X1



When it came down to games, Sharp ruled! The X1 was released by Sharp after the MZ series, and different from other computers of the time it didn't have an embedded BASIC (which had to be load from a cassette tape). This meant it had free RAM, so you could put your favorite tape and it would load automatically! It received upgrades in the form of the X1 Turbo and X1 Turbo-Z, which added even more power for an already powerful machine. Like other computer systems of the era though, it also can sometimes be a little slow to load at times, particularly regarding multiple disks. This seems to vary per game, as some start quickly while others take a few seconds to set everything up. As long as you're patient during those occasional games, you should still find this machine enjoyable. Similar to the MSX though, the scrolling can be a bit choppy, so some arcade games and ports don't work as well as you'd hope.