The MSX dungeon crawler Deep Dungeon is out now on Switch

D4 Enterprise has released the MSX version of Deep Dungeon: Madou Senki on the Nintendo Switch. The 1988 first-person dungeon crawler is available on the eShop starting today, May 7, as part of the EGG Console lineup.

Deep Dungeon was originally developed by Humming Bird Soft and published by Square in 1986 for the Famicom Disk System. It was an early attempt to bring the mechanics of Western PC games like Wizardry and Ultima to Japanese home consoles. The MSX version followed in 1988. D4 Enterprise acquired the rights to the Humming Bird Soft catalog years ago and is now bringing this specific microcomputer version to modern hardware. The MSX hardware had its own distinct color palette and audio capabilities. This gives the port a different feel compared to the Nintendo release.

Graph paper not included

The premise is straightforward. Monsters have raided the peaceful town of Dorl and stolen the soul of Princess Etna. You play as a nameless adventurer who must descend into a multi-tiered underground labyrinth to rescue her. The game uses a first-person perspective with 3D wireframe-style corridors that look nearly identical in every direction. There is no automap system. You will need to draw your own maps on physical paper to track your location and find the stairs to the next floor.

Combat is completely turn-based. Unlike Wizardry, you do not manage a large party of adventurers. You control a single character. Battles trigger randomly as you walk through the dungeon and bring up a simple text menu. You can choose to attack, use items, examine the area, or attempt to run away. There are no complex skill trees or elaborate party synergies to fall back on. Progression requires heavy grinding. You have to pace your exploration carefully. This means fighting enemies near the entrance to build up your attack power and health points before venturing deeper into the maze.

The EGG Console additions

D4 Enterprise launched the EGG Console project to make obscure Japanese computer games accessible on the Switch. The service bypasses the subscription model used by their PC storefront, Project EGG, and sells each game as a standalone purchase. The lineup focuses heavily on the MSX, PC-8801, and PC-9801 platforms, which rarely saw releases outside of Japan.

This Switch release runs the original MSX code through an emulator wrapper. It includes a few modern conveniences to make the 1988 software slightly more approachable. You can use save states to record your progress anywhere in the dungeon. The application also has display filters to simulate vintage hardware. Players can stick to the original color palette or apply a green monochrome filter to mimic an old CRT monitor.

The game has not been localized. All menus, combat logs, and town interactions are entirely in Japanese. Deep Dungeon is a punishing game from a time when RPGs demanded total commitment from the player. It requires a lot of patience, a tolerance for random encounters, and a stack of blank paper to actually finish.