Any Master System owners?

[mkiker2089]

I've been tempted to dabble into the Sega Master System library. I never had one as a youth. I like the model 2 design for some reason but it's lack of AV output is a deal breaker.

 

Will it stand up well to the NES?

 

I actually considered getting a model 2 and having it modded. I did that with the top load NES. That's probably a lot of work for little gain though.

Edited August 24, 2013 by mkiker2089

[gorfcadet]

I have one. I like it a lot. The colors are nice and the library is better than most people think. I really like the 3D glasses, but usually end up with a Genesis pad because I don't care for the MS pad. The best games aren't mega expensive, but do take patience to track down.

[Intymike]

The model 2 misses also the card slot. That means no 3D glasses and games cards.

[Tales from the Game Room]

I have the Master System adapter for the Sega Genesis and a ton of games [including UK imports]...

 

- Ash

TALES FROM THE GAME ROOM

[Austin]

I am very fond of the Master System, but it doesn't have as many in-your-face heavy-hitter titles as the NES does, so many of its games may seem underwhelming in comparison to newcomers. Many do look beautiful though, even some of the mediocre ones like Golden Axe (you can definitely tell the higher available color palette was put to use on that title screen).

[Algus]

The Master System is delightful but the controllers really are dreadful. If you're talking US releases, it only really has a handful of great games. Though I could play Wonder Boy and Shinobi all day long.

 

I recommend it as long as you can get the hardware at a reasonable price. Most of the good games are cheap and it is more reliable than the NES but the NES has more worth-owning games than the Master System has overall

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

This is the shot that convinced me to buy THIS bundle some time ago. Have not played much beyond testing but I like it a lot. the 3D goggles are cool. I want a SMS Everdrive eventually.

 

 

[Tenorman]

Your best choice as far as compatiblity and picture quality is concerned is a Model 1. The Model 2 not only limits you to RF output, but it doesn't play the card games either. The Power Base Converter and a Genesis Model 1 would be my second choice. You have composite output and the card slot, and you don't take up a lot of extra space. There is only one game that doesn't work with it (F-16 Fighting Falcon), although of few of them do require you to use actual Master System controllers.

 

The big advantage to collecting for Master System is there is much less demand for it than NES. You can actually buy a lot of the best games for reasonable prices.

[yarjr]

I am a newer SMS owner and long time SEGA fan and I LOVE IT!!! You can't go wrong with it man!!! FYI Tenorman is right in terms of visual quality. Got a Model 1 myself for all of $16!!!

[mkiker2089]

Can someone decode this listing and tell my why it's so expensive?

 

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574883395&toolid=10001&campid=5336500554&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FSega-Master-System-II-Console-with-Controller-9-Games-Lot-Tested-Works-%2F161091050767%3Fpt%3DVideo_Games%26hash%3Ditem2581c65d0f

[SoulBlazer]

The Master System has a few 'must have' games like Phantasy Star, the Wonder Boy's, and Shinobi. The graphics and sound are better then NES, but the NES just has much better games. I didn't mind the SMS controller, though.

[godslabrat]

I use a Genesis with a PBC. Am I still cool?

[zylon]

Part of that listing being high-priced is wishful thinking by seller. The rest is due to rarity. NTSC SMS2 sales were so low that Sega didn't even track them. Rare doesn't always equal high value. Build quality on SMS2's were mediocre at best.

[sqoon]

Once you get the system, go shopping on UK and France ebay sites for games. Master System was a huge success in Europe and got many more releases that never saw western release. Games are region free, so no worries there.

[yarjr]

The SMS 2 does have some appeal but really its best to go with a Power base converter , if you got a model 1 genesis, or a Model 1.
Helpful Hint: The most common issue with a broken SMS , like 9 times out of 10, is a voltage regulator which you can buy for $2 shipped and replace yourself in about 10 minutes. Thats how I got an SMS for $16!!

Edited August 25, 2013 by yarjr

[mkiker2089]

I thought about getting the model 3 which according to wikipedia looks like the model 2 but is really more akin to the Atari Flashback line. Well I don't know if it's emulation or not, but no cart slot and built in games. Those aren't listed on ebay so I can only imagine they will be expensive.

 

An off topic thought occurred to me. I have a Genesis, NES top loader, and a Sears Arcade 2 (2600 clone). They all accept 10v DC even though the NES and SA2 came with AC power cords. I can use my Sega brick to power them all.

 

If I get one I guess it would be the model 1. I can give up the card slot for the vanity of having the curves. I can even give up RF, or more accuratly pay 25 bucks to have a local electronics wizard add it. What I can't get past is paying the absurd ebay prices to get the thing knowing it has drawbacks.

 

My plan now is to look for them in the wild for a while. I need to freeze spending this year anyway. I did buy a Vectrex also. That means I currently own and use a Vectrex, PS3, Wii U, NES, TeleGames 2600, Sears Arcade 2 2600 (yes, 2 Atari's), Sega Genesis, and a top load NES. It could be considered a sickness at this point.

[fiddlepaddle]

I really like the Master System and its games. Yes, the NES has a much bigger library, and some of those may be the best games of the era, but SMS games have a unique feel and lots of them are fun. Also, very few consoles allow you to play stereoscopic 3D games. Also, the first US model console has a built-in maze game (I don't think it's in the Power Base either).

[Retro Rogue]

I thought about getting the model 3 which according to wikipedia looks like the model 2 but is really more akin to the Atari Flashback line. Well I don't know if it's emulation or not,

 

The Flashback 1, 2, and 2+ do not use emulation.

[tokumaru]

The Master System was a huge success here in Brazil, where it had a much longer life than anywhere else in the world. There are still Master System consoles with over a hundred built-in games being manufactured and sold today, but those unfortunately are based on (crappy) emulation... it's been a while since the last model that included a cartridge slot was released, but it also had 70 or so built-in games.

 

I always liked this console, and we were well into the 16-bit era when I got my first Master System... I already had a Genesis/Mega Drive, but still enjoyed the Master System very much. Hardware-wise, graphics are more colorful than on the NES (16 colors per tile x 2 palettes vs. 4 colors per tile x 8 palettes), but the NES has better audio capabilities (it has a DPCM channel and the other channels are slightly more versatile than on the SMS). The Master System could have been way much successful worldwide if it weren't for Nintendo's dirty business tactics (companies that developed NES games weren't allowed to release the same titles on other consoles, at least for a couple of years - apparently this was ruled illegal later on), and we'd have seen a lot more cool games on the SMS.

 

The Model 2 (which was numbered 3 around here) is dead easy to mod for composite video, much more so than the top-loading NES. On the NES you need to remove/disable the RF circuit and amplify the video signal, and most of the time result isn't perfect (some people claim certain mods are better than others, but many people complain about "jail bars"), while on the SMS the audio and video signals can be obtained directly off an IC, they just need a bit of cleaning up (a capacitor and a resistor will do the trick).

 

As for games I'd recommend, I'm a sucker for platformers (the cuter the better!), so my favorites are the Mickey Mouse games (Castle of Illusion, Land of Illusion), Sonic 1, 2 and Chaos, the Donald Duck games (Lucky Dime Caper, Deep Duck Trouble), Daffy Duck in Hollywood... probably others that I can't remember right now.

Edited August 25, 2013 by tokumaru

[Tenorman]

Part of that listing being high-priced is wishful thinking by seller. The rest is due to rarity. NTSC SMS2 sales were so low that Sega didn't even track them. Rare doesn't always equal high value. Build quality on SMS2's were mediocre at best.

Agreed that rarity doesn't always equal high value. Once you get off of eBay, you'll find prices on the SMS 2 are much more reasonable. A couple years ago at MGS, I bought a Model 2 and 10 games for $70. The vendor told me I was the only one that had expressed even the slightest interest in it. I bought it mainly to have for my collection though. The system that I have hooked up and actually play is a Model 1.

[Reaperman]

Out of the 7800, SMS and NES, the late-era 8-bits, I've had the least fun on the SMS. It's got nice detailed graphics and a decent selection of games--I tried really hard to like it too, by picking up a number of its stand-out titles. I even picked up the shutter glasses.

 

I just wasn't having fun with its big titles like r-type or phantasy star, and I don't like the 'sms feel' created by its colors and sound chip. All the games sound about the same, and it's not a good sound. Give me a 7800 or nes over it any day. Yes, I'll take 7800 sound over sms sound even though it's extremely primative.

 

Maze Hunter 3d and action fighter are my favorites. It's got a nice rampage too--for whatever that's worth.

Edited August 25, 2013 by Reaperman

[Hyperboy]

Last year I picked up a CIB Master System, (2) CIB Arcade Sticks,(2) CIB Trackball Controllers, CIB 3D Glasses and 30+ Boxed games and cards. Most of the stuff was new or as new and it came from a house being demolished. The contractor found the stuff and I got it all for $100. Needless to say I keep close contact with the guy to this day but nothing since that first find. I am impressed in the 3D technology of the time,it's not just a gimmick but it needed more games for sure.

[Austin]

I know exactly what you mean by that "Master System sound". It lends each game to have a near-identical sound (minus the musical composition, of course). The music also tends to have very little bass (i.e., low-end) at all, so you get a generally high-frequency-heavy sound which isn't nearly as soothing to the ears as something using a more balanced range of audio frequencies. Some games like Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2 improved this and sound thicker overall, but still not even close to the bassy level of many NES titles. Overseas they had the FM module which helped things immensely, and it's a shame that was never released over here in the 'States.

 

All the games sound about the same, and it's not a good sound. Give me a 7800 or nes over it any day. Yes, I'll take 7800 sound over sms sound even though it's extremely primative.

[Tenorman]

Agreed on the whole whole "Master System/Game Gear sound" thing. That sound chip is very distinctive, but not really in a positive way. The sound is really the only way the NES is superior on a technical level, at least in the US and Europe where we never got the FM chip.

[+Gemintronic]

The SMS beat the NES hands down during its early years. It was the gynormously large third party support and system upgrades built into NES carts that eventually won. The 3D mazes in Phantasy Star still give me more motion sickness than Skyrim.