The Master System

The next gaming machine I owned was a master system console. I remember buying this with my mate at our local Woolworths!! I think I paid £50 for it, worth every penny. It had Alex Kid in miracle world built in, a game I played and played and completed!

Other games were Sonic the hedgehog, California games, Outrun, bubble Bobble and plenty more! Because my mate brought one as well we used to swap games which saved buying games as they were expensive.

A list of 100 top games can be found at Retro-Sanctuary

The Master System is Sega’s 8-bit home video game console, released in 1986 to compete with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). While it was not as successful in North America or Japan, it found great popularity in Europe and Brazil. The console was praised for its hardware, which was technically superior to the NES in some aspects, including colour palette and CPU speed.

Features and variations

• Original Master System (Master System I): Features both a cartridge slot and a “Sega Card” slot for smaller, cheaper games. It has a built-in game, Snail Maze, which can be accessed with a special button combination.
• Master System II: A budget-friendly redesign released in 1990. It removed the Sega Card slot and other features like the reset button and power light. Later versions of this model often included a built-in game like Alex Kidd in Miracle World or Sonic the Hedgehog.
• Hardware and media: The Master System’s hardware is based on the earlier Japanese Sega Mark III. It used standard cartridges and the Sega Card format, though the cards were eventually phased out.

Top games

While the Master System had a smaller library than the NES, especially in North America, it featured many well-regarded first-party titles, excellent arcade conversions, and exclusive games, particularly in PAL regions. Some of the console’s most popular games include: 

• Phantasy Star: A highly acclaimed role-playing game that is a graphical showpiece for the system.
• Alex Kidd in Miracle World: A charming and challenging platformer that served as Sega’s original mascot platform before Sonic.
• Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap: A classic adventure-RPG platformer.
• Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit version): A completely different and highly enjoyable game from its 16-bit Genesis counterpart.
• Master of Darkness: A platformer frequently compared to Nintendo’s Castlevania series.
• Shinobi: A solid 8-bit port of the popular arcade game.
• Golden Axe Warrior: A Legend of Zelda-style action-adventure game that is a rare and coveted title.

It was my first and only cartridge based gaming console and it seemed so much easier to set up then previous computers I had played on. Although I don’t think the master system was as popular as the Mega Drive which followed the master system I believe this console holds its own as a great retro console, the most important aspect of gaming is playability and enjoyment and the master system had this in bundles.