Atari 7800 Vs. Sega Master System The Ultimate Battle

[@ny718bx]

I traded my 7800 for a Master System, back in the day. No contest, SEGA!

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Seems like a good trade for you, idk about the other guy.. lol

[@lazarushernandez5827]

The 7800 actually had a limited early 1984 release in a few big U.S. test markets. That is why it seems like its from an older generation, because technically it is. The U.S. video game market crash happened around the same time. Atari was also undergoing new management. The official release was in 1986, after Nintendo launched the NES in the U.S. in 1985.

[@channex8179]

The 7800 was supposed to be released in 84 / 85 but Jack Tramiel canned it. It was one of the first things he did after buying Atari because he was all in on home computers and was focused on buying Amiga then when that fell through the shifted his focus to the ST. The 7800 was very advanced for its time, more so than the SG1000 upon which the Master System was based! Sega quickly changed the specs though and came out with the MK2 then MK3 which was essentially the 1st iteration of the Master System but for the JAPANESE market.

[@BURRITO44]

Great channel !! I am an old old Generation Z !! But did not have the money for the 7800. I agree with you regarding Ms Pac-Man on Master System. Atari made a major error in judgement regarding the sound chip In the 7800 !!! The 7800 had the same sound chip as the 2600 !! Now that is just -- bad !! You give us honest intelligent information.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Thank you!

[@BURRITO44]

Welcome sir !!

[@JohnnyRebel1776]

Wanted to love the 7800 back when it came out but Sega and Nintendo just killed it.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Agreed. It was supposed to launch in 1984, but was held back until 1986. In those 2 years the NES and SMS both came to North America and, yeah like you said, killed the 7800 and Atari's chances of being top dog.

[@RemoWilliams1227]

I knew literally Noone with a 7800. We all had 2600 or Colecovision or intellivision, then straight to nes. Heck I was the weirdo with the tg16 in 1989 lol.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

I knew one person with a 7800. But he'd come over to my house to play NES all the time. Yeah I went from 2600 to NES. I didn't know anyone with a TG16 back then. Wasn't until like 1996 that I played on one when the same guy with the 7800 got the TG16 and gave me his 7800. Yeah he was always a little late to the game. 🤣🤣

[@MCastleberry1980]

I got one for Christmas as a kid. That was ROUGH during the absolute height of Nintendomania lol

[@JohnnyRebel1776]

@MCastleberry -i feel that. My brother and i ended up with an Atari 5200 instead of a NES because the sales guy at toysRus told my mom that he would recommend the 5200 because of the Atari name. Basically he said the NES was too new and that it probably wouldn't stand a chance against Atari 😒

[@BURRITO44]

If you thought the 7800 had bad controllers -- the Atari 5200 most def had the absolute worst. This fact hurt the system overall. Plus -- the controllers broke very easily -- happened to me !!

[@pinebarrenpatriot8289]

Shame the 5200 had such bad controllers because the games and graphics on the 5200 look just as good (if not better) than Colecovision. Kangaroo, Moon Patrol, Centipede were near arcade quality. What could of been🤔

[@2crude2crudeofficialband3]

@@pinebarrenpatriot8289Berzerk had voice synthesis too. Still have my copy.

[@smoothALOE]

It’s like YT is reading my thoughts now. I was just thinking about these two consoles. I only know the basics, so this’ll be fun to watch.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Right on man. Hope you enjoyed it.

[@MylesSmith-q4y]

Thanks to Homebrewers the Atari 7800 is now getting a lot of cool new games on it.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

And for the most part, they're better quality games than the ones that were released with the 7800 back in the '80s.

[@Atariatari-ky9te]

I grew up with both. One thing I can say about the Master System and the Nes is I hated the flicker in games but 7800 games were pretty much flicker free. As far as original and aftermarket together the 7800 does have arguably a great total library now and still growing. Rikki & Vikki & Bentley Bears Crystal Quest are great aftermarket games and there's tons of great aftermarket games for the 7800. Mrs Pacman and Dig Dug 7800 versions are my 2 most favorite video games of all-time! Get a nes style retrogameboyz controller and for a lot of the classic arcade ports on the 7800 the Wico Sticks are good for the games that just require one button. I love the Master System and the Nes but if I could only have one it would be the 7800. And now with the recently re-release of the console with the 7800+ some games play Yamaha and Pokey sound and can sound better than Master System and Nes games. How would Robotron 2084 or Ballblazer run on the Master System? Not good in my opinion. The 7800 is shinning bright right now and definitely competing against the Master System and Nes. And arguably has one of the best homebrew/aftermarket community.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

I would agree the 7800 has a strong homebrew community that led to games like Bentley Bear being released as an official title by Atari 32 years later. Ballblazer was released on the famicom but not the NES. But yeah, it was a joke. Instead of the first person 3d view you have in say the Atari 7800 or Atari 8-bit computers, it was a over view look at the play field. Lol. The first time I played the famicom version I had to laugh.

[@Atariatari-ky9te]

@RetrogamerGenX Yes Ballblazer was a mess on the Famicom. Again I love the Master System and the Nes. I'm just excited about the Love the 7800 has been getting through these aftermarket years. Great video!

[@BURRITO44]

World Grand Prix looks like Sega’s Hang On. !!! Excellent !!!

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Yeah it kind of does.

[@runpcjon]

The Master system was released 2 years after the 7800s initial production and limited first release. So from a technology point of view the Sega was much more advanced, not quite the same generation. When the 7800 was reintroduced in 1986 it was 79.99, while the master system cost 2.5x more at $200. At 2.5x the price of the Master System you could purchase an Atari 520ST which was technically for superior.

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

Gauntlet was basically an graphic upgrade & expansion of the computer game Dandy (a word play on D&D). Dark Chambers is basically a graphically enhanced of Dandy without the game mechanics expansion that Gauntlet had; multiple kinds of monsters for Gauntlet as opposed to one monster type in Dandy/Dark Chambers that degrades in form. The reason Atari published Gauntlet for arcade & home ports but not for their own systems (2600 & 7800)? Off Google: The Atari 7800 received "Dark Chambers" instead of "Gauntlet" due to a complex legal and development history tied to the original "Dandy" game, which inspired "Gauntlet." The story begins with "Dandy," a game created by John Palevich for the Atari 8-bit computers. Later, Ed Logg developed "Gauntlet," the arcade game, drawing inspiration from "Dandy." Palevich felt that Logg's work was too similar and considered legal action. To avoid a lawsuit, Atari settled with Palevich and released "Dandy" on the Atari 2600 and 7800 as "Dark Chambers," giving Palevich credit. This was a way for Atari to acknowledge Palevich's contribution and avoid further legal battles. In essence, "Dark Chambers" was a rebranded version of "Dandy" that Atari released on the 7800 instead of directly porting "Gauntlet" due to the legal settlement and the history of "Dandy" inspiring "Gauntlet."

[@RetrogamerGenX]

There's the answer to why not Gauntlet instead of Dark Chambers.

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

@RetrogamerGenX yes. I had to look it up years ago as I thought it very off Atari would put what is essentially a scaled back gauntlet in their systems when they owned gauntlet. I mean Atari has a history of bizarre decisions & stuff but even this seemed a bit too odd 😂

[@mightydegu]

It should also be noted that Atari's arcade division wasn't bought out by Jack Tramiel when he bought the consumer division (home consoles and microcomputers). From what I understand, Tramiel had the opportunity to buy the whole company (Atari) from Warner, but he wasn't interested in the arcade division. They would have actually had to acquire the rights to Gauntlet or get Tengen to produce a version for the 7800 (and potentially the 2600, but that seems unlikely). Dandy was published by the consumer division, they may have still owned the rights (I'm not sure how the original publication rights were structured, so the programmer may have owned it).

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

@mightydegu that is true & I did forget to mention it. Thank you

[@RemoWilliams1227]

This is definitely one of the channels I just like the video before I watch it because I know it will be the nerd content I need 😂.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

🤣🤣 Right on brother!!

[@soupcan2037]

I have one of the CX78+ Wireless controllers. Works very well and, I can use it on my 2600, 7800, XEGS, 130XE, 1040ST, and Colecovision.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Awesome man.. Yeah I will be ordering one soon. Oh it works on the Colecovision too, both buttons?? Wow that would be cool. So I'm assuming it would work with the Vic-20, C64, C128, and Amigas too. Thanks for the heads up on it. 😁

[@rockerteen8300]

The master system graphics almost looked 16 bit, a more even fight would be between the nes and 7800.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

The graphics comparison definitely goes to the SMS. Even against the NES the SMS looks better IHO. I still think the NES would win in the graphics department vs the 7800. But the Maria chip in the 7800 isn't a slouch either. It's just devs didn't use it to its full potential. Then the lack of an on board Pokey chip really kills it.

[@RemoWilliams1227]

@@RetrogamerGenX yeah the sound is what detracts from it the most for me. I had the 2600 growing up and when I emulated 7800 later on and it sounded the same it was disappointing lol.

[@montana01971]

A more even fight still would be 7800 vs Coleco.

[@Da4Ying3]

Goldfish cookies vs solid gold bars: a very uneven "competition", if you can only choose one.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Well there's always the participation prize. 🤣🤣

[@TheGamersShow1]

Thanks for the versus video! I had the 7800 first, and love the arcade games like Ms Pac Man, Centipede, Missile Command, etc. Also have the trackball which was very good. But seeing the Master System again makes me want to pick one up :-D Peace

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Hey your welcome dude.. Thanks for watching and commenting. You definitely need to get a SMS, your missing out brother!!

[@consty715]

Battle? More like a slaughter

[@RetrogamerGenX]

🤣🤣Right!!

[@hammerheadms]

When you factor in FM synth (if you have a Japanese Mark 3, or a modded Master System) it makes a world of difference. My son and I just played through Rampage, on SMS, together this Saturday. Always a good time on a cold, snowy day.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

FM rocks!! Oh heck ya man. I miss those days with my kiddo. He's all grown up now. Enjoy it while you can brother. Thanks for sharing!!

[@craigwise6374]

Great video and great memories

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@retroprojections]

Oh man.. the 7800 was such a disappointment all around.. except for Ms. Pac-Man i guess! 😅 Just from the word go, the 7800 underwhelmed.. it was a side-step from the 5200, which, with it's release date, made it feel like going backwards. the controller was terrible, even worse than the 2600's, but how?! The games were mainly just reskins of previous titles from 2600, 400/800, 5200. My friend said once, "it cost us $100, but i don't know why. Atari should have paid us to take this thing." 😂 As for the SMS... Well, you know where that system sits with me.. right near the top.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

🤣I remember when the 7800 came out, I played it at a display in the store and was not impressed after playing around on the NES and SMS displays. No way, you pick the SMS over the 7800. No... I would have never guessed.. 🤣🤣 Good to hear from ya man!

[@shiningphantasy1393]

The 7800 was supposed to be released earlier than it was but was shelved due to the video game crash; Atari than packed it back up and released it after the NES and SMS were (In the USA) gaining a foothold in what was becoming a renewed industry, however Atari didn't bother to tweak anything about the 7800 before release to match it up better with the competition. As such the system is kind of a tweener console that was closer to a Coleco Vision than it was to the more advanced platform scrolling capabilities and more complex games that the NES/SMS could produce. I had a SMS back between 1986-1989 and pretty much everyone else (friends) had the NES. The 7800 would get some print and television advertising but there was nothing to compel me to even consider one based on what it had to offer. Still I appreciate the console in hindsight and the homebrew games made over the last twenty years are quite nice.

[@themidcentrist]

The 7800 hardware is comparable to the NES and even superior in some ways. The NES gets a boost by having MMC chips in their cartridges and is better at scrolling. The 7800 was really designed for single screen arcade games with a lot of pixels being moved around the screen, which notoriously causes slowdown and flicker on the NES pretty easily. The problem for the 7800 was that by 1986-1989 people weren't interested in playing single screen arcade games on their home consoles anymore.

[@shiningphantasy1393]

@@themidcentrist That's definitely how I felt as an 11 year old. Hard to have games like Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Black Belt, or Metroid in front of me and still look at the 7800 games as palatable. Zillion for SMS or Impossible Mission for 7800? Easy choice. Same thing for the arcades though; single-screen games were off to the side while we were all huddled around Double Dragon, Space Harrier, Outrun, and other games with more wow factor.

[@striderskorpion]

I like the 7800, especially its backward compatibility with the 2600, but the SMS blows it out of the water (IMO). I feel both systems deserve more recognition (at least in the US) since they tend to be overlooked for the NES. Also, have you tried the European 7800 controller? It's more like the NES, SMS, and TurboGrafx controllers. I believe there might also be adapters for the NES or SMS (at least DIY projects).

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Yeah the SMS blew it away. I'll be getting the new Atari CX-78 wireless gamepad here soon that they are selling with the new 7800+. Same as the old European ones back in the day but refined and wireless.

[@striderskorpion]

@RetrogamerGenX I was just curious about the European 7800 controller as I haven't used them, but I thought that they looked better than what we got in the US. When I purchased my 7800 off eBay several years back, it only came with 2600 joysticks. They surprisingly worked well for many of the games I had at the time, but there were a few where a second button was really needed.

[@MCastleberry1980]

The 7800 sticking with the 2600 sound chip to cut costs is easily the worst thing about it. A couple of games used an enhanced sound chip on cartridge, but for the most part the games sounded god awful.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Yes sir!! They really should have put the Pokey chip on the motherboard, indeed they passed the expense to the game developer and publisher. Yeah only two games, Ballblazer and Commando had the Pokey during its lifespan. Homebrews use it more than the actual game devs did back in the day.

[@jimvac77]

Even the Pokey chip sounds rough. It's 1970s tech.

[@joeb2588]

Not even close. Master System all the way. I even chose it over the NES as I didn't think the NES was very good. Cool video. I'm gonna check out your channel!

[@RetrogamerGenX]

🤣🤣 I hear ya man. Hope you enjoy my other vids too.

[@joeb2588]

@RetrogamerGenX yah, we're prob close in age, and you seem natural, so it makes the videos enjoyable.

[@johneygd]

I am more in line with the atari 7800. Not only because of it’s cooler design then the western mastersystem. But there are also some nintendo games on it wich are not on the mastersystem. And since i am a huge nintendo fan, am going for the atari 7800. And since atari & nintendo did had some deals with each other, i am also a huge atari fan ever since😁

[@RetrogamerGenX]

I dig the design of the 7800 too. Cool little factiod, the design was first used on the Atari 2800, the Japanese version of the Atari 2600. Then it was used on the Sear Video Arcade 2. Then they re-used it for the 7800. Nintendo and Atari had that license agreement until the late 80's that started way back in the 2600 days. But yeah, it was cool seeing Nintendo IP's on Atari.

[@montana01971]

I think the master system console looked much better than the 7800. But I would still prefer Nes both on the outside and for the better games. I did like the smaller form factor of 2600jr tho.

[@johneygd]

@@montana01971well i do at least like the design of the japanese master system a million times better then the western master system. But i also do like the design of the atari 2600 jr. To me the design of the famicom looks ugly while the american nes looks boring. But both the toploader nes and the av famicom design looks great😁

[@bryanjensen2614]

I'll always pick SMS because the 7800 sound chip was a piece of sh*t. Talk about laziness using the same sound chip the 2600 had and expect it to be competitive with the NES.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

I'd just call it penny pinching an Atari's part. 😁

[@bryanjensen2614]

@@RetrogamerGenX Yeah really bad decision on their part, as soon as I played it on a demo unit in Kaybee Toys and heard the atrocious sound chip I stopped playing it.

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

7800 was a good system except for the gimped sound chip & Mr. Trammell gimping games & cartridge storage size.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Very true my friend.

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

@@RetrogamerGenX I got one over the NES at first because I was all about the 2600 & thought the 7800 was going to dominate. But I was wrong 😂 however some origional games but especially home brews & tech demos have shown what potential the 7800 had. Poki chip should have been onboard but graphics wise the 7800 was at least on par if programed well & certainly could push sprites well above the NES.

[@chrislaustin]

Choplifter on the SMS is one of my favorite games of all time, and it is a crazy good port. I was never in to Rampage, but the port on the SMS is another best in class of that generation. The 7800 actually had good horsepower, but due to when it was offered, no one spent the time to make proper games for it.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Oh yeah the SMS version of Choplifter is awesome. I'd agree if they had more devs to make good games for it, it would have been way better. Just look at what the homebrew community has done for the 7800. Amazing games.

[@chrislaustin]

@@RetrogamerGenX Exactly, as I've seen so many great 7800 games in the last 10 years, that I can't believe it is the same system, night & day differences in quality.

[@2crude2crudeofficialband3]

Noticed an error: during Pole Position for 7800, the console in the bottom right corner was a Master System, not a 7800. Other than that this was a pretty good video. Never seen this channel before but not bad. Keep up the good work!👍 PS I would love to see a Game Gear/Lynx comparison video. They have several games in common, including some of the ones you covered here like Rampage and Ms Pac-Man.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Thanks. Yeah I didn't notice that until you said something. Cant believe I missed that in final editing. Maybe one day I can do a lynx vs game gear vid. I'd have to recap my GG though and buy a lynx, which I'm planning on soon.

[@2crude2crudeofficialband3]

@ Can’t recommend the Lynx enough. Lynx and GG are my favorite handhelds of the era, and Lynx is arguably my favorite Atari console. Both systems have great exclusive titles. Songbird Productions continues to release new Lynx titles all the time so the console lives on, and many great games are still affordable, even some still factory-sealed for around $20. I’ve got about 30-35 games for each system and worth every penny!

[@mattsmedley.onehandedgamin9029]

When it comes to Choplifter, the master system version may have better graphics than the 7800 yet I always found it too hard. My personal favourite version of Choplifter is on the Sega SG1000 , totally a playable game on the older system.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Oh yeah. The SG-1000 version is awesome. A lot more like the OG version on Apple and Commodore. But it had its differences too. Like the water level. Such a great game.

[@DraktonTube]

7800 Choplifter - I bet those 16 POWs were bent up all kinds of ways to have fit in that tiny chopper. Had to unpack them one by one. That's why they got out so slow.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

🤣🤣🤣

[@lurkerrekrul]

I first heard about the 7800 when Electronic Games magazine had a preview of it, complete with artist's renderings of the games. Actually, at the time, I thought they were real screenshots, just printed out in color. I instantly wanted one. Then it got shelved when Jack Tramiel took over Atari, the NES came out, and the 7800 got quietly dumped into stores with no advertising. I actually saw it one day at a large, local toy store, but they wanted like $100 for the set, which was too much for me. I did end up getting a used one some years later. I bought it from someone on the net for $22, then I bought a few games for it. To be honest, I didn't play it that much as I already had an Amiga by then, but I still enjoyed owning it. I found one in the trash a few years ago, but never got around to digging mine out for the power supply, and testing it. It did have a piece broken out of the case, but the inside looked fine.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Thanks.. Cool that you still ended up getting one years later to enjoy. Yeah the weird non standard power jack it has sucks. But I found out years ago that if you have a power supply that outputs 9vdc at 800mA you can cut the jack off and replace it with an old cordless phone battery jack. They are an exact fit for the power jack on the 7800. That's if you have an old cordless phone from the 90's still laying around. Lol.

[@BalancedSpirit79]

The 7800 is a good system, but the SMS wins by a landslide IMO. Still a fun vid though, it was nostalgic to see Pole Position again. If you ever compare the 7800 to the NES, I’d hope that you’d compare Popeye, even if the 7800 version is homebrew. I personally prefer it over the NES version.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

If I don't get my Colecovision fixed before the end of the week, you might get your wish brother. I'll keep Popeye in mind when I do the NES one.

[@MaximumRD]

Sega DOES what Atari....ah you know............

[@RetrogamerGenX]

🤣🤣🤣 Too funny man.

[@IntellivisionDudeGaming]

Tough one, but I play the 7800 10 times more. It may not be the more advanced system but I have more fun playing it.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Honestly bro watching your streams got me to buy the backbit adapter for the 7800. Before that I only had Pole Position II for it, and the system pretty much was a dust collector. Now I've been playing it alot more. You know me, I love my Atari's, but I have been playing a lot more SMS lately. Also SG-1000 games with the Everdrive on the SMS. I need to get the new Bentley Bear game for the 7800, it looks awesome.

[@ralphm786]

I have both of these systems & while the MS definitely has the more powerful hardware & higher quality games released back in the day, I do have a soft spot for the 7800.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

I feel you bro, same here.

[@Tinmancr1]

I got one of those new 7800 Gamepads "wired" and it is awesome much better than either a joystick or the 7800 Pro controller! Cool thing is it works on Atari 8 bit computers and no not all 2600-7800 controllers do.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Yeah, it will be one of my next purchases. I can use it on a bunch of different consoles and computers. I have a wireless Commotron Turbo 2000 Super, but it has not been to doing to well lately. It's been a great controller up until about a month ago. Loses connection and reconnects in the middle of a game multiple times, so I haven't been using it lately.

[@Sinn0100]

I got my Nes and Master in 1986. The 7800 was never really on my radar. After playing one years later, I can say without any question, the Master System wins that one hands down.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

I'd agree. I wanted either the NES or the Mater System that Christmas. I saw all the systems on display at the store, and tried them out. The Atari just felt cheap, the controller made creaking noises, the sound was nothing like the other two system, and the graphics just was not up to pair either. But now as a collector... I got to say, no collection is complete without one. Not a system I play everyday, but it is fun to pick up and play every once and awhile. I'd say it gets more use then my newer nintendo systems.. lol

[@Sinn0100]

@RetrogamerGenX I get that man. I got my Nes and Master System on Christmas of 1986. I wasn't a gamer at all before I got them. My parents are divorced and were still one-upping each other. My mom bought the Nes and my dad the Master System. I would have been over the moon with just one. As far as collecting them....I'm a Neo Geo AES/MVS/CDZ and 5th generation collector. I don't have many 3rd generation systems or games anymore. Just an NES and like 25 games (good ones), but nothing crazy.

[@NathanOZlegend]

back in the day Sega was bloody expensive but awesome

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Right. Both the NES and SMS were way more expensive than the 7800.

[@pinebarrenpatriot8289]

I like the Atari 7800 but its unfair to bring up Rampage. Rampage on the SMS is pretty much arcade perfect. It could pass for a 16-bit game.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

I feel you brother, but it was one of only a few games the systems shared.

[@jeremycline9542]

We were lucky enough to be a Sega family at a time when that was the norm in Europe and Brazil, not Connecticut. I can't tell you which of the two I like more...but Sega CD will always be tops for me.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

I became a Sega fanboy when the Genesis came out. Going from NES to Genesis was an eye opener. Then it turned into Sega everything for me. The CD, 32X, and Saturn I had them all. I loved Sega. I can't say I missed out on the SMS though. I had friends that had it and I played it with them. Great system too.

[@echosmith6092]

The 7800 was shelved for a few years so it is a gen behind

[@paulreese7788]

Master system had great sound reused the ti sound chip with minor mos which I had in my TI 99 computer.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

It does have great sound for sure!

[@themidcentrist]

I own a 7800, Master System, and NES. The 7800 hardware is good at pushing a lot of pixels around a single screen but not good at scrolling. This means it's great at early 1980s arcade ports (Asteroids, Food Fight, Ms. Pac Man, Robotron 2084, etc.) but the home console market wasn't interested in games like this when the Master System and NES were out. The Master System had the best hardware out of the three IMO but Nintendo and their monopolistic policies towards publishers had the best games by default. As much as I hate the horribly unreliable NES front loader and the way Nintendo treated publishers and consumers in the 1980s the NES was IMO the console to have if you were a kid in the USA or Canada because of it's (sometimes) excellent 1st and 3rd party games.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

The Maria chip had up to 160 sprites on screen with an available 256 colors, with up to a 320×240 screen resolution on the 7800. While the SMS Mode 4 graphics had a max of 64 sprites with 16 sprite colors and 16 background colors at a max resolution of 256x240. So yeah technically the Maria chip out performed the SMS's VDP. But what killed the Maria was it used DMA to access the 4kb of ram that it shared with the CPU. While the SMS used 16KB of dedicated VRAM.

[@thehumbleone1983]

I grew up with the master system here in Australia love the console and I never knew about the Atari 7800 but I did have the Atari 2600 console before getting the master system and with the Atari 7800 only around 2000 with the internet plus KZbin that’s how I got to know about the 7800 it’s not a bad I’m starting to get to know the system and it’s game but the sound chip Atari messed up there

[@RetrogamerGenX]

If Atari would have had 3rd party devs like Nintendo did, and people actually programmed the maria chip to its fullest potential, it would have been much better, as what is seen with modern Homebrews for the 7800. Yeah they really did drop the ball in not adding the Pokey to the system itself.

[@RlsIII-uz1kl]

Pole Position Atari, when playing, you had the master system showing and not the 7800 hundred.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

🤣🤣Yep.

[@kurtmager1626]

Between Dark Chambers, and Gauntlet, it's actually both that are the copycat games. In 1983, John Howard Palevich produced DANDY (a pun of D&D) for Atari 8 bit computers through the Atari Program Exchange. Later, Atari adapted Dandy into Gauntlet and Dark Chambers without Palevich's permission, and he sued Atari.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Yeah, honestly I didn't know about that until I made this video. Some other people commented about it. Cool little history between these games.

[@TeeroyHammermill]

7800 and its games were way cheaper than Master System.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Yeah they were.

[@Sinn0100]

I know I already posted, brother, but I subbed to your channel a long time ago. I wasn't subbed at all? I actually thought you moved on, so I'm glad that was an incorrect assumption.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Yeah depending on how long ago it was man. I started KZbin in 2007 then I quit in like 2013 and I just recently came back in 2022. Not sure if that's what you're talking about but yeah I've been here since 2022, giving all you guys some Retro goodness.😁

[@BURRITO44]

The Atari 5200 controllers were the worst !! Plus -the console was too big !! Choplifter was also on the 5200. Master System had the worst music !!! Pole Position could have been better on the 7800 !!

[@RetrogamerGenX]

🤣🤣 Yeah it was.

[@BURRITO44]

@@RetrogamerGenX. -- it’s quite unfortunate !!!

[@BURRITO44]

@@RetrogamerGenX. -- I have been gaming since the very beginning !!

[@RetrogamerGenX]

@@BURRITO44 Me too, since Pong!!

[@Mr.1.i]

the sms was the most advanced system of the 8 bits games run better on a sms than the Nintendo

[@RetrogamerGenX]

I dig it. The SMS was an awesome system!!

[@melvinpervis6678]

The 7800 just sucks

[@RetrogamerGenX]

🤣🤣🤣

[@montana01971]

No it does not, but it should have came out in 84, it was designed to compete with Colecovision. As soon as Nes and master system came out it didn't stand a chance.

[@jimvac77]

It doesn't suck. It would have been more successful had it released in 84 and Atari had the vision to invest in software other than old computer and arcade games. And the sound. Ugh.

[@mickael486]

the 7800 was shit from day one. especially it's crappy 2600 sound.

[@RetrogamerGenX]

Yeah everything was about cost cutting at Atari at that time. Plus with Jack taking over they were focusing more on computers than on game consoles.