Master System sucks

[aaron7]

Well at least that's my take on it so far. Just picked one up with 3 games and... well... it's like an 8bit Atari. Which would be fine if it was made by Atari, but it isn't. You get the idea.

The pause button is on the console. WTF? I have to play and try and push the button with my elbow if I need to pause!

Second... the wire comes out of the SIDE of the controller! WHY?? What a horrible design!

Lastly... well, not really having to do with the system... but omg the box art and cartriges are so BORING!

Just ranting. Am I missing the finer points here?

[InsaneDavid]

Second... the wire comes out of the SIDE of the controller! WHY?? What a horrible design!

A later revision to the controllers put the cable where it belongs, at the top. Dunno why Sega went and took that step back again with the Dreamcast.

Other than that I have to agree somewhat. There are a few really entertaining games but I'll never understand why some SMS fanboys wet themselves thinking of the game catalog.

[udisi]

I'll half agree.... The box art is terrible, and the pause button thing is also craptacular. The library is small, but does contain a few gems. You have to remember that only like 130 games or so came out in the US for the SMS. Compare that to the NES with nearly 800. Really, there are plenty of craptacular Nes games filling it's library. Has the SMS had the library the NES had, you'd probably think differently.

With all this said, I much pefer my NES to the SMS, but I actually think the SMS is a better piece of hardware. I find that the controls are more responsive and that the graphics on the SMS are better.

[playgeneration]

Don't write off a console based on three games. The side exit pads are a rarity, they were only bundled with consoles at the very beginning. And if you don't like the pads just use a Genesis one instead. The SMS did a lot better in Europe and Brazil, so theres tons of quality games if your prepared to get them. That said theres some ace games that were released in the states, such as:

The Ninja
Fantasy Zone
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
R-Type
Psycho Fox
Sonic
Phantasy Star
Wonderboy I,II and III

Most people who don't like the MasterSystem just don't know its library of games very well.

[Ro-J]

Lately I've been enjoying Shinobi on the SMS. Also I think you may find that the SMS light gun games are superior to the NES light gun games. Try Safari Hunt and see how that compares to Duck Hunt.

[JerseyDevil65]

Don't write off a console based on three games. The side exit pads are a rarity, they were only bundled with consoles at the very beginning. And if you don't like the pads just use a Genesis one instead. The SMS did a lot better in Europe and Brazil, so theres tons of quality games if your prepared to get them. That said theres some ace games that were released in the states, such as:

The Ninja
Fantasy Zone
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
R-Type
Psycho Fox
Sonic
Phantasy Star
Wonderboy I,II and III

Most people who don't like the MasterSystem just don't know its library of games very well.

I agree. Add to your list:

Golvellius
Golden Axe Warrior
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World
Global Defense
Cloud Master
Power Strike

Clearly, the Master System doesn't have NES's library but it definitely has some gems worth playing.

[Blitzwing256]

OMG YOU'RE A NINTENDO NAZI BLAHH!!!


but seriously I do agree, when I got an sms back in the day it certainly left a bad taste in my mouth, double dragon..though a bit closer to the arcade version was messy and very unplayable compared to the very pollished nes version, many of the sms ports like shinbi fantasy zone, y's wonderboy 3 and wonderboy in monster land were done better elsewhere. however in its defense it does have phantasy star and spell caster, both very fun and unique rpgs that stand up well today.

overall I felt alot of the games were very rushed arcade ports done on a system that just coudln't quite handle it. I like how the nes developers understood that and made the games differnt but still based off the arcade versions, in many cases making a better game (double dragon section Z and legendary wings are a few mentionalables)

[7th lutz]

I half agree.

I agree that the pause button is a big pain. The restart button is next to the orginal model. I Don't know what Sega was thinking.

The box art is not great like you said. The sms hardware is better the nes except for sound. The nes was slower then the sms is and the sms didn't need MMC chips. The MMC chips made the nes way better handling gamesthen it is without it. There were 5 different types MMC chips. The sms made the nes like the 7800 in technical terms without the MMC chips. The Nes was not capable of doing games like Super Mario 3 without MMC chips. The chips made the nes capable of doing games like Mega man 2, Super Mario 3, Kirby's Adventure and many other games.

I felt the sports game genre is the worst genre for the Sms. The sms card games are not great either. Owning 3 games is a not good measuring stick for the sms on how good games are. The sms is different then the nes in the fact you can play Euro sms games on your North America sms without modding.

The sms has some great games for the system. The sms doesn't have have amount of games that the nes does. I like the nes and the sms. The sms and the nes do have good and and bad games.

The best games on the system are fantasy Zone, Wonder Boy 3: Dragon's trap, Wonder Boy in Monster World, Rastan, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Golvelliius: Valley of Doom, Out Run,Phantasy Star, R-type, Power Strike, Zillion, Xenon 2: Megablast, Psycho Fox and Gauntlet. This is based on what I own. Games like Phantasy Star are games that Atari 8bit can't do as well. The nes would have a difficult time to hand Phantasy Star also.

[Dastardly Dylan]

erm...i dont really know if its good or not
i would judge if i had the system

[MrSparkle]

my friend had a master system with a decent little library of games 15-20 and i could never get into the thing it just didnt have any pull for me, i actually just learned the other day that the gamegear was based on the master systems hardware and i never got into gamegear either. I dont know that im blaming the hardware nintendo sure did make it hard back in those days to get any good 3rd party developers.

[diskoboy]

I agree. Add to your list:

Golvellius
Golden Axe Warrior
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World
Global Defense
Cloud Master
Power Strike

Clearly, the Master System doesn't have NES's library but it definitely has some gems worth playing.

You both left out the best game on the system: Zillion

Ignore the sequel though. It sucks, hardcore.

And the SMS version of R-Type is pretty good, too.

[darkhades]

I agree with the three points that you made. There are some weird design choices. Although I suggest that you try a few more games before judging the system too harshly. Go with some of the games listed above, that might change your opinion of the SMS.

[Gentlegamer]

I truly don't understand how I keep reading threads at various messageboards recommending SMS games that omit Choplifter!

[Infernal Monkey]

Maybe you should try playing some actual Master System games instead of delcaring it sucks because of the box art, the pause button and the controller.

"GUYS! GAME BOY SUCKS! IT'S IN BLACK AND WHITE!"

[Pantechnicon]

Back in its day in the mid-80's I knew literally nobody who owned, played or even talked about the Master System. I do remember seeing the systems and games for sale in places like Kay Bee Toys but the unimaginative bland box designs (grids?) for these items barely registered on my conscious mind: "It's a videogame system?! Oh...erh...so where's all the Atari stuff?" It seemed like everybody I knew who didn't "outgrow" gaming following the 1984 market crash migrated directly to the NES.

Sometime back I picked one up at a thrift, but it was an afterthought more than anything else. "Oh...I don't have one of these yet." And because it's technically a pre-NES system I still make a point of picking up any non-sports titles I don't already have and now own about 35 titles. I have a standing request with a friend of mine in Bolivia to keep an eye out for weird hardware or variants since he's next door to Brazil. I even specifically sought out a Master System adapter for Game Gear at CGE2K5 so I could enjoy portable SMS goodness. Despite all of this, SMS still falls into the category of systems-I-own-but-don't-play.

Just like in 1985, I still seem to lack a fully-developed "Master System sensory gland". So as to whether or not the system sucks, I don't know, and despite having all the tools, I'm completely apathetic about resolving the question for myself.

[gepeto]

I loved miracle warrior.

[DigitalSpace]

The Master System cart labels sucked. Most boring cart labels ever. The boxes are pretty bland too, but sometimes the game art makes things look a little better.* The original model console and controller didn't fare well in the looks department either. It's still a nice system with a decent amount of good games though.

* - Though not with Outrun. The car looks like a ChoroQ/Penny Racer toy.

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/5460/outrunsmsxk9.th.jpg (http://img184.imageshack.us/my.php?image=outrunsmsxk9.jpg)

[exit]

My brother had a SMS and it was a nice escape from NES for a while, but ultimately it couldn't compete, especially considering everyone else in the house had a NES. I later claimed the SMS as my own as we got older and now all the games are sitting in a box somewhere.

It was the better system graphic wise with some games (look at Ys), but with very little support here, it never had a chance to reach its full potential.

Ghost House and Teddy Boy were probably one of my favorites for it, not sure how they hold up today tho. Spellcaster is another good one, I got to the end of that one and never got around to beating the final boss.

[Zing]

Haha "Twice the Mega Power". Cute.

It was interesting how Sega really marketed the megabit size of their games with the Master System and Genesis.

[miaandjohnrule]

Do yourself a favor and play SpellCaster, Rambo, and Time Soldiers, three of my favs.

[CRV]

These Master System bashing sessions always mention the bad box art, which actually got better by the time the machine was on its way out in the US, and almost never mention games not released in the US.

[zektor]

I guess you had to grow up with the SMS to really appreciate it. It is one of the best consoles (if not THE best) I have ever owned and played. So many great memories, and even with it's small US library (I found many years later that the Euro library was HUGE), there are some really great games here. The Ninja (based on the arcade Ninja Princess), Phantasy Star, Wonderboy, Alex Kidd all come to mind. There are many more, and I can never live without them. I admit I do all of my SMS game playing through emulators nowadays (PSP mainly), but the spirit of the SMS will always live on in my heart. That familiar SMS startup sequence always does it for me. I remember playing NES back then and wondering WHERE their startup sequence was...haha. If you notice, all game systems today have a startup sequence too....funny.

[klausien]

Play with a Genesis controller for best effect. The pads on the original SMS controller render many games near unplayable, especially any of the decent shmups (Power Strike, Power Strike II, Sagaia, etc.). Its not quite Intellivision bad, but its close. Seriously, its better with a Genny pad, and that is coming from someone who is a bit of a purist, shunning emulation for the most part outside of demo use and arcade emus on the XBox.

I have a soft spot for the SMS as it was my first video game system. I am old enough to have had an Atari 2600, but we couldn't afford it and my best friend had one anyway. I can only imagine how long my Mom had that SMS on layaway, but I digress...

Everyone has pretty much hit the nail on the head in terms of good software. The Light Phaser games are generally excellent. Nothing on the NES comes close. Unfortunately, many of the very best titles can be quite pricey now, even in their Euro versions (The Power Strike games come to mind, as does the English language version of the spectacular Golden Axe Warrior). If you doubt the power of the SMS, a nice session of Phantasy Star will quiet those fears quickly. That game still looks 16-Bit, though it is admittedly a bit dated in terms of its genre. Still, it was the best RPG available in its time. The first Sonic was incredible on the SMS as well, though it is almost identical to the GG version. You don't want to go anywhere near the US version of that one though, as the price is through the roof. Luckily, the Euro version is exactly the same. It isn't just a straight Genesis port, but rather, a truly great classic Sonic game in its own right.

The SMS also had some awesome tech going on in the late 80's with the 3D glasses, and most of the games for them are quite cheap. The only game that is outside of the affordable range is OutRun 3-D, but you really aren't missing out on anything if you skip it. Same goes for the slightly uncommon Blade Eagle 3-D, but that game also sucks. Maze Hunter 3-D, Missile Defense 3-D (see light phaser games are excellent comment), Poseidon Wars 3-D, Line of Fire, Zaxxon 3-D (to a lesser extent as the space sequences are pretty rough) and Space Harrier 3-D are all worth a play. The glasses can be expensive and are quite fragile 20 years on, but are worth it if you are into that sort of thing. If you have the card slot interface, the Famicom 3D goggles will also work on the SMS.

[NE146]

Let me say right off the bat as an original SMS owner "back in the day" (right along my NES) I also felt even back then that the SMS was lacking. It had a much more toylike feel and the games often just rubbed me the wrong way (hated the flickering in Double Dragon, or the synth-like sounds in most games). I tolerated R-Type... because it was R-Type.

NOW, that being said, it gave me the most wonderful videogame experience at the time with Phantasy Star and Y's. Nothing topped it until the next generation 16 bit consoles came out much later.

Nothing on the NES could even touch Phantasy Star.. when Dragon Warrior came out it felt so inferior. When FF1 came out I loved that but Phantasy Star was still a super rich experience it couldn't really touch.

So yeah while I generally feel the SMS had worse games in light of what the NES had (Megaman 2, etc.), it's exceptions just happened to be the best games to me.

[gepeto]

I think the main thing that hurt the sms was the lack of arcade hits. people jumped on the console bandwagon when nintendo nes was selling like hotcakes.

[aaron7]

I fully plan on picking up more games for it as it IS fun to play... just saying in general... I think it sucked. I'm sure there are some good games for it yah... but I dunno. Genesis ftw for Sega :p

[Greg2600]

I fully plan on picking up more games for it as it IS fun to play... just saying in general... I think it sucked. I'm sure there are some good games for it yah... but I dunno. Genesis ftw for Sega :p

Why didn't you try the games out first on a SMS emulator? I haven't played a physical SMS since the 80's, but I like to play many of SMS and Game Gear games on emus. They are really easy to play right away. The games are very reminiscent of the NES play control as well. I agree the cartridges look like computer cartridges of the era, terrible! However, the library is very unique, with most of it not available on any other system at that time. Granted almost every well known SMS game was later released for the Genesis, the SMS versions retain that nice and easy 8-bit feel, which still makes the NES popular to this day. In terms of quality of play, I would rank it higher than the Genesis. The two most frequent systems I play on emus are the 8bit NES and SMS. I doubt I'll ever try to collect for SMS, but its a nice console. Unlike systems like 3DO, Jaguar, 5200, 7800, etc., you can get a unique and original and easy to play experience with SMS. And relatively cheap.

[ooXxXoo]

The best thing of the Master System is definately the cartridge port position.Unlike the NES that once starts blinking is going down.the Master system still plays flawlessly after so many years!.

[aaron7]

^ Somewhat. Sometimes my clean games don't work and you have to wait a full minute for the system to tell you it isn't going to play the game! I rather just have a blinking screen so I know!

[ooXxXoo]

I guess Nintendo realized this after a good while and decided to implement the cartridge location in the later on NES model 2,SNES and N64.I'm still asking myself why didn't they introduced the Famicom in America instead.

[Xexyz]

I can't believe some of the complaints you had for the Master System, and yet, you said nothing about the D-pad! That's the one thing that really, truly sucked about the system. More so than the Pause button located on the console. A Genesis controller can resolve this problem, but not for all games. One of the SMS's better releases, Alien Syndrome, doesn't play correctly with a Genesis controller plugged in... I'm sure there are others, but my lbirary is rather limited, and my system no longer works (stupid weak ass voltage resister).

[RASTAN]

In all honesty, back then I didn't see the need for a SMS, as of 2008 I'd rate the system in a higher regard than the NES/Famicom. Sure the games aren't there, but for what there is to be had in the "good gaming zone", and I mean from all regions brought in... I'd side with SMS. And the SMS Double Dragon I felt then (and now) was worlds better than the NES version. Control issues for the SMS and flicker problems... sure, but the whole revisionist thing when I was expecting the arcade game back in the day really pissed me off on Nintendo's front. But to each their own. Me and Digital Press member Streetballer21 have been arguing the whole Mega Drive (Genesis) Vs. Super Famicom/SNES thing since 6th Period Gym Glass, 7th Grade in 1991. He still says Super Fami is king of the hill, and I say Mega Drive is yor daddy. Thus the whole SMS sucks vibe is more of the same.
:rockets:

[7th lutz]

I think the main thing that hurt the sms was the lack of arcade hits. people jumped on the console bandwagon when nintendo nes was selling like hotcakes.

That is not the true reason for what hurted the sms. Nintendo made 3rd parties sign exclusive contracts with them. Sega also had bad marketing. I recalled Nintendo marketing their system very well in the 80's. Nintendo made games system sellers in North America that weren't Arcade ports. Super Mario Bros was the first game for the nes that was system seller.

Sega released their system after the Nes became a hit in North America. The game people wanted was Super Mario Bros for the nes. The Sms was already fighting an uphill battle by it released on North America.

Sega had arcade games and pc ports of games on the sms, but the sms really didn't a lot of games that could've system sellers by the end of 1988. Thge only games I could think of that would've been system sellers was Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Zillion, Shinobi, and Wonder boy in Monster Land. The sms had games that couldn't have been system sellers at the time in North America at the time like Phantasy Star. Phantasy Star is a great game, but it would only attract rpg players. Rpg players was not a big amount of video game console games at the time.

The sms had arcade hits by Sega. The lack of 3rd parties caused the shortage of arcade hits on the system. Sega had Afterburner, Outrun, Hang-on, Space Harrier, Alien Syndrome, Shinobi, and R-type by irem before the genesis came out. Europe didn't have the problem as bad for amount of arcade games.

Arcade games didn't have as much of impact in attracting people to a game console after the crash. Arcade games still played a big role in gamers choice of buying a system, but gamers also thought of exclusive games the system had like sonic, Zelda, Mario, etc.

[diskoboy]

The sms had arcade hits by Sega. The lack of 3rd parties caused the shortage of arcade hits on the system. Sega had Afterburner, Outrun, Hang-on, Space Harrier, Alien Syndrome, Shinobi, and R-type before the genesis came out. Europe didn't have the problem as bad for amount of arcade games.

Thank god somebody pointed this out. Sega basically owned US arcades between 1987-1991.

That's why the Genesis actually wound up being successful, in it's pre-Sonic days. It had recognizable arcade hits avalible at launch. The only recognizable titles Nintendo had at launch were DK, DKjr., and Popeye.

until SMB became a runaway success, most people didn't even remember who Nintendo was, if you didn't mention Donkey Kong.

[InsaneDavid]

Play with a Genesis controller for best effect. The pads on the original SMS controller render many games near unplayable...

If MMC chips in NES cartridges are considered as the NES "cheating" then using a Genesis controller to get around the crappy SMS pads should be considered the same.

And it's Ys people, not Y's. Someone would point it out sooner or later, it's me this time. :)


The sms had arcade hits by Sega. The lack of 3rd parties caused the shortage of arcade hits on the system. Sega had Afterburner, Outrun, Hang-on, Space Harrier, Alien Syndrome, Shinobi, and R-type by irem before the genesis came out. Europe didn't have the problem as bad for amount of arcade games.

Of which many appeared on the NES: AfterBurner, Alien Syndrome, Shinobi, etc. Granted sometimes the NES version wasn't as good as the SMS version, sometimes they were comparable and on occasion the NES version was better. Of course they were all unlicensed (in the USA anyway) and not handled in house by Sega.

As for Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Junior, and Popeye - that's all the Famicom had at launch and it did fine. Either way everyone has to admit that Nintendo ended up replacing "Atari" as the generic term for video games with the NES, just as Kleenix for tissue and Xerox for copier.

[kainemaxwell]

Don't forget Phantasy Star.

[googlefest1]

I think I’m in a very small minority but i liked the box art back in the day - i thought it was more intelligent and techy looking

in grade school I and one other kid in my class owned a sms and everyone else had a nes - all the nes owners bashed us yet wanted to borrow our sms's every weekend

I never had a problem with the controllers - but I did wish the arcade stick came in a right handed version

I do have a question though -- didn’t the nes music sound better because they kept using the digital sample (voice) processor ? the sms had one but rarely used it (only for voice samples). so in essence were the sound capabilities the same?

dude try some euro games and games already mentioned

my favorites - zillion, phantasy star, Ys, miracle warriors, rambo II, choplifter, blackbelt, psycho fox, power strike, kensieden, action fighter, astro warrior, castle of illusion, shinobi, my hero -- wow better stop there

games that pissed me off the most-- rocky, paper boy,quartet, fantasy zone

most disliked- great basketball, eswat,global defence, lord of the sword

[j_factor]

It always boggles me when people bash the Master System for its generally crappy box art. Sure, a lot of it was terrible, but really, who gives a shit about box art? Didn't your mother ever tell you not to judge a book by its cover?

What matters is the games. Overall, I think the Master System library is about as good as the NES library. I feel that there's about 50 solid games each. Both systems have a lot of crap, and a lot of games that are better elsewhere.


If MMC chips in NES cartridges are considered as the NES "cheating" then using a Genesis controller to get around the crappy SMS pads should be considered the same.

I don't know about that... The Genesis controller was designed to be SMS compatible. I don't think that constitutes "getting around" anything, as the SMS pad you are describing isn't necessarily the default controller for playing SMS games.

[Dire 51]

Am I alone in thinking that Sega should never have even bothered to have Strider ported to the SMS? The only game that's a bigger blemish on the Strider name is Journey From Darkness: Strider Returns (Genesis version; oddly, the GG and SMS versions aren't bad).

[RASTAN]

Am I alone in thinking that Sega should never have even bothered to have Strider ported to the SMS? The only game that's a bigger blemish on the Strider name is Journey From Darkness: Strider Returns (Genesis version; oddly, the GG and SMS versions aren't bad).

You're not alone in that ideology. Honestly, I never understood why SEGA even released the SMS II at all, let alone porting stuff like Strider Hiryu, MoonWalker, Ghouls 'N Ghosts, etc. I mean the Mega Drive was already representing proper, kicking ass and taking names. Never understood why ANY of those titles saw the light of day to the 8-bit system. I admit GNG wasn't half bad for what it was though, but what was the point? Even for Europe being pro SMS, most could have that game along with Strider Hiryu on the MD. And to this day I stick to my guns that the Mega Drive version of Strider was the best, even prefering it over the original arcade game. Something in me changed upon playing that game for the first time back in 1991, and I was never clearly the same.
:band:

[TurboGenesis]

I am have a fun time with Master System and for about the last year now I have been playing ALOT of SMS!

I am really favor the SMS right now.

It is however have some flaws:

1. Rubbish D-Button -- I use Genesis 6-button when ever I can.

2. Pause Button -- Yes it can be hassle to have to rise up and reach for the pause button, especially when playing a game like Power Strike or Cloud Master.

3. Sound -- SMS is have poor sound especially when compare to NES. It is not the best but I can enjoy it and it is part of SMS experience.

[Steve W]

I had always wanted a SMS back in the day, I just couldn't justify setting money aside for one. So around ten years ago I came across a lot at a street sale, a console with light gun and over a dozen games. I coughed up $50 for it (not knowing any better), got it home, tried it out, and realized that all the games sucked. I've since bought other games, hoping that they would be more fun, but they just don't spark my interest. I guess the SMS is a lot like the Odyssey2 - if you had it back in the day as your only console, you would grow up to love it in comparison to everything else. But for those of us who had different machines back then (for me, Atari 7800, XEGS, and Amiga) to play games on, we can't find much worth getting excited about on it.

I keep hoping I'll find the 3D imager goggles for the SMS so I can try out some of the 3D games I've acquired over the years. Maybe that'll change my mind about the Master System.

[ApolloBoy]

I guess the SMS is a lot like the Odyssey2 - if you had it back in the day as your only console, you would grow up to love it in comparison to everything else.

Not quite, as I bought my first SMS well after I first got into collecting (which was almost 12 years ago). I liked the SMS well enough that I bought the Japanese version, so I guess that makes me one of the few SMS fans to chime in here.

[grolt]

I don't get all the hate regarding the packaging - from a collector's standpoint it's quite beautiful. To employ a minimal design scheme was a pretty high brow approach to take considering the clusterfuck of colorful boxes Nintendo used, and to stay with it for its entire US run took a lot of balls. Even all the peripherals retained the same font and grid patterns as the system and games. It's a real beauty to display.

As for the system itself, forget all the two-port, light phaser or 3D innovation and just compare its flagship platformers with Nintendo's. ALEX KIDD IN MIRACLE WORLD blows SUPER MARIO BROS. out of the water in every respect, and likewise WONDER BOY III's masterfully elliptical design makes SUPER MARIO BROS. 3 seem totally shallow by comparison. As a kid I grew up with only a NES, but to me there's no question now that the SMS was superior in all respects minus the arbitrary placement of the pause button. A small complaint for a great system.

[InsaneDavid]

ALEX KIDD IN MIRACLE WORLD blows SUPER MARIO BROS. out of the water in every respect

ROFL :above me:

[chrisbid]

the box art may be crappy, but you cant hate the boxes themselves

plastic gatefold boxes > cheap top-open cardboard boxes

[chrisbid]

considering they were both out around the same time in the mainstream US market, Alex Kidd had superior graphics, more gameplay variety, a more interesting story. the controls are a little loose on Alex Kidd, but that simply adds challenge (it feels like playing with Luigi on SMB2j). So that is not a laughable statement to say AKiMW is superior to the original SMB.

obviously the impact of SMB, how one game single-handedly resurrected the home video game industry cannot be understated. but if you compare feature-to-feature AKiMW to SMB, SMB has its fair share of drawbacks.

of course from that point on, AK games got worse, while Mario games got much better

[chrisbid]

for the most part, the SMS had lousy music, but for some reason, i find SMS OutRun music to be extremely catchy

[swlovinist]

While I agree that I can see why the SMS was overlooked back in the day, I actually really like the system now. I absolutely love Choplifter on it. Phantasy Star Still Ranks highly up there for me.

[grolt]

So that is not a laughable statement to say AKiMW is superior to the original SMB.
It is when you gage the quality of a game by its mainstream acceptance. By that same token, WILD HOGS should probably take home the Oscar this year.

[NeoZeedeater]

overall I felt alot of the games were very rushed arcade ports done on a system that just coudln't quite handle it. I like how the nes developers understood that and made the games differnt but still based off the arcade versions
SMS Quartet, Wonder Boy III, Enduro Racer, Ninja Gaiden, Air Rescue, Laser Ghost, etc. are all different than the arcade games of the same names. It wasn't just NES developers doing this.

As someone who owned both the NES and SMS back in the day, and has nostalgia pretty much equal for both, these kind of threads always make me sad. Both systems impressed the hell out of me, and still do. Yeah, I would give the NES the edge for having the quantity of good stuff so it's my overall favourite but I don't think it is a better console than the SMS for "best ofs" if one is trying to be objective and fair.

And, judging a system based on box art is stupid. It's hypocritical to bash the SMS for things like that yet not bash the NES for looking like an ugly toy oven. It's the games that matter.


I'll just cut and paste a post I did on another board -


WARNING: very long comparison list ahead. This is why I think the SMS belongs alongside the NES when discussing the best games of the era:

For action/platformers: Shinobi, Kenseiden, Kung Fu Kid, Quartet are as worthy as Ninja Gaiden series, Castlevania series, Bionic Commando, Moon Crystal, etc.. The NES does have more games for this genre but not necessarily better ones. The SMS doesn't have a Contra equivalent but the late release of Robocop vs. The Terminator is pretty sweet for Euro run 'n guns.

Mario gives the NES the advantage for the hop 'n bop/mascot platformer side. I don't think many would dispute that. Still, the SMS is hardly weak here; many of the Asterix, Alex Kidd, and Sonic games are quality. Both have an excellent single-screen platformer that manages to outdo the arcade originals, IMO, those being Donkey Kong Jr. on NES (due to improved control) and Bubble Bobble on SMS (due to additions).

For action-adventure games: the SMS has Wonder Boy III, Golvellius, Golden Axe Warrior and Zillion while the NES has Zelda, Metroid, Crystalis, and StarTropics. I would say WB3 gives the SMS the edge for the platform-adventures, and Zelda gives the NES the edge for the overhead view ones. Both sides are pretty impressive, though.

For overhead action games: the NES had a lot more Commando-type games like Ikari Warriors and Guerrilla War but Time Soldiers on SMS is arguably the best one.

For RPGs: It's kind of hard to dispute Phantasy Star as king. Miracle Warriors is comparable to the Dragon Warrior games and Final Fantasy. SMS Ultima IV was the best port of a Western RPG at the time. The NES had most of its good RPGs left in Japan unfortunately.

For gun games: It's worth noting that, unlike today, this was a more creative genre that was taken more seriously by developers. I like NES gun games like Duck Hunt, Wild Gunman, Hogan's Alley, Mechanized Attack, etc. but the SMS dominated it with games like Rescue Mission, Safari Hunt, Gangster Town, and Missile Defense 3D among others.

For shooters: The SMS deserves to be remembered as a true classic for this genre alone. Power Strike series, Fantasy Zone series, Choplifter, Space Harrier series, and the excellent port of R-Type hold up against the NES' Zanac/Gun*Nac series, Recca, Gradius/Life Force series, Crisis Force, etc.

For puzzle games: The SMS lacked the killer app of Tetris (not counting Korean bootlegs) and it lacked "block pushing" Lolo type stuff but at least it had Penguin Land, the best puzzle-platformer of its time.

For beat 'em ups: I do think the SMS was kind of weak here. I liked Vigilante, and Double Dragon was closest to the arcade in some ways, but in general the Technos stuff on NES was best. Renegade is better on SMS as it's a remake but I'm not a fan of it.

For racers: the SMS has an advantage here. Rad Racer doesn't have the charm of the OutRun series, nor does pretty much every 8-bit racer. Micro Machines is great on both systems. I think the NES RC Pro-Am was the best of its subgenre, though. BMX Trial: Alex Kidd on SMS is pretty addictive, too.

For strategy games: The NES would have ruled this genre had games like Famicom Wars and Fire Emblem come out in English. As is, the genre was lacking for both sides. There was Conflict on NES. Populous was good on SMS but still downgraded from the Amiga game.

I'll stop before I keep making this post bigger. I just hate seeing such a one-sided and inaccurate view of that era frequently. Both systems rocked yet one gets almost all the attention.

[tom]

And, for once, the best SMS games were developed/appeared in Europe.

[Greg2600]

The wealth of arcade ports on SMS was not as big an advantage as you might think. Besides Capcom, Konami, and Data East you could argue had better arcade games at the time, and those all showed up on the NES. I recall as a kid back then, that often we weren't interested in arcade ports. We wanted to play something totally new, which NES had in SMB, Zelda, Metroid, Castlevania, Mega-Man, etc. Also, amongst kids, the SMS was either unknown or totally forgotten. The reason was that nobody had the thing. Nintendo was just so much better at marketing to what kids really liked, and creating games which had gameplay no other system was able to make as fun. It continues today, Nintendo has the best quality of games. And I am no longer a Nintendo buyer. I can say without question that back in like 1989, most kids never heard of the SMS, Atari 7800, Lynx, etc. If we did, it we usually referred to them as a joke. When kids think your product is a joke, and most of them have never seen it, makes selling them kind of difficult.

[tom]

New Zealand Story on SMS is worth the money alone, excellent conversion

[tom]

Nintendo was just so much better at marketing ....

Not better, just better at bullying tactics ("Stock anything else but NES we'll pull out" (source: Game Over the book))

[TurboGenesis]

ALEX KIDD IN MIRACLE WORLD blows SUPER MARIO BROS…


ROFL :above me:

These are both opinion…
It it necessary to laugh at what game someone may enjoy? That is rather mean to slander a fellow like that :shameful:

[Sweater Fish Deluxe]

I'm another one who didn't have and certainly didn't appreciate the SMS when I was a kid, but discovered it much later and have since fallen in love with the system because of its library of top-notch adventure and arcade titles.


3. Sound -- SMS is have poor sound especially when compare to NES. It is not the best but I can enjoy it and it is part of SMS experience.
This is an odd one to me. I guess some people obviously agree with it, but to me the audio on the NES always sounded really bad, largely because NES soundtracks tend to overuse the white noise channel. SMS soundtracks by comparison are usually much brighter and clearer with more defined notes.

It *IS* too bad that Sega didn't include the FM sound module in the U.S. Master System like they did in the Japanese one as SMS games with FM sound (many of which were actually released in the U.S., but with their FM soundtracks unavailable on our systems) are truly amazing.


And, for once, the best SMS games were developed/appeared in Europe.
Huh? The best SMS games (such as those suggested so far in this topic) were mostly all developed in Japan. Certainly *A LOT* of SMS games were developed in Europe, but they're hardly the best games on the system. In fact, I'd say that barely even a handful of the European releases are even worth owning. Most are pretty trashy.


...word is bondage...

[Dire 51]

You're not alone in that ideology. Honestly, I never understood why SEGA even released the SMS II at all, let alone porting stuff like Strider Hiryu, MoonWalker, Ghouls 'N Ghosts, etc. I mean the Mega Drive was already representing proper, kicking ass and taking names. Never understood why ANY of those titles saw the light of day to the 8-bit system. I admit GNG wasn't half bad for what it was though, but what was the point? Even for Europe being pro SMS, most could have that game along with Strider Hiryu on the MD. And to this day I stick to my guns that the Mega Drive version of Strider was the best, even prefering it over the original arcade game. Something in me changed upon playing that game for the first time back in 1991, and I was never clearly the same.
:band:
I have to say, as much as I love the MD port of Strider, I like the arcade version just a wee bit more. But that's me.

The SMS version is an abomination, though. It's right up there with ESWAT for worst arcade port. It was so disappointing after playing some of the excellent arcade ports the SMS had, like R-Type.

And on a side note, I absolutely love the SMS. I was introduced to it shortly after I was introduced to the NES and really got into it after getting a Power Base Converter in '90.

[segagamer]

I just wanted to say a few things about the SMS:

1. Control pad was not the best designed, and neither was the placement of the pause button on the console.

2. FM module should have been included with the US SMS, just like the JPN SMS consoles. The difference in sound quality is dramatic, to say the least.

3. NES may have had more games on the market than the SMS, but to me, the SMS games were of a higher quality. Quality > Quantity.

4. I sold everything NES a few months after I saw the SMS in my local Toys R Us, which I bought immediately. Then when the Genesis came out in 1989, I sold the SMS hardware and bought the Power Base Converter, so I could play all my SMS games on it and use the Genesis control pads.

5. Eventually, I was able to collect a number of European SMS releases that were supposed to have been released in the US that Sega later decided against releasing.

6. Within the last few years, I have found renewed interest in the NES, but I still prefer the SMS in general.

[Ackman]

Just came in to say

PYSCHO FOX!?
Enduro Racer
Alex the kid in miracle world!
That Donald duck game.

[parker619]

also you should count golden axe warrior ;)

[InsaneDavid]

These are both opinion…
It it necessary to laugh at what game someone may enjoy? That is rather mean to slander a fellow like that :shameful:

I was laughing at the asinine comment, not at Alex Kidd in Miracle World being a bad game (which I never said it was). They're both good games and while I do feel that SMB is superior between the two it doesn't mean I think it's some grand masterpiece or that one should be considered worlds above the other.

[108Stars]

I like the Master System quite a lot; I agree that the NES had a larger library of classics than SMS had, but on the other side the SMS fares far better if you want to get into 8-Bit-gaming NOW. NES-games look just terribly dated in comparision, and the SMS has such a small but fine software library to offer! Having multiple Mega Man sequesls, Ninja Gaiden-parts or Double Dragon 1 - 3 is not that much of a burner it was back in the day; today I prefer the superior but fewer SMS versions. Double Dragon on SMS is better than any of the NES-parts imho, as is Ninja Gaiden. Land of Illusion is such a fantastic jump´n run, not to mention the Sonic-series. Wonderboy the Dragon´s Trap is great, and Shinobi so much better than the NES port. Phantasy Star is the best RPG of the 8-Bit-consoles (again with the NES having more in numbers, but inferior in quality). Impressive ports of games like Popolus, Mortal Kombat, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe and Street Fighter II speak for the SMS too.

I do like to play SMS even today, but I can´t bring myself to keep the NES turned on for more than 30 minutes.

[Rob2600]

NES-games look just terribly dated

I disagree. When I play games like Contra, Legendary Wings, Mega Man II, Blades of Steel, Track & Field II, and Super Mario Bros. 2, I think they look great.

[Policenaut]

I have both systems, but overall I just prefer the SMS . When I finished my SMS collection I was just amazed to know that there were other great titles that were not released in U.S. I've been hunting for the PAL exclusive titles for almost two years now, and there are lots and lots of great titles there like New Zealand Story, Captain Silver, Pit-Pot, Xenon 2 Megablast, Cyber Shinobi, Flash, , Ultima, Forgotten Worlds, among many, many others.

I've had great times with AK, OutRun, Zillion, Phantasy Star, Ys, Captain Silver, Choplifter, Golvellius, and some many others but I can also enjoy the greatness of the SMB titles, Final Fantasy, Megaman games, among other wonderful Nes games. I can enjoy both.

[Gentlegamer]

I disagree. When I play games like Contra, Legendary Wings, Mega Man II, Blades of Steel, Track & Field II, and Super Mario Bros. 2, I think they look great.Plus: Castlevania, Castlevania III, Battletoads, Metalstorm, Mike Tyson's Punch-out!!!, TMNT 2, The Guardian Legend, Sword Master, Blaster Master, Batman, Batman 2 Revenge of the Joker, Crystalis

[j_factor]

I disagree. When I play games like Contra, Legendary Wings, Mega Man II, Blades of Steel, Track & Field II, and Super Mario Bros. 2, I think they look great.

It's not just an issue of the individual games. You kind of quoted him out of context -- he said NES games look terribly dated by comparison. SMS is fully RGB compatible, whereas NES has nothing beyond composite. That's a pretty significant difference in visual quality. Having such a disparity in video capability definitely dates the NES. Because of its lesser technology, NES games suffer from color bleeding and a lack of sharpness and clarity -- therefore, they look terribly dated by comparison.

[Gentlegamer]

And yet the SMS only had RF out, so everyone played it in RF on their SDTVs.

[colicub]

In terms of Euro exclusives, why has no-one mentioned the first Asterix game? Seriously, I still play this game a lot, and the music still ends up getting stuck in my head all the time!

New Zealand Story was already mentioned, but the ports of Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands were pretty good too!!!

[PingvinBlueJeans]

And yet the SMS only had RF out, so everyone played it in RF on their SDTVs.

Huh? SMS has stock A/V out.

[Rob2600]

It's not just an issue of the individual games. You kind of quoted him out of context -- he said NES games look terribly dated by comparison. SMS is fully RGB compatible, whereas NES has nothing beyond composite. That's a pretty significant difference in visual quality. Having such a disparity in video capability definitely dates the NES. Because of its lesser technology, NES games suffer from color bleeding and a lack of sharpness and clarity -- therefore, they look terribly dated by comparison.

I didn't know that. However, I connect my NES to my TV with a composite cable and the picture looks great. I don't think it looks dated at all. Then again, I've never seen the picture quality of an RGB SMS, so I can't compare.

[grolt]

I was laughing at the asinine comment, not at Alex Kidd in Miracle World being a bad game (which I never said it was).
And he never accused you of saying such either, read his post. So if I'm asinine, what does that make you? Pompous? Ignorant? Smug? I offered a valid opinion, and you respond with condescension, forgoing any sense of constructive discussion.

What makes SUPER MARIO BROS. so laughably better than ALEX KIDD? KIDD's graphics are much better, has much more varied gameplay options (vehicles, power-ups, status changes, shops) and a greater difficulty. The music is debatable - MARIO's is certainly more iconic, but KIDD has a broader range of compositions and a better sound scape. Generally, it's just a lot more advanced than the first MARIO, which is to be expected of a game that came out later and on better hardware. For perspective, I don't particularly love AKIMW; I think MARIO 3 is a much better game. But in comparing the first two games of each respective series, the KIDD just packs more, erm, punch.

[InsaneDavid]

And he never accused you of saying such either, read his post. So if I'm asinine, what does that make you? Pompous? Ignorant? Smug?

Not a fanboy.


What makes SUPER MARIO BROS. so laughably better than ALEX KIDD? KIDD's graphics are much better, has much more varied gameplay options (vehicles, power-ups, status changes, shops) and a greater difficulty. The music is debatable - MARIO's is certainly more iconic, but KIDD has a broader range of compositions and a better sound scape. Generally, it's just a lot more advanced than the first MARIO, which is to be expected of a game that came out later and on better hardware. For perspective, I don't particularly love AKIMW; I think MARIO 3 is a much better game. But in comparing the first two games of each respective series, the KIDD just packs more, erm, punch.

Neither game is amazingly better than the other. I never once stated that SMB is a laughably better game. Of all the games on each platform, if you were to compare those two games, Super Mario Bros. and Alex Kidd in Miracle World would more than likely be split right down the middle with the common player. Saying Alex Kidd in Miracle World blew SMB out of the water is like dismissing SMB as a fifth-rate smuldering pile of NES shovelware - which it most certainly is not.

[MarioMania]

The Games the NES never had

Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat 3
Earthworm Jim

[CRV]

Nobody ever mentions Buggy Run (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFw_FoY40og).