Sega Master System clones

[cessnaace]

Does ANYONE make an SMS clone? NES, SNES and Genesis clones are common around here, but noone I've talked to has seen an SMS clone. I know the SMS was hardly a success here in North America, but it was quite popular in Europe and Brazil. Anyone seen an SMS clone from those regions?

I have a large SMS game collection, including many non-U.S. releases, but I don't want to dig out my boxed SMS. Besides, I have 7 systems hooked up now. In the living room a Sega Saturn, PlayStation, 3DO (Goldstar model), GameCube (w/Game Player add-on) and Xbox. In the master bedroom a Jaguar, plus a NES/SNES clone (Yobo FC Twin).

Anybody?

[ShinobiMan]

Tectoy out of Brazil makes a slick Sega Master System clone that comes with 131 built in games.

http://www.tectoy.com.br/produto_interna.php?id=25

I've never heard from anyone who owns this, but it's a sweet set up. Good luck ordering one, and if you do, let me know your experience.

Tectoy has been manufacturing SMS related stuff for years now.

[cessnaace]

Tectoy out of Brazil makes a slick Sega Master System clone that comes with 131 built in games.

http://www.tectoy.com.br/produto_interna.php?id=25

I've never heard from anyone who owns this, but it's a sweet set up. Good luck ordering one, and if you do, let me know your experience.

Tectoy has been manufacturing SMS related stuff for years now.

Thanks for replying!

I don't like the clones that only play built in games. I want to play my original cartridges and cards! I'm funny that way.

[otaku]

meh just get a real one unlike the other consoles with clones I don't think the sms is popular enough to support a clone

[Steve W]

Well, the Sega Master System was pretty popular in Europe, I would think that's where the market for a SMS clone would be. But there aren't any, it seems. Too bad you can't modify one of those Coleco Sega handhelds that came out a couple of years back and put a cartridge port on it. Or at least put some ROMs on it.

I have a Telegames DINA system, which is a clone of the Colecovision and also of the Sega SG-1000, the precursor to the Master System. Too bad I don't have any SG-1000 carts to try out on it.

[Baloo]

Tectoy out of Brazil makes a slick Sega Master System clone that comes with 131 built in games.

http://www.tectoy.com.br/produto_interna.php?id=25

I've never heard from anyone who owns this, but it's a sweet set up. Good luck ordering one, and if you do, let me know your experience.

Tectoy has been manufacturing SMS related stuff for years now.

That looks like a pretty cool console, with Sonic engraved on it and all. But the no cartridge slot practice by TecToy and the fact that it looks more like a Sega Genesis with Genesis controllers makes it kind of junky.

[ShinobiMan]

That looks like a pretty cool console, with Sonic engraved on it and all. But the no cartridge slot practice by TecToy and the fact that it looks more like a Sega Genesis with Genesis controllers makes it kind of junky.

If you look closely though, it uses Genesis controller ports... so you could plug in a regular SMS controller and it would be fine. Got to give props to tectoy for that. Does anyone have one of these? My curiosity is peaked.

[kedawa]

You could plug the original pad in, but what if the extra buttons on the pack-in pads are actually needed?
Maybe they moved the pause button to the controller.

[grolt]

While it doesn't have a cartridge slot, the recent PlayPal system is a really sleek little portable with 30 solid Master System and Game Gear games in one small package. Definitely worth the look for those who want to play Alex Kidd or Fantasy Zone on the road:

http://www.playpalworld.com/portable.html

[Haoie]

How legal are these things?

Or rather, how illegal.

[kedawa]

All of the ones I've seen are licensed.

[chrisbid]

the playpal unit was licensed by sega and released a couple of years ago in the states under the coleco brand name. i picked a couple of these up at target with the hope that somebody would find a way to hack them to accept some sort of media card

[thom_m]

Tectoy out of Brazil makes a slick Sega Master System clone that comes with 131 built in games.

The fun thing is that, officially, it's not a clone, but a "new model". The SMS never went out of production here. I don't how much of the original SMS guts are left on that thing, though.

[The 1 2 P]

I've also been interested in a Master System clone for the simple fact that I haven't seen a SMS in the wild for atleast 6 or 7 years.

[123►Genei-Jin]

Are Tec Toy SMS based on the American hardware or the Japanese hardware? I've always wanted a Japanese SMS for the FM synth chip but I'm having trouble finding one.

[grolt]

Are Tec Toy SMS based on the American hardware or the Japanese hardware? I've always wanted a Japanese SMS for the FM synth chip but I'm having trouble finding one.

The US architecture, sadly, but the Japanese SMS is definitely worth the investment. It's all you'll ever need with that gender adapter.

[Diosoth]

The TecToy units are also going to be PAL forma, which makes them rather useless in the US.

[cessnaace]

The US architecture, sadly, but the Japanese SMS is definitely worth the investment. It's all you'll ever need with that gender adapter.

I know that what we know as the SMS was originally released in Japan as the Sega System III. I wonder if it was relaunched in Japan as the SMS. I've always read that the Yamaha chip sounded better then what we got. So why couldn't we have it?

And while I have a multi-region, multi-standard DVD recorder, it outputs NTSC. I doubt this Tectoy clone can output NTSC.

[grolt]

I know that what we know as the SMS was originally released in Japan as the Sega System III.

Close. The Mark III, but it's not exactly a Master System, since the cartridges are of a completely different pin size. Internally, though, yes, they are essentially the same other than the cart configuration.



I wonder if it was relaunched in Japan as the SMS.

When OutRun came out in Japan they introduced the "Master System" in Japan, which looks almost identical to a western first generation Master System, although it has the FM chip inside, a rapid fire button to replace the reset and a built-in 3-D glasses adapter beside the card slot. So yes, that unit was marketed as a "Master System" in Japan.


I've always read that the Yamaha chip sounded better then what we got. So why couldn't we have it?

The Yamaha chip sounds much better, it offers a smoother sound and greater resonance. Keinseiden sounds really grating on a regular system, but in FM it's actually a great listen.

Why wasn't it released here? There was hardly enough demand for an SMS here as is, and Sega of America's other gambles, like the Sports Pad or to a lesser extent the 3-D Glasses, tanked. Nintendo had no comparable upgrade, so really, and adding that to systems would only increase the costs of a system that's already having a tough enough time staying competitively priced.

[ooXxXoo]

And while I have a multi-region, multi-standard DVD recorder, it outputs NTSC. I doubt this Tectoy clone can output NTSC.

Indeed, Brazilian TECTOY Sega Systems are encoded in PAL-M Broadcast, I have a Mega Drive III System and a Sega Master III (mostly known as the SMS II in the US), even though, PAL-M is much like NTSC, the color subcarrier is different...I had to do a little bit of modding to get them fully running in NTSC, besides, they have built-in 110V/220V 50/60Hz switching transforsmers and power cords with the european round plug prongs...
...
...

[kedawa]

I never knew about the Yamaha chip in the japanese sms.
That has me curious. Which type of chip does the GG use? Are there any good audio comparisons on the web? How do emulators handle the different sound chips?

[cessnaace]

Back when I bought my Sega Master System, new, it was being marketed (if you want to call it that) by Tonka. I was 28 at the time (I'm old as dirt), and bought the SMS over the NES (which I later DID buy) on the strength of Sega's impressive arcade hits. It certainly wasn't on the strength of Tonka's ads, because I never saw any.

Back in the 80's I frequented the arcades alot. In fact I had been playing Sega arcade games since the electro-mechanical game Periscope, which I frequently saw (and played) when I was a kid back in the 60's.

Anyway, I went to a local Toys 'R Us fully intending to by an NES, but when I got there I was shocked to see a console by Sega. Remember, I had seen no ads, so how was I to know? Because the SMS had Hang On built in, plus offered catridges of Out Run, After Burner, and Thunder Blade, and a port of Choplifter, I bought it over the NES. It even had a nifty card slot. Games on cards smaller than a credit card. cool!

After I bought an NES to go with my SMS I continued to play my SMS more than my NES. Occassionally I bought a really bad SMS game, such as Alf. But then I'd buy an even worse NES game, such as Gilligan's Island, and continue on with my belief that the SMS was the better console. I STILL believe that.

If I had been president of Sega of America, I would have distrubuted the system myself, and it would have had the Yamaha sound chip inside. Also, I would have licensed games that were exclusives in Europe, and republished them here. More games = more choice which = more sales.

[123►Genei-Jin]

I never knew about the Yamaha chip in the japanese sms.
That has me curious. Which type of chip does the GG use? Are there any good audio comparisons on the web? How do emulators handle the different sound chips?

There are some comparisons here @ 5:20

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRTfieT5brI

[gercma]

Looking in a gallery i have found this !!!

it's a samsung sms, i have no idea of any other data, i have asked the owner for some info

http://picasaweb.google.es/compuclasico/ConsolasDeJuego#5132403684754720450