Just to say thanx for doing so many uploads. I don't know if you ever read my comments but I had to sell my huge collection during hard times because of a dui and was a taxi driver...yes yes self inflicted. But thank the segs lord x for emulation right? The master system was my very first console bought for me by parents divorced trying to buy me out as the only child...my first games not including the hang on and safari hunt (and of course snail maze that was a secret and was a joy to find) - built In was choplifter. it introduced me to sega and then from there I found the arcade scalers. The rest is history. I have my own channel and upload to a very different crowd and it warms my heart to read my comments so I hope you get the same thing as you deserve it for reminding me of the good times I had once upon the 80s and 90s.... best wishes too sega lord x Thanx fr the mmrs
Bold, brother, very bold. Its important we look back and see how good things help us push thru bad situations (even self-inflicted ones) and return to normal. I went thru similar scenario 2 years before the Master System came out. Thanks for sharing.
In My Hero, even if you defeat the top thug and rescue your girl, she's quickly carried off again, and the three levels loop indefinitely, so you never get the satisfaction of saving your girl for good.
besides allowing these smaller card games to save space by doing that... it was also a common early Arcade design at the time to just endlessly loop and going for High Scores. Thank goodness that progression to an ending overtook that style.
My Dad introduced me to gaming and I have so many memories playing these games with him. I still remember the day he got Choplifter and when we had to get my Uncle to help us in Black Belt. I'm 36 now and I'm sure he had no idea that all these years later I'd still be gaming. I honestly forgot how great these games sounded. Classic!
True. BLACK BELT really is kind of it's own thing here and I love the music and gameplay. It might have been the first home game that i ever played that friends and i traded strategies on the bosses.
Sega Master system was my first console ever. The year was 1989 and my mother bought the console to me and my brother. It came along with psycho fox and California games. Two really good starting game for anyone and especially two competetive kids.
@SegaLordX Did you know that you can press both the A and B buttons together to turn briefly invisible in The Ninja? You can avoid the enemy projectiles by turning invisible.
I remember when I first saw Choplifter running on the Master System, I had to get one straight away. The pack that we had in Australia had Transbot included and I also got Black Belt, played those two games to death!
I love the video Sega Lord X! I was a early Master System owner over the NES. Astro Warrior was also a pack in title with Hang-On for the bundles that did not have the Light Gun. I so loved and too this day still love my ole Master System.
I remember before I was a teenager going to the local arcade spots, it was there I saw something special: Sega arcade games. Why was Sega so special? Easy! Sega had hardware that no computer system could emulate much less a game system. Sega was special because in a way, it was special on so many fronts (graphics, hardware, music, and gameplay). In retrospect, I learned that Sega built arcade boards that weren't possible on home hardware because of costs, like the System Y-board that consisted of 3 CPU's, a dedicated mother board specifically for music, and dedicated graphic's motherboard! All I knew is when I saw the Sega logo on a new arcade cabinet, as I approached it, I was about to witness something I've never thought of before and was going to see something on a monitor I've never witnessed. Hang On blow me away with sprite scaling. Out Run not only had ten times more sprites but beautiful music, and depicted worlds I wish I could travel to. After Burner, even more sprites, scaling, and introduced screen rotation! By the time I saw Power Drift, I said to myself, Sega is unstoppable and their magic was truly endless. As a young boy, I took a serious gamble. While I everyone else was purchasing the NES, I told my dad, I wanted the Sega Master System (SMS). The impetus for choosing the underdog was because of Sega in the arcades. Even before I knew what the Fourier transform was, I knew there was no way the SMS could even remotely capture the true arcade experience, however, if I could just have 10% of what Sega brought in the arcades, it would be sufficient. There was a price for choosing the SMS, I couldn't trade games because most people because owned the NES. However, most people who owned the SMS were fanatical like I was. We understood something NES owners didn't. Sega was the true conquer. Choosing the SMS was choosing the true innovator. Sega was the future because the future was arcade power. I knew, one day, 16bit... 32 bit would be coming to the home. There was no one greater, no company more powerful, and no company that had "MAGIC", like Sega (they created more innovative games than no other company... bar none). Sega was better than Disney or any other company out there. They had the power to innovate games, like Shinobi or Goldan Axe. Everything they did was truly a work of art. I admired other tier one companies like Taito, SNK, Data East, or Namco. Always scarred those companies would beat my champion, Sega. In the end, Sega always toppled their competitors. I was always an outsider, in video games, because Sega because forced me to accept a level of excellence that few companies could adopt. I always thought Sega would eventually adopt their arcade hardware to consoles. However, I didn't foresee how the arcade market would adopt to changes. Between 1984 and 1999 (before I went to school and earned my doctorate in chemical physics), Sega was more than a name, it was a segment of my life that brought me incredible joy and nostalgia that lasted as long as the quarter in the arcade cabinet lasted. I saw wonderment in the mystical powers of the AM2 developers or the dazzling powerful synthesizers from AfterBurner burned into my psyche... Sega was magic.
I had the same sentiments. There were two kinda games growing up. Games made by Sega and the ones that weren't. Ever since playing turbo in the arcade, always gravitaated toward Sega. The sublime memories of playing outrun and space harrier in the arcade as a kid. Simply blew my mind. Also chose SMS because of the arcade games. One of the best decisions I made. All the SMS owners became instant friends like a secret clique.
I agree with you. This was the first Golden Age of video games. If it didn't say SEGA, then it wasn't worth playing. SEGA was the Ferrari of games while Capcom was the Cadillac. I remember when I got the sega master system I felt like I was ten feet tall and nobody could tell me nothing. Long story short, Sega was the shit.
I feel like owning a Master System back then,in the US, was kind of like owning a Wii U in the early 2010s. You may not have gotten the big titles a lot of people remember, but you had some one of a kind exclusives that other platforms simply didn't have an equivalent to
I think the Wii U, comparing the systems with their era in mind, had a significantly worse library than the master system. Like what did the Wii U have? ZombiU, Bayonetta, Pokken, some derivative Mario titles, Wonderful 101, Xenoblades, don’t get me wrong I liked the Wii U, I just don’t think Nintendo delivered on the systems potential. Like it could’ve been a really unique experience and they kind of did nothing with it.
I remember loving ZombiU and thinking it odd that people didn’t care for it. I’ve heard that people like it a lot more now. Like I thought it was easily one of the best Zombie games in its era.
This brought back a lot of memories. I got the Master System in 1987, so I had a lot of these. I have a lot of thoughts on this. -finding Snail Maze by accident blew my mind. -Black Belt is so funny. The guy is going out to do some street fighting and he makes sure to put on his gi of all things, presumably to give the enemies a fighting chance. -Choplifter was my first game aside from the pack-in. It was really good at the time. My brother screamed out the window to my mom "I killed a hostage." while people were walking by. Quite amusing. -Ghost House was pretty tough, in my opinion. I went back and played it again a couple of years ago and it could get quite tough. It was my first card game. -I seem to recall understanding F-16: Fighting Falcon when I used to play it. I didn't hate it, but it did lack staying power. I haven't gone back to it. -Hang On and Grand Prix were pretty good, but could have used some music. -Not only is Ninja hard, but you have to find a hidden item or items to actually finish it. And there was no Nintendo Power to help us out. -I remember getting pretty good at Super Tennis. I persisted enough to actually beat it once. I seem to recall being happy that I would never have to play it again because the control and timing were pretty tough. -I revisited Rambo fairly recently and I came away impressed. For such an early run-and-gun game, it's pretty fair and fun. I found a lot of other games of that type from that time rely on being overwhelming. It may be my favorite early run-and-gun, as it feels like games that came later. When I say early, I'd say pre-MERCS. Anyway, I really enjoyed this one because I had a very similar experience of most of these games in their own time. Very nice work here, SLX.
Great video! I got a used SMS in 1988 when I was 15. I still have it and play it often. It had Hang-On/Safari Hunt/Snail Maze built in, plus I bought Enduro Racer with it. I just bought Psycho World (aka Psychic World) recently.
Another great video. Thanks for showing the Master System some more love. I was really late to the Master System but it has become one of my favorite systems.
I love reliving and rediscovery of my youth and past through your channel, there are soo many memories that have been unlocked just thru hearing or seeing titles that were seemingly long forgotten.
My best video game memories come from the Sega Master System. Thanks for covering. Best video yet. 1. Phantasy Star 2. Zillion 3. Outrun 4. Fantasy Zone 5. Space Harrier
This was the first system I ever played, back in like 1991/1992. Double dragon, r-type, zillion, great golf, outrun, and missle defense 3D were my favorites just to name a few. I still love this system and the games to this day
I got my Master System with Hang-On/Safari Hunt in 1986 at just five years old! I had many of the early games, and I loved or at least liked all the games I ever had for the system. Chalk me up as a huge fan of Alex Kidd in Miracle World. Easily one of my 10 favorite 8-bit games. It does have some slippery ass controls though.
In Brazil the Master System was a big success! I remember owning a MS II with the Alexx Kidd: Miracle Word built-in! I played a lot Out-Run and The Ninja. Amazing video!
Wow man thanks for this vid good stuff it brings back so many memories.im 42 now but remember clear as day when wonderboy 3 was under the Xmas tree and playing it non stop till I completed it.havin the tune in your head for days was the best.
So did the turbograpx 16 take the card game format idea from sega I have layed eyes on a transbot arcade cabinet back in the 80's but i never knew it was ported to the sega master system.
I was also one of the guys who owned the Sega Master System (PAL Version with Snakes and Alex Kidd built in) over the NES. Remember owning Teddy Boy, World Grand Prix, My Hero, Choplifter and Ghost House of the ones you have shown in the video. Teddy Boy and Choplifter were my favs out of those. My Hero I didnt like at first cuz it was really incredibly hard and discouraging. But after trying to progress very hard after I realised I had nothing more to play it surprised me quite much. Gameplay changes also with lot of obstacles and Jump N Run passages. Its a hidden gem to me. Teddy Boy was addictive. Needless to say its getting harder when you progress. Like the Shooting mechanic and enemy design in this game.
This is great thank you! My console progression was Atari 7800, Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, Nintendo 64, and so on - those early systems and games were such fun! I really enjoyed how the sound and graphics quality gradually increased over time, even on the same platform.
Great video, SLX. I planted my feet so firmly in Segas Tonka released US hardware I owned probably 50% of those games. Looking back I can see the arcade at home appeal. Most of the Sega games I bought retailed around 29 to 39 bucks. I wished the controllers had a pause function. In many action games you had to beg someone to go to the console and push the pause button just to scratch your face and not die.
A couple of us stayed over at a friends house one night and we made fun of him for his Master System. Until we played the games. They were impressive. Back then tough we played for 45 minutes then dropped the games for good old fashioned horsing around and those were the memories I have. Games were a part of our childhood but we also spent many hours playing football and riding BMX bikes.
Hang On was built into my Master System. The 4th level (Night time in the city) was unforgiving. I still cannot beat Black Belt to this day. The second level of Rambo has the best music in the game.
Good Sega Lord X. I am watching all your videos and I would like to congratulate you on the material you produce. It is the best channel I've seen so far talking about Saturn, and one of the best talking about Sega in general. On the other hand, I would like to make a little clarification about the SG-1000. I know that you produce a lot of material and it is normal that there is some little data that is not correct. It is very common to think that this console is a first iteration of the Master System in Japan, but in reality it is a totally different video game console. The SG-1000 is for the Master System (or Mark III in Japan), the same as the Master System is for the Sega Genesys. They are different systems backwards compatible with each other via hardware. Nothing else. In fact, one of Genesys' prototypes was called Mark V, and on some European Mega Drive mother boards they have a screenprint that puts: SG MKV (Sega Mark X). I don't know if this also happens on Genesys boards (I'm from Europe). I'm sorry for my English, I used the automatic translator because I didn't know how to express some things in English and I hope that didn't make me sound too rude or unwise. Greetings and, please, keep up the great work you are doing.
Shinobi level music near the end... my 2nd game. Did you know that there is the other level tune from the arcade in the code... but the port never uses it sadly!
The Master System box art always reminded me of the squared paper in my maths exercise book. It goes without saying that I didn't appreciate being reminded of maths whenever I wanted to game!
I actually grew up in a Sega house hold. We own every single american sega system (minus Dreamcast), and alot of my earliest memories were Master System games even when we got the genesis. I just didnt know so many that we had were first year releases. Like we had a Hang-On/Astro Warrior combo cart, Pro Wrestling, and Choplifter from the year...and eventually even got F-16 Fighting Falcon...which to this day I still cant figure out for the life of me. Im a late comer to your channel but i definitely have been enjoying these videos. I'll definitely see you on your upcoming videos.
I was a Master System owner. It was pretty popular here in Europe. I had a pretty large collection, because my uncle gave me his library on top of my own. Some great games and good memories.
the ground parallax scrolling in choplifter is really impressive for an 8 bit system, I remember my mom bought me this pirate game, captain silver i think, I hated that game, vigilante, altered beast, and double dragon were my favs
My favorite older system! She always works! Just picked up another roller ball controller. Got about 40 game for it and always looking for more! When it came out I thought it was a poor kids system, it's held the test of time. Thanks for the vid.
Thanks for these nostalgic experiences...the Master System was my 3rd gaming console...sooo many memories!!! I owned the "3D" glasses, the gun and 22 games. F16 was absolutely terrible!!! Zaxxon 3D was sooo much better when it came to flying games imo with this system. Too bad SEGA flopped with the Dreamcast cuz I was a huge fan.
During the Master System early years I was gaming on my Apple Iie, so I had no Master System games until 1989 when I got the Genesis with the power base converter.
Was able to score a CIB Copy of Choplifter for $8 shipped after watching this - Thanks SLX for another awesome video. Hope you had a Great thanksgiving.
Nice to see the Sega Master System, my most beloved console to have as a kid. Although Nintendo was bigger here also, I'm glad in Europe it did better then the USA and I had more people around who had the system, so as we where on a budget and bought different games so we could lend them from each other.
loved playing sega master system as a kid. wonder boy 3 was epic for its time. 1989. i was only 7 years old. ahhh the good old days! lol. thanks for this video.
I actually bought a Master System back in the 80s. All my friends had an NES as well as myself but I had a lot of fun with it. Wish I still had that one. It's one of those systems that would've sold a lot better if it wasn't for Nintendo's stranglehold on developers. Happy Thanksgiving, Sega Lord X............
Ghost house is called "Chapolim x Drácula: Um duelo assustador" here on Brazil launched by TecToy. A hack game using sprites of one the beloved characters of Chespirito (Roberto Gómez Bolaños) on Televisa - channel 8 (on Mexico).
I believe there was also a Hang-On/Astro-Warrior bundle for the Sega Base System (the Master System without the zapper). My first games for the system was Kung Fu Kid and Shanghai back in 1987 when I received it as a birthday gift. I miss the advancements we saw throughout the 8, 16, and initial disc-based consoles.
My UK Master System had Hang-On built into it, but you could still also access the Snail Maze game too. I thought it was a nice touch having the extra game in there.
I still remember playing The Ninja at my best friends house who had a master system in 1986! Good times. I also later got the add on to my Genesis so I could enjoy the Master Systems titles.
Sega Master System was amazing. I remember when my Dad got it for the fam, us kids were sort of embarrasses bc it wasn't an NES. But goddam it was world's better.
I had a Sega Master in 1987 out 1st game console! Had Hang on / Safari Hunt and Gangster Town, then got Shinobi, Kenseiden, Zillion 2, Black Belt, Out Run, Thunder Blade, Action Figter, After Burner, Alex Kidd, Double Dragon (NES got Single Dragon), Great Baseball and Basketball! My oldest brother still has his!
I was just about to get my then dream machine the Sega Genesis and told my friends in the neighborhood about it. They said "what do you mean new system? We've had that for years." We argued for awhile, and I just said "show me." They told me it was in the closet. I was stunned they'd have a several hundred dollar new console in the closet not being played but yet had a nes out for play. When their dad arrived they asked him to get it and he did. They had about 8 games, and that was my first experience with the master system. I was blown away and always wanted one. Didn't get it until a few years ago. Still think it's funny that people always assume the master system is the Genesis.
For anyone that doesn't know, there were different revisions for the master system that came with certain games built in. the one I had came with Hang-On and Safari Hunt and also came with the gun packed in with the system. from looking at several videos on youtube over the years I saw that a lot of people just didn't see that revision that came with those two games built in and only assumed it came in cart form. For cart and card games I had Double Dragon, Rambo 3, Rocky, Zillion 1 and 2, Shinobi, Fantasy Zone the maze, Transbot, Ghost House and Ghostbusters. Really wish I could have got Phantasy Star, Choplifter, Golden Axe Warrior, the Ninja and Fantasy Zone but sadly none of the stores had the games or most other MS titles in stock since they were mostly playing favorites with the nes at the time.
I still have my Master System. It was awesome. The graphics and sound was way better than the NES. It also never had problems starting. But the games werent as good. The other 2 draw backs; You couldnt rent games anywhere. The other thing was no one else had one, so you couldnt trade games. But after all these years its still my favorite 8bit system.
Objectively, US version of SMS is one of the worst systems ever in regards to the sound. Not only the sound HW was outdated by 10 years (the chip is from late 70s!), but most of sound composers (besides Ocean's) weren't really trying to make it do something. Granted, if only the Japanese version/Mark III add-on sound was put into the US console, that would be a real game changer, but alas.
I had Safari Hunt and Hang on as built in games for one of my SMS'. I even had My Hero on the card, it was a hard game and I didnt play it much though I ended up being more interested in the RPGs on the system like Phantasy Star, Ys, and Miracle Warriors. I liked Alex Kidd and Astro Warrior, the latter I always forgot the name of but the game was easy to remember whenever I got to see screen shots of gameplay.
15:30 ish, you know the NES's early library was pretty basic too. Alot being arcade ports or style games that really had like 5 minutes of gameplay on repeat, looking at you black box games.
The difference there is that the NES black box games were buried and replaced quickly with a deluge of 3rd party games. This never happened in the US with the Master System. The games you see here remained prominent in retail for years because the SMS library was so tiny in comparison.
@@SegaLordX Yeah, the UK was a great place for games in that time with the 64, Nes and Master games. It was a great time, lots of great titles, especially with the AMiga/PC Engine, Megadrive and Snes coming in shortly after
Fist of the North Star is an anime-manga franchise from Shueisha's Shonen Jump Comics. The manga books were licensed by Viz Media while Manga Entertainment licensed the anime series with an English dub from Toei Animation. Viz will bring the manga back around the next year now they're working on it this year.
Sega Lord X, I love your content and just about everything you say about a particular title is informative and accurate. However, in this instance I will have to whole-heartedly disagree with you regarding F16 Fighting Falcon. It employed both controllers and required you to have a firm understanding of the game's mechanics (courtesy of a pithy manual) in order to be successful...it is one of the most difficult, yet satisfying games to master (pun intended) on the Master System console. The closest NES ever had to a difficult/frustrating flying game that required the same type of knowledge was Konami's Top Gun (another classic) when it came to refueling and landing. I proudly report that I still own my Sega Master System and still play F16 Fighting Falcon. One more thing, when I purchased my console, Hang On was a built-in game (and don't think it offered Snail Maze...but I will have to go back and check). Cheers! Brent
It's funny... The first Master System here in Brazil don't used to show that instruction screen. Just the intro Sega Master System. It came with Hang on, Safari Hunt and Snake (hidden, like yours)
Here's something that dawned on me. Master System had such a weak presence in the states, that I can't remember any gaming magazines even really talking about it, save for maybe Sega's own print. Game Pro, EGM, and the one or two others I read pretty much ignored it as best I can recall.
At the time Sega had less releases and news than the NES and the mags had to cater to the larger audience as well. In the US at least. They would usually report on stuff when it happened. To be fair Atari had it even worst ;)
Man, i loved super tennis hahaha. In Brazil, Master System I had snail, but also had hang on and safari hunt. The II came with Alexx Kidd and the 3rd came with Sonic (and was the first to have a different visual).
Out of all of the early games Enduro Racer was the most addictive. I would spend months playing it even after picking up true greats like Wonderboy 3 much later on. There was something truly amazing about hitting the high speeds on ramps and timing it so you hit the top speed constantly when fully upgraded that kept bringing me back. I still go back to it today and can't resist the odd few laps, was even more surprised a couple of years ago when I saw the Japanese release had double the tracks with the PAL release being cut in half to fit on a budget card. Sure it should have made it onto this list!
The Master System is a great console that's really overlooked. It's a shame as here in the UK the Master System actually outsold the NES until they bundeled the NES with Teenage Mutant Ninja/Hero Turtles.
Yup, the Master System was pretty successful in the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil, and only average in its home market of Japan. It never really took off in North America due to Nintendo's harsh anti competitive behaviour at the time which prevented 3rd parties from developing for other systems. I got the Master System in 89 for Christmas with Power Strike (my favourite game of all time) and a bunch of other great games.
@@ulysses2162 Nice. Nintendo had a good console. I see that by viewing UA-cam shows such as Gamesack and of course this one. But that didn't take away from SMS being pretty todugh as well.
@@ulysses2162 Yeah, it's amazing what can be done on each when you put love and care into a project. 8 bit games can almost look 16bit. 32bit games can almost do what 128bit games can .. PS3 games looking like they belong on PS4. It's interesting to see how far you can push a system.
Yeah, the Nes's fortunes turned around in 1990, the turtles game helped but so did having Nintendo take over distribution as well, 87-89 they had apes running things.
It's difficult but there is a knack to it, never punch and when your fly kick stand still because it will prevent you getting hit on your way down. Just avoid getting stuck between enemies left and right at the same time
When I was a kid, the master system I got had hang on and safari hunt built in. If you didn’t put it a cart, it would load straight to that. I still have that console, but I’ve lost the tv input cable.
Sega Master system was a great system , we got the nes but a friend in the neighborhood had it. Wonder Boy was a great port from the arcade. Played it for months.
My sister and I used to throw down on Pro Wrestling. It was so simple, yet addictive. Controls were very easy to get into, unlike today's wrestling titles where you need to be a savant to remember the 26 variations of each button that change depending on the situation.
Just to say thanx for doing so many uploads. I don't know if you ever read my comments but I had to sell my huge collection during hard times because of a dui and was a taxi driver...yes yes self inflicted. But thank the segs lord x for emulation right? The master system was my very first console bought for me by parents divorced trying to buy me out as the only child...my first games not including the hang on and safari hunt (and of course snail maze that was a secret and was a joy to find) - built In was choplifter. it introduced me to sega and then from there I found the arcade scalers. The rest is history. I have my own channel and upload to a very different crowd and it warms my heart to read my comments so I hope you get the same thing as you deserve it for reminding me of the good times I had once upon the 80s and 90s.... best wishes too sega lord x
Thanx fr the mmrs
I read your comments my friend. Thanks for watching the content and keep those memories going any way you can.
Bold, brother, very bold. Its important we look back and see how good things help us push thru bad situations (even self-inflicted ones) and return to normal. I went thru similar scenario 2 years before the Master System came out. Thanks for sharing.
There are a few UA-cam channels that provide just enough joy for me not to give up. Nostalgia is a driving force in keeping me alive.
In My Hero, even if you defeat the top thug and rescue your girl, she's quickly carried off again, and the three levels loop indefinitely, so you never get the satisfaction of saving your girl for good.
besides allowing these smaller card games to save space by doing that... it was also a common early Arcade design at the time to just endlessly loop and going for High Scores. Thank goodness that progression to an ending overtook that style.
Wonder Boy 3 The Dragons Trap best Sega game in history, pure childhood memories.
My first ever console ahh this brings back memories
My Dad introduced me to gaming and I have so many memories playing these games with him. I still remember the day he got Choplifter and when we had to get my Uncle to help us in Black Belt. I'm 36 now and I'm sure he had no idea that all these years later I'd still be gaming. I honestly forgot how great these games sounded. Classic!
True. BLACK BELT really is kind of it's own thing here and I love the music and gameplay. It might have been the first home game that i ever played that friends and i traded strategies on the bosses.
Sega Master system was my first console ever. The year was 1989 and my mother bought the console to me and my brother. It came along with psycho fox and California games. Two really good starting game for anyone and especially two competetive kids.
I got a Sega Master System because the toy store ran out of NES for Christmas. I wasn't disappointed
Same here!
@SegaLordX Did you know that you can press both the A and B buttons together to turn briefly invisible in The Ninja? You can avoid the enemy projectiles by turning invisible.
I remember when I first saw Choplifter running on the Master System, I had to get one straight away. The pack that we had in Australia had Transbot included and I also got Black Belt, played those two games to death!
Are modern multimillion-dolar AAA titles starting to approach the masterful music tracks of Super Hang-on? A man can dream.
@@MonsterHunterLancer Although, to be fair, Monster Hunter Tri’s main theme always manages to touch me right here in the meow meow
I love the video Sega Lord X! I was a early Master System owner over the NES. Astro Warrior was also a pack in title with Hang-On for the bundles that did not have the Light Gun. I so loved and too this day still love my ole Master System.
All those games brought a smile to my face. Thank you Sega Lord X for bringing such good memories back into the forefront.
I remember before I was a teenager going to the local arcade spots, it was there I saw something special: Sega arcade games. Why was Sega so special? Easy! Sega had hardware that no computer system could emulate much less a game system. Sega was special because in a way, it was special on so many fronts (graphics, hardware, music, and gameplay). In retrospect, I learned that Sega built arcade boards that weren't possible on home hardware because of costs, like the System Y-board that consisted of 3 CPU's, a dedicated mother board specifically for music, and dedicated graphic's motherboard! All I knew is when I saw the Sega logo on a new arcade cabinet, as I approached it, I was about to witness something I've never thought of before and was going to see something on a monitor I've never witnessed. Hang On blow me away with sprite scaling. Out Run not only had ten times more sprites but beautiful music, and depicted worlds I wish I could travel to. After Burner, even more sprites, scaling, and introduced screen rotation! By the time I saw Power Drift, I said to myself, Sega is unstoppable and their magic was truly endless.
As a young boy, I took a serious gamble. While I everyone else was purchasing the NES, I told my dad, I wanted the Sega Master System (SMS). The impetus for choosing the underdog was because of Sega in the arcades. Even before I knew what the Fourier transform was, I knew there was no way the SMS could even remotely capture the true arcade experience, however, if I could just have 10% of what Sega brought in the arcades, it would be sufficient. There was a price for choosing the SMS, I couldn't trade games because most people because owned the NES. However, most people who owned the SMS were fanatical like I was. We understood something NES owners didn't. Sega was the true conquer. Choosing the SMS was choosing the true innovator. Sega was the future because the future was arcade power. I knew, one day, 16bit... 32 bit would be coming to the home. There was no one greater, no company more powerful, and no company that had "MAGIC", like Sega (they created more innovative games than no other company... bar none). Sega was better than Disney or any other company out there. They had the power to innovate games, like Shinobi or Goldan Axe. Everything they did was truly a work of art. I admired other tier one companies like Taito, SNK, Data East, or Namco. Always scarred those companies would beat my champion, Sega. In the end, Sega always toppled their competitors. I was always an outsider, in video games, because Sega because forced me to accept a level of excellence that few companies could adopt.
I always thought Sega would eventually adopt their arcade hardware to consoles. However, I didn't foresee how the arcade market would adopt to changes. Between 1984 and 1999 (before I went to school and earned my doctorate in chemical physics), Sega was more than a name, it was a segment of my life that brought me incredible joy and nostalgia that lasted as long as the quarter in the arcade cabinet lasted. I saw wonderment in the mystical powers of the AM2 developers or the dazzling powerful synthesizers from AfterBurner burned into my psyche... Sega was magic.
I had the same sentiments. There were two kinda games growing up. Games made by Sega and the ones that weren't. Ever since playing turbo in the arcade, always gravitaated toward Sega. The sublime memories of playing outrun and space harrier in the arcade as a kid. Simply blew my mind.
Also chose SMS because of the arcade games. One of the best decisions I made. All the SMS owners became instant friends like a secret clique.
I agree with you. This was the first Golden Age of video games. If it didn't say SEGA, then it wasn't worth playing. SEGA was the Ferrari of games while Capcom was the Cadillac. I remember when I got the sega master system I felt like I was ten feet tall and nobody could tell me nothing. Long story short, Sega was the shit.
In Rambo,the second player was Turbo,if you remember the animated series from the late 80's
I feel like owning a Master System back then,in the US, was kind of like owning a Wii U in the early 2010s. You may not have gotten the big titles a lot of people remember, but you had some one of a kind exclusives that other platforms simply didn't have an equivalent to
Nice equivalent
I think the Wii U, comparing the systems with their era in mind, had a significantly worse library than the master system. Like what did the Wii U have? ZombiU, Bayonetta, Pokken, some derivative Mario titles, Wonderful 101, Xenoblades, don’t get me wrong I liked the Wii U, I just don’t think Nintendo delivered on the systems potential. Like it could’ve been a really unique experience and they kind of did nothing with it.
I remember loving ZombiU and thinking it odd that people didn’t care for it. I’ve heard that people like it a lot more now. Like I thought it was easily one of the best Zombie games in its era.
This brought back a lot of memories. I got the Master System in 1987, so I had a lot of these. I have a lot of thoughts on this.
-finding Snail Maze by accident blew my mind.
-Black Belt is so funny. The guy is going out to do some street fighting and he makes sure to put on his gi of all things, presumably to give the enemies a fighting chance.
-Choplifter was my first game aside from the pack-in. It was really good at the time. My brother screamed out the window to my mom "I killed a hostage." while people were walking by. Quite amusing.
-Ghost House was pretty tough, in my opinion. I went back and played it again a couple of years ago and it could get quite tough. It was my first card game.
-I seem to recall understanding F-16: Fighting Falcon when I used to play it. I didn't hate it, but it did lack staying power. I haven't gone back to it.
-Hang On and Grand Prix were pretty good, but could have used some music.
-Not only is Ninja hard, but you have to find a hidden item or items to actually finish it. And there was no Nintendo Power to help us out.
-I remember getting pretty good at Super Tennis. I persisted enough to actually beat it once. I seem to recall being happy that I would never have to play it again because the control and timing were pretty tough.
-I revisited Rambo fairly recently and I came away impressed. For such an early run-and-gun game, it's pretty fair and fun. I found a lot of other games of that type from that time rely on being overwhelming. It may be my favorite early run-and-gun, as it feels like games that came later. When I say early, I'd say pre-MERCS.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this one because I had a very similar experience of most of these games in their own time. Very nice work here, SLX.
Great video! I got a used SMS in 1988 when I was 15. I still have it and play it often. It had Hang-On/Safari Hunt/Snail Maze built in, plus I bought Enduro Racer with it. I just bought Psycho World (aka Psychic World) recently.
Another great video. Thanks for showing the Master System some more love. I was really late to the Master System but it has become one of my favorite systems.
I love reliving and rediscovery of my youth and past through your channel, there are soo many memories that have been unlocked just thru hearing or seeing titles that were seemingly long forgotten.
My best video game memories come from the Sega Master System. Thanks for covering. Best video yet.
1. Phantasy Star
2. Zillion
3. Outrun
4. Fantasy Zone
5. Space Harrier
This was the first system I ever played, back in like 1991/1992. Double dragon, r-type, zillion, great golf, outrun, and missle defense 3D were my favorites just to name a few. I still love this system and the games to this day
I got my Master System with Hang-On/Safari Hunt in 1986 at just five years old! I had many of the early games, and I loved or at least liked all the games I ever had for the system.
Chalk me up as a huge fan of Alex Kidd in Miracle World. Easily one of my 10 favorite 8-bit games. It does have some slippery ass controls though.
Finally some love for Astro Warrior. For a pack in game that came with the SMS I love it and the music. Props for the Astro Warrior love.
In Brazil the Master System was a big success! I remember owning a MS II with the Alexx Kidd: Miracle Word built-in! I played a lot Out-Run and The Ninja. Amazing video!
Same in South Africa, we also loved it. I have so many memories of playing Space Harrier, the Mickey Mouse games and others.
Wow man thanks for this vid good stuff it brings back so many memories.im 42 now but remember clear as day when wonderboy 3 was under the Xmas tree and playing it non stop till I completed it.havin the tune in your head for days was the best.
So did the turbograpx 16 take the card game format idea from sega
I have layed eyes on a transbot arcade cabinet back in the 80's but i never knew it was ported to the sega master system.
I love when I see Master System videos pop up from you, thanks for all your hard work!
I was also one of the guys who owned the Sega Master System (PAL Version with Snakes and Alex Kidd built in) over the NES.
Remember owning Teddy Boy, World Grand Prix, My Hero, Choplifter and Ghost House of the ones you have shown in the video.
Teddy Boy and Choplifter were my favs out of those.
My Hero I didnt like at first cuz it was really incredibly hard and discouraging. But after trying to progress very hard after I realised I had nothing more to play it surprised me quite much. Gameplay changes also with lot of obstacles and Jump N Run passages. Its a hidden gem to me.
Teddy Boy was addictive. Needless to say its getting harder when you progress. Like the Shooting mechanic and enemy design in this game.
I remember Choplifetr and Ghost House. GH was on the card instead of the cart.
This is great thank you! My console progression was Atari 7800, Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, Nintendo 64, and so on - those early systems and games were such fun! I really enjoyed how the sound and graphics quality gradually increased over time, even on the same platform.
Great video, SLX. I planted my feet so firmly in Segas Tonka released US hardware I owned probably 50% of those games. Looking back I can see the arcade at home appeal. Most of the Sega games I bought retailed around 29 to 39 bucks. I wished the controllers had a pause function. In many action games you had to beg someone to go to the console and push the pause button just to scratch your face and not die.
A couple of us stayed over at a friends house one night and we made fun of him for his Master System. Until we played the games. They were impressive. Back then tough we played for 45 minutes then dropped the games for good old fashioned horsing around and those were the memories I have. Games were a part of our childhood but we also spent many hours playing football and riding BMX bikes.
My first master system I bought in 87 had Hang on / Astro Warrior combo cart included. It’s my all time favorite console period.
Hang On was built into my Master System. The 4th level (Night time in the city) was unforgiving. I still cannot beat Black Belt to this day. The second level of Rambo has the best music in the game.
Played/had most of these back in the day. This was a total nostalgia trip! Thanks for doing this!
The master system was my early childhood. Followed by the SNES
So was mine. I liked my SNES as same as I liked my brothers Mega Drive. But all my love was for the Master System!
Same. It was the first next gen I got after the 2600. I loved it. Games were scarce for it where lived though .
@@REPVILE
I live in Europe so we had loads.
Probably my all time favorite Master System game will be Maze Hunter 3D. Fucking loved that game!!! Awe memories!
I love it when you upload Master System content!
"Miracle Warriors" was an awesome RPG for SMS. I was blown away when I opened it and found a fold-out map of the giant (at the time) world!
My first love of RPGs began with Miracle Warriors!
Good Sega Lord X. I am watching all your videos and I would like to congratulate you on the material you produce. It is the best channel I've seen so far talking about Saturn, and one of the best talking about Sega in general.
On the other hand, I would like to make a little clarification about the SG-1000. I know that you produce a lot of material and it is normal that there is some little data that is not correct. It is very common to think that this console is a first iteration of the Master System in Japan, but in reality it is a totally different video game console. The SG-1000 is for the Master System (or Mark III in Japan), the same as the Master System is for the Sega Genesys. They are different systems backwards compatible with each other via hardware. Nothing else. In fact, one of Genesys' prototypes was called Mark V, and on some European Mega Drive mother boards they have a screenprint that puts: SG MKV (Sega Mark X). I don't know if this also happens on Genesys boards (I'm from Europe).
I'm sorry for my English, I used the automatic translator because I didn't know how to express some things in English and I hope that didn't make me sound too rude or unwise.
Greetings and, please, keep up the great work you are doing.
My older brother had an original SMS early on, watching this video I feel we missed out on a lot. I still have my SMS2
Shinobi level music near the end... my 2nd game. Did you know that there is the other level tune from the arcade in the code... but the port never uses it sadly!
The Master System box art always reminded me of the squared paper in my maths exercise book. It goes without saying that I didn't appreciate being reminded of maths whenever I wanted to game!
These 8 bit games were a huge leap forward from Atari.
that Snail Maze tune has been lodged in my brain since the 80's & aint going anywhere anytime soon, wonder if thats just me
I actually grew up in a Sega house hold. We own every single american sega system (minus Dreamcast), and alot of my earliest memories were Master System games even when we got the genesis. I just didnt know so many that we had were first year releases. Like we had a Hang-On/Astro Warrior combo cart, Pro Wrestling, and Choplifter from the year...and eventually even got F-16 Fighting Falcon...which to this day I still cant figure out for the life of me.
Im a late comer to your channel but i definitely have been enjoying these videos. I'll definitely see you on your upcoming videos.
I was a Master System owner. It was pretty popular here in Europe. I had a pretty large collection, because my uncle gave me his library on top of my own. Some great games and good memories.
the ground parallax scrolling in choplifter is really impressive for an 8 bit system, I remember my mom bought me this pirate game, captain silver i think, I hated that game, vigilante, altered beast, and double dragon were my favs
No mention of that awesome soccer game with all the countries anthems in it? It was good!
The music in black belt was so amazing. Still pops into my head from time to time.
My favorite older system! She always works! Just picked up another roller ball controller. Got about 40 game for it and always looking for more! When it came out I thought it was a poor kids system, it's held the test of time. Thanks for the vid.
The water level in The Ninja is amazing
I loved my SMS! This video gave me flashbacks.
Thanks for these nostalgic experiences...the Master System was my 3rd gaming console...sooo many memories!!! I owned the "3D" glasses, the gun and 22 games. F16 was absolutely terrible!!! Zaxxon 3D was sooo much better when it came to flying games imo with this system. Too bad SEGA flopped with the Dreamcast cuz I was a huge fan.
During the Master System early years I was gaming on my Apple Iie, so I had no Master System games until 1989 when I got the Genesis with the power base converter.
Was able to score a CIB Copy of Choplifter for $8 shipped after watching this - Thanks SLX for another awesome video.
Hope you had a Great thanksgiving.
One of my cousins that owned a Sega Master System actually had the version that contained "Hang On" and "Safari Hunt" built onto the console.
Never owned a Master System. My buddy however did and we've spent so many hours with Alex Kidd and Rambo.
Tyrant only the weird kids had the master system
@@FallicIdol only kids from broke families complained about kids who had the master systems.
I had an SMS from early days as well, and didn't pick up a NES until a years later. Thanks for uploading!
Nice to see the Sega Master System, my most beloved console to have as a kid. Although Nintendo was bigger here also, I'm glad in Europe it did better then the USA and I had more people around who had the system, so as we where on a budget and bought different games so we could lend them from each other.
I think you mean much better not just better in Europe, As Master System was a flop in the US
loved playing sega master system as a kid. wonder boy 3 was epic for its time. 1989. i was only 7 years old. ahhh the good old days! lol. thanks for this video.
I actually bought a Master System back in the 80s. All my friends had an NES as well as myself but I had a lot of fun with it. Wish I still had that one. It's one of those systems that would've sold a lot better if it wasn't for Nintendo's stranglehold on developers.
Happy Thanksgiving, Sega Lord X............
Man I love your videos really takes me back in time keep up the great work you really pulled some old good ones out 👍🏽❤️😎
I had both Nes and Master system as a kid. I always loved the music, sound effects and graphics of the Master system. Just hearing it brings me back.
Thanks for the weekly videos. Very informative
I had one of these as a Xmas gift from my parents way back when. If they make a mini I'll buy it immediately
9:30 And years later, we got Fist Of The North Star: Lost Paradise for PS4. Sega has come full circle.
It would be great if in Lost Paradise they featured a Black Belt cabinet machine in one of the side missions.
Ghost house is called "Chapolim x Drácula: Um duelo assustador" here on Brazil launched by TecToy. A hack game using sprites of one the beloved characters of Chespirito (Roberto Gómez Bolaños) on Televisa - channel 8 (on Mexico).
You are running a really nice channel brother. Nice work. 👍
I believe there was also a Hang-On/Astro-Warrior bundle for the Sega Base System (the Master System without the zapper).
My first games for the system was Kung Fu Kid and Shanghai back in 1987 when I received it as a birthday gift. I miss the advancements we saw throughout the 8, 16, and initial disc-based consoles.
My UK Master System had Hang-On built into it, but you could still also access the Snail Maze game too. I thought it was a nice touch having the extra game in there.
I still remember playing The Ninja at my best friends house who had a master system in 1986! Good times. I also later got the add on to my Genesis so I could enjoy the Master Systems titles.
Sega Master System was amazing. I remember when my Dad got it for the fam, us kids were sort of embarrasses bc it wasn't an NES. But goddam it was world's better.
For your future videos about the SMS, I know trying making an episode of the complete library of SMS Light Phaser games.
I had a Sega Master in 1987 out 1st game console! Had Hang on / Safari Hunt and Gangster Town, then got Shinobi, Kenseiden, Zillion 2, Black Belt, Out Run, Thunder Blade, Action Figter, After Burner, Alex Kidd, Double Dragon (NES got Single Dragon), Great Baseball and Basketball! My oldest brother still has his!
Great games great system still play my original master system and collect games for it great video sega lord
I was just about to get my then dream machine the Sega Genesis and told my friends in the neighborhood about it. They said "what do you mean new system? We've had that for years." We argued for awhile, and I just said "show me." They told me it was in the closet. I was stunned they'd have a several hundred dollar new console in the closet not being played but yet had a nes out for play. When their dad arrived they asked him to get it and he did. They had about 8 games, and that was my first experience with the master system. I was blown away and always wanted one. Didn't get it until a few years ago. Still think it's funny that people always assume the master system is the Genesis.
For anyone that doesn't know, there were different revisions for the master system that came with certain games built in. the one I had came with Hang-On and Safari Hunt and also came with the gun packed in with the system. from looking at several videos on youtube over the years I saw that a lot of people just didn't see that revision that came with those two games built in and only assumed it came in cart form.
For cart and card games I had Double Dragon, Rambo 3, Rocky, Zillion 1 and 2, Shinobi, Fantasy Zone the maze, Transbot, Ghost House and Ghostbusters.
Really wish I could have got Phantasy Star, Choplifter, Golden Axe Warrior, the Ninja and Fantasy Zone but sadly none of the stores had the games or most other MS titles in stock since they were mostly playing favorites with the nes at the time.
I still have my Master System. It was awesome. The graphics and sound was way better than the NES. It also never had problems starting. But the games werent as good. The other 2 draw backs; You couldnt rent games anywhere. The other thing was no one else had one, so you couldnt trade games.
But after all these years its still my favorite 8bit system.
Objectively, US version of SMS is one of the worst systems ever in regards to the sound. Not only the sound HW was outdated by 10 years (the chip is from late 70s!), but most of sound composers (besides Ocean's) weren't really trying to make it do something. Granted, if only the Japanese version/Mark III add-on sound was put into the US console, that would be a real game changer, but alas.
I forgot about astro warrior until that music and sound effects hit me!
Thunder blade is the one I never could beat no matter how hard I tried
I had Safari Hunt and Hang on as built in games for one of my SMS'. I even had My Hero on the card, it was a hard game and I didnt play it much though I ended up being more interested in the RPGs on the system like Phantasy Star, Ys, and Miracle Warriors. I liked Alex Kidd and Astro Warrior, the latter I always forgot the name of but the game was easy to remember whenever I got to see screen shots of gameplay.
15:30 ish, you know the NES's early library was pretty basic too. Alot being arcade ports or style games that really had like 5 minutes of gameplay on repeat, looking at you black box games.
The difference there is that the NES black box games were buried and replaced quickly with a deluge of 3rd party games. This never happened in the US with the Master System. The games you see here remained prominent in retail for years because the SMS library was so tiny in comparison.
@@SegaLordX Yeah, the UK was a great place for games in that time with the 64, Nes and Master games. It was a great time, lots of great titles, especially with the AMiga/PC Engine, Megadrive and Snes coming in shortly after
Since I didn't know the arcade Enduro Racer, I loved it and still do!
Fantasy Zone has some of the best 8-bit music of that era!
Great video, love the master system
Fist of the North Star is an anime-manga franchise from Shueisha's Shonen Jump Comics. The manga books were licensed by Viz Media while Manga Entertainment licensed the anime series with an English dub from Toei Animation. Viz will bring the manga back around the next year now they're working on it this year.
Awesome video! Love the SMS, on eBay now purchasing some of the games I forgot about 🤘
Sega Lord X,
I love your content and just about everything you say about a particular title is informative and accurate. However, in this instance I will have to whole-heartedly disagree with you regarding F16 Fighting Falcon. It employed both controllers and required you to have a firm understanding of the game's mechanics (courtesy of a pithy manual) in order to be successful...it is one of the most difficult, yet satisfying games to master (pun intended) on the Master System console. The closest NES ever had to a difficult/frustrating flying game that required the same type of knowledge was Konami's Top Gun (another classic) when it came to refueling and landing.
I proudly report that I still own my Sega Master System and still play F16 Fighting Falcon. One more thing, when I purchased my console, Hang On was a built-in game (and don't think it offered Snail Maze...but I will have to go back and check).
Cheers!
Brent
It's funny... The first Master System here in Brazil don't used to show that instruction screen. Just the intro Sega Master System.
It came with Hang on, Safari Hunt and Snake (hidden, like yours)
Here's something that dawned on me. Master System had such a weak presence in the states, that I can't remember any gaming magazines even really talking about it, save for maybe Sega's own print. Game Pro, EGM, and the one or two others I read pretty much ignored it as best I can recall.
At the time Sega had less releases and news than the NES and the mags had to cater to the larger audience as well. In the US at least. They would usually report on stuff when it happened. To be fair Atari had it even worst ;)
I had no idea the master system could do parallax scrolling like in Black Belt, and Choplifter. Great stuff.
Man, i loved super tennis hahaha. In Brazil, Master System I had snail, but also had hang on and safari hunt. The II came with Alexx Kidd and the 3rd came with Sonic (and was the first to have a different visual).
Out of all of the early games Enduro Racer was the most addictive. I would spend months playing it even after picking up true greats like Wonderboy 3 much later on. There was something truly amazing about hitting the high speeds on ramps and timing it so you hit the top speed constantly when fully upgraded that kept bringing me back. I still go back to it today and can't resist the odd few laps, was even more surprised a couple of years ago when I saw the Japanese release had double the tracks with the PAL release being cut in half to fit on a budget card. Sure it should have made it onto this list!
Enduro Racer for the SMS didn't get released until well into 1987 in the states.
@@SegaLordX Ah didn't realise!
The Master System is a great console that's really overlooked. It's a shame as here in the UK the Master System actually outsold the NES until they bundeled the NES with Teenage Mutant Ninja/Hero Turtles.
Yup, the Master System was pretty successful in the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil, and only average in its home market of Japan. It never really took off in North America due to Nintendo's harsh anti competitive behaviour at the time which prevented 3rd parties from developing for other systems. I got the Master System in 89 for Christmas with Power Strike (my favourite game of all time) and a bunch of other great games.
@@ulysses2162
Nice.
Nintendo had a good console.
I see that by viewing UA-cam shows such as Gamesack and of course this one.
But that didn't take away from SMS being pretty todugh as well.
@@mogo2433 I enjoyed both consoles as each had great games.
@@ulysses2162
Yeah, it's amazing what can be done on each when you put love and care into a project.
8 bit games can almost look 16bit.
32bit games can almost do what 128bit games can ..
PS3 games looking like they belong on PS4.
It's interesting to see how far you can push a system.
Yeah, the Nes's fortunes turned around in 1990, the turtles game helped but so did having Nintendo take over distribution as well, 87-89 they had apes running things.
Alex kid in miracle world was the best game on that system
I haven't played "Ass is whooped" but after watching this - I suspect I never will 🤣
It's difficult but there is a knack to it, never punch and when your fly kick stand still because it will prevent you getting hit on your way down. Just avoid getting stuck between enemies left and right at the same time
I played the HELL out of Astro Warrior back then. I remember the music like it was yesterday.
Hang On had two Combo Cartridge releases. I had the other one growing up, bundled with Astro Warrior.
Hang On is greatm was on the SMS Model 1 pre-installed instead of the Snail Maze game in Europe.
Not on every Master System.
Mine had snail installed and Hang-On came on a Sega-Card.
@@christschin3708 Nice to know, thanks!
Mike Lütjens
No problem. I don’t know why mine just had snail installed?
Mike Lütjens
I’ve just googled it, and the early models just had snake. 👍🏼
When I was a kid, the master system I got had hang on and safari hunt built in. If you didn’t put it a cart, it would load straight to that. I still have that console, but I’ve lost the tv input cable.
Sega Master system was a great system , we got the nes but a friend in the neighborhood had it. Wonder Boy was a great port from the arcade. Played it for months.
My sister and I used to throw down on Pro Wrestling. It was so simple, yet addictive. Controls were very easy to get into, unlike today's wrestling titles where you need to be a savant to remember the 26 variations of each button that change depending on the situation.