX was probably the first time I was introduced to the concept of a VDP at such an early stage. Since the MSX was also the first machine I’ve ever experienced the use of sprites with, it was personally very fun. Even though MSX-FAN might be gone now, I hope many people will still use the MSX as a starting machine for programming or for making CGI.

DD Club contained a tool called SPEN, which was not a product by the company. It was actually a hobby program I designed in my home for over two years. At any rate, the name stood for Special Pattern Editor for Naito. This program was given free of charge to T&E Soft as my dedication to them./During the development of Laydock, I received a new BIOS-ROM from ASCII almost everyday, but every time the BIOS was changed it would cause the game to stop running, and we had to cool out the prototype MSX2 computer with a paper fan while programming as soon as it was overheating./ The 800 kanji fonts for the MSX1 version of Hydlide III that were on a 7x8 pixel format were in fact created by me. Were they hard to read? I’m sorry if that was the case./ There are many more unrevealed inside stories, but... (Editor’s Note 1: We this much content, we can’t publish this letter without cutting off some parts. Hmm...) (Editor’s Note 2: Hmm, I wonder if the other editor has seen that one last sentence.) (^ ^;

Akira Misoda

In the MSX world there is Micro Cabin. Nothing else needs to be said. We are grateful to them for many things. We thank them for porting Princess Maker to the MSX. And in addition to providing software for our supplemental disks, we learned many things from Mr. Nakano as the lecturer for our Picture Story & Movie Classroom articles. Producer Misoda has made an effort to backup all the above. I don’t think the Princess Maker port would’ve happened without his influence.

Micro Cabin

Akira Misoda, 1st R&D Department

Producer & Programmer of Campaign Daisenryaku. Programmer of The Tower of Cabin. Producer of Princess Maker.

Fray, Xak, Xak II, Maison Ikkoku, Urusei Yatsura, Daisenryaku, Super Daisenryaku, Princess Maker, Illusion City, The Tower of Gazzel.

This doesn’t have anything to do with the MSX version specifically, but Xak was the first game I programmed desperately after I’ve joined the company. I gave the rough source code to Mr. Nakatsu when he joined the company to produce the MSX version, but I’m still impressed that such a difficult code to understand could be ported so well.

The MSX is a hardware that has raised many people. There are quite a few people at Micro Cabin who used to be MSX users before joining the company. With the proper knowhow, you could make games on the MSX without having to purchase any expensive add-on (compared to other platforms). In that sense, it’s such a great loss that another platform that has produced game-making geniuses (!?) is disappearing from the industry. I might be exaggerating a bit, but... I really feel that way.

I’ve worked on the MSX prior to joining Micro Cabin. I did around four outsourced jobs from three different companies, and two of them were for Micro Cabin.

Yasuhiko Nakatsu

Programmers are said to stay up all night, tend to run away and are all unusual men, but there is no one who makes good products that keeps his deadlines, sleeps on time, and provides gentle guidance to everyone. We at the editorial department asked for such a person to serve as our lecturer for our picture story show articles. We are grateful to Mr. Nakatsu for everything he did to us and we apologize for asking too much of him. We are truly sorry for that.

Same as above

Yasuhiko Nakatsu, 1st R&D Department

Planning, programming, writing

Same as above.

I have many fond memories of software that came out on the MSX. Among there was this software called Su**s Gri... Oops! I’ve almost mentioned something I shouldn’t. My bad. My bad. Personally, Illusion City was my most memorable game when it comes to the most hardships I have to endure.

Thank you for publishing my articles after such a long period. For those who are not good at programming at BASIC, please look up any back issues and try your best at creating a picture story. The MSX was a machine with many ways to enjoy oneself. I look forward to future activities with the platform.

I was the one responsible for raising the memory of the A1-GT to 512Kb. Thanks to that, the machine was able to play MIDI without the burden of access time. I’m truly grateful at everyone in Matsushita.

Hitoshi Suenaga

Rather than introduce the person, I thought it would be more fitting to introduce his projects. He’s a talented genius responsible for the character designs in Micro Cabin.

Same as above

Hitoshi Suenaga, 2nd R&D Department

Xak 1, Fray, Daisenryaku, Illusion City

Same as above

Xak 1, since it was the first MSX project I ever worked on after joining the company.

I am grateful to everyone who supported our work, as well as everyone answered the questionnaire. While it’s sad that the world will go on without the MSX, I will still use it for my hobbies and personal work. In fact the character units in the 3DO version of Konpeki no Kantai were drawn on my MSX computer and then converted to the console.

If you want to be honest, if ASCII had asked for my input, I would’ve balanced out the hardware specifications of the MSX turbo R a bit more and I think the platform would’ve been around a bit longer. When I learned about the MSX turbo R’s hardware specifications after unveiling conference, I began crying on my bed... I’m serious! The MSX2 was a serviceable upgrade from the MSX1, but after that...

Katsuya Nagai

Mr. Nagai made one MSX software after the other while in Micro Cabin thanks to his love for the MSX and the effort he made to program every day and night.

Same as above.

Katsuya Nagai, 1st R&D Department

Programmed the opening and ending of Xak I. Also made the fighting minigame in The Tower of Cabin.

Same as above.

I was involved with Xak I as soon as I’ve joined the company.

Even though we are no longer making MSX games, we hope you’ll still support Micro Cabin in the future.

The Fray vs. Pixie minigame from The Tower of Cabin was ported from the PC-9801 version and I got to draw the animation patterns of a special move that was planned for the game. However, not all the animation frames could fit into the game’s memory, so I ended up using the regular patterns instead.

Naoko Arakawa

When talking about the TAKERU software vending machines, there is Ms. Arakawa. She was always full of energy when we met her during events. She even worked together with our editorial staff on the Sorcerian port, which is a project that brings us deep memories. She also worked on Sorcerian Relay, which is included in this final issue. Since it’s just a relay race game featuring characters from Sorcerian created by the editorial staff, it might not be anything special, but... We would be grateful is she re-releases more classic MSX software via TAKERU.

Xing

Naoko Arakawa, TAKERU Executive Office (sales division G)

Sales promotion of MSX software for TAKERU

Sorcerian, BURAI Vol. 2, ect.

Thanks to the news announcement from MSX-FAN, our game reprinting project attracted attention from many users, which evolved into the TAKERU Meisaku Bunko (Masterpiece Library) series. We;re now re-releasing PC-9801 and X68000 games on TAKERU as well, becoming an important pillar of our service more than ever. I think it was all thanks to the planning of MSX-FAN and our MSX users.

I truly salute MSX users for their passion, enthusiasm and creative urge. While we gathered many games for our reprint series, there were still quite a few things that left a bit to be desired (like why we didn’t include games from a certain company or why we didn’t include a particular title). There were many games that did not come out on TAKERU due to various circumstances, so we apologize for that. From now on we’ll do our best to have software reach MSX users via TAKERU, even if it’s just a few game. Please support us.

I have strong memories of sneaking out to see the A-Bomb Dome while I was en route to the MSX Festival in Hiroshima. On another occasion, I was photographed by a professional for the first time when I was interviewed by Mr. Tokita and Mr. Sasaya. The photo looked like a portrait than any normal photo. It’s one of my most treasured possessions.

Akkii

Falcon is a company that undertook a substantial role in the porting of Sorcerian that MSX-FAN and TAKERU (Brother) helped produce. Their president, Ms. Midori Ito, while working for Yamaha to promote the MSX, unexpectedly ended up becoming a programmer herself and before long she ended up marrying Mr. Kazuhiko Ito, who was employed at Micro Cabin at the time. The two ended up forming their own software development company. Answering in this section is Mr. Moribe, who was the lead graphic designer.

Tierheit (aka Falcon)

Akkii, Planning & Development Department - Development Section 2

Pixel art, debugging, intermediary with TAKERU’s executive officer, and many other jobs

Sorcerian, Sengoku Sorcerian, Pyramid Sorcerian

All of it, of course. It was the first company I’ve joined and the first job I was employed at.

The ending of Sorcerian was very anti-climatic. I’m sorry about that. Of course, the MSX is a hardware that exists because of its users. Even if this magazine will no longer be in print, the MSX scene will remain active as long as there are users, especially when it comes graphic designing (personally). Good luck!

Well there’s something I want to say, but... Oh no!

Yoshihide

I often used to go to the MSX Fair. I used to work at Osaka, bu moved back to Tokyo along with my wife last year. I want to know if the secret title was Dragon Spirit or Valkyrie.

Namco

Yoshihide, Consumer Sales Department - Promotion Division

MSX software sales and PR activities (including planning). Since there weren’t that many people, I did a bit of everything.

Return of Ishtar, Xevious: Farland Saga, Pac-Mania, ect. We also did the Disk NG series too.

For Xevious, I remember doing a bit of everything ranging from joining in the planning, production, advertising, distribution, sales and public relations.

I wish good luck to everyone involved with the MSX at Namco (including our users).

There were many games that we announced, but didn’t get released. On one hand I think it’s regrettable, but on the other hand it’s a bit horrifying.

Masamitsu Niitani

It’s because of Disk Station magazine that the MSX became an interesting world. It’s because of them that we had the Puyo Puyo series and Carbunkle. With its low-price, the fun-packed Disk Station was a brilliant plan that managed to rejuvenate an industry that has hit a rut. It was always a pleasure to deal with President Niitani himself when calling the company, even if it was the middle of the night.

Compile

Masamitsu Niitani, President

Planner, Producer, Graphic Designer, Programmer

Guardic, Madō Monogatari, Nyanpi, Golvellius, Rune Master, Adventure of Randar, Disk Station

Disk Station

Let’s walk with the times

I want to talk to Mr. Nishii of ASCII about his thoughts on the MSX.

Yoichi Miyaji

The founders of Game Arts got their start as part-timers at ASCII back in the old days. Because of their talent, they quickly formed their own company, where they gave birth to Thexder. At any rate, we had a chance to seriously think about developing for the MSX with Mr. Miyaji.

Game Arts

Yoichi Miyaji, President

Producer

Thexder, Fire Hawk, the Gyuwamburaa Jikō Chūshinha series, the Sum series

The debugging of the MSX-BASIC rom was carried out back when the founders of Game Arts were employed at ASCII. I think the BASIC was made extremely well.

I treasured the MSX like it was my own child. I did my best with the belief that the MSX was a better hardware than the Famicom (NES). It’s been more than 10 years (ed’s note: 12 years precisely), the age of the Famicom is over now and it’s time to let the MSX go too. It’s truly been a long time.

Satoshi Uesaka

Mr. Uesaka was the one who originally created the card concentration game called Card Desu as soon as MSX-FAN started including supplemental disks on each issue. It had an edit function in hopes that it would lead to a series of edited works, but not many edited versions were made and the whole thing amounted to nothing.

Same as above.

Satoshi Uesaka, Section Chief of Development

Producer, Director, Programmer, Pixel Artist, Scripter... I did many things.

Same as above.

The Sum series ended with 14 games that were released in a span of a single year.

Never forget your dreams, even when they end. (plagiarized)

Kamiji

BIT2′s president Mr. Kuribayashi was observing various creative tools for the PC-9801 one day when said that he would make his own versions to surpass them on the MSX. So he ended up making the CGI tool Graphsaurus, the FM music tool Synthesaurus and the MIDI tool Midisaurus. Without these tools there would’ve been no CGI contest on MSX-FAN and no MIDI Sandogaza column. In Mr. Kuribayashi’s place, this questionnaire was answered by saleswoman Ms. Kamiji.

BIT²

Kamiji, Sales

Accounting

Graphsaurus, Synthesaurus, Famicle Parodic

When they started putting all their efforts into the Turbo R and GT was when the MSX started sinking.

We still wanted to make MSX software, but since not many people were buying them anymore, we had to discontinue them.

Toshikazu Awano

While persistently providing software for the MSX, he also provided his invaluable insights on the MSX during the MSX Symposium (see our June 1991 issue). It seems he got into this world from the records industry, but has since be transferred into KOEI’s U.S. subsidiary and is now busy selling English versions of the Nobugana’s Ambition series for consoles.

Koei

Toshikazu Awano, Koei Corporation (of America)

Head of Sales

Nobunaga’s Ambition, Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Nobunaga’s Ambition II came out when I’ve joined the company and since it sold pretty well, it left me with a strong impression.

Our company used to sell MSX soft until very late, but when we discontinued them, we suddenly receiving porting requests from MSX users. Many of them were specifically middle and high schoolers with a strong sense of appreciation.

Tatsuo Matsuda

As someone who greatly loves the MSX beyond all else, he aspired to turn it into a machine that gives everyone the opportunity to bloom their talents. That is, even if you’re not rich or you live in a rural area, you should be able to use the MSX to awaken your hidden talent by creating CGI and music or get the opportunity to express yourself.

ASCII

Tatsuo Matsuda, Multimedia Department Promotion Manager

Promotion for MSX Sales

MSX

We have shipped over 4 million home computers to young people around the world, including Japan.

I want you to become smart Japanese people with unique personalities who could work around the world.

There are still many people using the MSX around the world. The MSX should be classified as a computer, not a game console. I’m very pleased that many people have learned about computers from this platform and have found employment through it.

Hitoshi Suzuki

Everyone who was involved with MSX has called him a genius. Without his genius, perhaps MSX wouldn’t had gotten such a good BASIC program. Nevertheless, he’s a truly wonderful person with a sense of humor who made Basic-kun as a side-project

Same as above.

Hitoshi Suzuki, Director of Digital System Division and Silicon Software Development

Listener to Mr. Matsuda’s complaints and causing uproars at parties.

I haven’t really done that much (Ed’s Note: He did a lot. Many of the programming for tools and systems used by the MSX were done by him.)

Yukiko Okada’s suicide haunted me. (Ed’s Note: At the time of her death, she was appearing in the advertising of a certain company.)

Our youth is a brief moment that only shines once. The memories that have gone through all of us at a rapid-pace will shine within me forever. And on my deathbed, I will utter “Em...Ess...Ex” as my last words.

There’s a huge mouse in Osaka. (Ed’s Note:It seems that the three main proponents of the MSX platform (Mr. Yamashita, Mr. Matsuda, Mr. Suzuki) once went to a business trip in Osaka. Nobody truly knows what happened there, but it seems that Mr. Matsuda was nicknamed Mr. Mouse after a certain incident. Don’t tell anyone, you meanie!)

Shingo Tamura

Mr. Tamura joined Sony at the midst of the audioboom. He was responsible for the famed live recording machine Densuke. Afterward, he became involved with the MSX and was in charge of the PalmTop. Even though Mr. Tamura is the section chief with a scary reputation, he’s actually a romantic who likes the stars, nature and soba noodles. We thought about what Sony means as a company with stuff such as sending mail through the internet in this day. Is it linked to their merchandising? We also wanted to emphasize the MSX’s side as a cool PC.

Sony

Shingo Murata, Planning and Development of Merchandising

Sales Chief of Planning and Development of Hardware, Software and Peripherals

The HB-55 was the first HiTBiT promoted by Saeko Matsuda. The HB-F1 was a budget-priced MSX2 computer that retailed at 32,800 yen. The HB-F1XD is an MSX2 with a floppy disk drive that retailed at 54,800 yen. In terms of games, there was The Wiz, which was perhaps a famed Sony original.

There was a software called Igo Club that was an online go game, and a Kanji Video Titler. There was also a BASIC-learning kit aimed at an industrial-level (after applying for the correspondence education, you would be sent an MSX with a handbook).

Every middle schooler who got their start on the MSX dreamed differently from Famicom owners. They could learn how to program or how to make a software run to their own accord. They continued in their creative endeavors now, even now as adults. If they can have home terminals like that in the 21st century, I think we can once again stir up some creativity. As long as people have dreams, we’ll embark on new challenges.

We tried to make and sell all kinds of products. The hardware is a business that really ought to make use of the software. With that in mind, we couldn’t make the DC machine (Ed’s note:a portable device) because the resolution was a bit overly optimistic and there were too many constraints. I would like to thank my subordinates, editor-in-chief Ms. Kitane and her staff, and my good friends at Sakurakai (Ed’s note: a liaison between multiple MSX hardware manufacturers that gathered once in every month, where they would improve on the good points, reflect on the bad ones and collaborate with each other. It was last held in May ‘95), even if they would normally be suspected of bid-rigging. And of course, everyone at ASCII. It was thanks to the MSX that I had a bond we all of the above people. And what would become of Mr. Kurami, our MSX historian at Sony who served as our walking encyclopedia? Thanks!

Naoya Kurami

Mr. Kurami is a delicate perfect fit for Sony’s corporate image. Everytime he received a call from our editorial department, he always winced momentarily whenever it was some kind of difficult call... Despite that, he seems to have what appears to be a poster of Saeko-chan...

Same as above.

Naoya Kurami, Vice Director of Planning and Development of Merchandising

Planning and Promotion of hardware, software and peripherals

Same as above

I don’t know if it can be said that its directly MSX-related, but do you know the stock-trading computer HB-T600 or the online go software Igo Club? Either way, studying stocks and studying go was a painful experience. And considering all that, the results were not quite good.

Well, for better or worse I spent the last ten years of my life working on the MSX. With this information now out on an MSX-related magazine, I feel a bit embarrassed. By the way, I own a train poster of Ms. Seiko Matsuda (advertising for our HiTBiT computers) as a souvenir from the past. I thought about selling it for a high price... I would like to thank all of editors at MSX-FAN and all of its readers. It’s been such a long time.

Hideaki Yagami

We, at the editorial staff, get the impression that the people at Matsushita are very serious and diligent. Both, their hardware and software are designed with the need to bring enjoyment to their users without betraying their expectations. Only Matsushita machines are strong against instantaneous blackouts and their PACs (Pana Amusement Cartridges) might had been a manifestation of that mentality. Under such circumstances, Mr. Yagami  (who is also skilled at skiing) was pretty good at gaining the trust of the software house (not just for the debugging meetings) and still is to this day.

Matsushita

Hideaki Yagami, Software Development Department of the Interactive Media Division

Development & Planning of Software at the Pana Amusement Production

The FS-5500F2 is famous for being the first MSX computer with 2 disk drives. The FS-A1 was a budget-pridced MSX2 that retailed 29,800 yen. The PACs were MSX cartridges containing S-RAM backup. Other products include the CF-XXX series, the FM-PAC, a Bowling System and an educational system aimed for Russia (that’s a secret)

The AshGuine series were a series of games starring the first character made by our company. We made the games all-night at the development site with the developers from the various companies involved to decide on the content of each game, their packaging and the posters.

When the MSX was brought to this world, a personal computer meant for the users something that could run the program they made, not just the packaged software they bought from a store. In today’s world, computers take many shape in order to support the needs of the world, but in spite of that it’s no longer easy to program by yourself, even if you own a PC. Even though PCs are becoming much closer to humans now, I can’t helped but feel a sense of nostalgia when the distance between them was more primitive, that is to say when a PC was just a programming tool. Back then the PC was the embodiment of a user’s dreams full of possibilities. It could be said that people who lived through the era when PCs were born are living witnesses of a valuable era that brought fruit to a trend of rapid creation and evolution. Keep those memories of freshness in mind and continue dreaming, seeking the possibilities of new challenges.

I wonder if there was any other unified effort between multiple home electronics manufacturers to promote a unified standard (MSX). MSX-FAN may have ended with this issue, but for the hardware manufacturers I think it was an era of everyone pursuing the dream of a single unified standard of PC. To all the companies that provided software, I’m truly grateful. I’m also grateful to Ms. Kitane and the rest of the editors of Tokuma for being there until the end. And finally, I would like to thank of all the MSX users who supported the platform.

Kazuaki Hiraga

Mr. Hiraga was suddenly put in charge of the MSX in a matter of months and became a familiar figure in ten years, leaving quite an impression. He has the personality you would expect. He plays Gekitotsu Pennant Race pretty well too. He also planned to lend out MSX computers to a culture festival. Thanks to that, he experienced a “ghost incident” in the Kanazawa Inn. At any rate, he held a mini-4WD competition to bring excitement to the event and played games with other users. In a sense, he was a familiar and energetic face to the MSX.

Same as above.

Kazuaki Hiraga, Software Development Department of the Interactive Media Division

As a member of the PAP, I’ve worked as a contact for various software providers and at the same time I was involved in the development of original software and peripherals (such as the PACs). I also planned  and managed nationwide events. I was Pana Amusement Club member no. 0001! By the way, the Amusement Club began business around the time Vampire Killer came out

Same as above.

At the beginning many hardware manufacturers created MSX machines, but in the end it became a fateful confrontation between Matsushita and Sony. Right now our Panasonic-branded products are selling quite well, especially our TVs and videos, but our no. 1 product in Japan is the “A1″. This symbolizes the magnitude of expectations that Matsushita applies to its products.

Looking at the current software industry, there are quite a few people who joined the industry from the MSX, so I feel it’s a big deal. in that sense, I appreciate all those people who are still passionate about the MSX and I’m eagerly awaiting even more people to become experts in the field of software development.

Thanks to the MSX, I have a nice family (ed’s note: Mr. Hiraga met his wife when she was the host of an MSX event. They now have a child together). It was also fun to go through various events nationwide and talk to representatives of software houses and magazines. Everyone gave it their best during the 4WD races in particular. (ed’s note:Mr. Naito of T&E Soft is known for using a turbo mode technique that connected batteries in a serial format.) One of the packaging illustrators for the AshGuine series was the now-famous Teppei Sasakura (who at the time was an unknown). Looking at the prices of Mr. Sasakura’s works recently, I tried to look for the original painting, but it’s nowhere to be found. Ah!

Masao Ito

Mr. Ito is an obliging person who planned out products he thought of while working on Matsushita’s hardware designs. If things are any indication, we believe he made the FM-PAC by embracing a headfirst approach. Within the people at Matsushita who supported the MSX until the end, Mr. Ito has been patiently answering various questions from our editorial staff up until this final issue.

Same as above.

Masao Ito, Planning and Selling of Foreign Software for the Interactive Media Division (I’m making 3DO stuff now).

First I worked on hardware designs. But then I acted as a jack-of-all-trades, examining the MSX standards at the same time. At the the end, I was responsible for product planning, as well as in charge of designing domestic and overseas systems.

Same as above

In Russia, I almost got arrested by the Moscow police one time after spending several consecutive nights bowling there.

The MSX was a cost-effective platform. It was useful in various ways if you knew how to use it well. While the MSX’s days are numbered, its ideal still remains true. The concept will surely be revived in the future (don’t hesitate to ask in which form).

I did quite a lot of things, but for some reason I am still an unknown in this industry. The PAC and FM-PAC cartridges were possible thanks to me! By the way, I’m still waiting to receive my own PAC and FM-PAC from the company.

Yuya Iwakiri

Mr. Iwakiri is a gentleman who organized many MSX events that gave us the chance to gather everyone. He supported up us until the end.

Same as above.

Yuya Iwakiri, Public Relations Department Editorial Department

As a professional, I’m a latecomer to the MSX when I was employed in 1989. In my private life, the first MSX computer I touched was a so-called King Kong word processor, which was a unique experience. Because I came from an advertising background, I focused on the planning and organizing of MSX fairs, where I involved in the creations of catalogs and advertisement (thinking about it though, the job was rather lonely since MSX-FAN was practically the only MSX-focused media remaining by that point), as well as the promotion and advertising of word processors (such as the UI series and the SLALA model).

Same as above.

For me, it’s perhaps the FS-A1GT, which ended up becoming the last MSX machine ever produced. The slight hopes of everyone who had an affection for the MSX, such as Ms. Kitagane, whom I have a strong rapport with, and the various celebrities (in every sense of the word) from all sorts of software house starting with Mr. Tanaka (director general of Micro Cabin), were gathered thanks  at the nationwide fairs thanks to this machine. Until the bitter end, there was hope for another model, hope for the uncertain future of the MSX... Even though I knew how it was going to end, I still couldn’t help but feel a sense of bitterness when it was over. It was like falling in love with someone you were forbidden to, like a feudal lord and a peasant or Romeo & Juliet...I thought about why I was given a job during such a moment.

There’s always one way or another to do things because of the mischief of the age. I don’t want to ponder any “what ifs”, “perhaps” and “if only”, but just like life, I still wonder if the MSX could ever return to the starting line... I’m sure everyone involved with the MSX is thinking this as well. In this age in which Microsoft is now threatening IBM’s grasp of the PC market, it would wonderful to imagine the MSX engine from Japan taking over the world.

My kids (ages 6 and 4) play all sorts of gaming platforms. The Game Boy, the Super Famicom and the 3DO. But they really like MSX games over everything else. Perhaps they inherited my preference and nostalgia for MSX games... DNA is quite a scary thing. Anyway, I’m truly grateful to all the MSX fans around the world! Until we’ll meet again.

Masayuki Takeuchi

“Study hard and play hard” is a saying that suits this person. That’s because studying and playing are truly above-average.

Same as above.

Masayuki Takeuchi, Interactive Media Division Software Development Department Promotion and Planning Section

Planning for advertising and sales promotion.

Same as above

Before PCs became widespread, we put out the first MSX word processor with a built-in printer, which was a pretty successful product. Another product we put out was the A1, a budget-priced MSX2 computer sold at 29,800 yen. In order to promote the A1 at the time, we did several publicity campaigns such as a truck that traveled all over the country and the advertising character AshGuine. They were pretty memorable ad campaigns.

I'm sorry that it’s over. However, I’m truly grateful that people still appreciate the MSX to this day.

There was a golf game from Hudson that was pretty popular where you could switch between a professional and amateur mode. There was also a shooting game called Zanac, in which I made a bet with another employee named S-kun, who offered me a yen for each point I made. He owes me 2.4 million.

Taro Sugimoto

Even though Panasonic has officially ceased advertising their MSX computers in our magazine, they continue to publish advertisement for their U1 word processors. Perhaps they did out of obligation, but I feel they cherish their users more than that. Some members of their MSX development team has since moved on to the 3DO, but they still demonstrate their power even in their word processors. Because my nickname among my seniors was also “Taro”, I would often ignore people calling me out during MSX events if they didn’t attach my surname.

Same as above.

Taro Sugimoto, I.T. Division Commercial Affairs

I was doing promotion and advertisement under Takeuchi, Iwakiri and Hiraga, all whom I’ve received regards individually. In particular I was in charge of the MSX game events that were held once in every season. Since I was employed by the sales and promotion department, I never got around to making my own product, but I did write a utility book for an A1 peripheral. As a freshman employee at the time, it was my first experience with a PC, so it was extremely memorable.

Same as above.

The above-mentioned event. While I still organize events nowadays, the MSX Festival was the basis for everything. I used to travel all around the country, ate various delicacies and became acquainted with various representatives of software publishers, including Ms. Kitane, all whom have become valuable assets to me. I still treasured the t-shirt and sweatshirt that were produced for those events.

I’m currently in charge of advertising and managing promotion for our word processors and MSX-FAN could help us out by published our ads in each issue... I think. I’m sorry.

While organizing an event in Osaka, there was lack of manpower, so I helped out while wearing a sweatshirt. I was already in my second year within the company and I ran into a college acquaintance at the venue and he asked me “you’re still working as a part-timer.” Anyway, please support our word processors.

Hideo Kojima

When one hears the name Konami, a mountain of memories pop up. Konami has been releasing software vigorously since the beginning of the MSX’s lifespan and they always had an amazing quality to them. We have wonderful memories of games such as the fun Antarctic Adventure and Space Manbow, which turned out to be a good game despite constant delays thanks to the commitment of the developers. It seems that Konami carries the philosophy during development that one has to observe games that are hits or duds, and understand why they sell or not. As a result, Konami has created the most splendid games in the world. In such circumstances, Mr. Kojima created a new kind of game with a scenario for the PC market that wouldn’t had been possible in an arcade environment.

Konami

Hideo Kojima, Development Section 5

Planning, writing, direction, and a few character designs

For Kojima: Metal Gear, Snatcher, Solid Snake. For Konami in general: the Nemesis series, the Knightmare trilogy, Yie-Ar Kung-Fu, Space Manbow, Penguin Adventure, The Goonies, and many more.

My most memorable project was the original Metal Gear. Back then I was a rookie who didn’t know to distinguish between his right and his left, so I didn’t know how to make a game at the time. I didn’t even know how to get assistance from people. I had no credibility as a planner (since my previous game proposal got rejected). I think it was pretty reckless of me to create a new type of game. I had nothing but enthusiasm to drive me.

With the MSX, there was a sense of “learning together” and “living together.” In particular, I was full of feelings that I shared with players during my youth. My game development career was never in the limelight, so I don’t know how much the sincere opinions of all my players have encouraged and supported me. Even now I’m still encouraged by the correspondences of players from those days. I think there’s some sort of coexistence that goes beyond the framework between a receiver and a sender.

Each year new talent enter the game industry. Among them are many people that choose this path by being inspired by the MSX. At the very the least they inherited a burning passion for the MSX. The users (receivers) and developers (senders) will always remember the “sensation” of that time. If they have “pride”, then I’m sure the game industry will move towards a good direction.

[bellringermal]

Micorom Fanfic (+MicolashXFauxsefka because things are hella complicated :P)

Takes place some months before the Mensis ritual. 

Translated from Italian & written last year. Enjoy ;]

Suddenly she was too close, but it was also too late.

He felt the woman’s lips pressing on the corner of his, her hands pulling him by the collar. A sigh, a laugh. “Relax. Yharnam is in your hands now.” As if that rotten town mattered something to him. He did not do it for power, to sit behind Laurence’s marble desk and look down at everyone else from the high balconies of Upper Cathedral Ward. He wanted not the idolatry of an ignorant crowd, the world itself was a relic of what it used to be, Yharnam was in ruins, a city no king nor vicar could be proud of anymore, especially not someone who like him could see what waited patiently on the other side.

Through the thin but impenetrable veil of material reality, the realm of the nightmare shaked wildly, calling his name through the trembling lips of young Caryll. Whatever the future had in store for him and the whole Mensis was not in the streets of Yharnam, it was not among the regressed citizens that haunted the alleys like a pack of rabid dogs. They were the devoluted deviation of the human race, those who will be left behind to kill and be killed like the animals they became. He and his followers were those who will go ahead, jump on top of the evolutionary chain and ascend. Mother Kos had shown him the way long ago, but her gift was wasted. It would not happened again, not now that a new infant was so close at hand… not now that the ritual was about to begin. Iosefka, or at least the woman who called herself so, nipped his jaw, still chuckling “Where is that little head of yours? Oh, what I would not give to see the world as you see it… the very thought makes me shudder. You’ll share your knowledge with me, won’t you not, Master Micolash?” “When the time comes.” He snapped, still stiff despite the blandishments of the false doctor who was now sitting on his lap and working hard to unbutton the scholar’s shirt and bowtie. “I’m sure it will be worth the wait. My colleagues… They did not have the slightest idea of the implication of their findings. They knew about Kos and about the effects of the brain fluid for so long and yet they never dared to… We are not like them. We are not afraid, Mensis fears nothing and no one.” “We? I never said you were one of us.” Hissed Micolash. “Not even if I’ll be a good girl? You know, if I want, I can be very, very good…” their lips met again and Micolash had to muster all his willpower to not respond at the intrusion of her tongue. Once he had youth, but now not even that could mitigate the disgust he felt for that pathetic shell of flesh and blood that was his body. Little more than a prison barely able to contain his thoughts and altogether unfit to put into practice their great complexity. One defective instrument, always there to remind him that despite all his knowledge and efforsts he was still just a human being, subject to hunger, pain and the weaknesses of the flesh. He hated feeling so unconfortable in his own skin, constricted in a earthly existence that didn’t fit the ambitions of his mind and unable to put to rest those beastly and low instincts that defined mankind. He hated the way his body reacted to the touch of that slut, how his hands clutched to her hips with desperate need and that he could not do anything to prevent it. When was the last time he had been with a woman? He couldn’t remember. He felt the grip of Iosefka’s hands on his shoulders, the touch of her smooth skin against his neck, but his mind was somewhere else. His wide-open eyes didn’t even see the woman clad in white above him. He felt like shattered, a few pieces of his psyche were driven into reality as splinters in the fingertips of a clumsy boy, others hurled at the star-filled firmament. He never had felt so disconnected as then. It was painful.

It was wrong, everything… All wrong.

Mother Kos… please … please, deliver me from this agony…

I was born a mortal… unclean, inferior, but have I not proven myself worthy of you? Deliver me from the idiocy and meanness of humanity, erase those desires that keep us away from greatness …

Kos… Mother mine!

I deny my own race, I’ll give up everything … everything…!

Suddenly, the pain ceased. It was a miracle, a truce or perhaps that double agent of the Choir had finally stuck a dagger in his heart? It did not matter, the silence was a pleasant company, the weightlessness a relief.

Then came a warmth, a familiar feeling that brought him back by twenty years, to the school that for so long had been his home, the voices in the hallways, the nights of intense and desperate study.

Her skin and hair felt so soft and warm as their foreheads pressed against each other as if to unite their minds into one. They had big dreams and expectations even then, oh yes, perhaps even bigger because of the fervor of youth. Their voices were lost in the gloom of the library accompanied by the rustle of pages, their fingers intertwined as they breathed in each other’s mouth. Carnality and intellect made complimentary, rather than polar opposites.

Rom … yes … yes, his Rom!

He would have listened to her for a thousand years, his back against the roof tiles and his star-lit eyes pointed to the skies. “Animis coelestis erant, corporis umbra iacet … ‘our minds were made for heaven, even if the body was lying on the ground’ … Sic itur ad astra…” He chuckled. He loved the way she frowned when a translation didn’t make sense to her.  “Then we go to the stars.” “Simul cum tibi?”  “I’m sure that that line is not in the manual … But yes, ‘with you’, my dear. Semper.” “Semper.”  (Author note: Always) The echo of that word dragged him down. He gasped like a drowned man, until his hands found the carved armrests of the chair. He caught his breath, barely aware of the voice of Iosefka and her gloved hands on his shoulders. …had he fallen asleep? Was that a vision? A memory..? “Are you… crying?” Micolash jumped up, pushing away the young woman in chuch attire “Hey, what’s got into you?!” “Go away.” He growled, hunched over the desk cluttered with papers, fists clenched against the table, his whole figure was shaking.  “Wha-” “I SAID GET OUT!” He roared, throwing the entire contents of a display of vials of blood and mercury on the floor while sheets of parchment and scribbled notes fluttered around like frightened birds. Iosefka needed not to be told twice and she closed the door behind her with a thud. But even so, it was impossible to ignore the sounds of breaking glass coming from inside. Micolash took his face in his blooded hands, his chest rose and fell frantically, tears running down his cheeks so abundant to made him blind.

Where Iosefka had touched him with her hands and tongue now burned as if he had been disfigured with acid. Micolash wanted to tear his skin away, clawing his own flesh to the bones, anything to erase those red markings on his neck. That wench! That Choir slut dared…! Dared to…!

Rom’s kisses came back to him, her big brown eyes, the words they spoke to each other in a soft voice as the night came to an end and the pale moon in the sky started to fade. Sunlight glimmered on the surface of the lake… that very lake that had become her prison, her entire world.

Rom, my little, stupid Rom! Even after all this time you’re still there, are you not? Hands that are no longer hands, lips that are no longer lips, but you’re still you! In that limbo out of time and away from everything, with just your children to keep you company… our …

The man stumbled and let himself slipping against the wall as the glass shards from the mirror he smashed into pieces with his bare hands get caught in the rim of his thick black cape.

…Our children.

I do not know if those… things…. really are what I fear them to be But I’ve always suspected it. Somehow, I always knew… Because I can still feel the shapes of your body against mine since that last night we spent together so… so long ago. I remember your touch as clear as that of Iosefka… how can you be more real than her, how can your memory be more vivid than the reality in which I wander and grow madder every day? Why, Rom?! Why did you do that?! Stupid, stupid!

He raised his eyes which had turned red from crying and meet his own reflection in the cracked mirror. The fragmented image that returned his gaze was that of a broken man of over fifty years, his hair graying, his lips tight and pale, his gaze as empty and lifeless as that of a puppet. A sob rose in his throat and transformed gradually into a crazy, high pitched laugh interrupted occasionally by choking breaths. “Oh Rom, my dearest friend! What a pair we are…! If you could see me now… would you laugh at me? Would you pity me? Me, a mortal man who’s growing older and weaker and you, a Goddess in your own right?”

[torontotravelblog]

THE CHEAPSKATE GUIDE TO: TORONTO

Toronto is sort of Canada's New York City ... so you 'd believe it 'd be expensive, would not you? Well it is! Type of. However if you're searching for Cheap Toronto, you're in luck! I drew in a neighborhood to offer us the low-down.

Hi! I'm Rebecca Esther. I blog regarding taking a trip with a special needs at TheSpoonInTheRoad.com. I've lived in Toronto all my life, and also I still can not get sufficient of exploring this city, finding brand-new things to do and also positions to go-- and eating as well as Instagramming as I go.

Toronto has something for everybody: Whether you're a background lover, a musician, or a shopaholic on a budget, this city is for you. Few places in the world resembled being as welcoming and modern.

The most heavily populated city in Canada, Toronto is likewise the 4th most populous city in The United States and Canada, after Mexico City, New York as well as LA. We have lots of green space, a well-connected public transit system consisting of a train, buses and trams, and also various walkable communities, so it's easy and enjoyable to navigate (specifically if you stay clear of rush hour). The New York Times named Toronto a leading travel destination for 2016. So what are you awaiting?

Reward: If you're visiting Canada from the United States, currently is the best time! The American dollar has a strong exchange rate, and also the weather here is stunning. It's ultimately beginning to feel like springtime.

CHEAP LODGING IN TORONTO

Sadly, Toronto can be really expensive-- practically on the same level with the similarity New York and also Washington, DC (particularly if you are going to from someplace apart from America). Most hotels cost upwards of $150 CAD/night ... But there are some means around that

HOUSE SIT-- FREE!

Envision staying in a spotless mansion on Millionaire's Row, or in a chic beachfront home-- without paying a penny! If you agree to do a little commit a couple of months ahead of time, and have the ability to deal with the homeowner's pets, plants and also residential or commercial property while they're away, housesitting might be the best opportunity for you.

Look into this housesitting overview to begin. (Note: most housesitting websites charge for a yearly membership, but housesitting itself is totally free).

AIRBNB-- $13+ CAD/NIGHT

Airbnb has lots of options, from sleeper sofa to whole provided homes, beginning at simply $13 CAD per night. Rates go up to over $500 CAD per night, so make sure to utilize the toggle on the left side of the page to pick your cost range.

And also if you have actually never ever used Airbnb previously, right here's a $40 debt in the direction of your very first reservation!

HOSTELS-- AROUND $25-40 CAD/NIGHT

Hostels are an excellent way to conserve cash on accommodations and meet brand-new individuals. You'll share a dorm room as well as restroom facilities with a few other individuals (often areas are divided by sex), basically dividing the cost for lodgings, as well as being in the ideal area to make fast close friends.

Below are a couple of highly rated hostels to begin your search with: All the times Hostel, College Backpackers, and HI Toronto Hostel.

THE BOND PLACE RESORT-- $105 CAD/NIGHT

If you can manage a bit of a splurge this boutique hotel in the heart of midtown Toronto (near dynamic Yonge and also Dundas Square and also the globe well-known Eaton Centre shopping center) is an incredible worth. The areas fit and also airy, as well as the beds are very soft. Just make certain you book at least a pair weeks beforehand. I've scored a room for $90 CAD by doing this!

CHEAP FOOD IN TORONTO

Being a top quality city of immigrants (our motto is "Variety Our Stamina"), you won't be tough pressed to locate scrumptious food from all over the world at a range of rate factors. Here are some of the best, most budget friendly choices:

HOSU DINER-- $8.50 CAD FOR A 10 PIECE SUSHI LUNCH

If you're a follower of Japanese and also Korean food, provide HoSu a shot. With two practical locations (one at Yonge & Eglinton as well as one on Queen Road West) as well as a scrumptious specials menu, you certainly will not leave hungry. If the sushi lunch doesn't attract you, try the Jab Chae (just $3.95 for a surprisingly hearty section) or Vegetarian Bibim Bap ($ 7.95 CAD).

STEELES PASTRY SHOP-- $3 CAD FOR AN SUBSTANTIAL LEMON DANISH OR BLUEBERRY BUN

I've been mosting likely to Steeles Pastry shop since I was a kid, as well as I can not withstand the huge, luscious pastries they've been offering since the 1960s. You'll likewise find Challah, fresh buns and also numerous varieties of cakes and cookies at this Jewish pastry shop.

BEAVERTAILS TORONTO-- $5.09 TO $6.52 CAD FOR AN GENUINE CANADIAN BEAVERTAIL

Unwind, relax ... A BeaverTail is a pastry formed like a beaver's tail. We would certainly never eat the adorable animal beautifying our nickels! This popular dough pastry is covered with toppings like cinnamon sugar, bananas and chocolate, or a decadent mix of hazelnut spread, peanut butter as well as Reese's Parts.

BeaverTails has actually been open in neighboring Ottawa because 1980, yet Toronto obtained its first irreversible area simply last month. It deserved the delay!

FALAFEL-- $5.49 CAD AT TOV LI

Tov Li is a kosher dining establishment concentrating on Israeli and also Mediterranean food. They're understood for having much healthier, vegan choices, consisting of an incredible falafel sandwich. The breaded cauliflower ($ 3.99 CAD) and apple crumble ($ 3.99 CAD) are likewise scrumptious. Two places (both on Bathurst St).

LOW-COST THINGS TO DO IN TORONTO

It's very possible to miss pricey as well as predictable attractions like the C.N. Tower, Canada's Paradise as well as the Toronto Zoo, as well as not also miss them, thanks to the extraordinary free and super affordable tasks Toronto needs to supply. And hi, with all the cash you conserve, you'll be able to pay for some Justin Bieber merch, a massive jug of syrup, or a Maple Leafs jacket (all proudly Ontarian!).

KENSINGTON MARKET-- FREE

Among the most multicultural and also distinctive neighbourhoods in Toronto, Kensington is a National Historic Website of Canada. The neighbourhood is house to unusual cafes as well as eclectic vintage as well as independent stores. Browse Blue Banana for budget-friendly and also unforgettable gifts as well as uniqueness, as well as Guts My Love for one-of-a-kind vintage things.

The many markets and also bakeshops in the neighbourhood (as well as close-by Chinatown) are extremely vibrant and Instagrammable, and are best for grabbing a piece of pie, fresh fruit or a Jamaican patty.

THE ROM-- $10 CAD ON FRIDAY AFTERNOONS

Dinosaurs. Old Egypt. A simulated bat cave. The Royal Ontario Gallery is seriously riveting. Any person who matured in southerly Ontario most likely saw the ROM on an institution trip or a family getaway, and covertly (or not!) locates it equally as enchanting as well as immersive as a grownup. This is not your common, stale gallery. You'll discover, as well as you'll have a wicked amazing time doing it.

THE DISTILLERY AREA-- FREE

The Distillery District is home to the biggest and best-preserved collection of Victorian commercial design in The United States and Canada. The pedestrian-friendly location is home to art galleries, cute cafes, shops as well as art setups. My much-loved way to spend a day in the District is taking pleasure in a cupcake at Sugary food Escape, checking out a couple boutiques, and also walking outside, taking in the art and also design. I have actually seen lots of times, however never ever tire of it.

EARL BALES PARK-- FREE

Obtainable by regional bus, this urban green space is perfect for outdoorsy kinds, or anybody that just desires a break from the hustle and bustle. The park supplies barbecue sites, play areas and also numerous strolling and also cycling routes. In the summer season there's a splash pad, as well as in winter, you can even go skiing or snowboarding!

WEST QUEEN WEST-- FREE

In 2014, Vogue placed Toronto's West Queen West the 2nd coolest area on the planet. Lonesome Earth calls it "Toronto's innovative heart". Residence to galleries, stores and cafes, it's clear to see why citizens and also visitors alike jump on the Queen tram to spend their days right here.

Be sure to quit at Dufflet (787 Queen St West) for coffee as well as a fresh bread, Graffiti Street to have a look at street art, as well as the Drake General Store (1144 Queen St West) to browse unusual Canadian made souvenirs.

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