Recommendations for the Sega SG-1000?

[Alpha2099]

This one may be pretty obscure, but in going through old game systems, I'm looking for games to play on the Sega SG-1000, which I'm everyone here is familiar with as the predecessor to the Master System. So far the only thing I've got is Pitfall II - The Lost Caverns. If anyone is familiar with that old console and has some suggestions for games they like, I'd love to hear about them.

[goldenband]

The SG-1000 is a fun, quirky console, and can be rewarding if you approach it with the right mindset. It has the best home version of Chack'n Pop, certainly better than the Famicom port. The Elevator Action port is also better than the NES version.

Ninja Princess is fun, and some folks think highly of Girl's Garden. As you know, the SG-1000 has that unusual port of the arcade version of Pitfall II. And there's the RPG Black Onyx, which has been translated. (I also translated Chack'n Pop and Ninja Princess, though the latter could use some more polish.)

BTW I believe all of the above games have been or are in the process of being ported to ColecoVision. The SG-1000 hardware is nearly identical to the CV.

[zakthedodo]

If you like shooters you have plenty to choose from.

Exerion
Orguss
Star Force
Star Jacker
Zaxxon

There are more but I like these as stand outs.

There are also some fun platformers and action games.
The Castle
H.E.R.O.
Lode Runner
Wonder Boy
Ninja Princess

The sports games are playable but have aged the worst.

As for RPG's I'm not sure there are any that aren't in Japanese, however the system was released in New Zealand so who knows?
Obviously not I.

Here's a site I reference a bit looking for information on older Sega games and consoles.
http://segaretro.org/SG-1000

[Alpha2099]

I got my hands on N-Sub, Star Force, Wonder Boy, and Zaxxon. I've played the arcade form of Zaxxon as a kid, so I'm already familiar with that. I'll look around for more.

And I agree with goldenband about similarities to ColecoVision. From the moment I started playing Pitfall II, I felt like the graphics were right on par with that system. It's sort of that middle ground where you're not totally sure whether it's 8-bit or not.

[ColecoFan1981]

If I were to recommend to you an SG1000 console version, you should at least get the Mark II version since it has detachable joypads. The original SG1000, coincidentally released on the same day as the Nintendo FamiCom (NES to us), had hardwired joystick controllers.

~Ben

[Satoshi_Matrix]

The Master System itself is backwards compatible with SG-1000 games [but the Genesis is not!], so unless you collect obscure hardware, I'd recommend picking up a Master Everdrive and loading up the entire SG-1000 romset on the real hardware yourself to see if there's enough there to make it worth your while to get the original carts.

[BlastProcessing402]

The Master System itself is backwards compatible with SG-1000 games [but the Genesis is not!],

Interesting that the Genesis isn't. What about Game Gear?

[zakthedodo]

Some SG 1000 games saw a release on the Sega Card,...I think with a Genesis Model one and a converter it would accept any region Master System card based games but not carts due to the different shape of the cart itself.

"Sega Cards are not region locked, unlike Master System cartridges which are of a completely different shape in non-Asian regions. Systems without a card reader (the original SG-1000, and redesigned Sega Master System II) can use the Card Catcher to run card-based games. The Power Base Converter was the last piece of hardware to contain a card slot, however, as the Sega Mega Drive cannot run SG-1000 games, the slot is restricted solely to Mark III/Master System cards".

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Interesting that the Genesis isn't. What about Game Gear?

I don't think so, but I'm not honestly completely sure. There is a converter to play Master System games on the GameGear (but sadly not the other way around due to the hardware differences) but as for SG-1000 games on the GameGear? That's a good question.

[Koa Zo]

SG-1000 games do not display proper colors on Mark III and Master System consoles. (they do not display at all on US Master System consoles)

I highly recommend (My Card) MC Champion Billiards and MC Champion Boxing. The billiards game has some catchy music (by Compile) and controls nicely. The boxing game has some huge characters for the era and offers up a strategic challenge and unique interface whereby one button chooses the type of punch to throw and the other throws the punch.

Sega Galaga is quite fun, but pricey.
another costly item is the Terebi Oekaki [Sega Graphic Board]. This thing has a small glass window which you can place an image underneath and then trace over, recreating it onscreen. Of course you can make freehand sketches too. The board I have requires that I press quite firmly and the accuracy is usually good but it does regularly stray from where I mean the cursor to go.

Another super early Compile game worth checking out is MC C-SO! It's a single screen game where you run up and down ladders avoiding enemies and collecting fruit, and you can use teeter-totters (see-saws, hence "c-so") to kill the enemies.

last but not least, MC Choplifter is perfect.

I can also recommend the following:
Hustle Chumy
Monaco GP
N-Sub
Pacar
Pachinko II
Pop Flamer
Safari Hunting
Sega Flipper
Sindbad Mystery
Star Force
Star Jacker
Yamoto
Zippy Race

Othello Multivision
Space Armor (most annoying music/sfx)

SEGA My Card
MC Bank Panic
MC Bomb Jack
MC Chack 'n' Pop
MC Dragon Wang
MC Elevator Action
MC H.E.R.O.
MC Monaco GP
MC Pit Pot the Magical Castle
MC Pitfall II The Lost Caverns
MC Star Force
MC Super Tank
MC Zoom 909

[goldenband]

SG-1000 games do not display proper colors on Mark III and Master System consoles. (they do not display at all on US Master System consoles)

Unless you use a flash cart with a bootloader, that is -- then you can play SG-1000 titles on a US SMS. (A BIOS replacement + pin adapter might work too, I'm not sure.) The palette will still be incorrect, of course -- too dark, which makes certain games difficult to play since objects blend in to one another.

Speaking of flash carts, I'm told that certain flash carts will let you preload a Game Gear with the SG-1000 palette, so the colors will display properly. Other than that, the only way to play SG-1000 games with the correct palette on US hardware is to buy a Dina 2-in-1, or to play them on ColecoVision if they've been ported to that system (and actually, a big chunk of the library has).


I highly recommend (My Card) MC Champion Billiards and MC Champion Boxing. The billiards game has some catchy music (by Compile) and controls nicely. The boxing game has some huge characters for the era and offers up a strategic challenge and unique interface whereby one button chooses the type of punch to throw and the other throws the punch.

I enjoyed Champion Boxing. Champion Pro Wrestling uses a similar interface.


I can also recommend the following:
Hustle Chumy

I liked the offbeat gameplay mechanic, but the challenge seemed to flatline after a couple rounds?