The Master System Appreciation Thread

[mas]

I don't know what it is about the master system, but even though the master system games have a certain look and feel to them every time I want to play the nes I'm drawn to play the master system and get more games for it. Maybe its because I never played master system or its games because I always had nes and I played that system and games forever. Can't wait for ninja gaiden to come in the mail.

[ApolloBoy]

Pretty sure Sonic the Hedgehog was after US support ended.

It was released through mail order in the US but afterwards that was it.

No. Genesis doesn't use the bios.
What that means is no rom header check our Master System has, so card slot Mark III games with Genesis compatible video mode should work. Not sure if I've seen that tested though.

Of course the Genesis doesn't use the BIOS, it doesn't even have one. Mark III cards work perfectly fine on the PBC with a Genesis.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Is F-16 Fighting Falcon really worth going to all that trouble?

lol no.

What's interesting is that the PAL version is actually a cartridge.

Update on this:

Strangely enough, I picked up a PAL F-16 Fighting Falcon today (it's actually called F-16 Fighter in Europe).

It's a cartridge and guess what - it doesn't work on the Power Base Converter. So it's the game itself, not the card format that's a problem.

[ApolloBoy]

It's a cartridge and guess what - it doesn't work on the Power Base Converter. So it's the game itself, not the card format that's a problem.

That's because F-16 uses a video mode that was used by SG-1000 games and it's a mode that isn't supported by the Genesis/MD VDP.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Weird. The audio does work, but a black screen is all you get after the title screen.

Good thing I have an actual SMS.

Not that it matters anyway, the game is meh.

[Aton7]

I had never even heard of the SMS until a few weeks ago, and luckily a collector sold me one at his yard sale for $15. (Unrelated but I also got a great condition Saturn for $10 at my local Goodwill a few days ago. Sega power! )

I'm too young to have ever played it in its time and since I have only recently heard of it I have no idea what games to get. Could someone recommend me 15-20 "must haves" for the system?

And also if anyone has a spare SMS power cord laying around they'd sell to me I could use one

[Hobie-wan]

If you have a model 1 Genesis or Sega CD, you can use that brick. Do not under any circumstances use a NES brick though.

[alienjesus]

Could someone recommend me 15-20 "must haves" for the system?

OK.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Asterix (no joke, it's genuinely awesome)
Castle of Illusion & Land of Illusion
Deep Duck Trouble
Fantasy Zone (1&2)
Golden Axe Warrior
The Lucky Dime Caper
Penguin Land
Phantasy Star
Shinobi
Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2
Wonder Boy
Wonder Boy in Monster Land
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap

Other good options:
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World
Bubble Bobble
The Ninja
Master of Darkness
R-Type
Astro Warrior
Zillion
Ninja Gaiden
Ghouls n Ghosts
Golvellius
Ys: The Vanished Omens
Psycho Fox
Sagaia
Sonic Chaos
Rescue Mission
Power Strike 1 & 2

All the games in the first list I've personally played and would highly recommend. The ones in the second list are a mix of games I think are great on Master System but you may have elsewhere or may have better versions, or games I haven't played but are always mentioned when discussing great SMS games. Worth noting that Ninja Gaiden is a completely different game to the NES one.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I had never even heard of the SMS until a few weeks ago, and luckily a collector sold me one at his yard sale for $15. (Unrelated but I also got a great condition Saturn for $10 at my local Goodwill a few days ago. Sega power! )

I'm too young to have ever played it in its time and since I have only recently heard of it I have no idea what games to get. Could someone recommend me 15-20 "must haves" for the system?

And also if anyone has a spare SMS power cord laying around they'd sell to me I could use one

If you like RPGs at all, Ys: The Vanished Omens and Phantasy Star are mandatory.

[BurningDoom]

I'm too young to have ever played it in its time and since I have only recently heard of it I have no idea what games to get. Could someone recommend me 15-20 "must haves" for the system?

These would be my picks:

-Cloud Master (side-scrolling shoot-em up)
-Double Dragon (Better graphics and sound than the NES version, but also harder)
-Golden Axe: Warrior (If you can afford it, a Zelda clone based on the Golden Axe games)
-Golvellius: Valley of Doom (Zelda clone)
-Hang-On/Astro Warrior (More for Hang-On, which is an arcade motorcyle racing game, Astro Warrior is a basic shoot-em up.)
-Ninja Gaiden (Another pricey item, action game, less platforming than the NES version, though with better graphics. (completely diferent game than NES version).
-Outrun (arcade-racing)
-Phantasy Star (JRPG)
-R-Type (side-scrolling shoot-em up)
-Rampage (Better then the NES version, IMO)
-Shinobi (action-platformer)
-Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2 (platformer, different games than the Genesis ones.)
-Space Harrier (hard to catagorize, an over-the-shoulder view Starfox like shooter)
-Wonder Boy (platformer)