NES vs Master System

[Leon Retro]

The NES really seemed to take off when it was bundled with TMNT (or hero!) - Does anyone know what year that was?

I'd say late 89, probably 90. It's funny that Turtles is a dodgy game. It was all about hype though.

In my world, the MS seemed dead by 1990-1991. The NES was still being enjoyed by a lot of people I knew. Then it was all about 16-Bit and the MDvsSNES

[sj33]

I never got on with the NES software lineup compared to the MS, so MS for me.

I do feel that NES games, in general, have aged worse.

[Team Andromeda]

Oh I was an all out Master System fanbot back in school . I thought he NES was rubbish , it didn't come close to the Master System . WonderBoy alone Sealed the deal , untill Panzer Dragoon my fav game of all time

[Leon Retro]

I can accept the Sega obsession here, but I can't understand why so many of you don't have good words for the NES.

The MS has lots of great games, and is a nice system, but the NES also has a big collection of fun games.

The Mario series. RC-Pro AM, Castlevania series, Kid Icarus, Metroid, Excite Bike, Rush'n'Attack, Contra, etc. etc....

The strong MS biased seems strange to me. Surely... MS fans appreciate the fact that the NES has lots of good games too.

Back in 1990, I had an Amiga, but when I was bought a NES, I discovered "True Gameplay" ... the magic I'd always wanted in games. That's when I realised that consoles have the kind of fun imaginative games that I crave. I never looked back after that.

[langley]

The MS was my first Console, went from Spec+2 to MS. I got my MS from a m8's Nan's catalogue, and from what i can remember the NES did not really have much page space.......... I went the MS way purely because of the Arcade conversion thing. I was big into Arcade titles on my +2, so it seemed a natural progression, I could play the Arcade titles i loved but with much improved Graphics, games like After Burner, Out Run, Vigilante, Double Dragon, Galaxy Force............ in fact AB & OR were the 2 games i got with it. From here it was natural to go the route of the MD, although PCE very very nearly swung me. I did flirt with a SNES for a while, (I will prob get hung for this) but i really did not like it........ It took until N64 for me to really see what Nintendo was about, prob not because of vast amounts of great games on the system, but i finally "GOT" what Nintendo was about and what they were trying to acheive, and am now a fan. On reflection i prob missed alot of great stuff..... a shame.

Langley

[sj33]

Hmmmm, time for the Sega rap methinks!

"Check out your local dealer
Not for drugs
But for Sega"

[Leon Retro]

The MS was my first Console, went from Spec+2 to MS. I got my MS from a m8's Nan's catalogue, and from what i can remember the NES did not really have much page space.......... I went the MS way purely because of the Arcade conversion thing. I was big into Arcade titles on my +2, so it seemed a natural progression, I could play the Arcade titles i loved but with much improved Graphics, games like After Burner, Out Run, Vigilante, Double Dragon, Galaxy Force............ in fact AB & OR were the 2 games i got with it. From here it was natural to go the route of the MD, although PCE very very nearly swung me. I did flirt with a SNES for a while, (I will prob get hung for this) but i really did not like it........ It took until N64 for me to really see what Nintendo was about, prob not because of vast amounts of great games on the system, but i finally "GOT" what Nintendo was about and what they were trying to acheive, and am now a fan. On reflection i prob missed alot of great stuff..... a shame.

Langley

At the end of the day, the consoles are just a bunch of chips. What it's about is *gameplay* ... that's why people bother with videogames.

I can understand the desire to play Sega coin-ops, but the MS wasn't really that good at reproducing arcade games. It's games like the Wonderboy series that I like the most on the MS.

With the NES, you had all the RARE games, which were mostly excellent, and Konami had lots of great games: Metal Gear Series, Castlevania Series. Capcom delivered games like Contra, Rush'n'Attack etc....

The NES was far more than a system purely for Nintendo made games.


I can't understand how anyone could not like the SNES ... Brilliant visual abilities, amazing sound chip, mode effects, and a great big bunch of excellent varied games.

The only thing I don't *get* about Nintendo, is why they went downhill so fast this century. It makes me weap.

[lettuce]

I had both, had the NES first then 2 years later got a MS. I always prefered the games on the NES, were more playable and presented better than MS games, the majority MS games felt soulless after play NES games. The MS was technically better though, but there was more games on the NES that i liked. The NES seems to rule the roost at my Middle School

[langley]

I agree with most of your points, but i was just trying to convey how i went the way i did. I totally agree that looking back that the MS conversions of the big Arcade titles were not that great, but being a fan of said games and coming from a +2, the colour graphics looked fantastic at the time. As a teenage boy i did not over analise which console would offer the best variety / gameplay experiences, and the MS offered the Arcade games i wanted to play better than i was currently playing them, and yes i missed out big style, but as they say....... the benefit of hindsite!!!!

[Leon Retro]

I agree with most of your points, but i was just trying to convey how i went the way i did. I totally agree that looking back that the MS conversions of the big Arcade titles were not that great, but being a fan of said games and coming from a +2, the colour graphics looked fantastic at the time. As a teenage boy i did not over analise which console would offer the best variety / gameplay experiences, and the MS offered the Arcade games i wanted to play better than i was currently playing them, and yes i missed out big style, but as they say....... the benefit of hindsite!!!!

Yeah, we were all kids back then. Only the richest spoilt kids got to experience the broad range of gaming delights on offer.

I had an MS. Outrun was exciting, as were a few others, but I didn't keep it for long. When I was bought a NES, it may not have had flashy visuals, but it certainly did have a lot of really charming fun games.

Obviously, if it was down to choice, I'd have had all the consoles at once, and enjoyed every game going. Sadly, £40 games meant that I had to make tough choices.

Now, we can indulge in all the retro goodness we desire, and finally own all the machines and games we want ( house size permitting )

[chaoticjelly]

The NES is pretty much a terrible console, and I don't know where you get the idea that it was more popular in the UK than the Master System.. you'll see at least 3 or 4 Master Systems for every NES out there..

[tanooki]

The NES really seemed to take off when it was bundled with TMNT (or hero!) - Does anyone know what year that was?

The turtles bundle was released in Autumn 1990. It was a smart move, the machine had been struggling up to that point and the turtles phenomenon really turned things around. At the start of that year my local Index were clearing all their NES games out for ?5.00 (i pretty much bought the lot), by the end of the year the NES with Turtles was a hot product for Christmas.

[Team Andromeda]

Edit: What's with Sega console fans always going on about technology and visuals? ... It should be totally about playability. That's why I like the NES more: it has far more stunningly playable titles.

Its called revenge for NCL fans going on about more colours , Mode 7 and better sound inthe Snes days . Remember those days when NCL fans wouldn't lower them self's to play Final Fight or Street Fighter onthe MD or Mega CD becaue of sound or colour issue's

[Vince]

From Spectrum to PC-Engine? .... That's a strange jump. I would have thought computer owners would have gone for an Amiga or ST.

Possibly but we only ever played games and Amiga/STs were way too expensive back then. The PC Engine thing came about because one of my friends loved R-Type and imported one straight from Japan in 1988. As soon as we all played it we realised it was in a different league from the NES or MS so went stright for them instead.

[Leon Retro]

Possibly but we only ever played games and Amiga/STs were way too expensive back then. The PC Engine thing came about because one of my friends loved R-Type and imported one straight from Japan in 1988. As soon as we all played it we realised it was in a different league from the NES or MS so went stright for them instead.

Everyone I knew, went for the Amiga. Parents find the cash for things, when they are told it's to help with a kids "Education"

The NES is pretty much a terrible console, and I don't know where you get the idea that it was more popular in the UK than the Master System.. you'll see at least 3 or 4 Master Systems for every NES out there..

The NES isn't very nice on the eyes or ears, but there's no doubt that many devs managed to instill a lot of magic into their games. For the Mario series alone, the NES deserves respect.

Its called revenge for NCL fans going on about more colours , Mode 7 and better sound inthe Snes days . Remember those days when NCL fans wouldn't lower them self's to play Final Fight or Street Fighter onthe MD or Mega CD becaue of sound or colour issue's

I had both consoles. With games costing lots of money, I simply chose the best options.

I know you like and respect the SFC though. It's just not cool on the retro scene to love the machine.

The funny thing is, back in the day, the circles I moved-in, didn't see the MD as cool. It was SFC all the way. Mode7, 256colours, amazing sound, the MD didn't come close