Did you own a Sega Master System back in the day?

[Graham Mitchell]

I owned an SMS as well as a NES back then. At the time I felt that while the NES definitely had a larger library and some very interesting games, overall the SMS games were a bit more polished, and the unique ones (ie-not arcade ports) were all amazing. (A few arcade ports, like Choplifter and Rastan, were actually pretty damn good.)

Phantasy Star is the best 8-bit RPG hands down, as long as you're into the futuristic setting. There's nothing on the NES that compares with how epic this game is, both in terms of scope/depth and presentation. It's such an advanced game that with the FM sound enhancement, you'd swear it was a Genesis game. It absolutely blew my mind at the time, and I was obsessed with it for quite a while.

Spellcaster is another classic that really gives the NES a run for its money. It's a combination of Mystic Defender (MD is actually the sequel to it) and iCom Macventures, like Shadowgate. It's a little clunky, but I assure you that at the time it was mindblowing.

The Fantasy Zone games, especially Fantasy Zone 2, were incredible. There is no NES game that looks as good as Fantasy Zone 2.

Zillion is an amazing game. It plays like a cross between Metroid and Impossible Mission with an anime theme. If you own a Master System, you simply must have Zillion and Phantasy Star. Zillioin 2 is a pile, though.

As far as light gun games go, Rescue Mission is my second favorite of all time (Gumshoe is the first). It's reminiscent of those Exidy arcade gun games where you have to protect the on-screen character. It's so fast-paced I remember my fingers being so sore...

Anyway, the SMS was like a well-kept secret when I was in 6th grade. Only me and a few friends had one, but it was awesome and very special. SMS owners in my middle school tended to stick together.

[sheath]

I bought a Master System with lawn mowing money when I was eleven. It was my first major purchase. Even though my family had owned several 2600 consoles and a handful of games and all of my friends had the NES I ended up picking the Master System for Quartet, Space Harrier and After Burner. I can't say I never looked back though, I kept trying to fill the void of popular NES games with Master System purchases. In the place of Zelda I got Golvellius and in the place of Metroid I bought Zillion. Instead of Excite Bike I had Enduro Racer and instead of Spy Hunter I had Action Fighter. After a while I realized that I liked my Master System games better than the NES games I had been craving. With Zillion 2, Shinobi, Space Harrier, Outrun, R-Type and others I began to expect the unique experiences that the Master System offered even in its sequels.

I did pick up an NES about a year and a half later and instead of the original Zelda I enjoyed Adventures of Link more, and I enjoyed Super Mario 2 a lot more than the original. I think the Master System library programmed me to expect completely new game types with each new release, not franchises and sequels. I expected that all the way through to "modern" gaming but since the original Playstation new games have been stamped out more frequently than they are made or bought.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I did.

I specifically remember being bummed out when I got mine that it didn't have Snail Race built in (mine was a later model that had Hang-On).

Having played Ghostbusters on Atari 2600, Commodore 64 and NES I remember that the SMS version was the best all-around home version.

Generally speaking I loved my SMS (still have my original along with a few other base systems I accrued over the years and a pretty big library of games). Great 1st party games, great arcade ports, and all sorts of fun stuff on the system.

[Blitzwing256]

I was a big NES nerd in the 80s, but in highschool I remember in my carpentry class a kid was selling some "sega" games he didn't want, he had about 30 of them (this was right after I bought a genesis) he was selling them sooo cheap that I couldn't pass them up as I had seen them in magazines/stores and was very curious, I absolutely loved Phantasy star 2 on the genesis (had just got it for xmas that year) he didn't have that game, but I had read it was getting a re-release in limited numbers that year. I ended up buying all the sms games for like 1$ for loose games and 2$ for boxed games. I then purchased the power base converter for the genesis, instant library! He had games such as golevious super wonderboy in super monster land, black belt rambo 2 alien syndrome and wonderboy 3 the dragon trap ,the last of which he held onto but let me borrow amazing game! that I just picked up at CGE this year. I eventually purchased the re-issue of Phantasy star (which I hear is tough to find with the sega 90s stickers on it) Although definately not as amazing as the NES, I am glad I was able to try out those great games back then when genesis games were too expensive to buy many of at the time.

[BlastProcessing402]

Got one for Christmas in 1987. Already had an NES, but saw some Sega commercials for upcoming games like Phantasy Star and had to get one. A few months later when PS came out, it was well worth owning the SMS.

No one else I knew had one, so trading games was out. Likewise, out of the many video stores around (wow that was a great time) most only carried NES games, only one had SMS games, and their selection wasn't very big, so it was hard getting to play a lot of games, but I did buy quite a few, and it was nice to have an alternative to Nintendo's monopoly. I was so happy that the Sega version of Double Dragon actually had 2 player!

I don't have the SMS anymore, sadly. I sold it when I got a Power Base Convertor, but really wish I'd just held onto it.

[Greg2600]

That's a good point on the video stores, because I don't remember any having SMS for rent. That would have really cut down on what I could have played.

[Emuaust]

Yes I did, still do, as a pal gamer it was a bit of a no brainer to have the sms, especially where I grew up. It might not have the range of titles the nes has but the expanded pal catalogue make it an excellent choice for those seeking a classic gaming experience that is slightly obscure to American gamers. A+

[Sabz5150]

I got into the SMS just as it was being phased out by way of a Game Gear with the MasterGear. That's when I started collecting video games. Master System games were few and far between at that time, but over a couple of years I picked up a decent selection. I remember seeing several copies of Sonic for SMS in a Kaybee in Jersey. Why oh why did I not buy one Anyway, I liked the SMS because there were a number of very good games and I HATED the GG's big sprites... the SMS just felt better (You learn to read the text over time). Even today, I still prefer playing SMS games on the Game Gear.

[DogP]

I did... for a few years. Some of my best video gaming memories are from it. I got it for Christmas ~1987ish... I was born in 1983, so I was around 4 at the time. I played a TON of Hang-On, Shooting Gallery, Gangster Town, Fantasy Zone, Shinobi, and of course the Snail Maze game. I was SO excited when I beat Shinobi... probably one of the first games I ever beat. And still, every time I play Hang-On and get to the night area, I get all nostalgic and think about playing my SMS as a kid.

The only other person I knew with a SMS was my babysitter, who would bring SMS games over. I remember going to a few stores to look for more SMS games, but couldn't find any.

But all my friends had the NES, and I played a LOT of Super Mario Bros at their houses... so I really wanted one, and got one for Christmas around 1989. The buttons on my SMS controllers were wearing out as well, so I ended up selling it, and stuck with my NES, until picking up an SNES 3 or 4 years later. I'm glad I got the NES, but I'm definitely glad I got to enjoy the SMS too.

DogP

[Tanooki]

Awww no love for Golden Axe Warrior? Guess it came out a bit late though to really matter. It out Zelda'd Zelda pretty much. The music was the only crap part, just totally bland and forgettable. That said the level design, overworld map, and gameplay were just total equals and in some little ways superior to what the NES offered but Zelda also was 3 years old by then so it's an homage copycat with upgrades.

[MarioMania]

I think Nintendo was scared of the Master System, He saw it as a real threat

What year did NOA start forcing 3rd Party Comps to sign to make games for the NES only??

[Tanooki]

My guess would be 1986 when the third party stuff started showing up in stores. Those contracts ran up through around 1990 I believe, whenever they lost that lawsuit because then you started to see games slide over to the SMS or the Genesis that the NES had. RC Pro Am, Smash TV, Battletoads, and the list goes on.

[M.Buster2184]

http://www.toplessrobot.com/2012/07/...gular_show.php


Not sure if anyone watches Regular Show on Cartoon Network. The two main characters are regularly seen playing a Sega Master System. Makes me assume the creator of the show had one as a kid.

[kedawa]

I didn't own an SMS until well into the Genesis years (traded my Power Base Converter for it), but several of my friends owned the Master System when it was new.
In fact, I played far more SMS than NES in those days.

[BydoEmpire]

Yes I did, and it was awesome.

I had an NES and liked it a lot, but one day I went to a friend-of-a-friend's house who had a Master System and we played Alex Kidd all afternoon. I started taking a look at the other quirky, unique games and arcade ports and started really wanting one. I was lucky enough that my parents bought me a Master System set and Afterburner for my birthday one year (I bought the NES with my own money), and it was all SMS for me from that point on.

I loved a lot of the card games - Ghost House, Transbot, etc. They were cheaper and kind of cool, arcadey games. I thought the arcade ports were awesome - Outrun, Space Harrier, Golden Axe, Shinobi, Afterburner. I remember finishing Miracle Warriors after a call to the Sega help line to help me figure out where the final dungeon was, and somewhere I have a photograph of the "The End" screen to prove it. I played a lot of Kenseiden and Penguin Land. I liked that the system was just a little quirky, and that the games were generally high quality. I felt like i was in a cool, exclusive club (well, not that it was *that* cool to be 16 and really excited about a Master System).

I ended up selling my SMS at some point, probably to buy a Genny w/ SMS adapter), but I got another one about ten years ago.

One of my favorite systems.

[kainemaxwell]

Got my NES in '89, step-father had a Genesis when that was released and I later got a SNES. Had never known about the SMS until later.

[jb143]

Growing up in my area, NES was king. I was only vaguely aware of a system called a "Sega". I never saw an actual Sega system until years later when I first saw a Genesis(also referred to as a "Sega") and I just assumed that was the same system I heard about years ago. Wasn't for some time that I was even aware of the SMS's existence. I've owned one for a few years now. It's a fun and cheap little system to collect for and I wish I was at least aware of it back in the day.

[thegamezmaster]

I got one when it first came out and still have to this day. Love the system and games. Great fun. Plus you can play the games on a Game Gear with the Master System convertor for the Game Gear. Still have my huge collection of games.

[Videogamerdaryll]

I totally missed the boat on this system....SMS,GEN and SNES..I was Racing Motocross a lot,I had a big collection of NES at the time.

When I got a break from Racing...
I bought a Genesis and SNES and a bunch of games,..hooked up the Systems to a Living Room Floor Model TV..some game titles were the same game for both systems as I wanted to see what system I liked it better for..(trying to catch up to all I missed)
I made a good amount of money racing so I was spending money on GEN/SNES games like crazy.

Months later when I started racing again..a crafty crack head broke into my house and get this:...Stole all the GEN/SNES games but did not take anything but the game carts out of the cases..he left everything all nice and neat lined up just no games in the cases..I come back from racing go to play and NO GAMES................Almost like a GAG.Trick..I thought a family member was pranking me..

My NES games were actually on shelves in my room..I used to take a NES and a few games with me..(the crack head never went into my room)

I actually had no idea I was robbed..Family asked around and found out who it was,Police report but the games were long sold..
I have to say after all that I was pretty bummed out with gaming...I total haul came to my game playing...The cops didn’t do shit,I had no proof it was him..
With that the guy was in and out of jail,over and over...and over..

Only until years later did I buy a SMS when I started to collect a lot and the spark of gaming came back..

[A.C. Sativa]

I never even saw a SMS until about 1999, and that's the only time I've ever see one outside of a used game store, though I was aware of it long before that. Still have yet to meet anyone (in real life) that had a TG-16 though, and have never played one.