New Sega Master System owner

[+Cafeman]

Last night I played a long session consisting of World Grand Prix, then Outrun, then Hang On. I enjoy them all and its interesting to note the differences between these similar-perspective race games.

 

WGP is like a Pole Position sequel. I just learned that once you earn over $100, you can buy an upgrade for 1 race. I appreciate the depth this adds - I always pick the Accelerator which keeps me near top speed even if I need to slow down temporarily. Handling didn't do much for me; and Engine makes you go faster, but what good is that once cars block you or if the curves are sharp. The frame rate is very smooth on this game. The road edges (red & white strip) are what move to display your speed.

 

Outrun has a lot more going on and is thus choppier and more cut-down from the coin-op or Genny version, but still very fun. Except for that desert stage - I avoid that at all costs. Here, the grey & white strips on the racing road are what move, along with whatever lane lines might be there. sometimes in the desert, its difficult for me to make out the movement and it appears I'm standing still until scenery passes. I haven't beaten any route yet, to my surprise. I guess my reactions on a late friday night are too slow.

 

Hang On is a return to the buttery smoothness. Its a much simpler game, just pass groups of two cycles over & over over each course, but it has 3 gears - low, mid, high. My memory tells me the original only had low & high, but I like mid - just change to mid on a curve then hit high to slowly accelerate out of it. Hang On is the easiest of all these - I got the 5th level and just turned it off, satisfied.

[Greg2600]

WGP is pretty good, for the year it came out. Outrun runs good on SMS, but Outrun 3D is the real treat. Much better music, even without FM, and also very rare. One thing I look forward to playing on the Master ED. Hang On is very good on SMS, while Super Hang On on Genesis is a slow, horrible mess.

[zylon]

Last night I played a long session consisting of World Grand Prix, then Outrun, then Hang On. I enjoy them all and its interesting to note the differences between these similar-perspective race games.

 

WGP is like a Pole Position sequel. I just learned that once you earn over $100, you can buy an upgrade for 1 race. I appreciate the depth this adds - I always pick the Accelerator which keeps me near top speed even if I need to slow down temporarily. Handling didn't do much for me; and Engine makes you go faster, but what good is that once cars block you or if the curves are sharp. The frame rate is very smooth on this game. The road edges (red & white strip) are what move to display your speed.

 

Outrun has a lot more going on and is thus choppier and more cut-down from the coin-op or Genny version, but still very fun. Except for that desert stage - I avoid that at all costs. Here, the grey & white strips on the racing road are what move, along with whatever lane lines might be there. sometimes in the desert, its difficult for me to make out the movement and it appears I'm standing still until scenery passes. I haven't beaten any route yet, to my surprise. I guess my reactions on a late friday night are too slow.

 

Hang On is a return to the buttery smoothness. Its a much simpler game, just pass groups of two cycles over & over over each course, but it has 3 gears - low, mid, high. My memory tells me the original only had low & high, but I like mid - just change to mid on a curve then hit high to slowly accelerate out of it. Hang On is the easiest of all these - I got the 5th level and just turned it off, satisfied.

5th level and that's it? Hang On keeps repeating the same courses but they do get much harder. You haven't seen anything till you hit a million or two. It's easily my favorite game on the system. Each time I play it, many hours pass by.

[Austin]

Yeah, and don't compete with him in the SMS HSC either, especially with Hang-On.. you'll never want to play again.

[+Cafeman]

Hang On is MUCH harder in the original coin-op game, so I guessed that after cycling through the levels (pun!) 5 times, I'd seen all there was to see. Will play more.

 

also, I hit another store (Cash-in culture) and got a couple more Master System games... all boxed ....

 

- Rampage - good version

- Joe Montana Football - I thought "...how quaint. My Steelers beat Green Bay. Won't be playing too much of this".

- Fantasy Zone 2 - my favorite MS game! It is really fun.

- Monopoly - pretty much what I expected. I played it just to see how such a game was made, against 2 CPU opponents. A novelty but it was certainly different from what I usually play. I turned off the on-the-board scrolling animations so it'd speed up.

 

Will keep searching now & then (online) for Alex Kidd in Miracle World and in Shinobi World, and also Ninja gaiden.

[zylon]

Hang On is MUCH harder in the original coin-op game, so I guessed that after cycling through the levels (pun!) 5 times, I'd seen all there was to see. Will play more.

 

also, I hit another store (Cash-in culture) and got a couple more Master System games... all boxed ....

 

- Rampage - good version

- Joe Montana Football - I thought "...how quaint. My Steelers beat Green Bay. Won't be playing too much of this".

- Fantasy Zone 2 - my favorite MS game! It is really fun.

- Monopoly - pretty much what I expected. I played it just to see how such a game was made, against 2 CPU opponents. A novelty but it was certainly different from what I usually play. I turned off the on-the-board scrolling animations so it'd speed up.

 

Will keep searching now & then (online) for Alex Kidd in Miracle World and in Shinobi World, and also Ninja gaiden.

Those last 3 are solid choices. The SMS sports games are sorely lacking, although Walter Payton football is an interesting offering. Some recommendations if not opposed to imports:

Aerial Assault- shooter, far superior to the gamegear version

Bomber Raid- good vertical shooter with minimal flicker

Gauntlet- good arcade port vastly better than NES version

R-type- just love this one

Master of Darkness- most consider it a Castlevania clone

Arcade Smash Hits- interesting takes on arcade centipede, missile command, and breakout

Bubble Bobble- great port of this game, but pricy

Power Strike- fast paced shooter, was limited release in US

Power Strike II- rare, but fun

Assault city- T2 Arcade knockoff released in 2 versions: Phaser series or controller only.

Streets of Rage- little slower than arcade but still fun

Astro Warrior- simple shooter but should be cheap!

[zylon]

Yeah, and don't compete with him in the SMS HSC either, especially with Hang-On.. you'll never want to play again.

Haven't lost a game of Hang-On or Safari Hunt in 24 years , sooner or later the right challenger will appear.

The rest of the games I'm only kind of good at or terrible. I just have more of them than most players so I'm usually ahead just by participating.

http://www.smstributes.co.uk/view_page.asp?articleid=211

Except for my 2 games, these guys at this forum blow my abilities away!

Edited February 13, 2011 by zylon

[Austin]

You have to try "Great Football". Not because it's good or anything, but because doing laps around the football field while watching the CPU make a sad attempt to catch up is priceless.

[zylon]

You have to try "Great Football". Not because it's good or anything, but because doing laps around the football field while watching the CPU make a sad attempt to catch up is priceless.

Been there!

[+Cafeman]

Some recommendations if not opposed to imports:

Aerial Assault- shooter, far superior to the gamegear version

Bomber Raid- good vertical shooter with minimal flicker

Gauntlet- good arcade port vastly better than NES version

R-type- just love this one

Master of Darkness- most consider it a Castlevania clone

Arcade Smash Hits- interesting takes on arcade centipede, missile command, and breakout

Bubble Bobble- great port of this game, but pricy

Power Strike- fast paced shooter, was limited release in US

Power Strike II- rare, but fun

Assault city- T2 Arcade knockoff released in 2 versions: Phaser series or controller only.

Streets of Rage- little slower than arcade but still fun

Astro Warrior- simple shooter but should be cheap!

 

Just a couple comments: I do have Astro Warrior and I like it a lot. I have always enjoyed vertically scrolling shooters. I kept trying to shoot the little green ship that comes down center screen until I realized it was a power-up ship!

I will pass on Streets of Rage because I have the Genny version and they are all I need. R-type, I have played that so much that I doubt I'd search it out again. I didn't know Gauntlet was on the MS. Thanks for the recommendations.

[Austin]

I think I said it earlier, but Power Strike is a must-have (Zylon listed it, too). If you like Astro Warrior, you will love PS.

[the.golden.ax]

Xenon too! Just picked up Power Strike USA (ugly insert and all) last week for $15. Paid $60 for an import GG Power Strike 2 (Japanese) that one hurt. Would rather have the Europe version.

 

AX

[zylon]

Xenon too! Just picked up Power Strike USA (ugly insert and all) last week for $15. Paid $60 for an import GG Power Strike 2 (Japanese) that one hurt. Would rather have the Europe version.

 

AX

I passed on recommending Xenon 2 because it glitches to the point of uselessness on NTSC systems. It can be played on a Powerbase Convertor with a Genesis perfectly fine though. Same with Operation Wolf.

I also like being able to use Atari compatible sticks like the Wico for games requiring only one button.

[zylon]

Some recommendations if not opposed to imports:

Aerial Assault- shooter, far superior to the gamegear version

Bomber Raid- good vertical shooter with minimal flicker

Gauntlet- good arcade port vastly better than NES version

R-type- just love this one

Master of Darkness- most consider it a Castlevania clone

Arcade Smash Hits- interesting takes on arcade centipede, missile command, and breakout

Bubble Bobble- great port of this game, but pricy

Power Strike- fast paced shooter, was limited release in US

Power Strike II- rare, but fun

Assault city- T2 Arcade knockoff released in 2 versions: Phaser series or controller only.

Streets of Rage- little slower than arcade but still fun

Astro Warrior- simple shooter but should be cheap!

 

Just a couple comments: I do have Astro Warrior and I like it a lot. I have always enjoyed vertically scrolling shooters. I kept trying to shoot the little green ship that comes down center screen until I realized it was a power-up ship!

I will pass on Streets of Rage because I have the Genny version and they are all I need. R-type, I have played that so much that I doubt I'd search it out again. I didn't know Gauntlet was on the MS. Thanks for the recommendations.

You're doing fine so far and at an incredible pace! Check out stuff from Australia as well. A lot of my games were cheaper to buy and ship from down under than buying locally.

[ydcl]

I just got acquired my first Sega Master System. Not too many games yet, will need to check the net. The Phaser works well but it didn't come with 3D glasses.

 

I've been searching for discussions about Master System; I had previously ignored it completely. I never owned an NES either - those mid-late-80's years, I wasnt' into games that much.

 

Anyway, I think right from the first couple of minutes, I was pleased by the console's visuals and sounds compared to NES and older consoles. But it isn't much different from NES to my eyes. I use a Genesis 6-button controller, not the original ones.

 

I got 2 Phaser games - Safari Hunt and Gangster Town. Me & my boys found them to be pretty fun. thankfully I still have a CRT for my main gaming.

 

Also got Outrun, Hang On (I love all versions of these games and found it to be a real treat to see the Master System versions), Phantasy Star, Time soldiers, Great Golf (similar but not as good as Genesis Arnold Palmer ,to me), Choplifter (best version I've played), Pro-wrestling , Thunder Blade, and Double Dragon (these last 3 are fun in a dated-80's kind of way).

 

It seems already that I'll be needing to find Brazil or UK games to fill up my library.

 

I like the 2-tone sound when the system turns on, too. That is all.

 

 

Anyway, any suggestions to find non-pricey great games, and where on the net to find them?

 

I just bought a Master System on EBay! It comes with some games to start with:

# Hang On/ Safari Hunt- cartridge only

# World Grand Prix- cartridge only

# Great Football- cartridge only

# Great Baseball The Mega Cartridge - comes with case and manual

# F-16 Fighting Falcon The Sega Card - comes with case and protective cover

 

I recommend you look for Golden Axe, Mônica no Castelo do Dragão, and Turma da Mônica em O Resgate... Those were my childhood SMS games that I used to play at my friends house in Brazil when I lived there.

Edited February 13, 2011 by ydcl

[TheGameCollector]

I never really liked Alex Kidd in Miracle World much, but I really enjoyed the sequel - Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars. The 2nd Alex Kidd seemed more like a traditional platformer.

[Armonigann]

Xenon too! Just picked up Power Strike USA (ugly insert and all) last week for $15. Paid $60 for an import GG Power Strike 2 (Japanese) that one hurt. Would rather have the Europe version.

 

AX

I passed on recommending Xenon 2 because it glitches to the point of uselessness on NTSC systems. It can be played on a Powerbase Convertor with a Genesis perfectly fine though. Same with Operation Wolf.

 

There are other games that glitch all to hell on ntsc model 1 sms as well. Heres a fairly vague list from over at sega8bit.

 

Addams Family, The

Back to the Future Part III

Battlemaniacs

Bram Stoker's Dracula (very minor glitching from my experience)

California Games II

Cosmic Spacehead

Excellent Dizzy Collection, The

Fantastic Dizzy

Home Alone

Micro Machines

Operation Wolf

Predator 2

Quest for the Shaven Yak

RoboCop 3

Shadow Dancer - The Secret of Shinobi (very minor glitching from my experience)

Shadow of the Beast

Sonic Blast

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (very minor glitching from my experience)

Space Harrier (some versions)

Taito Chase H.Q.

Sensible Soccer

Xenon 2

[psquare75]

Might I suggest bypassing all the hard games and.

 

 

http://krikzz.com/mseverdrive.html

[zylon]

Xenon too! Just picked up Power Strike USA (ugly insert and all) last week for $15. Paid $60 for an import GG Power Strike 2 (Japanese) that one hurt. Would rather have the Europe version.

 

AX

I passed on recommending Xenon 2 because it glitches to the point of uselessness on NTSC systems. It can be played on a Powerbase Convertor with a Genesis perfectly fine though. Same with Operation Wolf.

 

There are other games that glitch all to hell on ntsc model 1 sms as well. Heres a fairly vague list from over at sega8bit.

 

Addams Family, The

Back to the Future Part III

Battlemaniacs

Bram Stoker's Dracula (very minor glitching from my experience)

California Games II

Cosmic Spacehead

Excellent Dizzy Collection, The

Fantastic Dizzy

Home Alone

Micro Machines

Operation Wolf

Predator 2

Quest for the Shaven Yak

RoboCop 3

Shadow Dancer - The Secret of Shinobi (very minor glitching from my experience)

Shadow of the Beast

Sonic Blast

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (very minor glitching from my experience)

Space Harrier (some versions)

Taito Chase H.Q.

Sensible Soccer

Xenon 2

Only thing I noticed was some of those played a touch faster on NTSC machine. That can be remedied with a simple toggle switch mod (to switch from 60hz to 50hz) or for best results, use a system without the extra built-in games. The 2 I mentioned previously don't apply for this method though.

[DracIsBack]

Welcome aboard. I've had three Master Systems, including a Master System II when they were new (and dying) in North America. The system is like a treasure chest to me because after it was dead here, a lot of great games came out in Europe that will play just fine. Due to their common nature over there, you can pick them up on Ebay for cheap. Just bought Ninja Gaiden for SMS and am about to start up Golden Axe Warrior again. Love that game.It helped that system to be so close to the GameGear. Many GameGear games had "Master System" versions in Europe. Also, the Nintendo lockdown was lifting so third parties were embracing the Master System in Europe whereas that didn't happen this side of the pond.

Edited February 17, 2011 by DracIsBack

[BrianC]

I recommend you look for Golden Axe, Mônica no Castelo do Dragão, and Turma da Mônica em O Resgate... Those were my childhood SMS games that I used to play at my friends house in Brazil when I lived there.

 

The latter two are official hacks of Wonder Boy in Monster Land and Wonder Boy III. I recommend avoiding the Monica versions and getting the Wonder Boy versions instead. The original graphics are better and both came to the US/EU. I especially recommend Wonder Boy III since it's one of the best games on the system. If I remember correctly, the Monica versions are in Portugese. The Wonder Boy versions are in English.

Edited February 17, 2011 by BrianC

[Armonigann]

Welcome aboard. I've had three Master Systems, including a Master System II when they were new (and dying) in North America. The system is like a treasure chest to me because after it was dead here, a lot of great games came out in Europe that will play just fine. Due to their common nature over there, you can pick them up on Ebay for cheap. Just bought Ninja Gaiden for SMS and am about to start up Golden Axe Warrior again. Love that game.It helped that system to be so close to the GameGear. Many GameGear games had "Master System" versions in Europe. Also, the Nintendo lockdown was lifting so third parties were embracing the Master System in Europe whereas that didn't happen this side of the pond.

 

Nice set of games you got there

[the.golden.ax]

The SMS collection of games so far:

 

 

AX

[Drixxel]

There is definitely something to be said for the aesthetic awesome of congruently-styled boxes when stacked/shelved. Righteous collection!

[TheGameCollector]

The SMS collection of games so far:

 

 

AX

 

Amazing... you have Sonic Blast. I have never seen it on auction anywhere before, not even loose. The 8-bit "Sonic 5." It's too bad Tec Toy skipped Sonic Triple Trouble when porting games.