Sega Master System Essential Games.

[RastanSaga]

Looking to expand my Sega master system library...

 

Any fans of the system care to share their essential choices...

 

I own a few of the arcade ports...I love them, esp Rastan, wonder boy and Shinobi.

I've finished the Alex kidd games...

 

I'm just looking at picking up 2 - 3 games to rotate with what I have, when I have the system set up..

 

Thank you.

[Wiper]

Completely obvious, but Sonic on the Master System is the best Sonic game (well, tied with the Game Gear version, seeing as they're identical), and is absolutely worth having.

 

And if you don't mind something a bit heavier, the following are genuine best-in-generation titles:

• Ultima IV happens to have its greatest version on MS, both in terms of controls and visuals: it's just a wonderful version of a great game
• Phantasy Star is a true classic - expect to pay through the nose for it, mind.

Also, I'm not sure if it classes as a genuine 'essential', but I adore Master of Darkness, which is a great little Castlevania knockoff. Similarly, I'm a big fan of Master System Ninja Gaiden, which is notably different from all other versions.

[RastanSaga]

Thank you..

 

ive completed master of darkness, fantastic game, and ninja gaiden.

i'll look into everything posted i dont own...ty

 

any arcade titles worth looking into....

[Lorfarius]

Enduro Racer! One of the best budget racers on the system.

[Adrock]

Spellcaster, used to love playing that game. The action parts interspersed with the dialogue sections was excellent fun, the boat bit did me in when I was younger. Got stuck so many times.

 

Wonder Boy games?

 

I was a bit young at the time so moved swiftly onto the Mega Drive. My all time favourite Master System game is Phantasy Star, a masterpiece.

[Wiper]

I specifically avoided mentioning Enduro Racer because I knew Lorf would pop in to recommend it A great game, absolutely worth getting!

 

As you asked for other good arcade conversions... Bubble Bobble is a great version, certainly the best of the 8-bit ports, and New Zealand Story is a decent port; both are classic arcade games well worth having. Space Harrier obviously can't live up to the original, but it's very enjoyable nonetheless. At the other end of the scale, Strider is a genuinely terrible port, avoid!

[Camel]

Sagaia is a really good port.

[RastanSaga]

Thank you...

 

Just turned the sms off. Looking at videos, pictures and prices.

 

[Dr_Dave]

• Psycho Fox
• R-Type
• Wonderboy 3: The Dragons Trap
• Ys
• California Games
• Golvellius
• I personally love the Outrun port

[Adrock]

I forgot Psycho Fox, California Games and Golvellius. All excellent games.

[Zio]

The port of Paperboy is pretty damn good on the Master System, and I've always felt the port of the original Golden Axe was pretty good considering. I also get really nostalgic for Alien 3 (in some respects better than the Megadrive game it's based on - I loved the tension given by how it doesn't let you see around corners in the vent shafts) and Ghostbusters, which is possibly the best version of it (although personally I have just a teeny bit more love for the C64 original).

 

Chase HQ was surprisingly good on the Master System too.

[ulala]

Wonderboy series - essential

Land of Illusion

Fantasy Zone 1 and 2

Ghostbusters

Lucky Dime Caper

Shinobi

Psycho Fox

Secret Command(o)

Bubble Bobble

Rainbow Islands

Zillion

 

 

 

 

[Dudley]

It's on my mind because I'm scripting a show that includes them right now but it's worth remembering the incredible run of cartoon platformers from the Master System's 1993/4 Indian Summer.

 

Jungle Book, Lion King, Cool Spot and a unique version of Aladdin.

[Duckula]

The Streets of Rage ports are really interesting and play really differently to the MD versions, the music is still banging though. SoR2 will set you back a fair bit boxed mind.

 

Miracle Warriors is a cheaper alternative to Phantasy Star, slightly more tedious and grindy but with great music as well.

[spanky debrest]

I'd recommend Wonderboy in Monster Land over Wonderboy III: The Dragon's Trap in a heartbeat.

 

Another incredible, perpetually underrated SMS classic is Psychic World.

[RastanSaga]

Plenty here to look at - thank you.

 

[merman]

Another vote for Shinobi (which actually has some extra features not present in the arcade game) and also Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (very cute)

[NEG]

The New Zealand Story, probably the best port of the arcade, even the MD version is completely different. PAL exclusive and optimised for 50hz, so don't go booting it in 60, too fast!

 

 

[RastanSaga]

Thanks for the heads up, Neg.

i`ve played a few ports of nzs....but never master system..

 

This is on the shortlist.

[RastanSaga]

I set up Shinobi last night...

Also played around 3 hours today.

Haven't got stage 4 down. Dying too often on Mandara boss beforehand too!!

Still loving it though.

[Adrock]

Aaawwww, Shinobi. What memories, I loved that game, was absolute shit at it though.

 

 

[Alexlotl]

Some great recommendations above. I’ll add:

 

• Ghost House. The best of the old Sega Card games, which later got a cart release. Only 4 suspiciously similar levels, but a fantastic graphical style, and packed with secrets/mechanics - try hitting a lightbulb, or try jumping on top of the arrows. 
• The Asterix games are pretty decent platform adventures, particularly if you love the franchise. Stick to the Sega made ones though, the Core one isn’t as good.
• Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse is a completely different game to the MD one, and is arguably better.
• Choplifter is a decent, good looking port from memory.
• Golden Axe Warrior is a superior Zelda rip-off. 
• Penguin Land is a great puzzler, a bit like Mr Driller.
• Rastan is a pretty decent port, with some good home console tweaks. 
• Spy v Spy is probably the best version on any system, if you like Spy vs Spy. 

 

 

 

[loathsomeleopard]

Ultima IV is quite excellent, but might be a bit tricky to officially find.

 

Another vote for Bubble Bobble — while I’m generally biased towards that game, the Master System version is quite excellent.

 

 

[Alexlotl]

2 hours ago, loathsomeleopard said:

Another vote for Bubble Bobble — while I’m generally biased towards that game, the Master System version is quite excellent.

 

 

 

I just wish it had better music. It’s crying out for an FM patch like Sonic 1 got. 

[Dudley]

22 hours ago, Duckula said:

The Streets of Rage ports are really interesting and play really differently to the MD versions, the music is still banging though. SoR2 will set you back a fair bit boxed mind.

 

There's a bit of that actually, Sonic 2 is a unique game on the 8-bits and of course there's always Sonic Chaos.

[gone fishin']

I've got a bit of a fondness for the Master System, it's got that unique mix of 80s Japanese and British gaming cultures, although it can be a bit mixed owning one down to the massive discrepancies in how much games cost!

 

Some of the games mentioned before, Ultima IV, Phantasy Star, Master of Darkness, the later Wonderboy games are all indeed classics but expect to pay a fortune for them. Yet on the other end of the spectrum, you can pick up some great games for a couple of quid. Those are the ones I like to go for (I stick to emulation for the more expensive games!)

 

Some of these have been mentioned before, but some I'd definitely recommend are:

 

Ghostbusters, Impossible Mission, World Class Leaderboard, Choplifter, Spy v Spy (programmed by Yuji Naga!) - to me are the absolute definitive versions. Most were a bit derided at the time for being mere updates to old games, but the SMS is host to some of the best versions of 8-bit games (Gauntlet and Paperboy are great arcade conversions too)

Action Fighter

Outrun Europa

Asterix

Donald Duck in the Lucky Dime Caper

Prince of Persia

Terminator (rock hard, though)

 

The thing is that most of those games can be picked up for a few quid each!

 

There's also loads of the early games that are fun to play for a few minutes and again don't cost very much. I think where the Master System tailed off was when it was trying to be the cheap/entry level version of the Megadrive with games that were miles better on the Megadrive.

[Alexlotl]

19 minutes ago, gone fishin' said:

Some of the games mentioned before, Ultima IV, Phantasy Star, Master of Darkness, the later Wonderboy games are all indeed classics but expect to pay a fortune for them.

 

Solution: find a handful of expensive games you want, and use the combined price to justify buying a Master Everdrive. Then you can play those, plus the following goodies too:

• Phantasy Star with the SMS Power re-translation (and FM support, if your device has it)
• Comical Machine Gun Joe - an awesome little Cabal style gallery shooter which only came out in Japan
• Enduro Racer with twice as much content (the western version was sadly butchered)
• Game Gear to Master System conversions: http://www.smspower.org/Hacks/GameGearToMasterSystem
• The entire SG-1000 game library (which, it must be said, isn't great)

Looking forward to playing SMS stuff again when my Mega SG arrives!

[deKay]

7 hours ago, Alexlotl said:

Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse is a completely different game to the MD one, and is arguably better.

 

No argument - it's MUCH better.

 

My suggestions (as well as that one):

 

Populous (best version)

Phantasy Star

Wonder Boy in Monster Land

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap

Wonder Boy in Monster World

Fantasy Zone

Fantasy Zone II

The Lucky Dime Caper

Asterix

Teddy Boy

Bubble Bobble

Rainbow Islands

Psycho Fox

Land of Illusion

Sonic

Sonic 2

Sonic Chaos

Rampage

Spy vs Spy

 

 

[RastanSaga]

So many games

 

is kenseiden any good....Found that yesterday whilst looking at what you guys have posted..

[Camel]

6 hours ago, deKay said:

 

Rampage

 

 

Rampage isn't good on any system.

 

Great list though.