Finally got a Master System

[SpaceBooger]

Like the title says, I finally got a Sega Master System. It is the one with Missle Defense 3D built-in... but I have no 3D Glasses. I do have two controllers and the phaser.

I did get a couple of games with it:
Afterburner
Black Belt
Rocky
Great Basketball
Reggie Jackon Baseball
Walter Peyton Football

Ok, now what. I ordered a copy of Zillion since it seems to be on most people's must-have game list... at least the must-have game I can afford. I would love a pair of 3D glasses, but that looks like it's not going to happen since I can not find many and those I found are crazy high in price.

So, help me out RB community - what games should I get (preferably cheap) and what should I play first?

[bmoc]

Several of the games in this list have superior ports on other systems but if you are interested in collecting SMS, some are fun to have. Not everything in this list is cheap but many are.

US:

Alex Kidd (any)
Altered Beast
Castle of Illusion
Choplifter
Double Dragon
Fantasy Zone
Fantasy Zone II
Ghouls N Ghosts
Golden Axe
Golden Axe Warrior
Golvellius
Penguin Land
Phantasy Star
Psycho Fox
R-Type
Space Harrier
Spellcaster
Strider
Thunderblade
Wonderboy (any)
Ys the Vanished Omens
Zillion II

PAL:

Aladdin
Alien 3
Ariel the Little Mermaid
Asterix (any)
Batman Returns
Battletoads Battlemaniacs
Bubble Bobble
Daffy Duck in Hollywood
Deep Duck Trouble
Dragon Crystal
Ecco the Dolphin
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Jurassic Park
Land of Illusion
Lemmings
Lucky Dime Caper
Marble Madness
Master of Darkness
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat II
Power Strike
Power Strike II
Prince of Persia
Robocop vs the Terminator
Sagaia
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Space Gun
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage 2
Strider II
Xenon 2 (runs like garbage on a NTSC SMS)

Back when I was collecting SMS, this was my super secret source for PAL games. https://www.consolemad.co.uk/

[marurun]

The Master System Sonic games are not just ports of the Genesis versions. They are original games. They tend to rate very highly.

[bmoc]

Yeah, they are the same as the Game Gear ports except they have more colors and screen real estate. Add Sonic Chaos to that list. I forgot about it.

[Ziggy]

The Sonic Master System games are pretty simple 8-bit platformers. If you go in with that expectation, I find them to be enjoyable.

I really like Master of Darkness. Although it looks like it's pretty pricey.

Check out Alien Syndrome. I really like the Famicom version, and the Master System version looks like it might be a better port. Although I haven't played it yet because it's one of those games that don't work properly on a Genesis without a Master System controller. But I just checked eBay and it looks like it can be had for cheap. I find the gameplay to be very enjoyable.

[alienjesus]

The Sonic games are great, especially the first one.

I highly recommend Castle of Illusion & Land of Illusion - the latter is a contender for best platformer on the system. The Donald Duck games (Lucky Dime Caper and Deep Duck Trouble) are also pretty good!

All of the Wonder Boy games are must haves but I imagine are quite pricy - I don't know US prices but they're starting to get up there a bit over here.

If you're happy with importing, the first 2 Asterix games (Asterix and Asterix & The Secret Mission) are both really fun platformers.

Fantasy Zone is a great port to SMS (I like it more than the original). The Master System version of Bubble Bobble is also great.

The Ninja is an underrated run n gun that goes for pretty cheap, at least over here in Europe.

There's lots of other great games I'd like to recommend, but some of them are getting pretty pricy these days - the likes of Phantasy Star, Golden Axe Warrior and Alex Kidd in Shinobi World certainly arent as affordable as they were when I got them, thats for sure.

[Gunstar Green]

.Check out Alien Syndrome. I really like the Famicom version, and the Master System version looks like it might be a better port. Although I haven't played it yet because it's one of those games that don't work properly on a Genesis without a Master System controller.

I wouldn't really call it a better port, it's one of those games that takes inspiration from the arcade original then goes its own way. To be honest I personally don't like what they did with it and I think it's pretty inferior to both the arcade and Famicom versions.

My favorite Master System games in no real order:

Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse: In my opinion the best traditional platformer on the console. Beautiful graphics and great gameplay.

Choplifter: Great home port of Sega's arcade version of Choplifter. A nostalgic favorite for me.

Golvellius: Unique Zelda-ish action adventure game with a good sense of humor.

Wonderboy III The Dragon's Trap: A must have action adventure side-scroller and candidate for best game on the console period, though you're probably better off getting the fantastic remaster these days.

Kenseiden: Fun but extremely challenging samurai action platformer.

Rastan: Surprisingly good conversion of the classic arcade title.

Sonic the Hedgehog: 8-bit Sonic that doesn't try too hard to be the 16-bit version and it's better for it. A charming and fun game with great music.

Fantasy Zone II: In my opinion an improvement of the port of the first game in just about every way. A great version of Fantasy Zone.

R-Type: Another arcade port that's way better than it had any right to be. I've always really enjoyed the gameplay of this version.

Ninja Gaiden: Not quite as good or memorable as the NES game but one of the better platformers for the console nonetheless.

Shinobi: Another one of the better arcade conversions. Not much to say about it other than it's Shinobi and it's good.

[o.pwuaioc]

I'm not as in love with the Master System as others, but I will give a very hearty +1 to the following:

Action Fighter
Choplifter (the best version)
Golden Axe Warrior
Golvellius: Valley of Doom
Kenseiden
Paperboy
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Zillion

I've wanted a few other games (Psycho Fox, Master of Darkness) that I never splurged on. A bunch of things I sold (The Ninja because I got a better port out of the homebrew Ninja Princess for the Coleco; Power Strike I & II because $$$), but the above list is a distillation of the best and what you can't really get better elsewhere.

[BoneSnapDeez]

This system lives and dies by Phantasy Star.

Get Phantasy Star.

[Anapan]

If you get Zillion and you're into anime, make sure to watch Red Photon Zillion - They use Master System Light Phasers modeled after the original peripheral as guns. Opa-Opa from Fantasy Zone is a minor character, too.