Can I use PAL software on an NTSC MSX (or vice versa)?
Yes, you can. MSX software is not specific to PAL or NTSC (it’s not on the box either), except when the maker specifically checks for it. I know one case, which is the Japanese Metal Gear, which does not run (on purpose) on European MSX machines. For the rest, no worries. There are a few differences, though: if the NTSC machine is Japanese, your European (“PAL”) game may suddenly display a Japanese intro screen (for some Konami games). Also, the speed may be different, as many games run on the interrupt frequency, which is 50Hz for (most) PAL and 60Hz for NTSC (Japanese) machines. So, a Japanese game (“NTSC”) on a European (“PAL”) machine may run a bit slower than the authors intended and vice versa. Some Japanese games may change the interrupt frequency to 60Hz on your European MSX. If you have a monitor connected which cannot handle that, you’re screwed. It remains PAL, by the way, but it’s just 60Hz.
