Master System - worth collecting for?

[Johnny]

I never owned a Master System but have been toying with the idea of buying one and getting some games for it. Not planning on complete PAL/NTSC collections or anything like that, just a few of the must haves for it.

I have a few questions though:

• How much should I be paying for the console?
• Should I go PAL/US/JAPANESE? Are PAL consoles easily modded and is it worth importing?
• What price are complete games and cart only games - I'm aware this will vary on how rare a title is, but on average games, how much should I be paying
• What games are worth buying, rare or not?
• Any good eBay sellers or shops that sell the console + games?

Cheers!

[anagrama]

PAL consoles are dirt-cheap - a nice boxed SMS1 shouldn't cost you more than ?10-?15. Don't bother with the SMS2, cos it;s RF only and has no card port, so card & 3D games are out of the question.
For once, you're probably best off with a (modded) PAL system - the PAL library is far larger than the US or JP ones. Japanese Mark III games are incompatible with US/Euro systems and vice versa because the carts are a different size and have a different number of pins.
The SMS1 is pretty easy to mod for 50/60Hz, the SMS 2 slightly harder.

One of the big pluses is that the games are (generally) cheap and plentiful. At least 90% of the library can be had for under ?5 boxed, and almost all the rest aren't too much more (I've got a complete Euro collection and there was only one game [Smurfs 2] that cost more than ?16). Cart only games can be had for pennies, but what's the point in that when you've got those nice sturdy boxes?

There's a couple of older threads discussing the best titles, but here's a few essentials:

Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Bubble Bobble
Castle of Illusion
Fantasy Zone 1 & 2
Global Defense
Golden Axe Warrior
Kenseiden
Master of Darkness
Maze Hunter 3D
Ninja Gaiden
OutRun
Phantasy Star
Pit Pot
Power Strike 1 & 2
Psycho Fox
R-Type
Shinobi
Sonic
Space Harrier
Space Harrier 3D
Wonder Boy
Wonder Boy In Monsterland
Wonder Boy III
Zillion

[Baseley09]

Nice list, SMS has a rich source of good games, a lot of the obvious arcade conversions are very strippped down but are still cool games, the versions of Afterburner, Outrun, Space Harrier & Golden axe come to mins, the latter has some exclusive very nice still art.

The Ninja was a budget title even at the time (?9.99 rrp), but is a total ace Ikari Warriors with ninjas i gues hehe.

[angrypete]

SMS was my first console, I remember getting a Mk2 for my Christmas when I was wee and playing Sonic (built in) for hours... Action Fighter, Afterburner, Outrun, Castle of Illusion, Double Dragon, R-Type and Golden Axe stick out in my mind as favorites.

Anyone remember how the Mk1 had a hidden snail game built in? Or how Afterburner could (almost) be completed by sticking into one corner (I think it was the botton left) for the whole game and not get shot.

[mugetsu]

top left corner in afterburner

[k0pp0]

*edited due to pointless nostalgia trip*

[Alf81]

Anyone remember how the Mk1 had a hidden snail game built in?

That was only on the first gen of SMS(1) after that it was AlexKidd:InMiracleWorld but just not as hidden Think I can recal some SMS'(1) with a built-in HangOn, but not to sure about this...

[k0pp0]

Hang on was built in, then the snail game was extra hidden..

[Yakumo]

The Master System was the first ever console I owned as well. The PAL system really does have some nice exclusives but the Japanese system has FM stereo sound which really does make the games sound much better. The PAL & US systems have bloody awful 3 channel mono audio. So it all depends upon what you want. Personally I'd go for the looking cool Japanese version if you have lots of cash and like ingame music.

Yakumo

[k0pp0]

Atar2600 here, then the Master System. Wonderboy III was a defining moment in my 'gaming life'. Just spent a ridiculous amount of time playing it ie: pushing 'Up' everywhere on each part of the screen (using the birdman) to look for hidden shops etc. Just a fantastic amount of replay value, although it got bloody confusing towards the end. Not bad for a game that someone gave me..

Still think about picking it up again, might as well do now that the PSP has some decent emulators.

[Alf81]

Hang on was built in, then the snail game was extra hidden..

That's just to sad... I've got an SMS first gen laying around somewhere and couldn't even remember HangOn was the built-in I only play on my SMSII because I got it the 50/60Hz switch mod on it, couldn't do that to the SMS(1).

My first "console" was the Commodore64, I started savings for the Amiga but couldn't reach my goal (luckely maybe), instead I got hold of the SMS (because I thought the graphics looked very simular ) ever since I've been a full blown SEGA fanboy.

EDIT: **** no, I hadn't pissed my brain away after all. The very first gen and in the early serial numbering of SMS it only had the snail game, still as a hidden one though, HangOn was a couple of numbers after.

[MattyD]

Sega did a nice line in rip-offs of popular arcade and NES titles on the MS. There was the Ninja one already mentioned, plus a nice Zelda clone called Aztec Adventure (with a little mexican guy in a poncho!) and a clone of Capcom's Commando called - wait for it - Secret Commando. They also did a Spy Hunter clone called Action Fighter if that's your thing.

Strangely it also had some decent licensed games. Alien3 was good even though it was just a cut-down version of the MD game. Star Wars was basically the same as the NES version - so double hard - but more colourful, and Michael Jackson's Moonwalker was surprisingly good.

[Alf81]

Reg. Zelda cloning you shouldn't forget GoldenAxeWarrior, even better than the original Zelda game.

[angrypete]

top left corner in afterburner

Ha got 50% right.

I think Master System games have alot of charm, even the crap ones.

TecToy released alot of interesting stuff didn't they. Anyone get to play the SMS version of Street Fighter II? I should hunt the rom to see how the console could handle it.

[Yakumo]

Yeah, I did. It's bloody awful. hahahaha. Still at least they tried. Even has speech !

yakumo