SMS is the UK

[noiseredux]

I'm currently reading Service Games: The Rise And Fall Of Sega, and early on it talks about how in Europe the Sega Master System was really huge and had something like 90% of the 8bit console market -- which of course is pretty much the opposite of how shit went down in the US and Japan. I had never heard this before. I knew that the SMS was a big deal in Brazil, but I figured European gamers were more into computers during the 8bit era. And I guess I just assumed that console-wise the NES would have been popular there as well.

So I'm kind of interested to hear from some Euro-gamers here to talk a bit about the SMS experience of the time. I actually did own an SMS alongside my NES back then and really enjoyed the console, but I know I was a bit of a weirdo as far as US gaming went at the time. None of my friends owned an SMS, so I guess I'm curious to hear what the games "everyone had" were and just what is really memorable about the SMS days to consumers who saw it as the prominent console of choice back then.

[bryan_65]

I would like to read people's thoughts on this as-well. I grew up on the NES and never even knew about the SMS till getting back into retro gaming. When I was young and first got my Genesis I though it was Sega's first system, I never even knew the SMS exsited and have still never seen one in person(I have seen some games recently in a second once). Looking back and reading about the the early Sega has really got me wanting to give it try it though.

[Blu]

We had a SMS in our house before we had an NES. My dad got it for my mom when he first started college at Ohio State, because he was concerned she might be bored at times. She was staying home with me, and I was only about 2-3 at the time. In terms of software, it was relatively cheaper than the NES.

[retrosportsgamer]

Certainly an interesting contrast with the US. I've noticed this only by the number of games that were EU only for the system. It's tough because the cases look the same as the US (not talking the Brazil ones with the blue). Fortunately there are some good databases online with images and what not to help decipher.

[Hobie-wan]

Certainly an interesting contrast with the US. I've noticed this only by the number of games that were EU only for the system. It's tough because the cases look the same as the US (not talking the Brazil ones with the blue). Fortunately there are some good databases online with images and what not to help decipher.

Unless you're going for a complete US set or trying to get all variants of some of the games though it doesn't matter. You can play any SMS game in any system. Obviously some of them are going to have speed issues if they weren't optimized, but if you're just collecting games you want to play it doesn't matter. As I've said before with the example of Power Strike, the only difference is the US copy has a cover that's all dark blue where as the Euro one is in color and has multiple languages on the back. The cart is exactly the same.

Anyway, waiting for someone from Europe to actually speak up as it's all been us US bastards not shutting up so far.

[Razzmatazz]

I got this book for Christmas! I've found it interesting but there is a lot of missing words and grammatical errors. Either way, the SMS was my first experience with video games. I played on the SMS2 which had Alex Kidd In Miracle World built-in. This must have been about 1992-1994 or maybe even later. I was about 7 years old so I don't know how popular the SMS was but I recall the Mega Drive being sold in shops like Argos long after the N64 was released, as a budget console. I remember playing The Terminator on SMS as well as an awful basketball game called Basketball Nightmare where the characters were wolves. Man I hated that game. I remember a really good monster truck game that let you upgrade your vehicle between races too. But as I was born in late 86 I can't really help reveal the popularity of the system at the time. I played it late in its life.

[SpaceBooger]

There was just a KickStarter to update the book with more content and hire a real editor. You can still pay via paypal to get a book even though its already been funded. I'll post a link later when I'm on the PC.

Link to purchase the new version of the book
Link describing the new version of the book

[d123456]

Me and my brother got an SMS, two other friends had an SMS, but the NES was just everywhere else. I guestimate the share being like 20% SMS/80% NES and that is optimistic SMS wise. I really don´t know, that´s just my feeling out of experience. In Amsterdam the SMS was not sold in normal toys stores I think. I bought mine in Radio Shack.
I cannot imagine any part of the world where the SMS sold more than the NES.
-The NES came out before the SMS
-The NES was sold everywhere
-NES was cheaper
-NES had more game and Mario
As far as hardware goes I like the SMS way better, but the NES games were better produced just on inferior hardware.

[Reprise]

I was born in 1988, so I grew up more in the 16-bit generation, but I never knew many people who owned a NES or a SNES. Both the Master System and the Mega Drive were far more popular, in my experience, here in the UK. Even now, if you are lucky enough to find an Indie retro store (most are dead now), they tend to have a far larger section for Mega Drive games than SNES games.

I remember a few of my friends and my brother's friends having a master system growing up. I always wanted one actually, despite having a Mega Diive already. I also wanted a Game Gear. I was a huge Sega kid and guess I was pretty greedy haha. I seem to remember Master System games were still being sold in games shops, despite the Mega Drive being in full swing and the Saturn just arriving.

[bryan_65]

I seem to remember Master System games were still being sold in games shops, despite the Mega Drive being in full swing and the Saturn just arriving.

WOW, Master System games in the store next to the Saturn, that must have been a site to behold.