History Behind Master System Purchase
I have the Master System just to say I own one Sega system. Just kidding. Actually, I remember thinking that the Master System looked pretty cool, but I went with the NES since everyone else had that. When I think about it, I'm not even sure when I acquired my Master System. I believe it was around 1990 or 1991, because I remember the stores were clearing out their stock of SMS games not long after I got one. Boy, I wish I had purchased more of those games. I know I got the system and six games off a friend (who got it off someone else) for about $25. I also have the privilege of owning both the Light Phaser and the 3-D Glasses accessories. The 3-D Glasses might be the coolest thing about the Master System.
For a while, I was scouring the local flea markets and the online world for some games. It's almost kind of like a challenge to find good Master System games for a reasonable price. But I actually enjoyed the system as well. I think Psycho Fox and Golden Axe Warrior, two late SMS releases, are nearly as good as the best NES games. Even though my search efforts finally ended, I was glad to be on the lookout for a few good SMS games to add to the library. Something major, however, is still missing from my collection: Sonic the Hedgehog. Yes, the rodent appeared on the Master System, too, and I almost tracked it down years ago.
Retrospectively, I would describe the Sega Master System as a curiosity. It was technically superior to the NES, but Sega could not figure out how to differentiate its system -- at least in Japan and the U.S. (Apparently, it was more popular than Nintendo in Europe and South America.) You will find a lot of copycat and "me too" games and ideas on the system.
P.S. I actually played the Master System far more than the follow-on Genesis. Sega and Nintendo were in a nasty fight back in the early 1990s, and I was a staunch Nintendo supporter. I do recognize that Sega released some good Genesis games, however, which is why I eventually downloaded some through Wii's Virtual Console service and got Sega Genesis Classics for Switch.
For a while, I was scouring the local flea markets and the online world for some games. It's almost kind of like a challenge to find good Master System games for a reasonable price. But I actually enjoyed the system as well. I think Psycho Fox and Golden Axe Warrior, two late SMS releases, are nearly as good as the best NES games. Even though my search efforts finally ended, I was glad to be on the lookout for a few good SMS games to add to the library. Something major, however, is still missing from my collection: Sonic the Hedgehog. Yes, the rodent appeared on the Master System, too, and I almost tracked it down years ago.
Retrospectively, I would describe the Sega Master System as a curiosity. It was technically superior to the NES, but Sega could not figure out how to differentiate its system -- at least in Japan and the U.S. (Apparently, it was more popular than Nintendo in Europe and South America.) You will find a lot of copycat and "me too" games and ideas on the system.
P.S. I actually played the Master System far more than the follow-on Genesis. Sega and Nintendo were in a nasty fight back in the early 1990s, and I was a staunch Nintendo supporter. I do recognize that Sega released some good Genesis games, however, which is why I eventually downloaded some through Wii's Virtual Console service and got Sega Genesis Classics for Switch.
What lies below is a listing of my Master System collection along with some history behind the system's purchase. One thing to keep in mind is that these are all the games I currently own. I've actually had other games throughout the years. But I got rid of some of them for whatever reason. Please also note that all of the games listed below are actual cartridges. I am neither into getting emulators for the classics nor am I into pirating the latest games.
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This is far and away my favorite Master System game, and that's because it's a Zelda rip-off. Despite all the success of Zelda, few blatant knock-offs exist. Golden Axe Warrior is a wonderful game in the same mold and vein as The Legend of Zelda on NES. I highly recommend this game if you're a Zelda fan. You'll enjoy the adventure.
Sega's Master System certainly has its share of cute "platformer" games, which means you run and jump through each level. Psycho Fox captivated me more than the others did. I thought the platforming action was more solid and enjoyable than the Alex Kidd or Wonder Boy games, and I felt the control was spot-on, too. This is a sleeper hit.
Double Dragon was one of my favorite series back in the 8-bit days. It's just hard for me to single it out amongst all the other great series. Interestingly, Double Dragon on the Master System features a two-player simultaneous mode that the NES version didn't have. This feature really makes the game standout as one of the best Master System games.
Usually, forward-scrolling racing games become forgotten with each passing generation. After all, 3D games keep getting better and better, right? Who wants to play something that pales graphically? Nevertheless, I found Out Run to be a great port of the arcade game and one of the most fun games on the Master System. Sometimes simple is better.
Space Harrier is one of the more popular Sega games of all time. It still ranks as one of the most unique gaming styles around. Moreover, the port of the game proved to be a good one. Space Harrier always has been a challenging game. There's no doubt about that. But the unique style and gameplay always have made it fun, too. Try one of the versions if you can.
- After Burner + G-LOC on (NS)
- Alex Kidd in Miracle World (#1) (Wii)
- Alien Syndrome
- Columns GEN on (NS)
- Double Dragon ARC on (NS)
- F-16 Fighting Falcon Sega Card
- Ghouls 'n Ghosts GEN on (Wii) + ARC on (NS)
- Golden Axe Warrior
- Great Baseball
- Hang On / Astro Warrior + ARC Super on (Wii)
- Kenseiden
- Maze Hunter 3-D - 3-D Glasses req'd
- Missile Defense 3-D - 3-D Glasses & Phaser req'd
- Out Run ARC on (NS)
- Psycho Fox
- Rampage (GCN)
- Shinobi ARC on (Wii) and (NS)
- Shooting Gallery - Light Phaser req'd
- Space Harrier ARC on (Wii) and (NS)
- Strider GEN on (Wii) + ARC on (NS)
- Thunder Blade + GEN Super on (Wii) and (NS)
- Time Soldiers
- Wonder Boy (1st WB) (Wii) + Returns on (NS)
- Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (4th WB) (Wii)
- Y's: The Vanished Omens (Wii)
- Zaxxon 3-D - 3-D Glasses req'd if not Pause for 2D
1. Golden Axe Warrior
2. Psycho Fox
3. Double Dragon
4. Out Run
5. Space Harrier
Honorable Mention: Phantasy Star, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, and Wonder Boy
6. After Burner
One thing the Master System was known for is good ports of Sega's arcade games. After Burner is another game that falls into this category. Despite the fact that home systems paled in comparison to arcades back in this era, conversions to the Master System seemed to go well. After Burner is another forward-scrolling, quasi-3D game that looked good and played even better.
7. Columns
Another thing the Master System might be known for is clone games. Golden Axe Warrior tried to emulate Zelda. Alex Kidd tried to be the next Mario. And Columns tries to take Tetris to the next level. While there never will be another Tetris, this was an enjoyable puzzle game alternative back in the day. Plus, the two-player mode was a lot of fun.
Note: The games listed above are physical cartridges. Nintendo's Virtual Console service on Wii allowed me to augment my collection digitally by purchasing 5 more SMS games individually:
plus Operation Wolf and Space Gun on Operation Night Strikers for Switch- Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (#2) (Wii VC)
- Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (#5) (Wii VC)
- Phantasy Star (Wii VC) and (NS)
- Sonic Chaos (Wii VC) and (NS)
- Wonder Boy in Monster Land (2nd WB) (Wii VC)
Sega's sequels often spanned across the arcade and home consoles. Due to these confusing timelines, please see how and where you can play these games in the series:
- Alex Kidd in Miracle World (#1) (SMS) = play via (Wii VC) & Cart
- Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (#2) (SMS) = play via (Wii VC), which was not-as-good arcade port on SMS
- Alex Kidd: High-Tech World (#3) (SMS) = don't own, and it was never ported from Master System
- Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (#4) (GEN) = play via (Wii VC) & (NS)
- Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (#5) (SMS) = play via (Wii VC)
- Shinobi (#1 arcade) = play ARC via (NS) & (Wii VC) + play SMS via Cart
- Shadow Dancer a.k.a. Shinobi II (#2 arcade) = don't own SMS, and it was rarely ported from the arcade
- The Revenge of Shinobi (#1 home) = play GEN via (NS) & (Wii VC)
- Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi (#2 home) = play GEN via (NS), which was different from the arcade
- The Cyber Shinobi (spin-off) (SMS) = don't own SMS, and it was never ported from Master System
- Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (#3 home) = play GEN via (NS) & (Wii VC)
- Wonder Boy (1st WB) (SMS) = play via (Wii VC) & Cart, which has more levels than the arcade
- Wonder Boy in Monster Land (2nd WB & 1st MW) (SMS) = play via (Wii VC)
- Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair (3rd WB) (GEN) = play via (Wii VC)
- Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (4nd WB & 2nd MW) (SMS) = play via (Wii VC) & Cart
- Wonder Boy in Monster World (5th WB & 3rd MW) (GEN) = play via (Wii VC)
- Monster World IV (6th WB & 4th MW) (GEN) = play via (Wii VC)
The following bulleted points are some random notes and thoughts about Sega's Master System. In the list, you will find information about the system and games that I could not place anywhere else.
- I wanted to make the SMS version of Sonic the Hedgehog part of my permanent collection. Unfortunately, I never downloaded it on the Wii Virtual Console, and I never purchased a physical copy, either. Therefore, I decided to make due with the Game Gear version on Sonic Origins Plus for Switch.
- Additionally, I decided that I would not re-purchase any of the Alex Kidd or Wonder Boy games on Switch since I didn't love either series and already had them on Virtual Console for Wii.
- Although I did not physically own Phantasy Star, one of my friends had the game. Truly, it was a great RPG for its time. I ended up downloading it via the Wii Virtual Console service. Years later, in 2022, I also decided to download the Sega Ages version on Switch, which had quality-of-life improvements.
- The SegaScope 3-D Glasses are more gimmick than innovation, but they are an interesting video game accessory to own.
Copyright © Scott McCall. All Rights Reserved. ™ and © for all products, characters, and indicia related thereto which are contained herein are owned by the companies who market or license those products.