MSX Illusion City (English)

[RageBurner]

English translation of the MSX Turbo R RPG Illusion City.

Author(s): MSX Translations
Type: Translation
Version: 1.0
Date: 13th of September, 2025
Status: Complete
Source: https://www.msxtranslations.com/ic.php

RB's Notes 1: Originally the game came in 8 floppies, which meant slow area transitions, constant disk swapping and all the terrible woes that came with the limitations inherent to that format. Thanks to the amazing work of the translation team and using the suite of tools they created, the 8 floppies were consolidated into a much easier to use single .rom file, just load that and go. That said, the floppy format is availiable for those that need it.

RB's Notes 2: MSX games require a formatted floppy disk (virtual floppy disk image in the case of emulators) to enable the player to save the game, working akin to a memory card. Make sure to insert the supplied disk image along with the game cartridge in their appropriate slots. When saving and loading, select "User Disk" in game.

RB's Notes 3: The large filesize is due to the archive including the manual and extras documentation, translated by MSX Translations as well.

RB's Notes 4: The game requires the MSX Turbo R specifically, it will not work otherwise. Also, some MSX emulators do not detect the game's memory mapper correctly. It needs to be set to ASCII 16 for the game to boot correctly.

​

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• Illusion City (English)
• -

 

[CanicheSlayer]

The task wasn't so easy, but I successfully launched "Illusion City" with the BlueMSX core on RetroArch. Thanks to the various comments that showed me the right path...

 

[gamecomrade]

I've got everything working smoothly apart from the command line. Is there any way to add that within Retroarch, or do you have to create a shortcut?

Sadly, I never found a way to do it from within Retroarch. A shortcut or a .bat file could do it:
Retroarch.exe -L bluemsx_libretro.dll "ROM full path" "DSK full path"

That's the best I could come up with.

 

[vokopof371]

No shit! Thanks man!
Had to update BlueMSX core to the latest one (though I was pretty sure I already had it?). Must select TurboR as not even MSX2+ works for this.

...Now if only I could figure out a way to launch both, a ROM and a disk image in Retroarch Actually, scratch that - if you put ROM then disk image into command line, it launches with both attached. Not the other way around though, and can't put them into an m3u.

I've got everything working smoothly apart from the command line. Is there any way to add that within Retroarch, or do you have to create a shortcut?

 

[gamecomrade]

This is what I did. Place rom+file in a folder in my msxrtubo rom folder. I opened BlueMSX core in Retroarch, went to core options. Changed system type to "msxturbor" instead of auto and then cart mapper to "ascii16". Booted past loading screen to the game and I got IG.Hope that helps!

No shit! Thanks man!
Had to update BlueMSX core to the latest one (though I was pretty sure I already had it?). Must select TurboR as not even MSX2+ works for this.

...Now if only I could figure out a way to launch both, a ROM and a disk image in Retroarch Actually, scratch that - if you put ROM then disk image into command line, it launches with both attached. Not the other way around though, and can't put them into an m3u.

 

[MadGamer]

Sadly, I couldn't make it to work on the standalone fMSX emulator...

Ok my bad, the fMSX emulator for PC does not support the MSX Turbo-R Games need another emulator for this one like openMSX and blueMSX that are capable.

 

[David Blue]

Maybe i should play this

You should. It's msx turbo r best game

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 3:59 PM

How do you set it up, given that the msx emu did not load it up despite having the rom and the data disks, teach me how to emulate the turbo R games

You need the msx Roms

 

[MillionGhosts]

have it working right now with ASCII 16 mapper and TurboR. you have to eject and re-insert the rom after switching those settings or it'll default back to autodetect and won't boot

e: standalone BlueMSX

 

[rwvessol]

Trying to run this in the BlueMSX core on Retroarch, the furthest I've been able to get is the loading screen others got to with the man shooting a monster. To even get to boot to that I had to go into core options and change cart mapper to ASCII16. Could be an emulator issue? I was able to get the floppies to load in the non merged version (though I wasn't able to switch floppiest without BlueMSX crashing).

Edit: I got it to work on my steamdeck!

This is what I did. Place rom+file in a folder in my msxrtubo rom folder. I opened BlueMSX core in Retroarch, went to core options. Changed system type to "msxturbor" instead of auto and then cart mapper to "ascii16". Booted past loading screen to the game and I got IG.Hope that helps!

 

[sama_lton]

Big ups to everything trying to troubleshoot getting this one working. Hopefully the suggestions work when I get around to playing it. This game's been a very strong curiosity for me for a while.

I'd be awesome if more MSX, PC-88, PC-98, FM Towns and X68000 games got English translations!

 

[BananaJane]

It doesn't work

 

[MillionGhosts]

seems to work in TurboR, MSX2+ gets the black screen after the intro splash

 

[The_Real_Thing]

That got it running, thanks @Nappy2.


Also worth mentioning to not use 'TurboR' under Emulation options, as it won't work (or maybe it does with other options and I just suck at MSX, because I do heh). MSXturboR runs this and Metal Gear 1 and 2, so rolling with it.

Been sitting with the converted ROM on my desktop for days trying to get it running lol.

 

[MadGamer]

Sadly, I couldn't make it to work on the standalone fMSX emulator...

 

[blodia20]

Sadly I could not play it in my fmsx2 emulator on 3DS! I am allways up to a portable experience that I could play when I took trips. Great game nontheless! I am happy to being able to play SD Snatcher and I hope in the future the working in progress Burai may be able to be played in this emulator as it is my most antecipated game on MSX!!

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 2:23 PM

No matter what emulator or config I use, the furthest I can get is the loading screen of the guy popping a cap in a monster, after that - black screen forever. Tried Retroarch with both fMSX and BlueMSX cores, stand-alone BlueMSX, and OpenMSX. In every case I'd set it to an MSX2+ machine and ASCII16 cartridge. Please help

That is exactly the same thing that happen to me. Which may mean that the emulator can't play the game.

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 2:25 PM

I am under the assumption that floppy disks are the way to go on these emulators. As oddly as it may seem...

 

[gamecomrade]

No matter what emulator or config I use, the furthest I can get is the loading screen of the guy popping a cap in a monster, after that - black screen forever. Tried Retroarch with both fMSX and BlueMSX cores, stand-alone BlueMSX, and OpenMSX. In every case I'd set it to an MSX2+ machine and ASCII16 cartridge. Please help

 

[Nappy2]

how do you do the ascii 16 thing, using bluemsx

Options -> Files -> change "Default ROM Type" dropdown menu choose "ASCII 16" -> then reinsert the rom file (Don't choose using the recent list, it will using default previous mapper)

 

[Alice Yuri]

how do you do the ascii 16 thing, using bluemsx

 

[Hikaru1057]

Whoooaaa!! This is epic. I've been waiting for this for so long. Back then disk 8 was left in Japanese. Now it's fully translated and all disks merged into one. Another accolades. Absolute hidden gem.
Thank you so much for this.
Android users can play this game easily with app msx.emu, since retroarch didn't really optimized for msx emulation.
Cheers!

How do you set it up, given that the msx emu did not load it up despite having the rom and the data disks, teach me how to emulate the turbo R games

 

[Toppis Toppis]

Maybe i should play this

 

[Bonkers225]

"The large file size....."

69.5MB.


We've sure came a long way.......

In comparison, your average SNES/Genesis games are around 1-3mb. Genesis biggest game PSIV, is less than 3mb, and FFIII(6) on the SNES, is less than 3mb as well.

 

[lordlad]

"The large file size....."

69.5MB.


We've sure came a long way.......

 

[David Blue]

Whoooaaa!! This is epic. I've been waiting for this for so long. Back then disk 8 was left in Japanese. Now it's fully translated and all disks merged into one. Another accolades. Absolute hidden gem.
Thank you so much for this.
Android users can play this game easily with app msx.emu, since retroarch didn't really optimized for msx emulation.
Cheers!