Master System better than the Nes & 7800

[8bitdude]

Even though in the US, every friend that I know of who had a chance to play Sega Master System in my home as a child, all ways complained about the parents buying them a Nes.

Don't get me wrong I played Nintendo plenty of times at their houses, but I never thought that the Nes was better.

Yes it was harder to find games, but untill I got older I never knew it was hard to find them, because my folks bought many Master System games.

Everygame that you could think of being great for the Nes, the Master System had something greater in my opinion and many of my friends, who owned Nintendo's, thought the same.

They couldn't stop playing these games
Outrun
Space Harrier
Space Harrier 3-D
Action Fighter
After Burner
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Choplifter
Aztec Adventure
R-Type
Zillion (This beats Metroid in my book)
Rambo Pt 2
Phantasy Star
Alien Syndrome
Zaxxon 3-D
Psycho Fox
Maze Hunter 3-D
Hang On
Kings Quest
Kenseiden
Shinobi
Spellcaster
Double Dragon (best out of Nes & 7800 versions)
Wonderboy 3 Dragons Trap
Wonderboy in Monster Land
Altered Beast
Golden Axe
Golden Axe Warrior
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (beats SMB2)
Sonic the Hedghog (best 8 bit platformer game) (yes even better then SMB3)
Reggie Jackson Baseball
Rocky
Joe Montana Football
MM- Castle of Illusion
YS- Vanished Omens
and many others

and Nes/SMS comparison games

Ghostbusters- Master System wins (nes version is just ugly)
Double Dragon- Master System wins (only way you didn't like it, was you didn't like the arcade version, and you liked the game looking dull.)
California Games- Master System wins
Ninja Gaiden (Nes series), is no where near PAL SMS Ninja Gaiden- Master System wins
Choplifter - MAN MAN- got to be the Master System


also over seas


Battletoads (beats the Nes Version)
Masters of Darkness
Prince of Persia
Sonic 2
Sonic Choas
Newzealand Story
Ninja Gaiden (major improvement over Nes releases)
Donald Duck- Luck Dime Caper
Aladdin- (one of the best looking 8 bit games)
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage 2
Mortal Kombat
Street Fighter 2 (largest 8-bit cart (8meg)) plays lot better than them Nes Hacks

Theres a lot more but anyway you US guys do not give justice to the Master System it is by far a great console and I have said this from day one 1986.

Is there anybody else in the US that feels that the Master System was the 8 bit system you played more?


Even Safari Hunt , had an edge on Duck Hunt

[XYXZYZ]

I also feel that the Master System deserves more acknowledgement that it gets. Most people don't know Master System very well in the US because at that time Nintendo had a strong grip on the video game industry, and they far out marketed Sega's platform. They also bullied it right out of the ring by telling retailers not to sell Master System if they wanted to sell Nintendo as well. (Nintendo was where the big money was, so retailers dumped Sega like a rock) And they also forbid the thrid party developers from making Master System games. (Again, Nintendo was where the money was so they happily obliged) It'd be nice to see what the Master System could have been if it had more support.

However, I have to disagree with you on some of those game comparisons. Double Dragon was just an inferior mock-up of the arcade game and the play control was ass. The NES Double Dragon may have had less colors, but the gameplay was nice and solid and they knew they couldn't accurately reproduce the arcade game, so they created something new that was a great game on it's own rather than just an inferior arcade port. And Ninja Gaiden on the SMS was a nice platformer, but forgettable for the most part. The NES Ninja Gaiden's rock-solid play control, great story told through cinema scenes and awsome music made it soar above other incarnations of the game. That was the full meal deal, man.

Anyway, it's nice to see love for the Sega Master System, I need to look into it more myself. (I own one, but hardly any games!)

[Emuaust]

Well every older Pal gamer knows the SMS was the better console.
Oh and Kamino, he loves his nes but the SMS was his consoles of choice.

[diskoboy]

As an American gamer - where Sega was nearly a speck of dust, drowning in the ocean that was Nintendo...

I'm gonna hafta agree with that statement.

I really never wanted a 7800. I was done with Atari after the 2600. I owned an SMS and NES. My NES collected dust, while my SMS got all kinds of attention.

The Master System had really unique games. Plus I was a huge fan of their arcade games, at the time. For an 8-bit machine, it pulled off Space Harrier, and a few of Sega's System 16 games off, quite well.

The Segascope 3-D games, and the flawless translation of R-Type had me won over, more than anything else.

[Graham Mitchell]

I used to agree with your sentiments, 8-bit dude. But my criteria for identifying classic games is how well they stand up over time. In my subjective opinion, the NES library has, for the most part, aged better than the SMS library. Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of great SMS games, and the games loooked better in screenshots and stills. But a lot of them look horrible in motion. If I remember, Double Dragon was pretty choppy and controlled poorly. In fact, almost anything after the first slew of SMS games look horrible in motion. Rastan looks particularly ugly these days.

I think the majority of SMS games were also pretty devoid of depth, which keeps them from being interesting today. (World Grand Prix is one of the driest games I can remember ever playing.) There are a few that really do hold up, but for me, nothing on the SMS touches the grandeur that is the Guardian Legend, Legacy of the Wizard, Metroid, Crystalis, Iron Tank, Kid Icarus, Solar Jetman, Maniac Mansion, Princess Tomato and the Salad Kingdom, Deja Vu...the list goes on. SMS only has a small handful of games of this caliber. Just my opinion.

[kedawa]

The SMS was technically superior, there's no doubt about it, but the NES has such a huge library of games that chances are the best game in any given genre would be on NES. It's true that the SMS has a counterpart for pretty much every great NES game, but the NES has at least a dozen for every great SMS game.
The SMS has the breadth of the NES library, but not the depth.

[robo3355]

I used to agree with your sentiments, 8-bit dude. But my criteria for identifying classic games is how well they stand up over time. In my subjective opinion, the NES library has, for the most part, aged better than the SMS library. Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of great SMS games, and the games loooked better in screenshots and stills. But a lot of them look horrible in motion. If I remember, Double Dragon was pretty choppy and controlled poorly. In fact, almost anything after the first slew of SMS games look horrible in motion. Rastan looks particularly ugly these days.

I think the majority of SMS games were also pretty devoid of depth, which keeps them from being interesting today. (World Grand Prix is one of the driest games I can remember ever playing.) There are a few that really do hold up, but for me, nothing on the SMS touches the grandeur that is the Guardian Legend, Legacy of the Wizard, Metroid, Crystalis, Iron Tank, Kid Icarus, Solar Jetman, Maniac Mansion, Princess Tomato and the Salad Kingdom, Deja Vu...the list goes on. SMS only has a small handful of games of this caliber. Just my opinion.

I don't really agree with this, I don't know when you got into SMS gaming, but for most people, their start with the SMS was probably in the late nineties and on from there. You can't really consider something a childhood classic unless you grew up with it. This really isn't a definitive situation as it's all opinion based.

With that said,

I find the SMS to be a graphical powerhouse compared to the nes games of the same time. The music for the most part on the SMS is pretty weak compared to the NES. My gripe with the system is the controllers are definately the weakest factor, the round control pad, and the cord annoyingly coming out of the side instead of the top is questionable, even to an 8 year old. There were variants of the controllers, so I'm mainly ragging on mine. I also remember getting the joysticks for the system, another mistake. They were so top heavy and awkward that you had to vice them with your legs to make the controller somewhat usable. On top of that, the joystick was left handed for some reason...??

With the games, I find the sega arcade ports to be alot better then the NES versions, such as Alien Syndrome. I can't really compare the games that aren't similar though. The Ninja Gaiden debate is like comparing sheet rock to a river, they're entirely different.

Finally,

As a total side by side comparison (at least for me) in 2007 I still own my NES, and I sold my SMS along with 50 games in 2003. What does that tell you?

[Neo Rasa]

As a US resident I gotta say I feel like I really missed out as a kid. I just got a Master System for the first time about a month ago (during a DP NAVA no less) and I'm very impressed. You can kind of tell though that while the system has more power, the developers didn't have the overall time or skill possessed by the big guys that got roped into developing just for the NES like Konami.

I do agree with the sentiment that the majority of SMS games have less depth than the myriad adventure and RPG titles found on the NES, but that's forgivable. I don't exactly keep my Neo Geo plugged in for its array of turn based strategy games either.

[TheRedEye]

I'm going to give myself thirty seconds to type as many reasons why the NES is better than the master system as I can. Ready? GO!

Mega Man Castlevania Final Fantasy (and other RPGs for chrissake) Super Mario Tetris Zelda River City Ransom TMNT

[Kevincal]

Uh...NES is better imo. Now...GENESIS is equal or better to NES... SNES vs. Genesis, I call equal.

[Graham Mitchell]

@ rob3355: I bought an SMS in 1989 after owning a NES for 2 years. At the time I loved the SMS (still do), and really felt it was totally superior. But nowadays I find myself giving many SMS games 5 minutes before switching to something else, while NES games hold my attention better. Strange, but true.

[8bitdude]

Do be honest the Master Systems library was not small at all and yall need to quit acting like the Master System was a failer. Who cares about just here in the US, where in Europe, Australia, Brazil and others it really blew the Nes out the water.

And as far as longevity, the Master System had it, the Nes games were to easy compared to Master System games.

Does the Nes have alot of quality games like this

Action Fighter
After Burner
Air Rescue
Aladdin
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Alex kidd in Shinobi World
Alien Syndrome
Altered Beast
Assault City
Asterix
Asterix and the Great Rescue
Asterix and the Secret Mission
Astro Warrior
Aztec Adventure
Bank Panic
Battle Outrun
Battlemaniacs (looks and plays better than Nes Version)
Bomber Raid
Bram Stokers Dracula
California Games (again better than the Nes Version)
California Games 2
Captain Silver
Castle of Illusion (looks and plays like a 16 bit game)
Choplifter (kills 7800 & Nes versions)
Cloud Master
Columns
Cyber Shinobi
Daffy Duck in Hollywood
Dead Angle
Desert Strike
Double Dragon
Dragon Crystal
Dynamite Duke
Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco the Tides of Time
Enduro Racer
E-SWat
Fantasy Zone
Fantasy Zone 2
Forgotten Worlds
Galaxy Force
Gangster Town ( Oh we had great light phaser games on our 8bit system)
Gauntlet (best 8 bit Gauntlet)
George Foreman's KO Boxing
Ghost House
Ghouls N Ghost ( beats Ghost N Goblins for the Nes)
Golden Axe
Golden Axe Warrior (will not put this over Zelda there a tie, but GAW has better graphics in my opinion and is just as fun)
Golvellius Valley of Doom (another great RPG)
GP Rider
Great Baseball( even though early game, I loved it)
Hang On
James Bond 007 The Duel
Joe Montana Football
Jungle Book
Jurassic Park
Kenseiden ( this is a game, to why I love my Master System)
Kings Quest (classic pc rpg)
Land of Illusion (great graphics, sound , gameplay)
Lord of the Sword
Lucky Dime Caper (great graphics, sound, gameplay)
Master of Darkness ( 16 bit Castlevania)
Masters of Combat
Maze Hunter 3D
Mercs
Micheal Jackson Moonwalker (great graphics and gameplay)
Miracle Warriors
Mortal Kombat (beats Nes Hacks)
Mortal Kombat 2 (beats Nes Hacks)
Newzealand Story
Ninja Gaiden
Out Run
Out Run 3D
Out Run Europa
Parlour Games
Penguin Land
PGA Tour Golf
Phantasy Star (best 8 bit RPG)
Populous
Poseidon Wars 3D
Power Strike 2
Prince of Persia ( Man this game runs like 16 bit) (kills the Nes version)
Psycho Fox ( Another amazing platformer)
Quartet
Rainbow Islands
Rambo First Blood Pt 2
Rambo 3
Rampage (best Rampage out of Nes and 7800)
Rastan
Reggie Jackson Baseball (great graphics, control and gameplay)
Renegade
Rocky
R-Type (plays and looks like a 16 bit game)
Shadow Dancer
Shadow of the Beast
Shanghai
Shinobi
Slap Shot
Sonic the Hedgehog ( I had friends who actualy liked this game better than SMW for the SNES)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ( not better than the first, but was still a great platformer)
Sonic Chaos (another good Sonic game for our beloved SMS)
Space Harrier (blew my friends away when they saw this running and that digitized sound) Man!!
Space Harrier 3D (also a great game, real 3d games)
Spellcaster
Spider Man (awsome graphics and gameplay)
Spider Man Return of Sinister Six ( also great graphics and gameplay)
Spy Vs Spy (beats the Nes version)
Star Wars (beats the Nes version)
Street Fighter 2 (the largest 8bit cart)
Streets of Rage ( will beat any fighting game you can think of on the Nes)
Streets of Rage 2 ( great but not better than SOR1)
Strider 2 ( the first strider for the SMS, had bad gameplay, but this one fixed all of that, great game)
Summer Games
Super Monaco GP
Super Tennis (used to love this game)
Taito Chase HQ
Taz Mania
Teddy Boy
Thunder Blade
Ulitma IV (another great RPG)
Vigilante
Walter Payton Football
Wanted ( another good light phaser game)
Wimbledon 2
Winter Olyimpics
Wonder Boy
Wonder Boy in Monster Land
Wonder Boy 3 Dragons Trap ( Amazing game)
World Cup USA 94'
YS the vanished omens (another great RPG)
Zaxxon 3D (best Zaxxon game)
Zillion ( one of my all time favorite games) Zillion had many differences than Metroid, and to me it will always be better in my book. Great sound and amazing graphics, at that time.
Zillion 2 (different game, but great shooter)


Anyway there are alot more games for the SMS, but can you name a list better than this from the Nes?

I can't lie I will always have its back, because in my opinion the Master System is the greatest 8 bit, I love the 7800, and I love the Nes, but the Master System was the best in my book. The US gamers might never realize this, but I will always promote, just like my house promoted for gamers back in the day, when I was a child.

[CosmicMonkey]

GameGear > Master System (as long as you're sat next to a power outlet and have an AC adaptor).

Now I've thrown that in there, I'll let you guys carry on...

GG Shinobi FTW

[8bitdude]

Master System versions were better than the ones on the Game Gear.

Just like Sonic 1 really doesn't have justice, unless its played on the Master System.

Just like Mega Man wasn't as good on Game Boy as it was on the Nes.

All im trying to get to people's heads is that the Master System is clearly a winner to many.

[Gentlegamer]

Does the Nes have alot of quality games like this

Yes . . . and then some.

[Graham Mitchell]

Hey, man. You asked our opinion and we're giving it to you.

I actually prefer the NES version of Gauntlet because of the new exploration elements, a password feature, and an ending. I get bored with the SMS version pretty fast. It's not much better than 7800 Dark Chambers.

And I don't remember SMS California Games being much to write home about after playing the Rare-developed NES version (which is gorgeous for an NES game. It's developed by Rare, so of course it is.)

That said, I ain't hatin' on the SMS. I love Zillion and Spellcaster and the Dragon's Trap and Phantasy Star and all those games like I always have. I've just noticed that, lately, I like the NES better.

[8bitdude]

Graham if you experienced the Master System to the fullest, then your opinon is clear.

There are some big Nes fans on this site, and I can see that. Thats good.

Master System will never get the slide up in here.

Well as long as yall don't bash my system, like yall bash the 7800, we cool.

Oh and what are some good 7800 games to get into, being that I really havent played this system.
but I have heard great things about Commando and Desert Falcon.

If anything 8 bit gaming was the best.

[TurboGenesis]

First and formost I "grew up" with the Sega Master System AND Nintendo Entertainment System - I am 31 years of age and play these game console in 1988+

Second, and I am a big Sega "fanboy", I am feel that the NES is offer more broad gaming experience.

Third I am USA fellow as in I live and grow up in USA.

SMS is fine system and has good titles but is pale in comparison to what the NES is offer. Look beyond graphics and color pallet and look at diverse games that are offer on the NES verses the SMS.

8 bit fellow you are display "fanboy" attitude with your blind love for SMS and continue to slam the NES in every post. I can appreciate SMS I love Power Strike, Miracle Warriors, Aerial Assult, Could Master and many more games and I play them today and I play NES too on these days and times. You are ask for fellows feelings and learn to repsect that and knowing that others are not feel the same passion as you for somethings. Praise of one thing and slander of another thing is not cool and is only start of confilcts think and be consideration when you are reply to fellows posts when they are not feel like you.

[Push Upstairs]

The 7800 will always have its one true ace in the hole:

NINJA GOLF!

[Ruudos]

Do be honest the Master Systems library was not small at all and yall need to quit acting like the Master System was a failer. Who cares about just here in the US, where in Europe, Australia, Brazil and others it really blew the Nes out the water.

That's not true for Europe. I belive the SMS was bigger in the UK, but here in Holland the NES was more popular. I believe this was the case in more European countries. I'd like to hear from other Europeans here how the situation was in their country.

It's funny that Europe is always seen as one market, just like the US, while in fact it are many differents ones, which can differ a lot from each other.