Sega Master System Story | Nostalgia Nerd

The Sega Master System was the console Sega launched to pit against Nintendo's NES system in Japan, America, Europe, Australia and other regions. It wasn't the original console which went up against the Nintendo Famicom; that honour went to the SG 1000, however it's weak abilities meant Sega needed something bigger, something better. The Master System was meant to be that console, and although technically superior in many ways, it was late to the market in most regions. However, Europe, Brazil and Australia were regions were the console succeeded, and succeeded well. This video explores the early years of Sega Enterprises, through the 70s, 80s, 90s and even present day where the Master System still enjoys a continued audience courtesy of TecToy. Sit back and join me for one of my favourite game consoles of all time.
Used in this video are Sega adverts, Master System games through the ages, Sega promotional material, NES vs Sega demonstrations, Master System vs Mega Drive demonstrations and a whole lot in-between.
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♜Resources♜
Many thanks to Sega Retro for their amazingly useful archive of Sega knowledge - segaretro.org/Sega_Master_System
Notable Resources;
s1133.photobucket.com/user/Seg...
allincolorforaquarter.blogspot...
allincolorforaquarter.blogspot...
videogamehistorian.wordpress....
sega-thegoldenyears.blogspot.c... - Football table
2warpstoneptune.com/2013/07/ - arcade b&w photo
www.gamepodunk.com/gallery/ima... - Base System
Video CC resources used;
• Its' a me Mario (sound) - It's me Mario
• Video - Australian MS Advert
alpha.wallhaven.cc/wallpaper/... - Master System Wall Paper
With thanks to their creators.
If you believe I have forgotten to attribute anything in this video, please let me know, so I can add the source in. It takes time to make these videos and therefore it can be easy to forget things or make a mistake.

[@bugradio]

I was one of the rare US kids who had a Master System. That was frustrating and kinda lonely at the time (hard to rent games, share with friends, etc) but it was a great system and there was NOTHING like the 3-D glasses! It's been satisfying in the internet era to learn how well it did in Europe and Brazil. I had lots of fun with friends' NES consoles, but I still root for SMS after all these years! Thanks for the vid.

[@ihateapplebeeswa]

I'm with you on that one.

[@Chrisdrumz]

Same here! Hell,Out Run was better than all the NES games✌👽✌

[@HereForAStorm]

Christopher Bassett ... umm, no, Outrun on Master is not better than Mario, Castlevania, Zelda, Metroid, etc etc

[@FallicIdol]

The Master System kids were always a little 'off' at my school.

[@chrissawyer1484]

Loved my Master System. Spent a lot of time playing Phantasy Star and the light gun games.

[@AqueleGamer]

The Master System was HUGE here in Brazil, the distributor, TecToy, even translated Phantasy Star to portuguese! In 1989 no less! It was absolutely UNTHINKABLE.

[@dr.christopherdiaz4473]

I had an SMS as a kid in the US, and it was lonely. Then a few years later I got a master converter with a game gear for Christmas. Then a few weeks later my dad and I found a pawn shop that had about 50 games they were selling for $1 each. My portable SMS collection was better than anything from Nintendo until the GBA.

[@notyaboymatty5907]

I had a game gear growing up with an adapter to play my master system games that was my gba a bulky hunk of portable console but it was honestly an amazing system if it didn't have the adapter for other sega system games it wouldn't of been as good as the games for it where way more expensive and fewer to choose from

[@Raonisk]

Master System and Mega Drive were hugely popular in Brasil... Both are still being sold here

[@gtPacheko]

And manufactured even. I bought a Mega Drive 3 recently, that one that has 30 games built in. Cost me R$100, it's great.

[@blastproces]

earthworm Jim was good no?

[@kindmulberry7196]

In the UK too. Here the Master System was more common than the NES, especially the Master System II

[@AFiB1999]

I Second that! It was a battle between Phantom System from Gradiente (NES version in Brasil) vs Master System from Tec-toy

[@AFiB1999]

Don't forget Phantom System from Gradiente too! Good times!

[@ProcyonAlpha]

Was fortunate enough to live in England where the master system had a good presence. Loved mine to bits and still have my original with 40 complete boxed games. Still remember my mum surprising me and my brother's with golden axe after school one day

[@Bl4ckD0g]

The Master System was the first console I ever played. Tons of fun in my early years

[@zeliardforty-two4692]

I was definitely a NES kid, but my best friend had this wonderful system! He actually managed to get a few good title and we would pour hours into them. So as much as I was a Nintendo kid I still have great nostalgia for this wonderful system!

[@ShelltoonTV1]

I was one of the lucky few American kids who owned a Master System. 30 years later, Shinobi still remains my top favorite on the system.

[@maxxdahl6062]

Shinobi, Space Harrier, Outrun, Phantasy Star, Ys 1, sonic, were all amazing.

[@PostFrom]

Shinobi, Rastan, Black Belt, Space Harrier, Reggie Jackson Baseball, and Kenseiden were my favs.

[@derekdavie5142]

I loved Shinobi in the arcade, and when my brother brought it home for the master system, we couldn't stop playing. Can't believe how much enjoyment we got out of one game back then.

[@matthewlane518]

That was a great game!!

[@dontneedtoknow5836]

One of my favorite systems.

[@hentosama]

SeGa=Service Games [MIND BLOWN]

[@Sparagas]

That blew me too!

[@guys-in9vd]

@@Sparagas then how are you alive ?

[@Sparagas]

@@guys-in9vd Science and magic

[@guys-in9vd]

@@Sparagas hahaha :)

[@rebeccagibbs4128]

i came here two years later to say the same thing LOL

[@ColoniaContraAtaca]

It was MasterSystem everywhere here in Brazil in that time! Everybody i know had a MasterSystem or MegaDrive.

[@erasmusgustav4194]

WILSU

[@jhgfljugcijggfdgjiii6901]

Virso

[@whokilledreno2079]

I hear that Master System ran way past is due date.

[@o.hudson7363]

Yes

[@Daaannn]

Apesar disso, eu ainda sou viciado no NES/SNES./ Still, i'm a Nintendo NES/SNES fanboy. :/

[@Techmoan]

Very nice. I remember seeing the Master System at Earls Court when it was released. They were making a lot of the 3D glasses and the game cards at that time.

[@brokenscart7989]

Techmoan yes techmoan

[@edbadyt]

Techmoan I get strangely excited when I see one of my favourite channels commenting on another of my favourite channels. I then imagine that you all meet up to play Barcode Battler and drink Lucozade. I don't think I get out enough.

[@truth7482]

Techmoan my all time favorite game was space harrier what a gem!

[@thecaptain2281]

+edbadyt Right? Although excited might be a strong word, I do enjoy seeing my favorite hosts interact with each other. When Techmoan and The 8-bit guy did a cross-over it was very enjoyable, much like The SloMo Guys and Smarter Everyday. Fun stuff. Nostalgia Nerd and Lazy Game Reviews should do an episode together. It'd be fun.

[@Daz555Daz]

SMS and Game Gear had THE best version of the original Sonic in my view.

[@harvesteroftone5473]

I wish Sega would pull their finger out and make a Master System Classic.

[@MisterRorschach90]

i wish they would have made a sega dream pc or amstrad made a sega dream pc for the dreamcasts anniversary. half 2000s gaming pc half dreamcast.

[@Chaos89P]

Considering the Genesis/Mega Drive Mini is doing beyond well and Saturn emulation still being a long ways off from being even decent, it may be a good idea for Sega to try and regrab the 8-bit market here in the US.

[@kimgkomg]

What would they put on it?

[@andrewschroy6368]

@@kimgkomg Sonic the Hedgehog, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Phantasy Star, Enduro Racer, Hang-On, Outrun, Fantasy Zone, among many others...

[@kimgkomg]

@@andrewschroy6368 Andrew Schroy From what I've heard those are some pretty good games. Phantasy star in particular trounced the Nes's Rpg lineup. As an outsider, I would probably choose an nes classic over a master system classic simply because I'd rather play games that I know are good like mario and kirby, rather than some ports of racing games, alex kid (which I've heard overwhelmingly positive things about), an 8-bit rpg game, and sonic the hedgehog (which I've heard mixed things about). Was sonic the hedgehog on master system good? I thought people viewed it as inferior to the original, just like how the donkey kong land games were inferior to the originals.

[@ColinWhittingham]

Great video. It's good to see a perspective from the UK or anywhere outside America. It's hard to find videos about 80s/early 90s gaming that aren't Atari-> Crash -> Nintendo saves gaming, which only really applies to North America.

[@dumitruciupu279]

Exactly! Well said sir! Living in Greece, I can tell that Sega was absolutely dominant in our (really small) market! Apart from Gameboy that is. Gameboy was going pretty strong but I can't recall a single friend owning a NES instead of a MS. Same pretty much goes for the Mega Drive

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

Colin Whittingham Yeah, it was really a North American thing for the crash to have made such a dent at all. Everywhere else seemed to be business as usual.

[@rich1051414]

It only crashed because it got too popular too quick. A fate most other countries avoided by being a bit slower to adopt home console gaming. In the US, the atari was a fad and produced way too many games way too quick, and most were terrible, and when the fad died, and the gaming market returned to a typical growth cycle, it scared away stock holders, which further crashed the market. Atari never fully recovered and inevitably died as a console gaming company because of that fiasco xD

[@wakcedout]

Colin Whittingham I would agree this gives more history about sega than I've heard anywhere else So far all people involved with retroware their videos are all very well researched

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

***** A least they got Devil World!

[@GoldenGateNum9]

*Underrated as hell, for me, I think the Master system was the best Sega console, it just had a lot of heart, it also had great games.*

[@willemvdk4886]

I remember quite clearly the Mega Drive hitting the markets in The Netherlands. I was born in 1983 so I was still very young but a lot of my friends had a console at home (mostly Atari 2600 or NES). I BEGGED my parents for a Mega Drive but they brought me a Master System 2 because it was cheaper and just as good in their eyes. Can't blame them. Good marketing by SEGA! And I must admit I had tons of fun with the master system. I have fond memories of Alex Kid, Moonwalker and Sonic.

[@rcgamer]

I loved the SMS. Never could understand why it wasn't popular here. I actually traded an NES for it.

[@Rockythefishman]

Great video mate, finally a video that explains to our American friends why we are not as crazy for the NES as they are. I went C64 - MS2 - then Amiga. When I was growing up no one had a NES they were not in the shops, my introduction to Mario was the cartoon. Sega was everywhere it was not until the SNES did I see on in the shops. You hit the nail on the head with NES games prices going from £2:99 to £49:99 was never going to happen for them. The MS games while more expensive than tapes were still way cheaper than the NES carts. I hate to think how many hours I put into Alex Kid, I could get right to the end but never defeat the final boss. Keep up the great work.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

I envy you. We already had a C64 30 years ago over here, but I never got my Amiga 500!

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

Rex Warden Oh I know. Still, it was fun going to a Software Etc. and never leave 30 years ago!

[@ihateapplebeeswa]

They had great games yes but it depends on ones opinion. Phantasy Star, Shinobi, the Ninja, Rambo, Black Belt, Kenseden, Fantasy Zone etc. Compare Rampage on both systems it's laughable.

[@edbadyt]

Derfel Cadarn I disagree. I had about 30 games for my Master System and I loved them all. I had one friend who had a NES and he used to get frustrated by the fact his games were more expensive and looked worse.

[@Sinn0100]

@Rex Warden I disagree with this completely. We had a large middle class back then that could easily afford a PC. Furthermore, we did have a plethora of micro computers here in the states as well. I had a Commodore 128 as my first computer back in the 80's. My family (middle class) had a computer...actually, I literally built a 486DX2 just to play Doom on in 1993 and I did it on a baggers salary (grocery store). Saying "families were too poor..." is ridiculous and not at all what the national average was. Actually back then you could have a true family unit in the US with one parent working and the other staying at home. My father worked as a school teacher (did not make much in the scheme of things) and my step mother (I fucking could not stand her) stayed at home and we did fine. My mother was also a stay at home mom with my step father running his own Tire Kingdom (he did it with his own two hands and pure fucking grit) and yet, they did great. I had a computer at both homes and would bring my 486DX2 with me when I would stay alternating weeks with each parent. I also had a Sega Master System, NES, Sega Genesis/Sega CD/32X, Jaguar, and 3DO before I got my own apartment. The first console or consoles I ever purchased were the Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn. I bought them both on the PlayStation's release date. I actually planned on buying them at their seperate release dates but Sega jumped the gun on me and I simply did not have enough saved up to do what I wanted (2 games, 1 controller for each console). I wound up getting the PlayStation w/ memory card, Ridge Racer, Loaded, and Twisted Metal- Sega Saturn w/ memory cartridge, Panzer Dragoon, Daytona USA, and Clockwork Knight (hated this game)...for some reason and maybe I am forgetting something I think I got Robotica on launch as well. I was a huge fps fan (still am) and wanted a sweet fps for my new consoles. I loved my Playstation, I liked the Saturn and I thought it was a cooler looking machine (case) it was not the console I expected. I remember being quite shocked at how subdued Sega appeared with the Saturn release. We went from a dominating force that Sega was with the Genesis to this quiet respectful launch and that really worried me. I expected wall-to-wall comercials telling Sony that they were in Sega's house now!

[@llpBR]

Nintendo still ignores Brazil as a marketplace. If you live here and wants a Nintendo, you'll have to pay a way more expensive system than Sony's or Microsoft's. From 1964 to 1985 we had a military dictatorship and in 1984 we had a new law that forbids importing computers and videogames trying to make the national industry rise. So, TecToy started selling Sega products, but made in Brazil. It was huge. I never saw a NES in my life, but so (so!) many NES cheap stupid clones that I never respected that console. Sega Master System, in the other hand, had a complete gaming library, all the accessories and we even had a telephone number called "hot line" so that we could call and talk to the attendant about a game code or trick. I remember my brother calling them to contribute with a nice Shinobi's trick he discovered. MS is still the best thing we had here when we talk about supporting. TecToy did a great job by then

[@acmild]

Leandro Lopes Pereira, we share the almost the same fate without almost no official consoles representatives except Sony. And with high import tax, there’s no other way here but the dark and gloomy practice of pirates, bootlegs, and the sweet talk of con artists. Welcome the most south-eastern country of asia continent. 🇮🇩

[@ch-tc4ct]

@michi veritas why do they live there?

[@AFiB1999]

Fala ai Leandro, Tranquilo? WOW, I didn't realized that! The Dictatorship really fdup with us back then. I remember my rich friends, they all have the Original Version of NES and another friend of mine had a famicom at their homes. But make sense, I never saw any in the store. The clone was a Phantom System made by Gradiente. It was a cool futuristic console but I remember having issues with the controller connectors and the RF adapter.. It was a nice console as well. Spent hours and hours playing Gauntlet for NES and writing all those save game codes. Good times!

[@llpBR]

@@AFiB1999 I just made 39 and still never saw a real nes or a famicon...

[@herpderp7264]

My first console was a Master System. Got it Xmas 1989 with Wonderboy in Monsterland and a small tv to play it on. My dad hooked it up to his big tv in the lounge and we played it all morning. I was only 4 but I remember it vividly.

[@rickzane6433]

Thank you for this great video. I grew up in France and got a Master System for Christmas in 1988 or 1989. I was a bit disappointed at first, it took a while to figure out it was much cheaper and more within my parents' budget, but I started playing the onboard Alex Kidd game and I loved it right away. My parents also bought me Wonderboy in Monsterland, which I had played in the arcade before. I became a big Wonderboy fan, still am today on the Switch, and my next purchase was Castle of Illusion. What a great game it was. Hours of fun, beautifully s=designed, great soudtrack. Also on my list of great SMS games: Kenseiden, Psycho Fox, Wonderboy III (played on Switch as well), Asterix, Phantasy Star, Shinobi, After Burner... I have fond memories of my Master System and did not hesitate when I saw some of my childhood games on the Switch retro library.

[@WeeStevieB]

Ahh, my childhood wrapped up in a plastic case! Will always love this console. Thanks for sharing :D

[@jakublulek3261]

Phantasy Star I, that was a game, man, that was a game. For me go-to game for Master System.

[@dumitruciupu279]

So refreshing to see a European view... Nintendo was not that big around here at the time so every north American nostalgic video about the NES usually leaves us scratching our heads for this alternate reality :D

[@Sinn0100]

I have talked about this many times to Europeans and people from the UK (Top Hat Gamer and I have argued this before)....the gaming market today does not exist without the US. We are the biggest market for gaming in the world, period full stop. Europe alone cannot support the gaming market. Japan alone cannot support the gaming market. Europe, UK, and Japanese markets combined into one, cannot carry the gaming market as it us today. If what you say is true...why oh why did Sega fail. By all rights, and apparently everyone over the pond thinks that the American market collapse has nothing to do with you...is laughable. You guys couldn't carry Atari either but you think- meh, whats this gaming crash nonsense. Please respond as I would very much like to discuss this. I am sorry if I sound...not the friendliest but its really wrong think.

[@harvesteroftone5473]

Sinn0100 An arrogant American. What a rarity.

[@Sinn0100]

@@harvesteroftone5473 I'm sorry please point out my error in judgement. What I said was entirely correct and it is still true today. The US has dictated where the market has gone since its very inception. The European micro-computer literally died after gaming became a cultural phenomenon in the US. You sir are ignorant to think that any market larger and more robust isn't going to dictate the terms of business in any transaction. I am terribly sorry that common business ethics hurt's your feelings. Perhaps it's time for you to take a step back and analyze your position because it is faulty.

[@Theremedialgash]

@@Sinn0100 'sed', "The European micro-computer literally died after gaming became a cultural phenomenon in the US." Except it didn't, did it? 8 bit home computers outlived 8 bit consoles in virtually every market apart from the US, then STs and Amigas outlived the 16 bit consoles. Not really sure what I'm arguing about or with whom; just some fuckwit who believes in exceptionalism in everything.

[@Sinn0100]

@@Theremedialgash The micro computers most assuredly did not outlive the 16-bit consoles. You are perhaps the biggest moron I have ever had the pleasure of speaking with. So, in summation, the micro computers outlasted the 16-bit consoles, that's what you are going with? I mean did you eat something that made you this stupid, or perhaps grew up around powerlines? Unless the micro computers are still in production (they aren't), you fucking lose half wit. The Neo Geo AES/MVS was supported well into 2004 and the fucking Mega Drive is still in production in Brazil...talk about exceptionalism. Addendum- I was not sure if the micro's outlived the 8-bit consoles...nope not even that. Master System was in production until at least 2008. Argues exceptionalism with exceptionalism...God thats funny.

[@RetroJonesy]

A great video, very well produced. I have a lot of love for the Master System, it was one of the first consoles I got as a kid. It's a very underrated machine, overshadowed by the Mega Drive. But it does have a special place in my heart as well.

[@jeremyandrews3292]

The funny thing is, I live in the US, and I purchased a Master System for the sole purpose of playing Phantasy Star. I really liked it, and thought it seemed better than the NES in terms of sound and graphics... I always wondered what would have happened if that system had beaten the NES to market, or Sega had done a better job marketing their system. It appears that Europe and Brazil actually give us a window into what that might have looked like. Very interesting! I know more about the system I got just for Phantasy Star now than I did before.

[@justin188541]

...But does the breezes blowing around Bay a Malay know?

[@Iamverybald]

The 80's and 90's were such an exciting time to be a kid and a gamer. A friend of mine had the sega master system, which was an incredibly rare thing to have where I'm from, I had a super nintendo. We would play each other's best games while having a slice of pizza and a cold glass of soda. Those were the days.

[@skycloud4802]

Even better when you have lots of siblings. We had Nintendo Entertainment System and the Sega Master System as our first consoles. We absolutely loved them both.

[@Azz156]

finally some love for us aussies and kiwis :) that alex the kid music takes me back

[@Nostalgianerd]

Absolutely! I felt it would be unjust to leave out the Australian market.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

Nostalgia Nerd And more hate for us, we did not appreciate Alex Kidd enough as Americans!

[@Azz156]

you guys didn't deserve alex, go back to your plumber...Master System Master Race!

[@MySpoot]

+Azz I see your Alex Kidd and raise you Wonder Boy. specifically Wonder Boy III - Dragons trap. That and Altered Beast never left my system.

[@RonDMC85]

For sure bro i was a 90's master system kid living in brisbane. loved the hours spent playing alex kidd built in!

[@aljr357]

In Canada the sms did fairly good sales in the first year or so but when supermario brothers 3 came out it was a rap for the master system. Even I bought a nes so I could play the Mario games but I still loved my sms the best.

[@MrReese]

I never knew the Master System lived for so long in some regions...wow! And I didn't even know about the earlier versions, thanks for educating me.

[@ve2vfd]

I worked in a computer store back in '86 and '87 and remember Nintendo NES the madness at Xmas. We could not keep them in stock, people lined up at the store in the morning when they heard we'd get units in. Funny thing is that we had both the NES and Sega set up side by side with TV's at the front of the store and it was clear that the Sega graphics were a lot nicer, but people wanted NES systems... we could not sell the Sega systems.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

I bet

[@ninjamaster3453]

cool story. people like you should be making videos of blogging this for us younger guys.

[@avega2792]

I actually wanted a Master System, but when my sister brought home an NES, I wasn't too upset. I never ever forgot how much I wanted a MS even after all these years! I did play some MS games a few years ago and I was rather impressed. Master of Darkness was a great game!

[@AlexOjideagu2]

In Europe it was the opposite

[@tensevo]

Shows that graphics is just one piece of the jigsaw puzzle. I still play retro and rarely play modern games.

[@stephanieamare]

My first ever console was a Master System II. So many fond memories.

[@joseluki]

Problem with SMS vs NES was Nintendo's illegal policy that made 3rd develpers sign a contract that if they released a game in their console they wouldn't release that same game in another console.

[@FallicIdol]

That and the best first-party game on the Master System is inferior to the 20th best first-party game on the NES.

[@maxxdahl6062]

Going to disagree, Phantasy Star was better than any NES rpg.

[@Bellocks1]

FallicIdol I have to disagree, SEGA’s own games for Master System yielded some real gems - Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Sonic 1, Sonic Chaos, Alex Kidd in Shinobi World, Kenseiden, the SMS had the definitive port of the Shinobi arcade game, Space Harrier, Hang On, Out Run.... plenty of great first party games to get your teeth into. Oh, and Wonder Boy games on the Master System >>>> Adventure Island games on the NES.

[@maxxdahl6062]

@@Bellocks1 Just got SMS space harrier recently. Really good port, all things considered. I would say it has the definitive version of after burner 1 also. As it had the only straight port of the first one. All other versions were mostly based on after burner 2.

[@Bellocks1]

maxx dahl Space Harrier is great on the Mega Drive/Genesis but the Master System version of it is incredible given the hardware. Kenseiden and Sonic Chaos are probably my two favourites. Alex Kidd in Miracle World is a close 3rd.

[@chrispope8788]

When I was in primary school (here in Australia) I knew of only one kid who had an NES. Literally everyone else who had a console had a Sega master system. Nintendo (except for the Game Boy) just wasn't even a thing until the SNES arrived.

[@SomeOrangeCat]

The Master System was so little known in some parts of the US, that many of us were completely unaware that it existed, until SEGA was marketing it as the cheaper alternative to the Genesis. And it didn't really impress a kid who already had seen the likes of Contra, Final Fantasy, Castlevania, TMNT2: The arcade game, etc. A 1989 Sears Christmas Wishlist Catalog was probably the first time I remember seeing it advertised at all.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

Andrew Vrba I knew of the Master System because of the advertising and even a few people that were friends of my brother's who had them (I'm from Toledo, OH BTW, I suppose that explains a bit if it was at least pushed here).

[@WhiskeyPieSometimes]

As an American, I find the UK videogame market that existed in the 80s and 90s to be a baffling and fascinating parallel to what I lived through. I do think Mega Drive is a way better name than Genesis, for what it's worth.

[@AlexOjideagu2]

That's why Us Brits foam at the mouth when certain Americans keep saying "Nintendo saved Gaming" or even worse "Videogames would not exist without the NES" on 8bit retro videos. It really really pisses us off who are over 30! Plus their total ignorance of the Sega Master System, C64, Amiga, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum etc

[@SpearM3064]

+ojideagu I guarantee you, most of us are not ignorant of the C64 or Amiga. I still own two fully-functional C64s, though Commodore's lack of advertising in the U.S. certainly hurt sales of the Amiga. They didn't advertise in ANY American magazines except for their own in-house magazine, and they made the foolish decision to cancel that magazine on the grounds that "we are a computer company, not a magazine company". The only advertisements for the Amiga that I ever saw on the television were not from Commodore, but from the local Amiga dealer (he was also the only Amiga dealer within 80 kilometers). Nor are we ignorant of the Atari ST... or the incredibly buggy version of BASIC that it shipped with, which is the reason why I know absolutely *nobody* that owned one. When you can enter a simple command like X=39.8 and crash the computer, something is seriously wrong. Serious hobbyists (like me) wouldn't buy it because we couldn't use the included version of BASIC for serious programming, and didn't want to spend more money to buy a third-party BASIC. Non-hobbyists didn't buy it because the Amiga's graphics and sound (and therefore, its games) were perceived as better. What killed the ZX Spectrum in America (in my opinion) was the "Timex Sinclair 2068". Unlike the Spectrum 48K that it was based on, it had two joystick ports, an improved ULA offering additional screen modes, and an AY-3-8912 sound chip. The problem is that the TS2068 was incompatible with almost all commercial titles for the Spectrum. Approximately 90% of them completely failed to execute. Considering that there are more than 24,000 titles for the Spectrum (and even today, about 100 new titles a year are still being released), I think that's probably the major contributor to its failure in the American market. A shame, really; I rather liked the Speccy and the Amstrad CPC.

[@needhambunch]

The Mega Drive was called Genesis in America because there was a computer storage device company called Mega Drive Systems who had trade marked the Mega Drive name. Sega had to come up with a different name and thus we got "Genesis"!!

[@Sinn0100]

Yeah except it was...SNK vs Street Fighter was released in 2004 on the Neo Geo AES as well as the original Xbox. I actually bought a copy for my AES $750 USD...do you want to try again?

[@Bellocks1]

Echoing what’s been said before, there was no game crash here - the micro computers such as the Spectrum and C64 kept us rolling along fine. Nintendo’s NES here at the time was basically an expensive novelty and well out of the price range of most people. Sega came along and once they got their heads right, it was like shooting fish in a barrel. The Master System and Mega Drive were HUGE here, and it wasn’t until the Game Boy took off with Pokemon and the SNES port of Street Fighter II that Nintendo gained ground.

[@johndee759]

Thank you so much for making this video! The time and research you put in is awesome. Please keep on making these journalistic master pieces. The Master System two was my first console. You brought back great memories.

[@unstoppableExodia]

Sega Master System II was my very first home console. I was 9 years old when my Ma decided to grant my request for a video game console of my own. Having played an NES at a friend's place I was blown away by games like SMB, metroid and Bionic Commando so naturally I requested an NES. However even in the second hand market a master system was cheaper especially with bundled games factored into the mix. And so it was that my ma scored one with 8 games for 200 bucks. And even though it wasn't what I really wanted I really tried to like it. None of the games impressed me anywhere near as much as SMB3 which I always asked to play at friend's houses. And after a coulple of years of playing it I ended up trading it for an NES with half as many games but I didn't care because tow of those games were SMB and SMB 3 and I was able to borrow games from other kids (none of the other kids I knew had a master system) and I could rent games too (only one video store in my area had master system games and none of them interested me). Sadly no sooner had I joined the NES club then the SNES hit the scene and in my young eyes it blew even the megadrive out of the water. So sadly the NES that I had been wanting for so long had become obsolete as soon as I had it, meaning every time I played it I would think of what I was missing out on the 16 bit consoles, particularly SNES. But that was just my misfortune of being born too late to enjoy the glory years of the NES and too early to get an SNES when they became affordable. But it was only much later that I could have any sort of appreciation for the master system. As a kid all I had to go on was what I saw around me and what I saw was that master system appeared to be a failure that the megadrive fixed. But now I know what a difficult journey it had and how that shaped it's successor. In fact it wasn't until the mid to late nineties that I had any sort of tangible respect for Sega as a brand but I much preferred them as a rival to Nintendo than Sony.

[@unstoppableExodia]

***** all good, thanks for reading what i had to say

[@eben3357]

Sega inspired Ken Kutaragi to make Playstation 3D, he loves Virtua Fighter LOL. They also helped Microsoft build Xbox... Sega lives on, Nintendo have gone the way of making out of date consoles that aren't even cutting edge, they lost the plot with N64 and have been behind ever since. At least Sega had Dreamcast. The last console to out class PCs and even arcade at the time of release - now, what other company had that moment in gaming? I now the NES was very good in 1985, but so was the Amiga computer for comparison between formats.

[@Sinn0100]

You know I never really looked at it that way. I actually prefer the old Nintendo vs Sega dance of the 80's and 90's. Now consoles all have the same games and everything is literally the same. Gone are the says of having to very different hardware setups and mini wars with friends. Yeah well fuck you blast processing sucka! Ha, ha, ha...blast processing, mode 7 biatch!

[@Sinn0100]

@@eben3357 Actually Microsoft did it with the original Xbox. If I remember correctly it was built with off the shelf parts excluding the 64 meg video card. Again, if I am remembering this correctly, the 64 meg video card was not available to the PC market for a few months giving the original Xbox a chance to be at the tip top of gaming. Well technically if you want to be literal- The Neo Geo AES/CDZ were at the tip top of the arcades as they were arcades consolised. They also walloped the PC's of the day as well (in 1990-1991).

[@eben3357]

@@Sinn0100 Right, the SNK machine was viable for about 14 years or more and yes, very powerful. Xbox is part of the Sega spiritual lineage.

[@ZakaTech]

Great video! And I'm grateful for you remember Brazil in statistics. Really, we don't a dominant market, but Tec Toy did a great work releasing SEGA's products here in 90's, since Master System until Dreamcast. And also today, relaunching Mega Drive Classic with cartridge support and SD CARD in and compatible with original 3/6-button joysticks.

[@ravishingrupac8277]

Finding someone that has so much love for the Sega Master System is just lovely

[@OliverHarper]

Excellent research! well done!

[@kh7955]

Can't expect anything less from Nostalgia Nerd

[@gojohnniegogo]

Love it when the Master System gets some love! Very informative and interesting video!

[@acereport8939]

I actually liked the Sega Master System more than my NES. I thought that the graphics looked better and the controllers had more functionality because they could move diagonally vs The NES which could only move up, down, left or right. The Alex kid games were very good but my favorite was the Wonderboy series. I spent many hours playing those games. The Master System also had a variety of RPG's which were good too. The box art was consistent across all of the games which made it easy to quickly identify genre of the games without having to guess. I was able to amass a nice collection of games for the Master System rather quickly as they were much cheaper than NES games due to the fact that I was buying them at a time when the system was being fazed out. Most games were $10 or less which allowed me to buy multiple games for the price of just one NES cartridge.

[@marcellachine5718]

The new had diagonal as well.

[@barrymaaslow3480]

ehhh, 4-way NES pads? LOL! Shun, you might wish to use that brain of yours. Read up on how such things worked.

[@velosiped135]

I knew one kid who had a Master System. I owned an NES. I was young, but I do remember being impressed at how colorful the Master System games were.

[@colonelvector]

I grew up around the time this released, so this was an awesome video to watch. Great job

[@norflondonboi81theraver33]

i had a sega master back in 1987 and not once did i remotely care about the nes or the hype around it ,i will forever consider sega one of last companies who truly loved making games for real gamers

[@Neffers_UK]

I was hoping some decent content was going to show up today. Great vid as always.

[@goldinho]

Peter your videos are absolute pure quality. Thanks for all your hard work mate :)

[@Dundry111]

As usual, entertaining and brilliantly presented, thank you for this.

[@CasperUK31]

That Aussie advert made me feel good. Why? Because it confirmed I am not crazy. "The 'See Ga' Master System" I knew I used to say Sega (See-Ga) and not Say-Gah. I do not know when I changed the way I said it, but everyone I knew said it that way at the time. Imagine our surprise when at the beginning of Sonic 1 we heard "SayyyGahhhhhh"

[@vlfreak]

haha, thats because we say it as its spelt.. always thought 'say-ga' was an another americanisation of the language

[@offrails]

I was a Kiwi kid growing up and it was always "see-ga" to me. In the playground at primary school, the Sega was usually viewed as the "cooler" system. My family, however, had a couple of PCs for gaming needs and most of our console experience came from playing with the display systems at DEKA BTW: Here is the original DEKA ad kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5fIZ6affKdrpNE

[@myristicina.]

I always called it say ga hug

[@j00500hall]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 thanks for saying this mate, I thought it was a figment of my imagination

[@LisaAnne420]

Mega Drive coming back in sept 2019 100% buying it

[@derekdavie5142]

Great video! My parents bought us a sega master system i 1989 and I was kind of disappointed, having wanted a nintendo. However, with my sega, I made a lot of wonderful memories that only a 12 year old kid could have: From a sleep over with double dragon, to wonderboy in our attic bedroom with my brother. Nostalgia at it's finest.

[@TimelessGamingUK]

Great video! I got my Master System II with built in Alex the Kidd in the early nineties and although I never had many games for it it still holds a lot of nostalgia for me. That was a really informative overview, good work!

[@DoritoFD]

SEGA Master System is my favorite console released in 80's.

[@nftscreenshotter6436]

You sir, have a new sub! I've been casually curious about the Master System, as I've emulated some games here and there just to see what it was like, considering my first console was the Super Nintendo. I've played a lot of NES, so I never got into Sega's offering. Now? I'm endlessly fascinated by the Master System. It's truly an amazing little console to me. Its color palette, graphics, game selection....it's all truly something special. I didn't grow up with it, but now, decades later, I am a big fan of the Master System.

[@skycloud4802]

I grew up with both! My brother had NES and I had Master System 2. Sadly my parents couldn't afford many games for either but with Mario Bros 3 and Sonic 1 we didn't want to play much else anyway!

[@aaacomp1]

I had my mother buy the sega master system for me at Toys R Us, in 1987. It was the one with the light gun and hang on/safari hunt cartridge. Games were easy to rent from the local video store and later on, blockbuster. I saved my money for months and ended up purchasing Phantasy Star for $80! It was the most expensive cart I had ever seen and ended up being my all time favorite game. I did end up getting a nintendo entertainment system in 1989. But my friends already had nintendo and i had played most of the games by then.

[@wakcedout]

Being an American veteran the tidbit about sega starting off to provide gaming devices for military service members just makes me like them more than I did before. Now I want even more to see them rise up from the ashes and return to the console market. I keep hearing rumors but still waiting for solid confirmation

[@MegaManNeo]

I like the MasterSystem. Games were made simple yet fun, the controller port allows MegaDrive controllers or Commodore joysticks and the 8bit ports of some games were really well made.

[@si4632]

populous what a game! and a pretty fathful conversion of the amiga original

[@NicoDsSBCs]

Loved this video, I bought a master system in 89. I'm from Belgium, I always found the gameplay a lot more fun than Nintendo games. I loved the Asterix games and the shooters. I wished I still had it. Emulation isn't nearly as good. Tnx

[@RGEE1979]

Great video! One of my best memories is still the day my grandparents surprised me with a second-hand Master System and a bunch of games. I was absolutely ecstatic!

[@jimmyjimjimdoctor]

In Brazil both the Master System and Mega Drive are still going strong, i can only imagine what games we have never yet seen because of how popular they still are.

[@AGwolf2097]

This video was great because it gives context and perspective to WHY the SMS was so popular in European regions. I always thought you guys were just out of touch or somehow got the short end of the stick. I knew Nintendo fumbled the European release, but beyond that I couldn't understand why it mattered. I'm in the US and I didn't even know the Master System existed until around 94 or 95. I love my Genesis, but I got my start on the NES. I wish I could say the SMS was a fun discovery, but I have tried again and again over the years to give it a chance, and have never been particularly impressed or charmed. I own a couple models and accessories just for sake of being a Sega fan and a huge Sonic fan. I own 5 of the 6 Sonic games; I need to get Mean Bean Machine, and I'd really like to track down the US version of Sonic 1 (right now, all of them are European/Australian versions, and of course Blast is Tectoy)

[@thepumpkingking8339]

Went from a Speccy to the MEGADRIVE. So did not have a MasterSystem back in the day. But still remember the adverts " Do yourself a Favour and Plug me into a SEGA " + Playing the MS's Hidden Game in WH Smith's

[@mikekaraoke]

Why didn't you get Master System then?

[@thepumpkingking8339]

Cash Flow.... As I was unemployed at the time.

[@mikekaraoke]

The Pumpking King Couldn't you of just saved the money by your giro check from Job centre or getting out of Argos and paying 5 pounds a month or getting for a present from famiiy?

[@thepumpkingking8339]

mikey p Name me one great game on the SMS and I'll name you x5 on the SPECCY. Which is what I did have, along with my ZX81..

[@mikekaraoke]

The Pumpking King OK one great game that comes to mind on SMS, Is California Games

[@itsaPIXELthing]

Awesome vid, Pete! Thanks for this! Cheers!

[@defenrir]

Loved this one, had the MS2 version and many of the games shown here. It was my first console and boy was this a trip down memory lane. Besides my 286(running DOS), this was my early childhood. Huge thanks for this now 7 year old video!

[@SammyRenard]

"Will the two companies always be competing?" "I hope so. I think it's good, if they compete, then we gain because they compete, they come up with new ideas, each one trying to outdo the other" This is so true

[@emptyendeavor2762]

Your mom is true

[@YosefASelim]

Ah, the Master System... the thing was HUGE here in New Zealand... I think I knew only one person with a NES as a kid... The only reason I ever wanted one was because of those damn appealing Rescue Rangers ads in my comic books ;)

[@AlexOjideagu2]

It was the biggest selling console in Europe in 1993, even more than the Megadrive

[@Halbared]

@@AlexOjideagu2 Maste sales would have tailed off yugely by then wouldn't they? Even thought it was bargain bucket machine.

[@the80sresistance20]

let me just say, I love every video I have watched of yours. As an American who grew up reading alot of British video game magazines your reviews always manage to take me to a very happy place. keep up the awesome work

[@robbierupac9442]

Beautifully done and I'm almost certain I've covered ALL SEGA Master System documentary etc

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

I wish the Master System succeeded, it really was better.

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

It's actually shocking that it could look so good, and not even be 16 bit.

[@FallicIdol]

Not the software. Super Mario > Alex friggin Kid.

[@drunkensailor112]

FallicIdol phantasy star > anything nes

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

FallicIdol That’s true. Mario was better. But the Master System had loads of good games! A lot of people remember Alex Kidd as the systems main game, but that’s not true. Look at Phantasy Star, for example.

[@folksurvival]

It did succeed.

[@slipknotboy555]

Another good documentary style video! I like how the European population were kinda smarter consumers, being like "naw, dawg" when Nintendo brought over the NES. With its more expensive hardware and software, while being inferior to many home computers at much better prices, and the same with the Master System, the NES wasn't very good value. Sega were smart with their strategy.

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

They made so many consoles that creates confusion.

[@tonywilkins9616]

Brilliant video for a great console

[@MotownBatman]

One of My Fav Videos of Yours! Good Job

[@ReviewUSA-ri5dv]

The early Master System Pads did have screw-in joysticks.

[@Michirin9801]

What a great retrospective! I've learned that the Master System sold less in the US than the Turbografx 16 which was very surprising indeed considering more yanks know about the SMS than the Turbo... But it's a good gaming machine none the less, just one thing I disagree on, the SMS Street Fighter II is god-awful xD The GOOD 8 bit version of SF2 is the PC engine version...

[@elkelibunga9135]

Pc engine is 16 bit

[@v6sonoma]

This was an excellent video. Definitely will be checking out some of your others. Very well researched and put together.

[@swordghoti]

Of all of the systems from my adolescence this is the one I wish I still had. Loads of brilliant games for it.

[@joedoe1096]

"changed their focus to the gays of the Japanese public." Huh? OH. *Gaze*

[@snorman1911]

Haha, thank you.

[@random_gamer_guy82]

And now we have crap loading times, patches, broken games, and fps and 4k obsessed gamers.

[@emptyendeavor2762]

It's a brave New world.

[@jaydenc367]

but also updates free content. bettwer wel graphics and performance and online gaming

[@technischemaschinenfabrik5882]

Very detailed and a very good video quality. Thanks!!!

[@oldskoolpaul77]

I love the Master System, it was my first games console. Great video!

[@TheDutchGhost]

It makes you wonder how the 8 bit console war would have turned out if Sega's Mark 3/Master System had been released earlier and Nintedo had never made up that exclusive release contract, allowing companies like Konami, Capcom, Square, and other prominent Japanese and American publishers. Would love to know how games like Castlevania, Contra, NES Strider (not the Arcade port Sega did), and others would have been like if they had been released on the NES and Master System at the same time.

[@Halbared]

Not sure how that would have been possible, since the mk3 was the third attempt to tackle the NES.

[@chueri]

In Brazil, Master System was more popular than NES.

[@avideogamemaster]

Brazil never had a NES

[@rodrigoalves-cg6xv]

but we had a lot of unlicensed NES clones, that are basically the same console sold with another name...

[@julianocs87]

@@avideogamemaster it was released officially in Brazil in 1993. Stop talking about things you have no clue.

[@avideogamemaster]

@@julianocs87 oof

[@e.9785]

I'm glad I watched this video, you give great insights into the European game history, which is unfortunately very rare :/ I learned a lot about Sega's history as well, I never knew they started during the war! I'm definitely going to watch more of your stories now :)

[@ceejaygorway5218]

When that WonderBoy III music started playing... Ahhhh the nostalgia.

[@ihateapplebeeswa]

My first system was a Atari 2600 unless you count our Apple 2 plus. In 88 I picked a Sega Master System. Although most kids I knew were into the N.E.S. guided by my older brothers advice that the Sega was better I did not regret it one bit. Phantasy Star ruled and graphics kicked Nintendos ass..

[@bobjones27]

SMS really wasn't a "wrong" system back in the day, since most other kids would have NES and they probably enjoyed playing a different library of games at your house. Problem of SMS was that, as far as I remember, it was difficult to find video stores renting SMS games. The "wrong" choice back then was Atari 7800.

[@WritInWater]

Asterix games? These Europeans are crazy...

[@WritInWater]

I really want to see the Mansion of the Gods movie. I think it was my favorite book. Though, it's hard to choose - I must have read all of them at least 20 times.

[@segadatabase]

Asterix is possibly still my favorite Master System game. Great, great game. Also, you do know you can control that platform? Makes it a LOT easier.

[@krashd]

"You can't have a master system, Obelix! You know as well as I do it'll have no effect on you after you fell in to that videogame arcade as a baby!"

[@thunderchild1083]

I used to read the comics as a child, there's also films, I liked this version of the game especially the Dogmatix bits

[@OrgaNik_Music]

How have I missed this channel? Subbed.

[@Seuration]

I was one of the few American kids that grew up with a Master System. When I got the Genesis I gave my Master System and 20ish games to my neighbor. I wish I hadn't... I loved that system.

[@djmhyde]

16:29 you should try Tectoy's "20 em 1" 20 games that didn't worth 1....

[@CSIG1001]

Buy a mega everdrive , it will play all SMS and genesis games. No emulation.

[@blastproces]

or get a master everdrive x7 and play through the master system instead for real authentic ness

[@kresimirmandic3807]

This is the best Master System video out there, I enjoyed watching it so much. Thank you for making it. I have so many fond memories of The Master System as it was a great system and my first console. I live in Europe and got a Master System II with Sonic built in. Even though I played NES at a friends house (SMB, SMB3, TMNT etc.) I was blown away with SMS and Sonic. Became an instant SEGA fan. I got a number of people to get one, and knew quite a number of people who own it, while NES was nowhere to be seen in comparison. In my country Mega Drive was way too expensive for our standard of living so we played the hell out of the SMS. Some SMS gems I fondly remember were Sonic 2, Mickey, Batman, Robocop vs Terminator, Wonder Boy in Monster Land etc. I'm also one of those guys who liked 8-bit Sonic more than the 16-bit version. I liked and played the 8-bit version so much I could finish the game flawlessly. By the time I got my hands on the 16-bit Sonic I thought I will be blown away, but I was only impressed with graphics and how fast the game can get. I like gameplay, level design, special stages and chaos emeralds concept of the 8-bit version much better. Not to say 16-bit Sonic games aren't great.

[@LethargicSquirrel]

Not gonna lie, it's the Duke Nukem and commentary at the end that actually brightened my day a bit. Thank you.

[@kahncrane]

When I read the comments in your videos I feel like I'm in the right room for conversation. Great stuff!

[@vikashv1]

Sega dominated here in New Zealand, loved the original Master System.

[@terrythe2dmaniac71]

I'm speechless as usual buddy, very well made mini documentary video, I enjoyed it very much and although I'm a bug Sega fan I learned so many pieces of info that I never knew were part of the 8bit war between the two giant companies, keep it up and God bless buddy.

[@mipmipmipmipmip]

Very well made episode, as usual!

[@Ixapter]

Thanks. This is the first video I watched that specifically covered the Sega Master System.

[@guiprazeres7]

The master system story always amazes me as many people don't acknowledge it was technicaly the first sega console.

[@wizzgamer]

The Master System was my first ever console so I hold a lot of fond memories for this great system.

[@CarfDarko]

Another epic history lesson :) Keep up the creativity.