Sharp MZ

Sharp – when the brand is not enough

The Sharp MZ series computers were designed by Japanese electronics giant Sharp Corporation in the 1970s and 1980s. The series was developed primarily by Sharp’s Consumer Electronics Division, and more specifically by Sharp’s Business Computer Division, which focused on the design and production of microcomputers. Sharp’s MZ model series was launched in 1978 with the MZ-80K model, which was initially available as a kit in Japan and later as a ready-made assembly in Europe. The name “MZ” refers to “Microcomputer Z80,” referring to the Zilog Z80 processor used. The MZ-80K combined a display, keyboard, and cassette tape recorder into a single unit, making it compact and user-friendly. The MZ series computers did not include an operating system or programming language in ROM memory, but were loaded separately from a cassette. This “clean” design gave users freedom of choice in terms of software. Although the MZ series was not primarily a gaming platform, several games were developed for it that took advantage of the machines’ capabilities. For example, games such as Wizard’s Castle, Suicide Run, and Space Fighter were available for the MZ-700 model. Several games were also released for the MZ-800 model, and a total of 71 video games have been documented for the MZ-80K/700/800/1500 models, released between 1980 and 2023.