I've fallen in love with the Master System

[bigbacon]

So, as a kid, I remember seeing the SMS in a Sear Catalog, along with the NES. I remember it looking really cool and always wanted one. We ended up as a Nintendo family and actually pretty much all my friends had nintendo only.

I finally got a model 1 a few months ago and now I am hooked. I'm trying to get a full collection of offical US releases. Having lots of fun with the games so far. I still say it isn't as good as the NES, the control pad totally sucks to me, so I've been using the genesis controller.

certainly looks cooler than the NES.

I still find it so strange out they did the boxes and cartridges. Some of them just have weird artwork. I would LOVE to know why they thought it was a great idea, specially since the japanese games aren't like that.

I'm close to 40 games already.

[DK1105]

I haven't dove to deep into the master system and only have about 15 games for it with most of them not being very good but really do like the console itself and I really do want to get more for it. I just haven't been lucky enough to run into anything that great for it. It really is a neat console though.

[treismac]

What games are worth picking up for the Master System? I grabbed a handful of games initially after I snagged a Power Base Converter, but then I went right back to my default NES collecting.

[bigbacon]

so far I've really liked

choplifter, double dragon, fantasyh zone, golvellius, my hero, sonic, spell caster, Ys, and some others I can't think of.

[Atarileaf]

I recently got a power base converter since my one SMS model 1 died simply because I don't like enough SMS games to warrant a separate system kicking around but it does have some interesting titles, mostly European titles and they're harder to get over here in North America.

[bigbacon]

can you play the euro games on a US system? aren't they PAL?

[Einzelherz]

can you play the euro games on a US system? aren't they PAL?

My Euro Bubble Bobble works fine. I don't know if this is the norm or an exception, however.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

SMS games are region free AFAIK.

Hrmmmmm....some good ones off the top of my head:

Action Fighter
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Alex Kidd & The Lost Stars
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World
Fantasy Zone
Fantasy Zone II
Ghostbusters (absolute best version of the David Crane classic)
Montezuma's Revenge
Out Run
Paperboy (not perfect but much better than the NES version)
Phantasy Star
Psycho Fox
Quartet
Rampage
R-Type
Rambo
Rastan
Shinobi
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Space Harrier
Spellcaster
Vigilante
Wonder Boy
Wonder Boy in Monster World
Wonder Boy III
Zillion
Zillion II: Tri Formation

[theclaw]

SMS used the bios and cart shape for lockout.

Console detection was to let SMS games make 50hz/60hz speed adjustments or switch language between English/Japanese.
These settings Genesis later based its lockout heavily upon (region switches on a Genesis do take effect with Power Base Converter).

Long story short... You can import most SMS games from Europe / Australia / Brazil.
A flash cart or similar is required at present for cart slot SG-1000 or Japan / Korea SMS games. bios mod would only help the card slot, due to lack of adapters to insert 40-pin games to begin with.

[Parodius Duh!]

What games are worth picking up for the Master System? I grabbed a handful of games initially after I snagged a Power Base Converter, but then I went right back to my default NES collecting.

All of the Tec Toy exclusives are great, a good investment, and very exclusive. Fire & Ice is the best game on the system, followed by Dynamite Headdy.

can you play the euro games on a US system? aren't they PAL?

Yes everything works except for Back to the Future III (will not boot at all on a US system) and Jungle Book (some jumbled up graphics). US, Euro, and Brazil are all interchangeable. Japanese carts would work too but we're beat due to the cart structure.

[theclaw]

Yeah there's some other WAY ridiculous things that even a flash cart won't allow. Big time proverbial "nobody cares" territory!
SMS has no port to use the SG-1000 keyboard, printer, and tape deck.

[Double Ugly]

SMS games are region free AFAIK.

Hrmmmmm....some good ones off the top of my head:

Action Fighter
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Alex Kidd & The Lost Stars
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World
Fantasy Zone
Fantasy Zone II
Ghostbusters (absolute best version of the David Crane classic)
Montezuma's Revenge
Out Run
Paperboy (not perfect but much better than the NES version)
Phantasy Star
Psycho Fox
Quartet
Rampage
R-Type
Rambo
Rastan
Shinobi
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Space Harrier
Spellcaster
Vigilante
Wonder Boy
Wonder Boy in Monster World
Wonder Boy III
Zillion
Zillion II: Tri Formation

Off the top of your head & in alphabetical order. Very impressive!

[Scissors]

Yes everything works except for Back to the Future III (will not boot at all on a US system) and Jungle Book (some jumbled up graphics). US, Euro, and Brazil are all interchangeable. Japanese carts would work too but we're beat due to the cart structure.

While I haven't tested them myself, I've heard that New Zealand Story, James Bond, Xenon 2, and the Codemasters games won't play on an original model US system either. There may be a few others as well. I've also heard that some of them will work on the second model console or the Power Base Converter, but don't remember which ones.

As for glitchy games, I know California Games II and Bart Vs the Space Mutants have graphical glitches too, but nothing that prevents them from being playable (I haven't tried them on a the second model or Power Base Converter though). I actually don't recall any glitches with The Jungle Book, but I've only played that one very briefly. I'm pretty sure there are a few others out there as well.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Off the top of your head & in alphabetical order. Very impressive!

Well, I re-arranged them when I was done making the list.

I'm OCD like that.

[retroman]

Well, I re-arranged them when I was done making the list.

I'm OCD like that.

Good list Frankie, but as I was reading it, one that came to my mind was like, what? No Gangstertown. For TC this is one of, if not the best light gun game for the system..

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Good list Frankie, but as I was reading it, one that came to my mind was like, what? No Gangstertown. For TC this is one of, if not the best light gun game for the system..

Yeah I stayed away from light gun and 3D games, but there are great ones, including Gangster Town.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

I'm quite fond of the Master System myself. It's superior to the NES in almost all ways except for sound and obviously game library. If you mod your sysem for FM and play some of the system's best games, the experience beats out anything offered on the NES. Still, most of the best Master System games are clones of NES games or were shortly ported over to the much more powerful MegaDrive, so the SMS is an oddity of raw potential mostly untapped.

For those who enjoy my work, I've got a top 100 Master System editorial planned for this fall when I finish up the GB list I've been working on.

[Greg2600]

Master System, particularly for North America, makes great use of the Master Everdrive. There are many 3D, Light Phaser, Euro-released, Brazil-released, Japan-released games you simply cannot buy here without spending lots of money. Also no need to do a bios mod. Also let's you play SG-1000 roms, and if you get the FM Mod (which isn't that cheap), dozens of games that used the Yamaha FM chip.

I do agree with Satoshi, it's superior in most things but the stock PSG sound is flat embarrassing. The controller is not as good as the NES either.

[treismac]

What strikes me above all about the Sega Master System over the NES is how brilliant its colors are. I've always thought some NES games looked a bit drab anyway, but even the more colorful NES games pale to the handful of Master System games I've played thus far.

Hrmmmmm....some good ones off the top of my head:

Action Fighter

to

Zillion II: Tri Formation

Thanks! I appreciate the list, Frankie.

[BetaWolf47]

Don't forget the Illusion titles: Castle of Illusion, Land of Illusion, and Legend of Illusion. Only Castle of Illusion was released in the US though. It and Land of Illusion are the two best in the series.