Master System

[m0nk3y]

Dedided to look into what Master System games that are any good, as I can play them via Powerbase.

But I'm having no luck finding Japanese versions anywhere. Was the Jpn box art better than the UK/US, or was it too based on the 'grid' pattern?

Also, what Card System games exist? Are any actually decent? Sure there can't be that many, as they removed the card slot on the Mk2.

Cheers.

EDIT: A Gamegear - MS adaptor was never made, afaik. Surely though, the MS - GG converters are just straight through pin adaptors, no daft globtop chips or anything? So by reversing the process, I should be able to play GG games on a MS/Powerbase? But then it'll expand the game to full screen (I assume), and it'll most probably look crap. Damn. Anyone know/tried?

[Baseley09]

Gamegear has 4096 colours compared to the SMS 128 or 64.

Japanese Master System is known as Mark III too, VGI have some in stock.

Before it was the built in game, Hang On is a great example of a card game, superb stuff.

[m0nk3y]

I did some searching around and it seems that Sega were planning on releasing a GG - MD/Genny converter, similar to the SuperGB for the SNES. However, the project was canned and never released. I'd be interested if anyone has any pics/info on this.

I have found a tool that will allow me to convert GG Roms to MD format, so I could play them via MD flash cart, but I wanna use the actual GG carts.

Anyone come across a GG-MD project on their travels accross the vastness of the interweb? Surely there must be someone else out there who wanted to do this? If the MS can't handle the increased GG palette, surely a MD can. But I'm still guessing it's not gonna be as easy as modding a Powerbase converter......

[sj33]

Gamegear has 4096 colours compared to the SMS 128 or 64.

Pretty crazy that the GameGear has a larger colour pallet than the MegaDrive... even crazier when you consider Sega chose against increasing the colour pallet with the MegaCD.

[moonwhistle]

The only card game I ever played on the Master system back in the day was called Teddy Boy, it was a budget game and sounds like total crap but as far as I remember it was actually a pretty entertaining.

[mickyboy]

I loved my SMS so much, I must admit, at the time, I wasn't aware that there was this war raging between Nintendo and Sega but when it came to choosing my first proper console, Sega's arcade herritage alone secured my purchase and put me firmly in the Seaga camp for many a year to come.

I still have mine in the loft, still boxed and ready to go as soon as the moment takes me to play some 8-Bit classics. As for buying games for it, I don't think I'd bother to be honest, I still have most of the good ones and my hard earned cash tends to get pulled into buying AES or SFC carts these days BUT there's one game that I still want for the SMS and at the right price I would snap it up straight away...that game being Phantasy Star.

I've never played it, never seen it running ( none of my mates had it ) and yet, I have always wanted it...I think? Everyone says it's amazing, all the reviews praise it and some folk even say that it is better than some 16-Bit and above RPG's. I must get it, just to satisfy my curiousity. I remember it being more expensive than all the other SMS games at the time.

As far as card games go, the only one I remember playing and re-playing ( quite alot actually ) was My Hero. I believe they later made this into a cart too but don't quote me on that.

Arrrrrr, Sega...they were the best weren't they?

[AllYourBase]

games i remember having on the card format were

ghost house which was a fun platformer in a haunted house, akin to alex kidd

F-16 fighter which was a poor mans afterburner

Teddy boy - cutesy platformer

hang on, which i got with the console, never stopped playing that one until I got the megadrive!!

transbot which i don't remember much about

my hero was on card too but i didn't rate it too highly

also i think super tennis was on card, that was fairly decent too

and last but not least spy vs spy, which was an amazingly good fun multiplayer game, hours of fun on that!!

just shows you what could be done with less than 32k back in the days!!

anyone remember built-in snail game??? ^_^

[Baseley09]

anyone remember built-in snail game??? ^_^

Both buttons & up innit

[mickyboy]

Yeah I do, didn't you have to turn on the Powerbase without a game in it and it loaded up straight away...no wait, Hang On used to come on straight away without a game in it...how did you get onto the snail game?

Yes, you're right, some of them card games were great, cheap too if I remember. Just wondered, how much difference in capacity were the SMS card games to PCE Hu-Cards?

I know the systems are vastly different and the quality of the games was massive but it leads me onto my next question. Does the quality of a game i.e. graphics, sound, level size etc depend on the size/capacity of the media or the machine running it?

I always thought it was the latter but wasn't the PCE 8-Bit? It surely wasn't 16-Bit...was it? I've never had a definitive answer to that. Any hoo, if the answer is that the machine running the game is the most important thing, why are AES carts so big in both sheer capacity what it holds inside and actual size!

[AllYourBase]

I think the early hucards were about 2 megabits (rtype part 1 & 2 spring to mind) - I think before NEC moved onto CD ROMs Streetfighter 2 champions edition was released which was rumoured to be a whopping 20 megabits (about 2.4MB!!)

The PCE is a 8-bit console as mean machines loved to remind us, the main CPU was 8-bit, however the graphics and sound chips were 16 bit so many games looked up to the standards of megadrive titles (plus developers really seemed to get the best out of the system)

The first PAL master systems didn't have hang on built in, just the snail game - I think the later master systems had sonic built in!!

Could this be the ultimate limited edition console? (only released in Brazil)

[tokyochojin]

Can't see it mate??

I remember Jungle Book, Sonic 2 and built in Alex kidd always got some serious play when i went round my neighbours house.

[Me]

I've just bought a master system (power base) off flea bay with Alex Kidd in Shinobi World, Wonderboy, Physco Fox, California Games and the built in Hang On and Safari Hunt all works a treat after a bit of a clean up.

Brings back memories of playing wonderboy with my brothers when we were very young. It was our first console and we loved it. I've got an av cable and a couple of megadrive pads on their way and when the av cable arrives I'l be popping down to see my local tv repair man to get him to do the 60hz switch for me. Oh yeah Wonderboy 3 is on it's way as well.

Not many more games I want for it maybe wonderboy in monsterland and an RPG Phantasy Star of Y's never played either of 'em before but always wanted them.

Any other top notch games I should keep my eyes out for ??

[Baseley09]

.

Any other top notch games I should keep my eyes out for ??

The Ninja!

Seriously even at ?9.99 rrp I aslways loved that

[Duddyroar]

I never had a Master System back in the day, but picked a Master System II up from a local Cash Converters in the mid-90's (?3.99 with two pads, unboxed!). I have to admit that the appeal of the console has always escaped me. When the 8-bit wars were raging I was content with my Atari ST. My first console was a Megadrive so I kinda looked down on the Master System I suppose. Even more so when Sega adopted their policy of porting many MD games to the MS (Ghouls n Ghosts, ESWAT, Golden Axe, etc). The MD did everything so much better (obviously).

However when I 're-discovered' the machine I found some very playable titles. R-Type is excellent (one of the best home versions IMO). Psycho Fox is only bettered by the MD semi-sequel, DeCapAttack (Maginal Flying Hat Turbo Adventure in Japan). Rastan is a top-notch platformer. Y's: Vanished Omens is a great little RPG.

The Master System was easily as good as the its true rival, the NES, and I think European gamers saw that. However it lacked the 'big name' third party licences from companies like Konami and Capcom. Plus there was the terrible 'flicker' on the sprites (but then the NES and even MD suffered from this).

I sold my MSII along with 21 games on fleabay last year for ?50, which wasn't a bad price considering most of the games cost me less than ?1.99. I now play MS games on my GP32 whenever I need an 8-bit Sega fix. I've got a Powerbase Converter but for some reason it cuts out after about 30 seconds of play, my mate has the same problem with his. No idea why it does this.

[MikeRox]

I've just bought a master system (power base) off flea bay with Alex Kidd in Shinobi World, Wonderboy, Physco Fox,

Guy I know sold Psycho fox on ebay the other week an got well over ?30 for it even tho it was in naff condition. Duddy quite a few MS games were completely different to their MD counterparts and only really shared the same title.

Castle of Illusion and World of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse are 2 awesome MS titles.

Although the GG - MD adapter never came out, there is a Master System - MD adapter, well 2, the original one had a card slot, the 2nd one just a cart slot and they're compatible with pretty much every MS game.