Sega Master System - 1986
The Sega Master System is a computer console from the "third generation" or "8-bit era" and enjoyed success in Europe especially, where it was a rival to the NES. It was released in 1986 (making the one I own 23 years old), and followed on from the Japanese only "Sega Mark III" console.
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| From My SEGA collection |
This "power base" model comes with Super Hang-on built in as well as another game (more on that later). The more recent Mark II Master System came with Alex Kidd in Miracle World built in, to compete with Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. Alex Kidd became Sega's unofficial mascot, later officially replaced by Sonic the Hedgehog.
The Master System has almost the exact same hardware components as the Game Gear, which actually sold better in Japan. Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 [8-bit] are two fantastic, gorgeous games.
The pad is a very square affair, and only has a D-pad and two buttons. One can also plug in a Mega Drive controller for use in all games, though only the Dpad and buttons A and B will work.
The Light Phaser was a light gun for the system, modelled on the Zillion anime series gun, which SEGA sponsored in the 80s.
It's nice to have a real piece of SEGAs gaming legacy in the west, notably their presence in Europe. I remember being at school and nobody had a NES. Everyone had a Master System or Game Gear (me). It was only with the birth of the SNES that the war heated up...
Don't you think that the original Master System's design was never quite understood in its day? The changes between the first and second models is huge, as SEGA went from angular to rounded edges, though both are very elegant consoles in my point of view.
ReplyDeleteAlso the control pad, in spite of looking like the average NES two-button action pad, has one of the best D-Pads I've ever dealt with: so soft, you feel like pressing it even when you're not playing. I found it to be perfect for the sort of games played in that console, who knows even better than the Mega Drive or Saturn's digital pad. But that's my opinion, of course!
Thanks for the nice pictures ;)