More free MSX games headed to iOS: Guardic and Yokai Tanken Chima Chima coming this August

By , on August 7, 2014

A couple of days back I highlighted the excellent port of Zanac by D4 Entertainment, then went hands-on with it to show you how it plays, and subsequently had a moan on Twitter that more cult classics don't get the same level of treatment when they're ported.

Clearly D4 Entertainment is in agreement with me, because after blowing me away with how it handled Zanac - which features new control schemes, a sleek conversion, and is ostensibly free - the company is doing the same with other MSX games.

Shmup enthusiasts will be able to get their hands on Compile's experimental shooter Guardic, that does away with linear stages and allows you to pick your own path through the game. It has controller support, with optimisation for SteelSeries Stratus, will run on a 3GS or better, and is free (with ads).

But if you're after something truly exotic, Yokai Tanken Chima Chima by Bothtec will also be getting a re-release, and a slight name change to Chima Chima MSX. Yokai Tanken Chima Chima is a maze game from 1985 that's set in a graveyard and has you defeating the monsters that lurk there. It's never received a Western release, as far as I can tell, making it a rare treat for English-speaking gamers. What's more it'll also be free and work on almost any iOS device you throw at it.

We've been told by D4 Entertainment that both games are set to be released in August of this year.

Are there any MSX games you'd like to see given a new lease of life on mobiles? Let us know in the comments.