Master System better than the Nes & 7800

[j_factor]

I prefer the SMS to the NES, but not by a lot. I currently own exactly 35 games each for the two systems, but my SMS want list is bigger.

I find a lot of NES games to be pretty overrated. Like, I thought the first Castlevania was kind of crappy (I do like 2 and 3 though); Master of Darkness is much more fun. I found Dragon Warrior 1 to be god-awful, Final Fantasy 1 to be a snoozefest, and I still don't get what people see in the old Mega Man games, which I consider stiff and cheap. Games like Metal Gear and Adventures of Lolo may be interesting for the time, but they just don't play well IMO.

And indeed, the vast majority of games that were on both systems were better on SMS. Shinobi, Alien Syndrome, Choplifter, Bram Stoker's Dracula, California Games, Wonderboy/Adventure Island (they're the same game), Jurassic Park, etc.

As for controls, I agree that the default SMS controller isn't great. But that's why I'm thankful that it uses the Atari 9-pin sockets, so a lot of different controllers are useable on it (Genesis, Atari VCS/7800/XE, Amiga, etc.). And I think Genesis controllers are way more comfortable than NES. Some games are picky about which controller you use, but it's a very small number.

One other thing I like about SMS is how much better the boxes are, and how much easier it is to find all your games complete. On the SMS it's relatively easy to restrict yourself to only buying complete games, but on NES it's not worth trying.

Bottom line, it comes down to the games, and personally, I think SMS had a smidge more of the good stuff.

[Policenaut]

It depends. I love the SMS. It is my favorite console. It is just that the SMS came short after the Nes for many games here in U.S. Although the SMS is better graphically, game wise the Nes had the biggest library. But not in Europe where the life for the Master System was splendid. A great library with many titles that never had been released here and it really saddens me. That is why I am expanding my Master System library with the PAL titles. There we all can find a new life for the Master System. I have about 117 European titles and just can't get enough.

[BydoEmpire]

I love the Master System. I probably didn't play it quite as much as the NES, but it was pretty close. It had some fantastic arcade ports (Shinobi, Afterburner, etc), and a lot of quirky original games (Penguin Land, Rambo 2, etc). It also had by far the best light gun games of any system: Rescue Mission, Rambo III, Safari Hunt, Gangster Town, Wanted, etc.

[idrougge]

As for controls, I agree that the default SMS controller isn't great. But that's why I'm thankful that it uses the Atari 9-pin sockets, so a lot of different controllers are useable on it (Genesis, Atari VCS/7800/XE, Amiga, etc.).

Am I the only one who likes the MS pad? Even after I had sold my Master System, I bought Sega joypads because I needed a two-button joypad for my Amiga (see above), and now those pads are back in use with my new Master System. I find them, if they're in good shape, soft and multidirectional, whereas the NES plus sign is rather stiff, a bit small, and has sharp edges which means your fingers hurt until you get accustomed to it, just like with the PSX pad.

[leicamaster]

Even though I am a big SEGA fan I prefer the NES than the SMS. SMS had amazing graphics but the NES had a better variety of games!

[MarioMania]

Even know the Master System was bigger in the UK market..they still didn't get any good NES ports like from Konami, Capcom or even Tecmo...

Even know we saw the SMS winning over there..did SMS owners get Contra, Castlevania or even Mega Man, Nope

[s1lence]

In my opinion the Sonic SMS games are terrible. I'm a fan of both systems but when it comes down to it I have more NES games that I want to play then SMS. Percentage wise I have more SMS games then NES, but I grew up on the NES so maybe thats why I tend to enjoy it more.

[idrougge]

In my opinion the Sonic SMS games are terrible.

The first one is a great accomplishment, I think.

[j_factor]

Am I the only one who likes the MS pad? Even after I had sold my Master System, I bought Sega joypads because I needed a two-button joypad for my Amiga (see above), and now those pads are back in use with my new Master System. I find them, if they're in good shape, soft and multidirectional, whereas the NES plus sign is rather stiff, a bit small, and has sharp edges which means your fingers hurt until you get accustomed to it, just like with the PSX pad.

I'm definitely not a fan of the NES pad either. The d-pad sucks, and it's totally uncomfortable to hold. I remember they used to sell these things that attached to the sides to make it shaped more like a Genesis controller.

Now that I think about it, I guess Master System did have the best controller of its time. Atari 7800's main controller was ridiculous.

[Zap!]

The SMS was amazing. I always wondered what could have happened with this system.

[vivaeljason]

Wow...this is an old topic.

While I never owned an SMS, I had a few friends who did. I always really enjoyed the hell out of it and I definitely think it doesn't get enough credit as a system. I may prefer the NES by leaps and bounds, but I definitely liked the Master System. The Alex Kidd games, After Burner, R-Type, and the original Phantasy Star are definite classics.

[Breetai]

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.)

Of maybe some preferred the NES version because they actually prefer responsive control.

Ninja Gaiden (Nes series), is no where near PAL SMS Ninja Gaiden- Master System wins

I think 99% of people who've played both would disagree with you, mostly due to the fact they 1. they are different games, and 2. the NES game is much more fun.

[Breetai]

Does the Nes have alot of quality games like this

... (long list of SMS games)

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

Three words and a number:

Super Mario Brothers 3.


The debate is over.

[grolt]

Three words and a number:

Super Mario Brothers 3.


The debate is over.

I'll make this even shorter:

Wonder Boy III

[ApolloBoy]

Of maybe some preferred the NES version because they actually prefer responsive control.

Agreed. The collision detection in the SMS version was horrible; if it hadn't been for the lousy hit detection, it would've made for an awesome port.

[bombman]

I like the NES better. However Wonder Boy III and Phantasy Star are the best 8-bit RPGs of all time.

[kupomogli]

Man the Master System just can't win in here.

It's not really the better system when it comes to games. Graphically it's superior, yes, but when it comes to the games released on it, no.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of good games and there's also games that are superior than the NES versions of the same game. Atleast a half of all the multiconsole titles between the SMS and the NES are actually better on the SMS.

It's also got arcade ports, and while not really accurate in level designs, the gameplay is fairly well done for a lot of them. Namely Golden Axe and Rastan. The music is awful on every arcade port though. Why couldn't they have tried to be less accurate with duplicating the music?

The main thing that sucks about the SMS though. Being that I've never played the SMS until later on, which was when I still had a PSX. It wasn't that great to me. Not because it hasn't aged well, but atleast half of its games are on the Genesis. Why play an inferior version of a game when it's also on a 16bit system with much better music? If it was NES quality and the differences were major, then yeah. But the SMS games look and play almost identical to the Genesis versions just with a little bit less quality and worse music. So that's really what makes the difference of not bothering playing any game that's on the SMS that's also on the Genesis. The reason why NES games are fun to play over the exact same games on that later came out on the Genesis/SNES is because they had to improvise, usually making the gameplay noticeably different.

So yeah. There are "games" I will play on the Sega Master System. Either those are exclusive titles or some multiconsole titles that are better than the NES versions. Not too many on the system that I will play though.

[Ed Oscuro]

Heya old topic. I like the SMS Ninja Gaiden, probably more than NES, but I haven't played it enough to tell.

SMS has some games that are better on MSX, like Aleste (alright, that's not from experience, but I'm told the MSX version has less slowdown, and the slowdown on SMS is a killer). Other games I like on it I have in a superior format elsewhere (Sega Ninja as a Ninja Princess arcade PCB; Time Soldiers on the SMS is worse than I initially thought). Honestly, the SMS looks more like a joke each time I look at it. There is some good exclusive stuff there (Alex Kidd in Shinobi World, Power Strike II) but not a lot.

The list of games I could name for the SMS (all regions, too) that I care about would be a fraction of the games for NES / FC that I like.

[PSony]

I started gaming in 1996 with the SNES so I never had an NES or SMS, but I just bought a large lot of SMS games (around 50). Can't wait to experience the 8-bit era. Do the 3D glasses work on LCD tv's?

[grolt]

The main thing that sucks about the SMS though. Being that I've never played the SMS until later on, which was when I still had a PSX. It wasn't that great to me. Not because it hasn't aged well, but atleast half of its games are on the Genesis. Why play an inferior version of a game when it's also on a 16bit system with much better music? If it was NES quality and the differences were major, then yeah. But the SMS games look and play almost identical to the Genesis versions just with a little bit less quality and worse music. So that's really what makes the difference of not bothering playing any game that's on the SMS that's also on the Genesis. The reason why NES games are fun to play over the exact same games on that later came out on the Genesis/SNES is because they had to improvise, usually making the gameplay noticeably different.

I appreciate the point you're going with here, but it's not necessarily true. The "improvisation" you talk about certainly happened a lot on the SMS, and there are quite a few games on the SMS that are both different than the Genesis port and in ways better. Thunder Blade comes to mind, which is much truer to the arcade and a lot more playable than the abomination that is Super Thunder Blade. It's actually a beautiful port during those top down shooter portions. Enduro Racer adopts a completely different isometric style than the Hang-on-esque arcade, and it's all the better for it. It's probably my favorite racer on the system. Ghouls'n Ghosts adds in some shops and stuff not found in any of the other home ports. James Buster Douglas is a shit game, but at least it's a completely different engine than the Final Blow port that is the Genesis version. Rambo III is a completely different game, a light gun shooter that's really good. And then the best examples are probably the Sonic games, which have completely different levels and design than the 16-bit versions, and by many accounts are both more challenging and overall more enjoyable. I still attest that my favorite Sonic levels on any system are the jungle levels found exclusively in the first SMS game.

So yeah, there are some games like Golden Axe, Altered Beast and Moonwalker where the SMS version is nothing more than a cut down version of the original game, but more often than not there is a lot of creativity behind the ports that helps each game stand on its own compared to its more powerful successor.