How Does the Sega Master System Compare to the NES? - Retro Bird

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Bonus points for anyone who can name the song played in the voicemail from the Saturn at the end of the video :) Games played: The Lucky Dime Caper Starring Donald Duck (0:01), DuckTales (0:20), Master of Darkness (0:43), Contra (1:08), Castle of Illusion for Sega Master System (1:25), Mega Man 2 (1:31), Kenseiden (2:14), Ninja Gaiden for NES (3:00), Castle of Illusion for Sega Genesis (6:07), Hang-On (7:20), Ninja Gaiden for Sega Master System (7:50)

[@neilinacarmichael9518]

I’m here for my bonus points! The song the Saturn left for you was Sky High from Daytona USA. Great video as usual!

[@nealdavis7276]

I see that you use a model 1 Genesis. Will I still be able to use the Power Base Converter if my Genesis is a model 2?

[@matthewyoungquist5418]

Loved this episode looking forward to it since you announced the topic! I personally love SMS since I got mine in 86. Other kids came over for sum Shinobi action and I would be over at their house for Ninja Gaiden and Castlevania. I had the best of both worlds since everybody else had an Nintendo great times.......😊

[@RetroBirdGaming]

@nealdavis7276 They do not. However, you can always get something like one of the mini power base converters that they sell nowadays. It looks like they might be sold out as of right now, but here's what I'm referring to: stoneagegamer.com/powerbase-mini.html

[@nealdavis7276]

@@RetroBirdGaming thank you for the explanation. I think I’ll just wait until I get a model 1 then, before getting a Power Base. I was planning to eventually get a model 1 anyway, since I want to eventually have both models in my collection. I think that the model 1 looks better by itself, while the model 2 looks better with the CD add on. This gives me another reason to add that model 1 to my collection sooner rather than later!

[@laughingseal2282]

Ironically, this channel has the most goofy and silly dry humor but also a very chill and mature takes about the hobby. Keep up the good content, dude.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thank you!

[@toddthechimeralinguist]

I was just about to comment on how Retro Bird wields irony like a master: That Buttons-on-the-console Gag was sweet and sharp all at once.

[@alch3mi5t.]

The Bird trapped under a CRT TV unable to reach his bananas is my happy place on the internet still. 😂

[@Bored_Barbarian]

I describe him as “Scott the Woz, just not annoying” 😅🤪

[@itsdeonlol]

The Sega Master System doesn't get enough love.

[@SergioPL]

Here in Brazil, they have!😂

[@SUB1KOIRA]

In Europe it does, luckily.

[@marccaselle8108]

The master system had great games. My favorite part of the model 1 master system was the jingle they would play when you booted up a game. Booooooop! Da daaaaaaaaaa!

[@Dreeza68955]

Sadly I've never played one....

[@Ichabod_Jericho]

I’ve never even played a Sega Master System but watching him run through a couple of these games got me really interested! Although I assume collecting genuine physicals of the great games these days is prolly really expensive 😣

[@HiNRGboy]

I've really come to like all the retro systems equally.. there's always at least a handful of really good titles on every system worth playing.

[@elgatofelix8917]

ALL of them? Or just the most known ones? I can think of probably a few retro consoles you've likely never played before and probably never will (not that I have either)

[@AnthonyFlack]

@@elgatofelix8917 - I love my Amstrad GX4000.

[@HiNRGboy]

@@elgatofelix8917 Name them off? I was obsessed with playing every retro console years ago that I literally tried tracking them all down haha! I'm talking computers too! Of course I haven't played every single one but probably like, I don't know...30 or so different systems pre-Playstation era.

[@RTPJu]

I was a Famicom (clone) guy in the late 80s, but the Master System (that outlive the Mega Drive here in Brazil... as it's still being manufactured since 1989 and the MD was discontinued this year) had created two huge landmarks in my infancy as a gamer: 1) It had the first RPG full translated to Portuguese-BR (Phantasy Star), what made me a insta-fan of the genre (that still one of my favorites) 2) Summer Games (here called Jogos de Verão) was the only game with a multiplayer that could handle all my friends together. It has 8 players slot and at my street we were about a dozen kids playing it all together. And here I want to thank Mr and Ms Jara, that had the patience to tolerate us all in their living room lol The Master System is an amazing videogame. A lot of kids in Brazil still play it as their main video game machine. We have the tendency to compare and I was a fortunate kid that have access to a Famicon-Clone right in the 80 and could raise my bar very high, but the Master System delivered a huge and diverse gaming library with great games in almost every genre back that time. There aren't that much consoles that weren't the top of their time that still could deliver that level of quality... it's in the same level of a N64 or a Dreamcast in their generations. PS: The MS gamepad was really bad and used to fck the thumbs of the small siblings of some friends when playing games as the skate and surf stages of Summer Games and Double Dragon (some movements required more "dpadcraft"). This kind of sht didn't happen even with some of the worst Famicom clones around. Thank you for this video. Brought me only good memories. Cheers!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I've always thought the Mega Drive and Master System's long run in Brazil was so cool. Wish the same could be said for the US!

[@rotallyPumpered]

Always been fascinated by the Master System's popularity in Brazil. Great to hear a fan's personal perspective.

[@RTPJu]

What is sold today (I checked) is called "Master System Evolution", that is a pretty chassis holding a emulation machine with 132 games in memory and two Mega Drive Six Button gamepads (that I don't know if work with the original MD and MS consoles, but if it does, maybe buying this console is the cheapest way - U$80 for a MSE - to get new gamepads for your old consoles collections lol). Tec Toy did an amazing job back in the day. I remember that some MD games were launched here before be in US or even Japan (in this case, NA games that took some time to be released in Japan) and they give us a huge quantity of titles, what made our catalogs very complete. I don't know if it is unfortunate that Nintendo never did the same, because legally it created space for our "gray market", with a lot of clones, some assembled with an amazing quality (I had one called Phantom System, that was a NES with better components build inside an Atari 7200 chassis and using a version of the Mega Drive gamepad... so, I played a console that was better than both the NES and Famicom, and Nintendo of America, admitted that the Brazilian made components were better than the original ones, as Gradiente was a big electronics manufacturer. I really recommend this console to collectors). And the best part is that piracy and cloning (both were liberated for the Nintendo games due to that context) we had access to all the three big catalogs (Japan/USA/Europe) for very fair prices. Not doing an apology against official support (that is better overall... and the right thing), just telling the good side of the story lol. I was gifted with a Phantom System in 1989 and then a Japanese Mega Drive (it was a little cheaper than the Tec Toy one because a friend of my parents bought one direct in Japan) in early 1991... one of my great regrets as a gamer is to have traded that PS with twelve cartridges (none were Nintendo official, but still...) for five original MD ones... seemed like a good deal back then, maybe it was, but today, if I could choose, I give the games away and get that console/games back lol Cheers!

[@vitorkk328]

​@@RTPJuPhantom System foi muito brabo. Agora eu vi esse Master System clone ai à venda nesse sabado no freaking Shopping Higienopolis, um dos mais elitizados do Brasil. E tem muito pai/avô desavisado que ainda compra pra criança que curte videogame hahahaha

[@RTPJu]

@@vitorkk328 Mano... lá nesse shopping ai deve ser aqueles neo-ricos emocionados com mais de 40 anos de idade que compram pra matar a saudades, ai o doido joga duas horinhas, esquece embaixo do sofá e daqui um ano da de presente pro filho da faxineira dele, mas esse moleque já deve ter um XBox e o Master System acaba virando cama pro cachorro lá no quintal da Brasilândia rs. Mas, sem zoeira, eu sei que em regiões mais afastadas das capitais, especialmente lá pro Norte e Nordeste, ainda tem muito moleque tendo esses videogames como principal... mas em Higienópolis não faz sentido algum... é tipo aqueles badulaques que pessoal compra quando vai viajar pra lugar pobre, tipo réplica de vaso na África ou aqueles barquinhos de madeira que vendem em algumas praias e só turista bunda branca compra kkkkkkkk

[@brianhoskins7749]

Mastersystem was really popular here in the UK. Had some really quality titles. Best version of Rampage nothing comes close. Also two player double dragon. Nice to see more of are Amercan friends starting to enjoy the system.

[@luliby2309]

If you didn't point it out, I was gonna point out Master Of Darkness. What a cool game. It captures that Castlevania feel so well.

[@Alianger]

Great points all around. There were some exceptions for the arcade ports like Shinobi which added a life bar and new weapons. Wonder Boy 1 added the hidden dolls and bonus levels. After Burner had added bosses and Space Harrier a new boss and music track.

[@compacta_d]

My Gramma had master system growing up. She played it for probably 10-20 years being her only game system. I played every time I visited her. I feel like ppl don't even know it exists. Alex Kidd, Psychofox, and Outrun were probably my favorites. She also had Gangster town, space harrier 3d, and her favorite-Shanghai. Very nostalgic for me. Thanks for the video!

[@grgmj1980]

I was one of the lucky few to own both systems back in the day. Loved both for different reasons

[@trufreedom]

Nice! I had that advantage for the 4th gen. My older brother had a Sega Genesis while i had a Super Nintendo.. so I never even realized there was a console war at the time. I was too busy playing Sonic and Knuckles and Chrono Trigger in the same day 😅

[@grgmj1980]

@@trufreedom my friends at school would always ask me for my opinion since I owned both systems. I would tell them my unbiased opinions and still, they would never agree with me.😂

[@sambobrooklyn316]

​@@grgmj1980that sounds about right, growing up in the 1980s you either had one or the other and did anything to defend your machine as the holy grale of consoles.

[@grgmj1980]

@@sambobrooklyn316 you had no choice, your fellow Sega troops or Nintendo troops would never forgive you and disown you 😂 might as well buy a Turbo Grafx 16

[@LeafarR1657]

Master System was huge here in Brazil. Nintendo wasn't present in the country for a long time so many clones flooded the market. I ended up exchanging my Master System II for a NES clone and I wish I haven't done that. The only good thing is that I ended up experiencing both libraries at the time. Today I have a NES and I'm looking for a Master System I'm good condition that don't cost me a kidney to buy.

[@ShinryuZensen]

Just get a Master System pad with usb converter and play those games on an emulator on PC. At least that should get our fix until you manage to find the actual console.

[@hammerheadms]

I modded my Master System a few years ago for FM sound. One of the best gaming decisions I ever made. Rastan, Rampage, and Double Dragon sound really awesome.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Nice! I've heard of people doing this. What a satisfying mod to do!

[@pharotman2311]

I’m glad more people like the master system now but I kinda miss the days where i thought I was the only one in the universe that knew about it and loved it.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

It seems like a lot of fans of the console still feel that way haha.

[@RudolfRelease]

Understatement - after all these years I still feel that way 🥺

[@AnthonyFlack]

In many parts of the world it's the NES that was the obscure console, so you were never alone really. Fortunately as they wouldn't have made so many SMS games otherwise!

[@manoo2056]

Well, I wasn't happy being the only one with a Saturn until much late in my life XD

[@pferreira1983]

You weren't. 😂

[@rotallyPumpered]

I feel like the Game Gear gets more attention, given that it has most of the Master System's best games, more of a global audience, and a lot of great exclusives of its own, but you'll typically have a better time with the Master System versions (especially if you're using original hardware). The higher resolution versions can feel like a real luxury if you've only known the Game Gear versions.

[@Nikku4211]

You can play the higher resolution versions on the Game Gear using the Master Gear converter, though they are poorly scaled for the Game Gear's smaller screen.

[@markchambers3833]

The Gane Gear doesn't have most of the Master System's best games! 😄 It has _some_ (probably about 20%) of the best games. You can play most of the MS library using the converter, although it's an inferior MS experience due to the tiny screen. GG versions of MS games are optimised for the GG so they're zoomed in with cropped play areas. MS games played through the converter retain their original scale so the sprites are tiny. Both are great systems by the way; but if you're playing on a GG, you're not playing the MS, you're playing the GG.

[@DrAndyShick]

Throughout 1987, I told my parents that I wanted an NES for Christmas. Apparently my pediatrician told my parents that it would be better to get me something that I didn't specifically want and so got me the [then-more expensive because it was newer] Master System, which came with a dual cartridge of Safari Hunt and Super Hang-On. I gave it away within a month. They told me that I would have to save up the money myself and buy it (similar to what happened in 8-Bit Christmas), which I did right before Christmas 1988. As a result, my parents got me some NES games for Christmas a couple weeks later. My mom later said that if she had known how much I would be opposed to the Master System, she wouldn't have done that.

[@nathangraves1069]

i have never own a master system, always played on NES then i bought a game gear to play castle of illusion, after that i realized there's an accessory for the game gear called ''master gear'' and i can play my master system cartridges portable. now with the ips screen installed on my game gear + master gear + gg everdrive i'm having a lots of fun with GG and master system games. thank you for this video retro bird.

[@segasdreamer]

You know what Sega did with the Master System that Nintendo didn't? 3D.

[@timothylewis2527]

I think there were a handful of 3D NES games. 3D World Runner, off the top of my head.

[@segasdreamer]

@@timothylewis2527 The Master System supported 3d active shutter glasses and there were a few games that the effect looked really cool, but the games were plain.

[@imairwrecked3599]

I never even knew the master system existed until I started game collecting a few years ago. Honestly one of the most fun thing I have done with the hobby is research and learn all the old consoles/games I never even knew where around. Playing phantasy star on an emulator because of discovering the master system.

[@kefkahkefkah]

i never got collecting just for collectings sake, it seems abit materialistic specially witth those who get alot of games wich they dont play or barley play and just driving prices, the joy should be in the game itself however you play. I grew up with the master system and i can tell you we thouught the phantasy star "cut scenes" were like a cartoon thats how impressed we were with the graphics.

[@brichan1851]

Excellent. I would love to see a video that focuses on regional differences between releases in the East vs. releases in the West. If you already have a video like this, I’d love to check it out.

[@erickbrags]

What a nice video. I'm brazilian, so you already know that I love the Master System, such good memories. More people should give these games a try, lots of hidden gems for retro gamers.

[@bananonymouslastname5693]

I've had both the NES and Master System for decades. I'm glad you didn't spark up some silly console war debate here. They may be of the same generation, but the Master System is best looked at as a fun counterpart to the NES these days instead of a rival. The NES certainly has the larger, stronger library, but games like those listed here are very worthwhile, and light gun games like Gangster Town, Rambo III, and Rescue Mission honestly outclass any other home console gun games of the era. Oddly, I really enjoy the Carmen Sandiego Master System game. Nobody really talks about it, but it's pretty different from other versions, and has a little action sequence when it's time to make the arrest. It's also pretty easy to find with the mini-encyclopedia included for the full experience.

[@GuillaumeLevasseur]

I had a master system as a kid, and spent hours watching my father play Phantasy Star. Great memories. Also, to this day, Space Harrier, Hang-On and other arcade games are my favorite because I’ve exposed to them early on.

[@nanasapartment]

As SOON as you mentioned the pause button on the master system, my IMMEDIATE thought was "Who wasn't always on the floor two feet away from it anyway?" You had such a limited range with the length of the controllers, that it made sense to just have the button on the front, especially with how close you always had to be for the constant resetting back then.

[@MultiDudeman]

Wow that Power Base Converter is the coolest thing, this is the first time I've heard of it but now i think im in love

[@DontCallMeScooterrr]

They have gotten pretty expensive (of course), about $100 now I think

[@michaels4610]

I used my paper route $$ as a kid to get the master system! I will always go back to play Shinobi and R Type! Thanks for the great video!

[@GameBoyGuru]

I wish I got voice mail like that. It's unfortunate that Bomber Raid is one game that absolutely doesn't work with the Genesis pad. I only had a model 1 Genesis for years, and could never truly play it on the Power Base Converter until I got the SMS pad. Fun game.

[@cd5sircoupe]

Damn, I don't remember that Genesis converter. I knew there was one but I don't think I've ever seen it. My younger brother's got a Master system with a few things for it, but it's kinda just a novelty to have. And speaking of power supplies and novelty, he's also got a Sega branded power strip that's spaced far apart enough for all the bricks.

[@8bitjoystick]

Unless you wanna go down the European and Brazilian Master System rabbit hole where the Master System ruled and Nintendo drooled. Oh the FM Sound unit in the Sega Mark III was optional. Not all Mark III systems had it. Scart RGB to Component from the Genesis? MADNESS! Personally I am glad I got my HD Retrovision Genesis cables that I use with my Genesis and PC-Engine. I've often wondered about your lighting set up when filming your CRT. I am envious of your ability to get your room 100% dark. My windows always bleed a little light from the city I live in. Do you do the hands in the same shot? You must be using manual exposure. I am always impressed with your KZbin cinematography.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thank you! I use Scart converted to Component because those HD Retrovision cables didn't even exist yet at the time I got all my cables. I have a really good converter from a brand called Kramer that everyone swore by at the time and I've been really happy with it. Yes, my hands are in the same shot when I film my footage. My game room is essentially a glorified walk-in closet, so I just shut the door and it's pitch dark. I tighten a headlamp around my neck and then tuck the actual light part of it under my chin so that it points down.

[@8bitjoystick]

@@RetroBirdGaming You use a headlamp? That's brilliant! Filming CRTs is harder than people think and you make it look easy. I am just glad that Castlemania games had a second pre-order for the HD-Retrovision cables so I was able to get my cables in the next batch of manufactured cables. Some people were selling them for ridiculous prices on eBay. I like it when they have pre-orders the next batch of already released stuff that you can get one eventually without having to pay eBay prices.

[@josephbradshaw6985]

Ghouls and Ghosts is interesting on the SMS in that you have hit points, spells, and a bunch of different upgrades to your speed and stuff. It's not just a stepped down arcade port, it adds stuff! It's also easier, which is great but because that whole series of games is way too hard for me!!! 🙂

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yeah, I was actually thinking about that port when talking about the Master System arcade ports that differed the most.

[@josephbradshaw6985]

@@RetroBirdGaming Well you did mention the Ninja Gaiden port, so God's work has been done. 🙂

[@JoJaDaRu]

Great video. Now, in 2023, I have to agree it would be cool to have different versions of Afterburner, Shinobi, Space Harrier etc.. on the SMS but back in the mid 80's when I was playing SMS and my friends NES it was incredible that I could play Afterburner at home. The great thing about SMS back then was that everybody and their dog had an NES so it was easy to trade consoles with a buddy and get the best of both worlds. I never thought about how I would judge them 40 years into the future.. but here I am.. still thinking about both in 2023. Strange world.

[@DontCallMeScooterrr]

One thing that gets overlooked, if you have a CRT, SMS has about a dozen light gun games which is pretty robust given the overall library I think

[@GamingPlus10]

Gangster Town is probably the best 8 bit gun game ever.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yeah, and the light phaser is fairly affordable too.

[@dwightdixon8508]

Nintendo’s strict licensing policy with third party developers/publishers is what allowed them to keep an iron clad grip on the video game market at least in North America. Unfair? Maybe, but they took a huge risk that ultimately revitalized the video game market in North America just a couple years after the video game crash. The Master System had good specs but we’ll never know what Nintendo’s third party developers could have done with its power and color pallet. Regardless the NES had the goods and we got some incredible games and memories that may not have been there had Nintendo not taken those risks

[@GamingPlus10]

It was illegal and anti consumer.

[@zinh3d]

I love your goofy face :D But also your videos are informative and accurate. The poor kid on the block, when I was a kid, that had a Master System was mostly picked on unfairly. I had a NES but loved playing his console! Poor kid though. He just wanted a NES but didn't understand his console was better in a lot of ways.

[@zedoardo]

That's Daytona USA at the end, right? Thanks for the video, Master System was super popular in Portugal and I played it a lot at my friends' place. Good times. Shinobi, Streets of Rage and Sonic 1, 2 and Chaos were great at the time

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yes, the Saturn version of Daytona USA.

[@MichaelBecx]

Thank you for making these videos! I have been watching your videos for years now and every week I'm looking forward to your awesome videos :D

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I really appreciate you watching and am glad you're enjoying them!

[@raycerx87]

I never got into Master System until 2009 when I jailbroke my Wii. Great videos as per usual.

[@Emceemur]

Master System was a massive part of my childhood. It was my first console at 7 years old. And yes, Kenseiden was awesome. Not that NES isn’t important to me. But SMS games hit different. The audio is distinctly different. The look and the vibe too. It’s hard to put into words….

[@ryanfulton8421]

Seriously though, everyone and their grandma released a console in the 90's. It didn't make much sense to prefer one over the other because you never knew who was going to stay in business long enough for it to matter.

[@originalMP3com247]

i picked up a master system 2 in 1993 on sale at kay-bee toys for 20 bucks. ended up with ten or fifteen games deeply discounted on clearance. The 2 model had alex kidd in miracle world built it, so that was weird at first. I later picked up the original unit which seemed to have better joypad receptacles. castle of illusion, psycho fox, ghouls and ghosts, columns. i had both nes and sega genesis already, so it was like something new yet familiar at the same time. good times

[@HugoBonami]

Regarding Kenseiden, don't backtrack or take steps back. The game will punish you for that with the enemy respawns. You have to move carefully - well, at least don't zoom by - to see your enemy and then plan your attack based on its movement and attack pattern. It was my first Master System game! :D

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thanks for the tip!

[@jeffb.6642]

I don't believe I knew the Master System existed when I was a kid. I don't remember seeing it, or any games for it, in any store. NES and Genesis stuff was everywhere though. Maybe it wasn't sold here in Canada. I don't know.

[@josephbradshaw6985]

For Zelda/Crystalis fans SMS has Golden Axe Warrior and Golvellius. Solid top down adventures exclusive to the SMS.

[@chaospoet]

And it had the original console port of YS 1 too!

[@josephbradshaw6985]

@@chaospoet I haven't played much of that one, is it any good? Beyond nostalgia?

[@chaospoet]

@@josephbradshaw6985 It's a faithful conversation of the PC-88 original that plays better on Master System (the best of the original versions) and it is the entire game so gameplay wise it holds up. Though it is a little slower as it takes longer to level up and presentation is quite basic compared to later releases. For it's time it's was great. Honestly, these days, I'd only recommend it for YS fans curious how it was originally. Otherwise Turbografx is still the best version (and the most expensive, sadly) but the Chronicles remake on PSP/Steam is also great and the most affordable way to go.

[@bombfog1]

Last year I offered you my childhood 32X so you can make content with it and you gently refused. Well, my complete in box 32X has gone nearly 28 years unused now and it sure would be great if it could receive some love again. I’ve received three years of very entertaining content from you and would sure love to offer recompense with the 32X. I’ve tried giving it to my son, but the only retro-games he plays are on the NES, SNES, and original GameBoy. Please give this unloved console a home!

[@SpaceGamblerJR]

it's so weird I didn't even know the master system existed when I was a kid. it wasn't until Sega Genisis that I found out about Sega besides arcades.

[@DontCallMeScooterrr]

I was an arcade kid so I ended up with an SMS. No regrets , and so glad I held onto it and my games. I will say that in 2023, the PSG sound is grating to my ears unless the devs really knew how to make it sing (WB3, Streets of Rage, Sonic). Too bad we didn't get FM built in. For a treat, the Japanese SMS Bios version of the Space Harrier theme is incredible though

[@mamoruisamu1]

I traded my Atari XE to a friend for his Master System back in high school, traded it in for something else, then bought another one (and Power Base Converter) a few years ago. I still love my NES, but the Master System looks cool. The 3D Glasses are a fun accessory. The Master Gear Converter to play MS games on the Game Gear is one I don’t have but want to get. My only complaint is that it feels like most retro game stores have the same titles - Real Baseball, Real Basketball, etc. Thanks for sharing - this made me want to pick it up and play some Choplifter.

[@4eberhardetc983]

Hi RetroBird!! The fact you modded your NES to RGB so you keep the ground even when comparing to Master System says so much of your commitment to this videos. I dont have to say it, but keep on pushing man!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thank you!

[@Diablokiller999]

Know what you mean by other consoles wanting your attention. Segata Sanshiro came over and beat me up regularly until I bought a Sega Saturn. That were some hard 20 years, I tell ya....

[@GenXrecluse]

My two cousins always got a system when it came out, so he had the Nintendo, and the Master System. Playing the Sega just felt more grown up,more mature.we cracked out on Phantasy Star for a couple days,it brought us into maturity.

[@Peeps7468]

I’ve posted this before but I grew up with an NES and my uncle had a Sega Master System. I loved the NES but always enjoyed playing the SMS. He had After Burner, Ghostbusters, a few Wonder Boy games (including Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap) and maybe one or two others. Wonder Boy III got most of the attention but it always seemed like a really great system with games completely different from the ones I had on the NES. Thanks for doing a SMS video!!

[@davidrin3566]

I grew up an NES kid but I did have a classmate that owned a Master System. When I went over his house, we played Safari Hunt and Transbot. When I was in my 20s, my cousin bought me a Master System CIB for Christmas. As I grew older, I started buying more games for the system and have gained an appreciation for what it is. I also own Kensiden and that is an amazing Master System game. You can also see where they got some of the assets for Revenge of Shinobi when you play that game. A month ago, I just picked up Ys: The Vanished Omens on the system. Most games for it are still quite affordable but Ys cost a little more (spent close to $70 at the end of the day but it was worth it) Other games I love are Rastan, Wonder Boy III, Shinobi, Lord of the Sword, Double Dragon and many others. I'm looking at picking up Ninja Gaiden soon. Another system that will give you a solid NES-like experience is the PC Engine and Turbo Graphics 16. In fact, a lot of the games developed on there were created by top NES developers of the time. One example being Ninja Spirit (created by the same folks that made Kung Fu on the NES)

[@erneststackhouse1133]

Brazil loves The Sega Master System like how the US loves the NES. SEGA was still pumping out new games for Brazil on the Sega Master System way after SEGA's crash in the late 90s. Ninja Gaiden was my 1st experience playing it on the Sega Master System when I was younger & I like that game over the NES version. Shinobi was another I played all the time as well. Loved the video & I'm still looking for Master of Darkness for my collection.

[@Autotrope]

I often find myself enjoying less technically advanced ports of games too, not sure why. Like outrun on master system is pretty fun. And ive been playing donkey kong land on game boy

[@kevintappminville195]

Phantasy Star was Amazing! In it's Sega Ages version. I would never want to go dungeoneering without having a map to see where the fake walls are...

[@itsjustagamechannel]

I just picked up my first Master System, but yeah it was my “one more / last console” purchase. It does also have the coolest appearance in my display.

[@CasepbX]

I never even heard of the Sega Master System for the longest time. I always thought the Genesis was the first Sega system. Crazy how overlooked it was.

[@Epic_C]

The Master System I just don't really remember seeing anywhere around I live as a kid (in the mid to late 80s), at least from what I can remember, it was all Nintendo. I don't remember hearing much about Sega until the Genesis came out.

[@rafaelvieri2161]

In my country, the Master System won the War, but I had a NES. I had to play Mario while listening at School How Alex Kidd was much better. I used to play SEGA at my neighbor's house and I freaking loved it. When I bought my Mega Drive, the Power converter soon followed.

[@ThatGuy-vo9os]

Great video as always! I have a Master System myself but I only have Outrun for it at the moment, though I still love it. My main deterrent for collecting it though is that I still want to collect more for other systems. I’d like to collect a little more for the other Sega consoles and the NES before I start collecting more Master System games. A couple that stand out to me are Phantasy Star, R-Type, and the 8- bit Sonic. Though I might be more inclined to pick up a couple of those Disney games you showcased as well as the Master System version of Ninja Gaiden. They seem pretty fun!

[@chaospoet]

With Phantasy Star in particular there is another way to play it that is actually the way I would recommend it provided of course you have the means to. It was ported to the Gameboy Advance but it also included P.S 2 and 3 with it. Even CIB it's cheaper and cart only is a fraction of the Master System version cart only.

[@mikester1290]

It's fair (as a first video on the MS) that you didn't mention R Type, but seriously look it up dude, that title is a Master System gem.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yeah, I've played it! I still prefer the PS1 and PC Engine releases more, but I appreciate the additional content added to the Master System version!

[@mattb6522]

I now need to know more about the regional differences of Rocket Knight Adventures. 😅 The only thing I know off the top of my head is that the difficulty settings were changed when it was localized to North America. So like all the difficulties in the US version are labeled strange such as the US "Easy" mode is Japan's "Normal", US "Normal" mode being Japan's "Hard" mode and so forth. Actually, I can't remember if Retro Bird has done a video about regional differences in classic games.

[@3dmarth]

The opening sequence is completely different, for one! IIRC, the title card for each stage is also different, and the difficulty levels are actually offset by 2, with the US's Easy being Japan's Hard, but I could be wrong.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I've done a video about importing games, but never a dedicated video on regional differences. Like @3Dmarth said, in RKA the title card for each stage is different and there's a different opening cutscene when the game begins as well. On the cover and cartridge, Sparkster doesn't have a "mean face" (meant to capitalize on Sonic) in the Japanese version either.

[@mattb6522]

@@RetroBirdGaming Very nice! Thank you guys for the summary! Yeah, I recall many mascot platformers in the '90s always had the main character smug or frowning on the cover box art for the North American releases. Oh, the marketing back then... 😅

[@ShinryuZensen]

I grew up with the Master System , and I still remember many games who were ( and are still ) so good. I still love Asterix , Tazmania, Alex Kidd, Shinobi & Castle of Illusion.

[@jonesy7650]

Back in like 92 or 93 a friend of mine gave me his Master System because he had gotten a Genesis. But the master system didn't work, and i had a SNES by then, so i threw it in the closet. MANY years later, in 2020 during the lock-down, i was cleaning up my retro game closet, and found the old Master System in a box of extra controllers, had totally forgot i even had it. I had learned how to do minor repairs on consoles in the years since, so i took it out, took it apart and started scanning the mother board for problems, noticed the fuse on the board was blown, so put in a new one, and boom, after all these years the Master System came to life.. So im currently, slowly, collecting for the Master System now.. Really great system, with some great games. Still have the original controllers and the light gun, although i always just use a Genesis controller because the "D-pads" on those Master System controllers are terrible, lol. Unfortunately the version i have has the Snail Maze game as the built in, wasn't lucky enough to get one with Alex Kid, lol.. But so far for games iv got, Rastan, Double Dragon, Choplifter, Shinobi, Kenseiden, Alien3, and Rambo. It's a pretty fun system to collect for as the games, so far at least, aren't crazy expensive, other than a select few super rare games. I guess not a lot of people collect for it.

[@expsharevideogames]

Hooray! The first Master System video of many more to come :P Zillion is another good Master System exclusive to check out. A little like Metroid. Also definitely try Power Strike/Aleste 1&2. If you play Power Strike 2 though you need to make sure you are playing it at 50hz because it was a PAL exclusive and running it on a US Master System will run the game too fast and totally throw everything off

[@MAGAIVER]

Just beat Power Strike 2 on a 60hz console and it play's fine. That game came out in Brazil too and all the Brazilian consoles run on 60hz. If anything watching 50hz gameplay makes the game seem too slow.

[@Darko1226]

Very fair assessment of the Master System. More videos about the master system would be welcomed :)

[@Stuffage15]

No mention on the bread clips vs bread ties but yet this was an amazing video

[@Thollis1987]

I remember when I was little my big brother had the Sega Master System from grandma and my mom bought the family a New Nintendo System. We were lucky to play both. Fun times.

[@Marc_Araujo]

The Power Base Converter is still my favorite Genesis add-on.

[@michaelmanning9028]

It's been 5 or so years, but I saw a Master system CIB with the light guns and all for $30, I for whatever reason didn't have $30 with me at the moment, went back to the store the next day to pick it up and it was gone... always bummed me out.

[@justsayin4632]

Alright, I’ll admit, I legit blew air outta my nose at the “Daytona Voicemail”😂

[@geoffreyoltmans4356]

Love the video, great job. Apart from the third party licensing issue created by Nintendo for SMS, it's kind of hard to overlook the issue that first party dev games by Nintendo on the NES are generally pretty well received. So, I think from that perspective having third party developers is not quite as important as people would necessarily think. There's certainly a wide range of quality software on the SMS, from real stinkers to excellent. I do kinda wonder if the NES benefitted a lot from the fact that by the time it hit store shelves in the west, the Famicom had already been out for a couple of years, and so programmers had time to learn and hone their skills for a good 3-4 years before the SMS came out.

[@ribenasquash]

It's weird, there aren't any real stinkers on the SMS. Alf is crap obvs, but nothing like as bad as the worst the NES had to offer and it still has it's charms. Back to the Future: Part 2 is probably the worst one. Otherwise, all the games are all serviceable to pretty good!

[@matthewheupel8960]

I had a pretty unique experience with the Master System when I was a kid. When I was about 8, I didn't have a console at all and desperately wanted an NES. About that time my much older brother got out of the Army and moved in with us briefly. Some of his thing were put in my room temporarily and one of those things was an old milk crate with a Master System and several games. I had no idea what it was but I was excited because I knew a video game console when I saw one. So I asked him what it was, and if I could please play it. Unfortunately he said he lost all the cords for it, so there it sat in my room taunting me for weeks. And that was that, that was my whole experience with the Master System as a kid. I never knew anyone else with one and have yet to get one myself. But from all the video's I've seen, it's terribly underrated. Hopefully I'll be adding one to my collection soon.

[@PonderSmoke860]

I think I remember the Master system was released as the Sega Mark III in Japan at the same time as the Famicom, got re-released as the Master System in rest of the world (after the NES in America and before the NES in Europe) and then was reintroduced as the Master system in Japan later, with an additional FM sound chip, which was NOT present in the American or European Master Systems, but a few games still have the code for FM synthesis on the cartridge regardless. Now, even if the Master System has only a fraction of the games that the NES had, some of them are well worth playing. It also seems like gamers who started out on the Master System are more likely to still be gamers today. At least, that's been my perspective.

[@inlovewithi]

I tried to play the Sega Master System once, back in 1994, but I couldn't get past the opening screen.

[@andrij.demianczuk]

My favourite consoles now (in my 40’s) are the ones I never got to play as a kid. The master system, TG16 and NeoGeo were all things of legend in my schoolyard and thanks to the MiSter project I now wholeheartedly enjoy. Thank you for bringing this one forward bird!

[@DirtyFrigginHarry]

Honestly, Master system was never really on my radar. I had nintendo systems and the only thing it didn't have that sega did that I cared about at the time was sonic. I don't even think I knew what the master system was until 2003 when I started emulating. It and it's games certainly weren't in stores or the rental shelves in 92 when I first got my NES, or in 95 when I got my SNES. I don't have any fond memories of the master system and these days I don't really play much 8 bit at all compared to 16 or 32.

[@JanTheMangaMan]

I need to collect for this system. Very underrated console. Plenty of games I want tho are too pricey lol. I'll try and get that converter for starters

[@birdup6663]

As an SMS kid at a time when it seemed like every kid had the NES...man, it was a funny time. Everyone talking about Zelda, and I'm sitting there like "Golvellius is awesome". You wanna talk about not feeling like one of the cool kids? 😂 But hey, we had platformers, RPGs, shooters, run 'n guns, arcade ports, beat 'em ups, racing games, sports games, puzzle games, light gun games, you name it. The games weren't all winners, but there were good ones in every category. We weren't really missing out. We had our own. They just weren't as popular here.

[@JD.78]

Great to see a MS video highlighting a few key differences and some excellent games. For people interested in some new or different games to play on the MS i'd recommend Submarine Attack, Prince of Persia, Ghouls n' Ghosts, Sonic & Sonic 2, Psycho Fox, Golvellius, Wonder Boy III, Krusty's Fun House, and The New Zealand Story. Cheers.

[@josephbradshaw6985]

If all you have is a Master System, there are some great games. The problem is, outside of a few exclusives that Retro Bird mostly mentions, most of the SMS games have better versions on Arcade or Genesis.

[@danbauer3669]

Man, I love the Sega Game Gear. What's Retro Bird talking about today?

[@3dmarth]

Well, you have swayed me to want to go back and play some 8-bit Sega titles again! Only through emulation, though: My Game Gear's screen is unusable at this point, and my Master System (that I got for free, thankfully) has never worked at all.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Very fun to hear that from you! I hope you enjoy :)

[@Ultradude604]

1988-89 Age 11-12 Many a time I tried to pause the game, I end up resetting the game on the SMS. Still remember the frustration to this day.

[@parcirecords]

i only started seeing sega around the Genesis .. i knew about the NES .. but wanted a SNES.. kind of regretted it when playing genesis with friends... but all in all now i play PC..

[@ajpl87]

I don’t know much about Sega in general and often wondered about the NES equivalent. Super intriguing! Thanks for making this

[@andrewdowell6474]

As much as I'd love to give the Master System a chance, I'd say I am indeed maxed out. If Sega ever does a Master System Mini, I'll definitely pick it up. I do hope mini consoles come back in style.

[@TheJadeFist]

"What if they put more of the buttons on the console itself" I believe that exists, it's called a handheld system.

[@realguitarthur]

"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."--RUSH (and others). :)

[@brianhatcher2799]

As a lover of their music, I dig that reference!!👍 I think the song is called Free Will, not entirely sure though.

[@realguitarthur]

@@brianhatcher2799 Yep! That's the song! :)

[@jpdevs]

In my country the MS had almost non-existent distribution. I found out recently, thanks to Spanish friends, that it is a wonderful system. Of course it lacks some of the best 8bit franchises of the time, but it has several games with an outstanding playability and beautiful graphics.

[@dannyocean7090]

Sometimes we get high and play video games, and it's cool if it's easier to play when your blitzed...

[@mrjotz]

I grew up playing the NES and had never heard of The Master System until sometime in the 2000s. Ever since then, I've always wanted to try one out. This video makes me want to try it out even more.

[@LoveatFirstHike]

Just like Atari vs Intellivision vs Colecovision back in the day. I had and truly enjoyed all 3. The Atari VCS/ 2600 had the most games, and probably the best collection of the 3, Colecovision games looked more like their arcade counterparts, and the Intellivision has some real hidden gems worth checking out since its focus wasn’t on arcade ports and had excellent games from the likes of Mattel and Imagic, and the later games from Intv Corp were really technically impressive.

[@Backintoons8515]

Where can I buy this retro bird song ??! I can see myself driving on the i95 with that !

[@jeffhauser8031]

First time I see a video from you but I like the dry humour. Cheers from Germany 🇩🇪

[@chaospoet]

One other thing about The Power Base Converter is it works on a Retron 5. That's how I play mine. Master System games in glorious HD! Growing up in the 80s the kid down the street from me had a Master System and I had the NES. Our Moms worked at the local corner store and when one worked the other would babysit the other's kids. So my friend and I spent a lot of time experiencing both systems. It wasn't until later in life I realized how uncommon that was here in America. I always saw the Master System as the other half of 8-bit gaming philosophy. Games like Phantasy Star and YS 1 were awesome but also completely different from Dragon Warrior and Zelda. Then you had games like Rastan that was a fantasy bloody hack n slash side scroller that was nothing like say Rygar or anything on NES and there was no Rygar equivalent on Master System either. Then even games that were on NES but were different like Double Dragon. It felt like if you were only experiencing only one system you were only getting half of the story not the full one.

[@Simoss13]

The most important question is, how is you bred clip collection going?

[@PlumbDrumb]

My SMS controllers had a nub in the center of the d-pad which, when removed, would reveal a tiny hole where a thumbstick attachment could be screwed in. I ended up using that more often than the regular pad.

[@francescosmith7859]

Really good video. The Master System is pretty cool and with Sega basically being the sole publisher the library is pretty impressive with a lot of variety. I was unaware of the Master System until a few years ago similar to the Turbo16 and I keep my fingers crossed that maybe Sega will give us a Master System Mini as an official way for so many of us to experience the console.

[@rogwit4123]

Sega was far from the sole publisher in other parts of the world - many great games from many publishers that were never released in the USA.

[@sdzurek5980]

Why have one when you can have both is one of my top philosophies in life. Why deprive yourself of joy if you don't have to.

[@Minmaximus]

The console wars were never about which is actually better. It was about the fact that us kids were lucky to have one system, let alone both (not even Biggie could picture that.) So we just had to argue that the one we had was better no matter what.

[@ribenasquash]

I think this is basically all console wars. That and the fact that at that point they were actually different so you could make a valid argument.