16-bit arcade hits on the Sega Master System that might surprise you!

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  • Опубліковано 27 тра 2024
  • Some of the best games of the 16-bit era era including Outrun, Double Dragon, Paperboy, Rampage and more! At no point will I compare the SMS to the NES. Probably…
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    00:00 Introduction
    00:24 Background and History
    03:30 Outrun
    06:47 Ghouls ‘n Ghosts
    13:02 Marble Madness
    14:45 Rampage
    16:08 Double Dragon
    20:07 Shinobi
    22:45 Paperboy
    24:41 Space Harrier
    27:23 Conclusion
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 733

  • @bernardmarais3521
    @bernardmarais3521 Рік тому +10

    I am from South Africa, I first saw a NES when I was about five. Then When I was about 7, our local stores had a sale on the SMS and from then on they were as common as the NES. It was always known that the SEGA games had something special about them. We loved the colours compares to the NES. Good times!

    • @0x0fffff
      @0x0fffff 6 місяців тому +1

      The SEGA was big in Latin America, as they had factories in Brazil and Mexico(for PAL and NTSC versions, respectively) making it cheaper to import than the NES(Unless you got a weird NES Bit clone made in Argentina or a Electrolab from El Salvador)

  • @pyjama9556
    @pyjama9556 Рік тому +110

    Choplifter, Wonder Boy, Fantasy Zone, Action Fighter & Alex Kidd in the Miracle World are essential plays!🙌

    • @retrobitstv
      @retrobitstv  Рік тому +3

      I have tried all of those except for Action Fighter! I'll put it on my list, thanks :)

    • @mrmaxaxl
      @mrmaxaxl Рік тому +9

      Wonderboy in Monsterland, and Wonderboy: The Dragon's Trap, are the best sms games!

    • @lazarushernandez5827
      @lazarushernandez5827 Рік тому +5

      Nice list, I'll add Kenseiden, Black Belt (aka Hokuto No Ken/ Fist of the North Star), Streets of Rage, Sonic the Hedgehog (different from the 16 bit).

    • @McWaffles86
      @McWaffles86 Рік тому +5

      Don’t forget Sonic 2

    • @JaviSurre
      @JaviSurre Рік тому +1

      And Asterix, is awesome!

  • @RaginKavu
    @RaginKavu Рік тому +37

    Can confirm.
    I'm a Brazilian, and got a SMS as bday present, waaaay back in 92. It was my 1st videogame console.
    The funny thing? At the same time, I was given the G.I.Joe tank that I was wanting!
    It took me 2 days to go see what that SMS thing was all about, and my mom telling me that my dad was kinda sad, that I didn't appreciate the more expensive gift.
    Little did he knew, I'd wind up in programming...

    • @lyrand6408
      @lyrand6408 Рік тому +2

      I often read about how SEGA really captured the gamer crowd in South America, but in particular Brazil, where basically the Genesis (specifically) was Brazil's Super Nintendo basically. But I wouldn't be surprised that the Master System also worked well. I think SEGA simply had a lot of success in South America. But I wouldn't know why. Was it due to pricing Vs Nintendo? Or were Nintendo consoles simply not available as much?

    • @RaginKavu
      @RaginKavu Рік тому +2

      @@lyrand6408 sure, it was due to pricing.
      We had a company called TecToy here, which manufactured Sega's consoles.
      The SMS was the cheap one, "for the masses", and the Genesis (Mega Drive as it was known here) was the "rich kids" one. That's not to say
      Throughout the 90's, Brazil went to a colossal inflation crisis.
      I'm talking about 50% increases and upwards *per month* ! I vividly remember a woman begging to a market worker, to let her buy a product before he changed the price tag, or else she wouldn't be able to afford it (it came to a point where it was changed daily).
      Add the stupid taxation of imported goods we had to the mix, and one can see why a console made in the country was super successful.

    • @lyrand6408
      @lyrand6408 Рік тому +2

      @@RaginKavu I see, that explains it. It must have been very hard times, sorry to hear it man. But I'm glad at least Sega stood above the crowd because they did deserve it.

    • @RaginKavu
      @RaginKavu Рік тому +2

      @@lyrand6408 it was, but I was a child back then, so I just remember the general atmosphere, and what I saw at the news.
      Got my SMS when I was just 7. Too young to fully comprehend what was going on, but not totally oblivious.
      We still had the NES around here, but it was waaay more expensive. That's what I was going to write after "That's not to say".
      Sorry, was in a rush, had to stop mid sentence.

  • @keopsequinox1624
    @keopsequinox1624 Рік тому +88

    I loved my Master System when I was a kid, it was wonderful.

    • @dougr8646
      @dougr8646 Рік тому +1

      I loved my kid when I was a master system! Small world

    • @maxxdahl6062
      @maxxdahl6062 Рік тому

      I did too, had two back in the day. Now I just use a 3rd party converter for my genesis to play SMS.

    • @KingStr0ng
      @KingStr0ng Рік тому

      ​@@dougr8646 💀

    • @qwanathomas735
      @qwanathomas735 Рік тому +3

      I remember waiting for mine on Christmas day, I'd already brought myself a copy of Choplifter, buzzing.

  • @jeffm5056
    @jeffm5056 Рік тому +9

    I always felt that the SMS had a better version of Double Dragon. You had better music, the levels stayed true to the arcade, and most importantly, it offered 2 player simultaneous play.

    • @rustymixer2886
      @rustymixer2886 3 місяці тому

      The FM music version was epic compared to its regular audio

  • @InfectiousGroovePodcast
    @InfectiousGroovePodcast Рік тому +13

    I absolutely loved my Sega Master System. Rampage & Double Dragon were my favorite arcade ports on it but I loved so many other games.

    • @misterlexx2721
      @misterlexx2721 Рік тому +1

      I had Rambo , Rambo 3, Hang On, and Altered Beast and others

  • @magnus547
    @magnus547 Рік тому +8

    Just wanted to add, in case others didn't mention it. In the video, you mentioned that in Double Dragon, there's no way to grab your opponent reliably. There actually is a way: Opponents can't be grabbed right away. You have to weaken them first. For example. Jump kick an opponent twice. Afterwards, they should be weak enough for a headlock once you move your character on top of theirs.

  • @EmperorMegas
    @EmperorMegas Рік тому +6

    The Master System actually had lots of marketing. I couldn't go a hour without a SEGA Master System commerical with that narrator with the deep voice.
    While I had both the SMS and NES growing up, I was a huge Master System kid. It's still tied with the TG-16 as my favorite retro console.

  • @mr.pavone9719
    @mr.pavone9719 Рік тому +11

    R-Type was an excellent arcade to home port.

    • @justz00t48
      @justz00t48 Рік тому +1

      For real. Very impressive for a 8 bit port.

    • @virtuactual4087
      @virtuactual4087 Рік тому

      Especially with FM sound!

    • @markchambers3833
      @markchambers3833 2 місяці тому

      R Type is awesome on the Master System. Personally I prefer the PSG sound on the game.
      The FM sound is richer and has a better range of tone. However, the PSG somehow has more force and for me it suits the game better. Both soundtracks are excellent though.
      I thought it was amazing back in the day that you could access a sound test on the game over screen and play all the tunes.

  • @JiNXX9500
    @JiNXX9500 Рік тому +3

    I had an SMS before I had an NES. My dad bought the SMS new sometime in '85. I was almost 5 years old. Still remember playing Choplifter, Hang On, Safari Hunt, Great Football, and My Hero.
    "Now, there are no limits." was absolutely a slogan.

  • @Wrekkshoppe
    @Wrekkshoppe Рік тому +3

    The SEGA MASTER SYSTEM was my very first console back in the mid 1980s. My father bought it for me. Played the hell out of it.

  • @bit-ishbulldog2089
    @bit-ishbulldog2089 Рік тому +32

    I'm from the UK, I've owned my SEGA Master System from 1987 still in fantastic condition.. good memories and was the first system I personally owned. My brother had a Atari 2600, a Commodore 16 and a Commodore 128 before I owned that so they were my first home experience of gaming in the early to mid 80's. I was a SEGA fan before I owned the Master System via Arcade games.

    • @RockyFluffyWhiskas
      @RockyFluffyWhiskas Рік тому +7

      I’m from the U.K. too and we loved the master system. My elder brother also had C64, commodore plus 4. Friends had spectrums, Amstrads, master systems but I only new one person with a NES and it seemed lame 👍

    • @fictionalmediabully9830
      @fictionalmediabully9830 Рік тому +6

      I love my UK Master System. ❤

    • @chanimpresario4968
      @chanimpresario4968 Рік тому +4

      Innit Mate!

    • @chanimpresario4968
      @chanimpresario4968 Рік тому +4

      I used to play Outrun on my Atari ST with Micheal Jackson style glasses on to feel "RAD" 🤣🤦🏿‍♂️ I was 12 man stfu 🤣

    • @fictionalmediabully9830
      @fictionalmediabully9830 Рік тому +1

      @@chanimpresario4968
      Since you were a pre-teen, any chance you played the Atari 2600 growing up?

  • @Svante
    @Svante Рік тому +4

    Double Dragon, Out Run and Shinobi, used the FM expansion, in the japanese MarkIII/Master system, which is why the music sounds better, than what we got in the west. Often it sounded very close the quality of the Mega Drive/Genesis.

    • @rustymixer2886
      @rustymixer2886 3 місяці тому

      Cant genesis everdrive pro repro fm sms music?

  • @TanjoGalbi
    @TanjoGalbi Рік тому +19

    The Sega Game Gear handheld is basically a Master System in handheld form with stereo sound capabilities. I used to own a Game Gear and had an adapter cartridge for it that allowed me to plug Master System games into it.

    • @fattomandeibu
      @fattomandeibu Рік тому

      Those things like draining batteries, mind you.

    • @jeffreyjohnson5823
      @jeffreyjohnson5823 Рік тому

      Yes. The Master Gear Converter. Had one also. It was a big plus if you had a Game Gear.

    • @philfrank5601
      @philfrank5601 Рік тому

      I gotta be the only guy I know who back in the day played a Sega Master System before anybody had an NES. One of the guys had parents who bought them every game you could imagine, so the SMS was always a system I admired. It was for people who loved arcade games and computer games of the era.

    • @fattomandeibu
      @fattomandeibu Рік тому

      @@philfrank5601 They sold more Master Systems than NES consoles here in England, though most gamers used computers(like the Commodore 64, Sinclair Spectrum, Amiga and Atari systems) here back then.

  • @wm437
    @wm437 Рік тому +3

    The Sega Master System and the Dreamcast were two of the best systems that were made for their times. Pity that they were so underated and under-appreciated.

  • @returnofmerenguespersempre6664

    Ghouls and ghosts is such an underrated gem.

  • @mikereyes2488
    @mikereyes2488 Рік тому +3

    When i was a kid in the late 80s early 90s all my friends has NES, i was one of the only few who had Master System. I vividly remember playing (owning) outrun, after burner, altered beast, Ghostbusters, spy vs spy, and some safari shooter (i cant remember the name) a few years later i got nes then snes. But ya i never had genesis or any other sega consoles until the DreamCast (my favorite system). Good ol days

  • @TCGView
    @TCGView Рік тому +2

    16:09 Oh, how I remember playing DD on the Master System. We got the Master system for Christmas and when my mom bought it, they had a deal where you could get a copy of Double Dragon free if you mailed in the UPC and proof of purchase. It took TWO MONTHS to get to us - the longest two months of my life up until that point. My brother and I logged so many hours playing this game. It was indeed very different from the arcade version, but it still had its' charm.

  • @CarfDarko
    @CarfDarko Рік тому +5

    Still the most aesthetically pleasing console ever released in my book

    • @f.k.b.16
      @f.k.b.16 4 місяці тому

      With the ugliest game boxes

    • @markchambers3833
      @markchambers3833 2 місяці тому

      ​@@f.k.b.16Who do you know that plays game boxes? 😄
      The graphical capabilities of the system are superb. The best looking 8 bit system by a considerable distance, light years ahead of its competition.

    • @f.k.b.16
      @f.k.b.16 2 місяці тому

      @@markchambers3833 true that! If only SEGA had good lawyers and a better sound chip than the SMS had and I think they would have mopped the floor with Nintendo in the 80s! (Oh and better boxes lol! Joking)

  • @pinebarrenpatriot8289
    @pinebarrenpatriot8289 Рік тому +11

    I love Outrun on the SMS. It's flickers a bit but it's includes almost every detail the arcade does including the map screen, choice of music, and dozens of different backround levels. Its one of the best 8-bit racing games imo.

    • @SlCKB0Y-sb1kg
      @SlCKB0Y-sb1kg Рік тому

      Whilst I understand the nostalgia around a game like Alex Kidd, it is an objectively bad game. Terrible level design a excruciatingly bad controls/physics

    • @pinebarrenpatriot8289
      @pinebarrenpatriot8289 Рік тому +1

      @@SlCKB0Y-sb1kg are you talking about Alex Kidd or Outrun? I would agree Alex Kidd is an overrated franchise where the games got worse each time until Shinobi world which was OK. Wonderboy should of been the SMS mascot after Opa Opa, that was the much better series. Even the NES cloned it and renamed it Adventure Island through Hudson gaming

    • @SlCKB0Y-sb1kg
      @SlCKB0Y-sb1kg Рік тому

      @@pinebarrenpatriot8289 Sorry, I didn’t mean to post my comment as a response you - that was an accident.

    • @pinebarrenpatriot8289
      @pinebarrenpatriot8289 Рік тому +1

      @@SlCKB0Y-sb1kg I would still agree with your comment. The Alex Kidd series was average at best. Miracle World and Shinobi world were just ok. The Lost Stars and part 3 were terrible. Just like the Mario Brother series on the NES every Wonderboy game got better up to part 3. Wonderboy should of been their Mascot back in the 80's

  • @Idelacio
    @Idelacio Рік тому +7

    Sigh, as a Brit this was a system I genuinely coveted. So many good games like Rampage. :D
    I mean I loved my NES too, I would have been happy to have had both. :3

  • @MaggieKeizai
    @MaggieKeizai Рік тому +7

    I remember the first time I saw one, an in-store demo. People were standing around saying "this thing's graphics are so much better than the nintendo's". I wanted one, but my cheap parents made sure I was stuck with my Atari. A friend's brother had one, though, so I got to play on it. Definitely my favorite 8 bit console, it just put such better pictures on the screen.

    • @misterlexx2721
      @misterlexx2721 Рік тому +1

      The failure of its poor sales was due to a lack of 3rd party titles . Nintendo was buying out the 3rd party developers who were making titles for Sega Master System. It was when Genesis came out things changed.

  • @billysmidway7032
    @billysmidway7032 Рік тому +3

    I was lucky that one of my older brothers bought a SEGA Master System at launch and we all loved it so much that he bought one for my father that Christmas but it was essentially mine. There were so many great games for the SMS that I didn’t even care about the NES. My friends loved to brag about their NES but when they saw my SMS, they stopped bragging and begged to play with it. I still have both of the Master Systems I grew up with and I’ve added many more games but I still go back to the ones I grew up with. There are card games that slide into the front slot and some are quite good.

  • @MrChristopherMolloy
    @MrChristopherMolloy Рік тому +7

    This was my first game system after ColecoVision (I had graduated to a C64) and I LOVED IT! FANTASY ZONE remains one of my favorite games ever! The graphics & music were trippy and awesome!

  • @ess3360
    @ess3360 Рік тому +1

    I grew up with one. Sega master system, I was 9? 1986 my dad got it for us and it was amazing. Alex the kid, zillion so many. We didn't get an nes till mario 3 came out. Astro warriors omg so many memories there, thank you!

  • @JD.78
    @JD.78 Рік тому +2

    Prince of Persia, Submarine Attack, Wonder Boy III, R-Type, Master of Darkness and Sonic are some of my favourite MS games.
    I loved this console when i was a kid, the NES was excellent too, but the MS held it's own without a doubt.

  • @brentwalker5726
    @brentwalker5726 Рік тому +3

    Loved my Sega Master System as a kid. I was just about the only one in my group of friends who had one. Everyone else had an NES. My favorite game was Wonder Boy in Monster Land.

  • @pr3st00
    @pr3st00 Рік тому +3

    This thing was INSANELY popular in Brazil, mostly because of a company called Tec-Toy and the amazing advertising they did here. It was also insanely expansive, reason why I've never had one as a kid.

  • @bee2377
    @bee2377 Рік тому +1

    I lived right in the middle of America and my uncle had a master system. I had a Nintendo at home, but i couldn't get enough of outrun, afterburner, choplifter, safari hunt and hang on!!

  • @EmperorMegas
    @EmperorMegas Рік тому +11

    'Rampage' is an AMAZING port on the Master System.
    BTW, if you're playing for a high score, when you grab the woman in the red dress like you did in the game capture footage, try to hold onto her as long as you can (i.e. stop punching). Your points add up like crazy for as long as she's in your hand. Wait for her to eventually break free before you eat her (assuming you opt to eat her rather than letting her escape).
    Again, great port of a great arcade title.
    'R•Type' is another amazing arcade port, as is 'Fantasy Zone', though 'R•Type' is a far better game, IMO.
    Also try out 'Choplifter', 'Quartet', 'Rastan' and 'The Ninja' if you'd like to play more quality arcade ports on the SMS.
    Great video my guy.

    • @jorge1170xyz
      @jorge1170xyz Рік тому

      Oh man, not "The Ninja". I still have nightmares about that game lol.

    • @EmperorMegas
      @EmperorMegas Рік тому +1

      @@jorge1170xyz I loved that game. I used to be really good at it but when I was a kid, but I KNOW I would get my ass handed to me playing it today.
      I always tried to get the best hit percentages when I played. That's where the real challenge was. If you run through it without caring how many shirikens you throw/waste it's a LOT easier.

    • @retrobitstv
      @retrobitstv  Рік тому

      Great tips, thanks for sharing!

    • @orderofmagnitude-TPATP
      @orderofmagnitude-TPATP 5 місяців тому +1

      ​@@retrobitstvjust so you know,the reason why you can't use ninja magic on shinobi is because you must kill 10 enemies first - ergo you can't use it on the boss...crap aye?

    • @markchambers3833
      @markchambers3833 2 місяці тому

      Sagaia is a technically impressive arcade port of Darius II. Obviously heavily cut but a good looking game and it plays well.
      And, of course, the superb MS version of Bubble Bobble with 100 extra levels. Many happy memories and it remains my favourite game of all time.
      Never finished it, there was one item I couldn't find in the game. If you don't get all the items, level 199 loops endlessly. Maybe one day...

  • @ceeece
    @ceeece Рік тому +2

    I loved my SMS. I had so many games for it. Outrun was one of my favorites. Later i got the converter for the Genesis. And I still have it and the games.

  • @frizankrizizzo
    @frizankrizizzo Рік тому +1

    Double Dragon on Master System was my introduction to the series!
    And I’m in NA! My family had one before I was born so I grew up with it. And we never had an NES. But we did have both SNES and Genesis later on

  • @gregledbetter5942
    @gregledbetter5942 Рік тому +2

    When I was a kid I was one of the lucky ones who had the Master System. Ghouls and ghosts was definitely my favorite. I remember the first time on the second level that game started lagging... me and my brother play that game forever passing the controller back and forth... Years later doing a bit of research I discovered it's a fairly difficult game, like Castlevania 3 on NES... Me and my brother love that one oh, but it turns out it was a masterpiece let alone a fairly difficult game. They put a lot of craftsmanship into building some of these games..

  • @ricashbringer9866
    @ricashbringer9866 5 місяців тому +1

    I have one from the 80s. I love the system and still play it on occasion. I recently bought a game for at a gaming convention. I only found one vendor who had any SMS games.

  • @systemchris
    @systemchris Рік тому +2

    I had a master system 2 as a kid. Loved it, especially the sonic games on it and double dragon

  • @NationalGeographx
    @NationalGeographx 4 місяці тому +1

    Here in Buffalo, NY I grew up with the Sega Master System. Originally I had my mind set on getting an NES like everyone else but the more I browsed the Master System games it was a no brainer. The games looked so much better and I absolutely had a blast playing it. Surprisingly the nearest Child World and Hills department stores near me had a very good selection of games for this system. Never had a an issue finding something I liked. Both those stores are extinct now though lol.

  • @tom11zz884
    @tom11zz884 Рік тому +4

    Let's not forget the underrated classic Fantasy Zone 2
    That game was a Two-Meg cartridge, and was awesome!

    • @EmperorMegas
      @EmperorMegas Рік тому +1

      'Fantasy Zone II' is probably my favorite game of all time. I played it daily as a kid, almost religiously. I could probably play through it to the end, blindfolded, on muscle memory alone.
      The music was also incredible, and it even had a touching, albeit simple, story. I've played scores of (technically) better games in my life, but FZII was just the right game at the right time of my life, so it may never get dethroned.

  • @Dangic23
    @Dangic23 Рік тому +1

    I still have my Sega Master System I got for Christmas 1986.
    Still works great.

  • @PapiBocaChula
    @PapiBocaChula Рік тому +1

    I grew up in The Bronx, New York. And The Sega Master System was the First Console I played. Space Harrier was one of my favorites. Choplifter

  • @DrJ3RK8
    @DrJ3RK8 Рік тому +2

    There were actually quite a few commercials for it, but only for a short window I think. They featured R-Type in one of them, which is actually what made me decide I wanted one. That was a little bit later in the product life though.

  • @BadgerOff32
    @BadgerOff32 Рік тому +1

    The Master System was a lot more popular in Europe than it was in America. One amazing thing about it was that when Sega released the Mega Drive, they didn't abandon the Master System, like console companies seem to do today! They simply repositioned it as a 'budget' console alongside their newer, more powerful console and kept producing and selling it.
    That meant it got supported with games for far longer than it normally would have, and ended up outliving the NES by quite a way. They even ported new games from the Mega Drive over to the Master System, so even if you had the cheaper 'budget' system, you could still play new games like Sonic, Road Rash and Altered Beast.

  • @lyrand6408
    @lyrand6408 Рік тому +1

    One of the few memories I have about the Master System is one day walking into a RadioShack in the 90s when they had (sometimes) one or two consoles on stands you could play (if of course a game was inserted, which wasn't always the case; sometimes it was there and just turned off). So one stand had Road Rash playing. I was absolutely stunned by what I was looking at. I had heard of "this console from Sega", and I knew it preceded the Genesis... but at the time the Genesis was already out. However, from my experienced of a few years worth of playing NES games at the time I just couldn't believe "this console" could even do this.
    The Master System really was an 8-Bit powerhouse, and unfortunately under-used by a bunch of the games on it (which can be attributed to the developers not fully understanding what the system can do, and how to do it efficiently enough; similarly to what happened with the Saturn, all things considered).

  • @LeonardCrassman
    @LeonardCrassman Рік тому +3

    R-Type is a fantastic port as is WonderBoy in Monster Land, two of my favourite arcade games.

  • @Voyager_2
    @Voyager_2 Рік тому +8

    There's not a lot of love for the master system, but its a very nice system indeed. I was surprised when I played James pond II on it, its a really good port and pushes the system to the max I think.

    • @michaelromeo9567
      @michaelromeo9567 Рік тому

      This arcade ports are not impressive compare to some other games. And the system was beloved outside of USA. More SEGA in the UK Brazil and parts of Europe. USA is not whole planet..! I live in France there were more SMS in Highschool than Nes

    • @Voyager_2
      @Voyager_2 Рік тому

      @@michaelromeo9567 I never said anything about the arcade ports. I said that James pond was a nice game that pushes the system to it's max.
      I'm from the Netherlands, I never said anything about the usa being the whole world, that's something you made up.
      and again I did not say the master system was not loved back in the day, but from a collectors point of view the system does not get a lot of love, even tho it's a very capable system.

    • @michaelromeo9567
      @michaelromeo9567 Рік тому

      @@Voyager_2 I agree with you. My bad

  • @____0____
    @____0____ Рік тому +1

    Im from Australia - I grew up with both the Master System and Mega Drive (Genesis in America). My older brother owned them. Loved them - I could never work out how to play Ghost Busters though.

  • @rallerallesson408
    @rallerallesson408 11 місяців тому +2

    Alex Kidd in Miracle World was sooo great. First game I ever played. The Sonic games was great as well.

  • @BenjaminGlatt
    @BenjaminGlatt Рік тому +1

    My brother had this bad boy growing up. Ghouls 'n' Ghosts on SMS was the very first game I ever beat as a kid.

  • @inphanta
    @inphanta Рік тому +1

    UK gamer here. Good to see the SMS get some love from across the pond for a change. Props also for knowing about the home computers that were here too. Colour me subscribed! 😊

  • @lifeofvinyl3003
    @lifeofvinyl3003 11 місяців тому +1

    Nice trip down memory lane - thank you. I had a Sega Master System in the late 80s/early 90s before upgrading to the Megadrive around 1991. I used to love the Master System I had some great games - Alex Kidd and Wonderboy spring to mind. I still have the Megadrive all these years later and still works perfectly, but alas I no longer have the Master System - sadly.

  • @LeMecanoDuDimanche
    @LeMecanoDuDimanche Рік тому +1

    thank you for this video, that bring lots of good memories. We used to play Alex Kidd, Shinobi, Battle Outrun and Double Dragon 2 with my brother, back in the days... greetings from France

  • @FrankiesWorld
    @FrankiesWorld Рік тому +1

    I had a master system shortly after I got my nes in 1986. You stand correct, living in North America I cant recall any of my friends owning one of these or even heard of it. EVERYONE had an nes. Great console, I owned outrun along with choplifter, hang on, astro warrior, ghostbusters and california games. Matter of fact I still own my sms till this day.

  • @MrChristopoop
    @MrChristopoop Рік тому +1

    The first game system my family had that was a new release when purchased was the master system. It was a birthday gift for me, I wanted that over the Nintendo due to my love of Afterburner in the arcades. It was a good system. I went to a Genesis after that, and never owned a Nintendo. So many other friends did, I was never deprived of playing any Nintendo games

  • @MCastleberry1980
    @MCastleberry1980 Рік тому +1

    I had ONE friend, in first grade that had a SMS. Got to play a few pretty cool games for it, but we mostly played Rambo when I was over there.😊

  • @Matthewissillyaf
    @Matthewissillyaf 11 місяців тому +2

    Hang-On/Astro Warrior was built in to mine back in the day.

  • @MetalGateDragon
    @MetalGateDragon Рік тому +1

    Here are the games I used to own on the Master System...Double Dragon, Ghostbusters, Choplifter, Kung Fu Kid, Out Run, Hang on, Safari Hunt.

  • @RacerX-
    @RacerX- Рік тому +4

    I had one friend with a Master System. He used to sing its praises and compare it to the NES. When the Genesis came out with the Power Base Converter I picked that up and a ton of games on the cheap for the SMS. Mostly RPGs and such. I also picked up a couple SMS pads and the arcade stick. It was odd but I seem to recall that you needed a SMS game pad for a couple of the games as they didn't work with the Genesis and converter without it. Try out some of the cards if you can. There are a couple good ones.

    • @retrobitstv
      @retrobitstv  Рік тому

      I picked up a used Genesis a few years later and it came with a Power Base Converter. The only game on card I remember playing was My Hero.

  • @JonoHalle
    @JonoHalle Рік тому +4

    I grew up in the UK, and out of all my friends they mostly had a SMS, but there was one kid that had a NES.. The NES was not really that popular in the UK. It was very expensive to buy games for it.

    • @fictionalmediabully9830
      @fictionalmediabully9830 Рік тому

      Didn't the NES start to find an audience when it came bundled with the Hero Turtles game?

    • @JonoHalle
      @JonoHalle Рік тому +1

      @@fictionalmediabully9830 Not really, when it was between £20-30 for a SMS game, then you see a NES game starting at around £50-60 it was a no brainer really.

    • @fictionalmediabully9830
      @fictionalmediabully9830 Рік тому

      @@JonoHalle
      I found a NES UK commercial from the late '80s, and it said the prices ranged from £20 to £40. I then found one from the early '90s, and it seemed like prices began shooting up to £50, which must have annoyed parents on a budget.
      I've been doing some research on the UK NES Vs SMS story, and I think I might have found one of the main reasons it didn't catch on. It seemed like, early on, a lot of its game library mainly comprised games you could already get on home computers with hardly any improvements visually and sonically. Who would want to buy a cartridge of "Donkey Kong" for £20 when they could get the same game on ZX Spectrum or Commodore 64 for vastly cheaper with the added bonus of making a pirate copy for their friend or cousin? I find it fascinating, despite it all being way before my time.

    • @perfectlemming8394
      @perfectlemming8394 11 місяців тому +1

      I only knew one person with a nes too , same kid was one of the only ppl I knew with a snes too .
      He lent me his nes after he got his snes .
      There was an issue with the power button where the console would never power one . If you rapidly press the power button fast about 30 times it would eventually stay on

  • @phantomharlock999
    @phantomharlock999 Рік тому +2

    I live in the USA and I owned a Master System and a C64 instead of an NES. Three of my closest friends did as well. We were well aware of how much better the SMS was than the NES. Veteran of the console war here 😉

  • @MrMarz82
    @MrMarz82 Рік тому +1

    Born and raised in the US and the SMS was my first game console ever… and you’re right, I was the only kid in town with it lol

  • @invicta6110
    @invicta6110 Рік тому +1

    Brother had the NES so I got the SMS. I was happy with it, The colors were much better and it reminded me of going to an arcade. My favorites for the console were Shinobi, Astro Warrior, Choplifter, Double Dragon, F-16 Fighting Falcon, Monopoly and Outrun. I guess that's essentially all the games I had for it. I remember cutting the UPC off the back of the cases for a send away item, but I can't remember what it was.

  • @bsl1524
    @bsl1524 Рік тому +1

    I have the sega master system 2 with Alex Kidd in miracle world built in.
    Played it soo much in the early 90s.
    Had the nes as well, loved them both.
    Good old days

  • @apr2499
    @apr2499 Рік тому +2

    Phantasy Star was my favorite SMS game. I played it mostly on the Genesis with a power base converter, but
    Also had an adapter for the game gear to play SMS games. It plays great on the Game Gear too!

  • @elsquibbs
    @elsquibbs Рік тому +1

    I loved Phantasy Star, Altered Beast, Space Harrier, 3D Maze Hunter, Wonder Boy, Shinobi, and Rastan.

  • @miltonbates6425
    @miltonbates6425 Рік тому +7

    Great game picks here. I was one of the few people in North America that grew up with the Master System. I still regularly play the Mark III and SMS on my MiSTer. The Japanese version of Enduro Racer is such an addictive game and the California Games on the SMS is by far the best version out there.

    • @retrobitstv
      @retrobitstv  Рік тому +2

      I will have to give those both a try. I used the MiSTer core quite a bit for video capture making this episode :)

    • @DenGreatshot
      @DenGreatshot Рік тому +1

      Enduro is a great little game. Real shame the western port was as stripped down as it was.

    • @Hidyman
      @Hidyman Рік тому

      I also had an SMS and loved it, but I'd have to say the Lynx version is the best version of California Games.

  • @mancman-bu4kz
    @mancman-bu4kz 8 місяців тому +1

    I loved this system, I'm from 🇬🇧 many many great memories including playing dead angle enduro racer with my dad

  • @kevinmeyers7821
    @kevinmeyers7821 Рік тому +1

    I had the 3D Space Harrier, I used to play that game for hours. My friend Brian was the only other kid at our school that a SMS.

  • @EVandMe
    @EVandMe Рік тому +1

    I'm from the US and was a Sega kid starting with SMS. Zillion and spy vs spy was my joint

  • @YouTubeAddict50
    @YouTubeAddict50 Рік тому +5

    Have to admit, when I was debating between a SMS or an NES back in day, the SMS game boxes just never caught my eye cuz they were so bland; yet I would spend hours looking at each and every NES game due to the cool box art.

  • @chanimpresario4968
    @chanimpresario4968 Рік тому +1

    Coming from UK it's nice to see a video from the US talking about the first system that really brought the arcade home. Nintendo used and has always used tactical and clever marketing methods to sell a machine that was not good for arcade lovers, a home console. In Europe and Japan Sega done pretty well even down to the SNES compared to the Megadrive. I remember my friend always wanting to borrow my Sega to play titles like Golden Axe After Burner and REAL leading arcade classis at home. Nothing to date has beat Sega in the Arcades with systems like the model 3 board and Am2 tech.....and let's stop before I get into the R360 cabinate and others of the sort. To go home to have a practice run on Outrun after showing of to the chick's as a 12 year old how badass you can drive, was a great feeling. BRING BACK THE ARCADES! I wanna show the wifey I can drive at 110mph in my car without her chest being crushed by my seatbelt while playing the outrun music 😫

  • @BlackuLaLa
    @BlackuLaLa Рік тому +1

    I had a Master System. You're right. I was the only one I ever knew who had it. There were some great games on there and I loved it. But back then I wished they mom would've got me an NES too lol. Oh well. Great times!

  • @Eth3realwarrior
    @Eth3realwarrior Рік тому +1

    I'm from southern California and this was me & my brother's 1st system. Still have it & 20 games all still working, great games and great times. I knew 3 people who had one in elementary and Jr high. Oh! And some of the early pack in posters that came in the cartridge had the "Now there is no way limits" slogan.

  • @SteveBrandon
    @SteveBrandon Рік тому +3

    The Sega Master System wasn't as popular as the NES in Canada but I suspect it was relatively more popular in Canada than it was in the United States considering I was able to rent Sega Master System games for a couple of years in the late 1980s into 1990 at several small town video stores near where I lived on the western outskirts of Montreal. Canadians also were able to buy some European Master System games not officially available in the United States at Compucentre, the Canadian equivalent to Babbages.

  • @marknewton3765
    @marknewton3765 Рік тому +1

    I got my Sega Master System in 1989...and its still in the loft somewhere(Alex Kidd In Miracle World built in)....My Sega Mega Drive/Mega CD and Super Nintendo Entertainment System is up there as well....

  • @faberfox
    @faberfox Рік тому +6

    Here in Argentina it was relatively popular, as it had official distribution (unlike Nintendo) and was sold at major retail stores, just like the Coleco a few years before. It was pretty expensive though and couldn't compete with the Famiclones that flooded the market.

    • @llpBR
      @llpBR Рік тому

      What company distributed Master System on Argentina? Sega themselves? I'm pretty interested now.

    • @SpiralPegasus
      @SpiralPegasus Рік тому +1

      @@llpBR some sort of arrangement involving Tectoy from Brazil. It applied to Uruguay as well. Mind-blowing at the time to see instructions on a video game console written in spanish.

    • @llpBR
      @llpBR Рік тому +1

      @@SpiralPegasus i didn't know that TecToy exported too. And it makes sense Daniel Dazcal to do it to his homecountry. It was nice to read manuals in portuguese indeed, but I was too young to realize that it could and probably would be different. To me the mindblowing thing was the announcements on TV.

    • @faberfox
      @faberfox Рік тому +1

      @@llpBR as far as I can find, the local company was Gameland and imported them from Brazil's TecToy

  • @Jbcomedystl
    @Jbcomedystl Рік тому +1

    Man I loved that thing. I went from a Atari 2600, to a NES then a sega master system .. I had hang-on and a shooting game as the internal games

  • @truecrony
    @truecrony Рік тому +2

    Loved the stereoscopic feature like Xaxxon 3D! I had the MegaDrive add-on and had a good collection.

  • @The77Game
    @The77Game 11 місяців тому +1

    I loved my SMS. I wish i never sold it. And even though i didn't have that many games for it, of the games played here i had Ghouls'n'ghosts, Double Dragon, Rampage and Shinobi. I loved Double Dragon on this. It was real solid version and one of the very few games you could play coop back then.

  • @kousakasan7882
    @kousakasan7882 Рік тому +1

    I still have that system. I also have my coleco vision that I pre-ordered after working a summer job in high school. And my Sega 3d. I am thinking of setting up all my systems and having friends over for a game day.

  • @ArcadeFreak-gw5rp
    @ArcadeFreak-gw5rp Рік тому +3

    I was one of the kids that had the master system because none of my friends had it and quickly regretted it only for the reason of I couldn’t borrow games from people. Eventually I got the nes and the turbo grafx but between the master system and the nes I thought the master system was better.

  • @davarosmith1334
    @davarosmith1334 Рік тому +1

    I had a ZX spectrum from Christmas 88 , I remember back then not seeing a nes or a sega master system until 1990. That was in comet , that year almost every one got either a nes or a master system. I got a mega drive in 92 for Christmas , my friend who laughed at me and my other friends for having spectums and c64's got his NES in 91 Christmas we got the last laugh when we got Mega drives and SNES for Christmas!

  • @QUIZFILTER
    @QUIZFILTER Рік тому +2

    I remember one of my elementary school friends had a Master System that I only found out about when I went to spend the weekend at his house. I had never heard of it before & GENESIS & SNES didn't exist yet... it was cool though... something new to me (already had an NES at that point) & I saw the 3D glasses that, if I recall, plugged in!?(I don't remember us using those, though) I mostly remember seeing Montezuma's Revenge & his step-mom hand-made-baked us pizzas with WAY too much salt even for a kid's taste & we rode bikes down the block to a local liquor store to get a PEPSI & a box of NERDS or whatever & maybe they had 1 arcade cabinet of Street Fighter II or TOKI or Bubble Bobble or 720...i don't remember)in the liquor store, and I saw a tumbleweed rolling for real... didn't know they were real haha... & in their house, his dad had a bunch (like 20 or 30) of what looked liked blank (no printing or labeling on them unlike a music CD) uncased CDs on shelves but they were copper colored (unlike the average music CD) & really heavy... i remember thinking what the hell are these?! (never knew what his Dad did, but always thinking those were "secret computer file" discs full of government secrets) good times...

  • @Owazrim
    @Owazrim Рік тому +2

    I picked up my first Master System a few years ago and have really enjoyed exploring the library and finding new games.
    It's the little system that could but didn't get much love stateside.
    Marble Madness is a lot of fun with the Sports pad and it's a fun controller to use with Y's and other games.

  • @jaynadiah5498
    @jaynadiah5498 Рік тому +1

    I'm from the UK and this was my first console as a kid... i loved it... the graphics were so amazig to me coming from a sinclair spectrum 48k lol

  • @HellTantrumbull
    @HellTantrumbull 11 місяців тому +1

    For Double Dragon, to get the enemies in a headlock you have to lower their life first before it will work. trying to do it while the enemies are still strong will just make you pass through them.

  • @mrjfrostbite
    @mrjfrostbite Рік тому +1

    I only knew 2 other people who had a master system when I was younger besides me and all three of us bonded over that thing. I don’t remember any advertising for it I just remember one Christmas I was asked to pick a game system out of the JC Penny Wish book and the side by side comparison of the SMS and the NES from the pictures in the magazine was a no brainer, the SMS looked way better and it had all the arcade games I loved playing (especially Outrun and Zaxxon). Had they not discontinued selling games for it at every store in my area I never would have gotten an NES.

  • @TheStuffMade
    @TheStuffMade Рік тому +1

    The Wonder Boy series are some of my favorite Master System games.

  • @tannerboyl
    @tannerboyl Рік тому +1

    The SMS was my favorite console of the era. Look into the hidden game. I don’t recall how to get to it, but you can get to it by powering the console without a cartridge and doing something with the controllers.

  • @jeremyc7786
    @jeremyc7786 Рік тому +3

    Great video, you've just inspired me to switch on the Mister! Also noticed the SMS Paperboy has the background music from Zippy Race/Traverse USA.

  • @MrLurchsThings
    @MrLurchsThings Рік тому +4

    One thing to note about Double Dragon vs the “not that we’re comparing”, is the mighty SMS supported coop two player.
    Also, there is an upgrade to add FM sound to our western systems. It’s a nice upgrade (and switchable).

    • @retrobitstv
      @retrobitstv  Рік тому

      I had totally forgotten that the NES Double Dragon only had that strange 2 player VS mode until you mentioned it! It's been a long time...

    • @KeithJewell
      @KeithJewell Рік тому +4

      Also your Double Dragon footage appears to be using the FM sound rather than the PSG. The PSG sound for that game is not anywhere near as good.

    • @GeoNeilUK
      @GeoNeilUK Рік тому +1

      @@KeithJewell "Also your Double Dragon footage appears to be using the FM sound rather than the PSG. The PSG sound for that game is not anywhere near as good."
      I noticed that too. I asked if he was using an emulator or a Japanese system. Turns out in another comment he's using a MiSTer, which I'm going to be controversial and call hardware emulation!

  • @retroelectrical
    @retroelectrical Рік тому +1

    Sega was SOOOO far ahead of everyone in 1985 when they released Space Harrier in the arcades. When I first saw it in 1985, I thought I was playing a movie, or a laserdisc.

  • @Frank_2023
    @Frank_2023 Рік тому +2

    My first big boy console in the early 90's here in Australia, I was supposed to get an Atari 2600 but to my surprise I got a Sega, needless to say I was a happy teenager :)
    Btw you forgot the not so secret "Snail" Maze game I think it's activated by both buttons and up then down on start up or something similar.
    Wonder Boy - Original, that music omg I still remember it, it drove my dad nuts lol that was also another epic game :)
    Thanks for the flash back mate, and that console is in immaculate condition to btw :)
    Cheers.

  • @tommcintyre1052
    @tommcintyre1052 Рік тому +1

    Master system was my first console at age 5, sega was huge here in Australia

  • @Chavesillustrations
    @Chavesillustrations Рік тому +2

    It was the biggest video game system in Brazil at the time, and my very first system.
    Edit:
    I loved Space Harrier!

  • @AronBezzina
    @AronBezzina Рік тому +1

    I’m in Australia, when I was 3 or so in around 93 I got one of the gen 2 ones with Alix kid built in. I had one, my cousin had one, my uncles had one. Even tho I didn’t play any of the games you have shown the audio really brings back memories, the games for the sms had a distinct sound

  • @christopherbaar4498
    @christopherbaar4498 Рік тому +4

    To this day, I have no idea why Sega chose to leave the FM synth out of the American SMS. Especially since a good deal of the American releases do still have the FM music in them if you play them on a Japanese SMS or Mark III with slot converter. There is an expansion slot on the system, so maybe they were going to release it separately, but the lack of popularity just killed that from happening.

    • @alexojideagu
      @alexojideagu Рік тому

      It was also left out of the European and South American Markets, which was even more strange because they were its biggest markets.

    • @colonelkomarov622
      @colonelkomarov622 Рік тому

      japanese always gives low cost versions of their console to foreign market (the nes losed all audio chips of famicom and all greater capabilities) like "westerners don't deserves quality" ...

    • @christopherbaar4498
      @christopherbaar4498 Рік тому

      @@colonelkomarov622 The reason the NES lost all the audio chips of the Famicom is those chips were embedded in the cart, and Nintendo said that in the US (and possibly everywhere else but Japan) that the devs can only use the mappers developed by Nintendo. That, and they didn't even wire up the cart slot to connect the audio pins, but that's a different story.

  • @cyric2010
    @cyric2010 Рік тому +1

    Here in Australia, the Master System was a big deal. All my friends and myself had one. I didnt know anyone with an NES.
    I loved many of its games like The Ninja, Shinobi, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Zillion II, Captain Silver, Lord of the Sword, Wonderboy and ESWAT.
    I even loved Alex Kidd in High Tech World, despite the criticism it received at the time. It had so much charm.
    My absolute favorite game was Wonderboy in Monsterland. I spent so many hours playing that game and making sure I collected as much gold as possible, so that I could afford all the Legendary armor bits. Great times :)

    • @misterlexx2721
      @misterlexx2721 Рік тому +1

      I had Rambo and Rambo 3, Altered Beast, Rampage, Reggie Jackson Baseball

  • @AaronDavis057
    @AaronDavis057 Рік тому +1

    i still have mine somewhere around here. space harrier was the main reason for owning the console, i even have the 3d goggles for the game

  • @DJWHITE_
    @DJWHITE_ Рік тому +1

    I had no idea 8-bit could perform like that! Thanks!

  • @aceman4929
    @aceman4929 Рік тому +1

    Greatest console ever made!! I have the SMS and SMS2 and still regularly play it 30 odd years later. I bet PS5 users won't be saying that 30 years from now!

  • @rcgamer
    @rcgamer Рік тому +1

    Sega! The Challenge will always be there. That was the slogan back in the day for the SMS.