10 Games Better on the Master System

*Screen flashing warning during Operation Wolf segment.
Here are 10 games I genuinely feel are better played on a Sega Master System. Most of these are NES comparisons since the two machines went head to head in the mid to late 80's.
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Opening 3D Logo By:
Jan Neves
KZbin Page - / jan3d
Episode Notes:
1. SMS games captured via the Mega SG. NES games via the NES Classic. I had to use emulation on my PC for SMS version of Operation Wolf. It wouldn't work on my Mega SG properly. I had to use emulation on my PC for NES Shinobi as well.
2. If you haven't played Robocop vs. Terminator on the NES, it's not a bad game. Just kinda tame compared to the other versions out there.
3. I could have easily filled this with the Tengen Sega ports, but felt that would be sort of cheap. I wanted to branch it out to other games I felt fit better.
4. Capturing California Games was painful. I am really bad at it. It was nearly an hours worth of fails.
5. Sound was a big reason I chose some of these. While the SMS gets a bad rep for sound, when an NES game sounded bad, it was pretty awful itself. SOme of the FM music in these games were top notch.
6. I cannot capture lightgun gameplay with my current setup. That's why you see aiming cross-hairs in gun games on my channel.

[@bsaintnyc]

Thank god someone is covering the master system. Not many other channels cover this system. Long live Sega Lord X.

[@ravinnox2640]

I use to but no one was watching so I stopped lol

[@badcommentbot8349]

SMS is best 8bit

[@BaronVonYolo]

@@badcommentbot8349 In fact the PC Engine was 8bit too and it was superior.

[@atrocity3010]

People who make a living off KZbin/Patreon are much less likely to go off the beaten path of NES, Genesis, SNES, N64, etc. And even in those systems, they often talk about the same popular games, which is why we get videos by the dozen about Earthbound, Chrono Trigger, Pokemon, and anything related to Mario or first-party games in general ("Hey guys, did you know Mario 2 was actually a game called Doki Doki Panic!?"). I definitely enjoy these videos about the lesser talked-about systems like the Master System, TurboGrafx/PC Engine, or even the Japanese-only stuff like the X68000 or the FM Towns.

[@teddybeer6206]

@@atrocity3010 This is exactly why I like channels like Game Sack and CGR . They cover EVERYTHING rather than being Nintendo-centric.

[@sergeleon1163]

As a European I'm always saddened by the lack of love the SMS had in the USA back in the day. It was my first true console after my pong tv game and C64 and the great arcade ports made me go Sega and it's still my most beloved console to date.

[@Sega_Dreams]

Most Americans never even heard of the console, let alone actually laid eyes on a Master System console or game box. They just weren't carried outside of specialty stores. I was one of the lucky few that did get one though. It was my first console, and it came with Hang-On/Safari Hunt. I loved that thing, but finding games for it was tough. By 1990ish, the only place I could find SMS games was a store called Toy Liquidators, which was a clearance chain for Kay-Bee Toys. Years later, when I found out how successful the SMS was in Europe, I was so jealous of the library you guys got for it over there!

[@Mitjitsu]

Because Nintendo used Monopoly practises back in the 80's i.e. any company that made games for another system would not be allowed to publish games on the NES. With Nintendo's market share most companies caved in.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

@@Sega_Dreams I have really become nostalgically jealous over all the Sega Saturn games Japan got that the US never did. And so many are still so good.

[@CasperEgas]

@@Mitjitsu funny, considering Monopoly was better on Master System.;)

[@matthewlane518]

There are those of us in the US that prefer our SMS over NES😀

[@mojibake.]

I'm brazilian and my first console was a brand New SMS III... on 2001!!! I was too little to even know there were better consoles out there, but I had a lot of fun with it anyway! My neighbor had dozens of games so it was like having a rental store for free, that way I was able to play most of it's best games, SMS rocks!

[@NeoGeoNinja81]

Awesome story! How old were you when you got the SMS then?

[@lmcgregoruk]

Better is subjective, if you had fun with it, then it was good enough, I mean the first gaming machine I owned personally was a ZX Spectrum that I got for my 7th? Birthday. I had fun with that, even though the C64 was superior, especially since hardly anyone had a C64, it being WAY more expensive, and a lot of my classmates/friends alos having ZX Spectrums, meaning we could swap cassette tapes or help each other in games we were stuck in.

[@hopetagulos]

Yep! Sega Master System forever...

[@RichardCraig]

That's awesome! I grew up next to a kid in the 80s whose mother also loved NES games, and so they had SO MANY games!! I was always borrowing or trading games with them, like you say, like have a rental store next door for free! I appreciated them so much!

[@romulodornelas3206]

Brazilian and A HUGE MASTER SYSTEM tough 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@RovingSentinel]

Growing up in Australia, where the Master System was actually very popular, it's interesting to hear that the console didn't do well in the USA, because I always assumed that it had the same level of success worldwide (clearly that assumption was wrong). It was a great system for me as a kid, and there are some great memories attached.

[@joeb2588]

It would have done better but nintendo restricted 3rd party developers from making games on competitor consoles. So Sega had to rely on their programming teams to make most of the games on the system. Had 3rd party developers been allowed to do so, Sega would have easily been seen as the superior system.

[@steuph1976]

I adore Castle of Illusion on the Mega Drive, it's probably still one of my fondest video game memories of all time, and I still believe the game holds up well today. But the Master System/GG version has that sort of "Mario-ness" to it that's so great. The Mega Drive version feels more like a Sega arcade game. My cousin had a Game Gear with Castle of Illusion on it, and I was blown away by how different it was, with all the secrets, the non linear way to tackle levels... It's really a different game with the same name, and they're both great.

[@BigFamilyGaming]

Castle of Illusion just arrived today and while I was testing it I couldn't stop playing it - I once again agree with your assessment LOVE THESE SMS Videos!!

[@TheTrueBro]

Well at least we have the Brazilian games for the SMS to see how far the console could go if developed further.

[@burntyper]

Those jokes? LOL

[@PatrickLofstrom]

@@burntyper Nope, older consoles are going strong in Brazil. High importation costs due to heavy taxing has created a market for older consoles, and the Master System is one of them.

[@burntyper]

@@PatrickLofstrom the jokes that I'm talking about are the games, genius

[@potatostuffing5643]

@@burntyper Wow, rude

[@markchambers3833]

There are very few good Brazilian games. The most technically impressive games for the system are the PAL/European releases. More than 60% of the games for the system weren't released in the USA, hence most Americans think the system had a small library. Games were produced in PAL regions through to 1995. The rest of the world had the full Master System experience and it was superior to the NES experience. It's very funny to see Americans thinking they're dumping on the Master System, because all they're showing is their own ignorance. Something much much better than your beloved NES was available elsewhere. Europeans experienced it and loved it. You missed out, sadly.

[@FluffyThieves]

Seeing Shinobi on the Master System just makes me want to play Alex Kidd In Shinobi World lmao

[@DerivitivFilms]

I'm actually surprised Ghostbusters didn't make this list, the nes version is terrible compared to the sms one

[@ianbennett9544]

Came here to say this. Same game but the master system version of Ghostbusters is superior in every aspect

[@tecianeli]

Ghostbusters would be the first one in this list.

[@Owazrim]

Maybe for another 10 list. I thought the C64 version was good and then saw the Master System version. Master System comes out on top.

[@Larry]

Worst thing is the NES version came out a year after the SMES one, so there's no excuse why it should be worse.

[@kevinwoolford123]

@@Larry the new Ghostbusters however on NES is incredible :D

[@bearchay889]

I always enjoy your Master System videos. The Master System was my first non handme down console growing up and I was the only person I knew that had one. I would always show it off and anyone that grew up around me knew Sega had something. I just wish more had knew at the time.

[@Partinaire]

Man this took me back... When I was in 1st grade my mom got stationed in Belgium. My mom bought me a Game Gear with that Mickey Mouse Castle of Illusion game and I played it every day. Such fun memories your video brought back

[@fabiosemino2214]

Partinaire one of my first games that one. I think for the 7y old me the part in the castle where you had to jump on 3 ghosts to go ahead was really an achievement when I got it right, took weeks, hard as hell back then.

[@shaun1353]

God I remember, the Master Gear - let you play SMS games on the GG. Blew my mind at the time. And Mickey Mouse was awesome on it

[@SuperTrainStationH]

I grew up with Game Gear in the early 90s, so I honestly feel this strong sense of identification with the Master System even though I never owned a SMS compatible system or had the ability to play SMS carts until the Mega SG by Analouge. Really something to see some SMS coverage on KZbin with a non-European voice delivering the copy.

[@applemctom]

This video needs more Bubble Bobble :). One of the best conversions on the SMS!

[@RikkiRoxxNWS]

I grew up with an Atari 2600 and ColecoVision, and then an NES and SNES. I didn't come across the Master System until 1993 at my uncle's house. He only had a couple of games, but I was intrigued. Thanks to your videos, I finally got invested enough to pick up a Master System of my own and begin building a small but solid library. Luckily, a work friend just happened to have one along with a dozen or so top-tier games that he sold to me for a decent price. The console actually didn't work, but for what I paid just getting the collection of games was a bargain, so I just picked up a refurbished one on eBay for a decent price. All of the games still work great, and they're all a lot of fun. I've been slowly growing my collection ever since. Keep up the great work, man. I can honestly say that your videos have led me to add many dozens of games to my already huge collection, not just Master System but all the various consoles. Your insights made me check out tons of games I was either dismissive of or had mixed feelings about. Huge thanks, keep it up!

[@timothymaurer1271]

You forgot about Ghostbusters. Master System was superior to NES by far!

[@AntoRetroGamer]

Neither game is all that good, in my opinion. Agreed that the SMS version is better.

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

Um, no. The MS version is a solid business simulator.

[@markchambers3833]

​@@AntoRetroGamerMaster System Ghostbusters is a good game. Don't know how they managed to mess up the NES version so badly, even allowing for the weaker hardware on the Nintendo.

[@NeloDiavolo]

Wow, I never knew the differences were this huge, especially Paperboy! Got to say, Robocop VS Terminator looks pretty damn good for an 8bit version. I owned the Genesis version as a kid, awesome game. I have my Mega SD ready and will definitely check these out.

[@markchambers3833]

In almost every head to head, the Master System mauls the NES. I mean, really beats the NES down hard. Only exception I can think of is Smash TV, which was fairly botched on the Master System. Even then, it still looks better. Apart from Smash TV, whenever a game came out for both systems, the Master System version looks and plays better.

[@mrterrychaos]

Brit here, NES didn't get much attention over here compared to the Master System (and ZX Speccy of course) so it's nice to see you Americans enjoying it. I think the NES Classic helped a bunch of us appreciate NES games here and I'd love to see SEGA release a Master System Mini for you guys.

[@TheKyGuy]

A couple of things I Wanted to say regarding this video: 1.) Even though I never had the Master System as a kid--and still don't have one--I specifically remembered playing the Master System version of Castle of Illusion, primarily because I had it on the Game Gear. I got it as a birthday present from my grandma. In all honesty, it's one of my favorite Game Gear games. 2.) I don't know if it was ever released on the Master System, but I also had Battletoads on the Game Gear. I loved it, but man was it difficult. I don't think I ever got past level 4.

[@kekeke8988]

Isn't game gear to MS as Nomad is to Genesis?

[@ravagingwolverine]

@@kekeke8988 Mostly, that is accurate. The GG is a portable Master System, though it has a couple of enhancements.

[@lmcgregoruk]

The Game Gear had a lower resolution, but with more colours to choose from.

[@velvetdogg7375]

I had both of the Castle of Illusion games back in the day. I agree with you, the look and sound on the 16 bit version is outstanding. But the master system version is a great play through. Thanks for putting it in video. I always wanted to know if someone else though the same about them as I had. So thanks again.

[@ScottWozniak]

13:12 Master System PaperBoy music sounds like Moon Patrol.

[@reagandow850]

Scott Wozniak _ thank you. It was driving me crazy that I couldn’t remember the name of the game. It’s almost a dead ringer for Moon Patrol

[@markchambers3833]

It's the exact same music. Apparently, when Atari bought the rights to port Moon Patrol to their systems, they assumed this gave them the right to use the music whenever they wanted. It appears Irem weren't too bothered and did nothing to stop them.

[@ScottWozniak]

@@markchambers3833 It's almost the same, but not exactly the same. For instance, the Paperboy version changes key every bar. It also goes to a B section that isn't in Moon Patrol.

[@dmnsonic]

And here in Brazil we had the Master System in its maximum glory. SMS was my real first console and I have it in my heart. I love SMS and it's a shame we didn't have great support from major sfthouses back then.

[@kekeke8988]

How did you afford video games in a third world country?

[@eduardolopes7740]

@@kekeke8988 Is that a serious question?

[@kekeke8988]

​@@eduardolopes7740 Yeah man, I just have this image in my head of some guys in the favela playing SMS on an empty stomach with an old junk TV as bullets fly by while some gangs are having a war outside.

[@eduardolopes7740]

@@kekeke8988 Hahahahaha. It's a good picture... from a Rio de Janeiro favela. But you're damn fucking wrong. You probably never heard about Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Curitiba, Balneario Camboriu, Florianopolis... Google it if you wish

[@deniskenn]

shinobi on SMS was my first game i ever owned and i still love it til this day. Nobody else i knew had a master system and i felt it was super underrated even back then. i played shinobi, double dragon and thunder blade to death

[@dy120481]

Man, Sega really did have some cool systems. Too bad they couldn't get out of their own way.

[@dy120481]

@ShadowAngel Saying they would've "easily crushed Nintendo" is a bit much. Company's signed those deals 'cause Nintendo was more popular. If Sega had the better system, they'd have told Nintendo to fuck off. There are definitely games which look and play better on the MS, but Nintendo had a stranglehold for a reason.

[@wyterabitt2149]

@@dy120481 Not really, they signed because Nintendo got the head start in a market that although older was basically starting new again in some markets. The fact that Nintendo started earlier, and got out first, is fair enough. The fact they used that to gain such an illegal advantage by using ng these tactics is not, and shouldn't be swept under the carpet using this kind of false logic. And it wasn't just in retailers, they had a good year to tie them up but many more years of software developers being tied up in contracts. And as they tend to be international, and they tied them up internationally, this was even more damaging and a huge part of why they gained that "popularity".

[@dy120481]

@@wyterabitt2149 Some MS games looked better, but Nintendo games were more fun. This is just the brass tacks.

[@wyterabitt2149]

@@dy120481 I had both, NES first in fact. I played MS vastly more than I ever touched the mostly uninteresting NES once I got it. And they did this with more limited support due to illegal behaviour.

[@dy120481]

@@wyterabitt2149 Sounds like you have an axe to grind. 90% of people would disagree with you.

[@JamesMSmithsDeadYouTubeChannel]

As for me, I honestly felt that the Master System version of Bonanza Brothers looks (and I only say looks because I have yet to play it) more superior than the Genesis version, mainly for the reason it maintained the Bonus Levels from the Arcade version. While it didn't have the character voices like the Genesis version had, that just meant it wouldn't interrupt the music, which is one of my favorite aspects of the game aside from its marvelous co-op. However, If I were to pick a version of a game to play, however, I'd probably play its PS2 SEGA AGES release, which I TRULY HOPE makes its way to the Switch at some point. It took everything from the Arcade version, the Master System version and even the Genesis version and mashed them all together, and I would love to have it so my nieces can join me in a good old-fashioned game of Cops and Robbers..."Eh-Heh-Heeeeh...".

[@markchambers3833]

Bonanza Bros is great on the Master System, looks and plays fantastic. Only weakness is that it's missing the two player mode.

[@jamesaitchison9478]

In the UK we were treated like wicked stepmothers by Nintendo on the NES often not seeing games released until a year later (if at all) than the US and Japan. The Master System on the other hand was a dream come true for us UK and European gamers as we got double the amount of games that were released elsewhere, including European exclusives. The Master System version of games tended to look so much better than their NES counterparts, and often played better too. Great video as always 👍

[@MIGUELCHENOISTA]

Master system does what Nintendon't. Hahaha, when I was a child my father wanted to bought the NES for me, but I choose the Master System, and years later I choose the Mega Drive over SNES, and if I could go back I'd do the same thing

[@nattila7713]

why did you choose sega?

[@MIGUELCHENOISTA]

@@nattila7713 becouse I had a vhs cassette of sega games and I loved it.

[@drunkensailor112]

@@nattila7713 because he had taste

[@drunkensailor112]

@MultiTarded lol, what??!! Shinobi, streets of rage, golden axe, phantasy star, Shining force, outrun, hang on, ecco. You have to be kidding right?

[@drunkensailor112]

@MultiTarded all the games I named were exclusives

[@richardadams4928]

I LOVE the SMS, still have my original with the Deluxe joysticks. These days, I play almost exclusively via emulation, but it's still satisfying to know I have the original and a pretty good game library. Would love to see something on the System 16 arcade boards, the games that used it, how the board relates to SMS and Genesis internals, and how the arcade System 16 games compare to the 2 home console's ports. Off the top of my head, that would be Afterburner, Altered Beast, Rastan, Shinobi, Space Harrier, Hang On, Outrun, and Thunderblade. Might also be worth exploring the pioneering work by Sega on Zaxxon, Congo Bongo, and Turbo.

[@AdamJX602]

It’s always weird to hear when people say the Master System was a flop. In the U.K. the Master System was MASSIVE... no one had a NES that I knew growing up and I didn’t even know Nintendo existed until the Super Nintendo launched and by that point everyone already had a Megadrive.

[@Halbared]

Benjamin Owuye Jagun yrs, really interesting as I had a NES as did many I knew, some having commodores. I didn’t know anyone with a sega MS.

[@tiago9819]

Sometimes I have the impression that the Master System had games with better colors than the Mega Drive/Genesis.

[@retrosoul8770]

Yeah, the MD/Gen only released 3 short yrs after the MS, just 3 yrs of tech advancement. Obviously the MD/Gen is by far overall more powerful and it obviously shows, but with a gap in time so small, you can see how sometimes the MS ends up with games looking too close if not even better than some MD games, like Road Rash, or Phantasy Star, that sort of thing should never happen and indicate the MD/Gen should have released in JP in 89 or 90 imho. I know others disagree but that's just my take.

[@EOTA564]

Some early MD titles aren’t that impressive but flagship titles like Sonic 2 or SoR 2 are clearly a generation apart.

[@retrosoul8770]

@@EOTA564 Exactly. Of course most games especially from Japan clearly display a gen leap. However I still think an extra yr or two would have been beneficial. Regardless, it's a great powerful system as it is.

[@EOTA564]

Retro Soul Sega released some great arcade ports in 89 and 90 so I’m glad they released it when they did; the system might have been more powerful if they had released it at a later date but those arcade ports lose their wow factor after a period of time has passed since the arcade release. Where Sega screwed up was that the Mega/Sega CD should have put Sega technologically ahead of Nintendo but it offered very little beyond CD storage capacity, some scaling capabilities and FMV. If they hadn’t screwed up the Mega CD there would probably have been no need to release the 32x. If the Mega CD has sold well it could have effectively replaced the MD as the main platform in the latter part of its lifespan.

[@retrosoul8770]

@@EOTA564 well I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree and of course that's fine. But Sega never should have bothered with any add-ons at all man. They caused more harm than any potential good. The MDG is powerful enough on its own, it already could push more on screen sprites without slowing down over the Snes, better resolution, animate smoother etc. Besides a smaller color palette, It was already strong enough to last the whole generation just fine. Psudo 3D Ports like Super Thunder Blade and Space Harrier could have run smoother with a later release date however. I wish Sega of America localized more Japanese games like Alien Soldier instead of crap like Chakan towards the later yrs. What gets you through an entire generation, is great games, even if your hardware has some disadvantages, that's what Nintendo did, Sega should have followed suit.

[@carlcouture1023]

The flickering of the SMS version of Double Dragon gave me so many headaches as a kid.

[@bloodykenshiro8218]

I completely agree with you on this one, Sega Lord X. There's no denying the SMS was an 8-bit marvel. If anything, Nintendo's shenanigans held it back and even so it stood strong. I also agree with you completely regarding Castle of Illusion. I'd go as far as saying I don't even like the Megadrive version very much compared to the Master System one. Also, Land and Legend of Illusion after it all looked and played great, with amazing consistency.

[@derekbuckler3859]

Kenshiro im sorry man, but castle of illusion on the sega genesis is one of Disney's finest games period. And not just that, look at alladin, lion king, world of illusion. They were far superior to any version, nes, snes, or master system. How the heck can you not notice the obviously better graphics, music, or sound in the genesis verion? Im sorry, but thats an outrageous thing to say, it has no basis whatsoever

[@AntoRetroGamer]

Have you even played the Master System version?

[@bloodykenshiro8218]

@@derekbuckler3859 outrageous? You are entitled to your opinion of course, but I simply don't like the aesthetics of the MD version of CoI. Mickey animates well but he looks like he is enveloped in plastic wrap or something. I much prefer the simpler lines of the SMS, that's all. I'll grant the MD put out a technically superior version, but that doesn't make it preferable just based on that.

[@bloodykenshiro8218]

@@AntoRetroGamer Yes I have, many times. Same for the Mega Drive one.

[@AntoRetroGamer]

Sorry, I meant to direct that question to Derek...

[@teddym2808]

So good to see someone appreciate the SMS double dragon, thanks.. Also, very cool making sure you included version comparison footage. Big thumbs up.

[@JaimieRain]

Most notable ommision for me. The addictive and faithful Master System version of 'Gauntlet' was faaar faaar far superior to the NES port (or any of the other ports i'm aware of)

[@Halbared]

Jaimie Rain I notice some of the poorer NES adaptations come from the same publisher, Tengen did Gauntlet and a game from the list.

[@BaronVonYolo]

I loved my Master System! My dad did not know what he bought for Christmas '86 an regret it instantly seeing me sitting the whole day on the screen 🤣🤣🤣

[@Coni128]

I'm still wondering how you can make a video every 2 days, 25 minutes, showing lots of games (compilation, hidden gems, etc.) and containing so much information. Are you playing 24x7 ?

[@SegaLordX]

No, but it feels like it sometimes.

[@JustinLeeper]

Loved 2-player Double Dragon! I wonder if, when you say the NES versions of some of these play better, it’s because NES was more dev-friendly or the devs took a bit more time with that version since it had the much larger installed base?

[@Halbared]

ViolentLee it must come down to the developers? The thing that pushed the NES ahead it it’s competition was the playability of the games.

[@kabutops87]

The Nes Double Dragon is better. I dont care what anyone says. The only thing it didnt have was 2 player coop but everything else made up for it, Better graphics and less to no flickering, Much better sounding music compare to the Master system's PSG and FM, more moves, extra levels, the 2 player 1 on 1 versus mode. Honestly i prefer the Nes one to the Arcade original. The master system port is just a watered down arcade port it added nothing new to the game and it honestly looks pretty bad for a master system game, Garish colors and low frame rate made it worse looking than the Nes port. Nes DD looked better and more colourful despite the Nes's more limited colour palette.

[@DanafoxyVixen]

"Honestly i prefer the Nes one to the Arcade original. " That, my friends, is how to identify a NES fangirl.... when your just trying to justify subjectively, what you cant objectively...

[@DanafoxyVixen]

"Honestly i prefer the Nes one to the Arcade original. " That, my friends, is how to identify a NES fangirl.... when your just trying to justify subjectively, what you cant objectively...

[@kabutops87]

@@DanafoxyVixen Fan girl lol that's funny

[@indierockguitar6875]

A more direct comparison would be Sega's first console SG-1000 vs NES. The consoles were released on the same exact day. Looking forward to more SMS vids, and SMS games.

[@markchambers3833]

How would that be a more direct comparison? 😂 The SG 1000 was outdated on release, it belongs to the previous console generation. NES fanboys still seem to have a problem recognising that (whisper it) the NES was inferior to the Master System. Better graphics, better games, more processing power, more colours, more sprites on screen. No Master System games had (or needed) enhancement chips. Even with artificial enhancements, the NES still couldn't keep up with Sega's superior hardware.

[@Lightblue2222]

I'm always curious to hear the non-fm versions, since that's what America got, and it sounds closer to Nes. And awesome video. I'm a huge Sega person but tend to think Nes had the better 8 bit software. Its cool seeing SMS win.

[@NeoGeoNinja81]

I like these comparisons so I'm going to split my response into a few different replies. So, I agree on: Shinobi, California Games, Lemmings, Wonderboy + Paperboy here. As for the others, I just don't feel it's so clean cut...

[@CactusJacksEar]

You said it all in the first few moments. Brighter, better animation, and better sound. Long live the Master System!

[@Hump4free]

A favorite game of mines that gets no love in the SMS is Spider-Man Vs. The Kingpin. While the Sega CD and Genesis versions are graphically better, the gameplay for the Master System is fast paced, fun, challenging.

[@Shannon-ul5re]

The sms was a huge hit here in Australia.. Most of my friends had one at time and love it..

[@CactusJacksEar]

Sure was!

[@steuph1976]

I'm always amazed at Wonder Boy, it was probably one of the few almost arcade perfect ports of the time.

[@BrooksterMax]

Paperboy does have a strong contrast in overall presentation. The SMS was a cracking machine.

[@tron3entertainment]

I remember being in a computer show in Elizabeth, NJ when Lemmings came out. There were a couple of guys showing Lemmings on PC and it was really something to watch. Turns out they were the programmers. Being an aspiring IT guy I talked to them and was practically offered a job. They were always looking for Assembly programmers. I flatly turned them down as I tried a few times and could never get past the first few pages of an Assembly programmers book for the TI-99/4A - considered the best book on the subject! Oh, what could have been. But yeah, Assembly is not for the faint of heart.

[@1lichfield]

We loved the MS in the U.K. Most of my friends had a MS, great system.

[@StephenAnderson98403]

As soon as I heard that Adventure Island music I instantly cried out "FAXANADU!!" and yes it's by the same composer! (Jun Chikuma)

[@rashidclark]

One of the disadvantages to SEGA's decision to not allow 3rd party development (until the very end) is that it was a missed opportunity to print ads showing their version vs the competitor's version for numerous titles. That likely would have helped sales.

[@EnforcerX71]

It wasn't just that, 3rd party devs were pretty much locked down by Nintendo, as Nintendo had a thing where if 3rd parties developed a game for the NES, they couldn't develop on any other console, it's what led Atari/Tengen to publish their NES games on unlicensed black cartridges.

[@rashidclark]

@@EnforcerX71 Than you for the clarification, you're right. Looks like I might have read a misleading article back in the day.

[@DreamcastQ]

oh yeah baby! that premium SEGA content :)

[@ObiWanShinobi67]

Keep cranking out the vids man. Loving it.

[@arnaud33200]

regarding the audio, it would be fair to compare without the FM audio. I'm sure majority of the people didn't have this FM audio back in the days, actually I've never heard of it until recently

[@officerzed1344]

The SMS was technically better overall. It was a powerhouse compared to the NES. Sadly, it just didn't get the support it deserved.

[@tartuffethesprywonderdog5883]

Not really. It had better graphics, that's all. NES audio was far superior.

[@keiranninjaspirit]

Hey the naster sysyem did pretty well in the uk and europe a lor of great sega titles ported over, i got mine in 1988 when i was 13 and loved it. I never had any bad vibes for the nes just wasnt as well recieved over here in the uk and none if my friends had it... I loved and still do the master system❤️ and then we got the megadrive and i fell in love again...

[@tartuffethesprywonderdog5883]

"Majority of games" lol. Like 40. Even then, it's debatable.

[@mtoad]

@@tartuffethesprywonderdog5883 People always say that, but I've yet to see a game on the Master System that would belong in a list of even the top 100 best-looking 8-bit games.

[@officerzed1344]

@@keiranninjaspirit Same here my friend. I was raised in Germany and France, both Sega countries in terms of sales figures. I started with Alex Kidd, Castle of Illusions and Mortal Kombat....Not bad for a first console!

[@pascalheadley1495]

Master System Fantasy Zone 2 was easily the best in the series, including the also very good Megadrive version. Great channel!

[@zombiejlt1]

I agree a lot with what was discussed here. I grew up with both NES and SMS, and its a shame most kids didnt have Master System because for as much as I borrowed NES games it would have been awesome to do the same with SMS carts. SHINOBI, DOUBLE DRAGON, OPERATION WOLF, RAMPAGE, almost every game here I would choose the SMS port except maybe CALIFORNIA GAMES because it does control a bit better. But everything else looks, sounds, and plays way better on SMS. I would also include AFTER BURNER, FANTASY ZONE, RAMBO, and GHOSTBUSTERS to the line up. ALIEN SYNDROME would be another comparison to look at. The 2-player aspect they gave the NES port might be cool, but I like the look, sound, and playability of the SMS version. Well done!

[@JaceyMitchell]

I didn't grow up with any of the 8-bit or 16-bit systems (I was born in 2000 😅). I started discovering the Master System through Hungry Goriya's videos, and I quite like it. I wish the game library wasn't so limited, and less reliant on European developers once the 90s rolled around. The Master System is able to produce some gorgeous graphics and I love the rich color palette. Playing those games today makes me wonder what could have been with more Japanese/quality third party support. It's an interesting little system for sure. Doesn't take very long to run out of high quality titles to play but there's definitely some games on there that are interesting and worth your time, even in 2024.

[@shaggymcdaniel3216]

I have more fun collecting for the SMS than the Genesis. There’s just so much goodness to find and play.

[@enfieldjohn101]

I love how the monster eats the soldiers in Rampage! Pretty cool. It's an odd, but very fun game.

[@kresimirmandic3807]

I had so much fun playing Castle of Illusion and Robocop vs Terminator back in the day on the SMS. Great times. I also prefer SMS Sonic to the Mega Drive one. SMS is so underappreciated in some parts of the world. Great work Sega Lord X.

[@wulver810]

Damn, would have been dope to have a Master System back then... ay caramba!

[@EnforcerX71]

The Master System was my first gaming console, it's seriously one of the most underrated consoles ever in North America & Japan. Also surely it's one of the first consoles that was backwards compatible on it's successor (which IMO should be a standard feature on all consoles)? I know the Atari 7800 could play 2600 games before it though. Also IMO Nintendo missed a trick not having NES compatibility on the SNES later in it's lifespan.

[@thegenerousdegenerate9395]

I can't help but feel that this episode was spurred on by one of my previous comments. Either that or great minds, yadda yadda... Good vid though, I enjoyed it thouroughly. Ever thought about doing a vid on the Master Systems homebrew titles and unofficial ports/localisations?

[@RichardCraig]

Oh no, not Monopoly! NES Monopoly holds such a special place in my heart... only way I had as a kid to play MP alone, but as an adult I still choose it over ANY other console port over the last 30+ years due to its speed and incredibly well thought-out interface that just makes sense. I still load this up on the regular just to thrash through a 30 minute game, no special rules, just playing fast. Only Monopoly Deluxe for DOS PCs came anywhere near.

[@Lightblue2222]

Robocop VS Terminator SMS is like a chill version of the Genesis. When you want a simular game but a little more space and less bullets to dodge, i highly recommend it. Still challenging, just more breathing room. Edit: Was introduced by RetroCore, last week was Battle of the Ports Robocop VS Terminator. He likes it even better than Genesis. I like both.

[@deckofcards87]

Sega absolutely slayed with Robocop Vs The Terminator. The MegaDrive port is one of my favourite games of all time.

[@urmie]

SLX delivered! These videos are super useful. Lots of gamers never dipped into SMS. I got a Mega Sg which comes the SMS adapter, this is great to know what to buy. Hope to see more. 👍

[@cireza_]

Master System was very well supported in Europe and Sega had both offers at the same time, the expensive MegaDrive and the budget Master System. Many Master System versions of games are awesome and worth playing, like Sonic 1 & 2, Mortal Kombat 1 & 2, Chuck Rock 1 & 2 etc... I had a Master System until 1994 (where I got a MegaDrive with Sonic & Knuckles) and never felt like I was missing that much. Of course, once I got the MegaDrive, I did some catch up. Good times.

[@mauriciomedeiros4679]

Taz Mania and Jurassic Park are both arguably better on Master System than the Mega Drive versions. I just love your content on the Master System, a plataforma that hold a very special place on my heart.

[@DrJ3RK8]

All SMS systems should have ONLY had the YM/FM chip. The NES A03 sounds so much better than the SMS' PSG chip. Full FM would have leveled that out a bit. Nice video!

[@Andrew_TS]

Great video. Neither Double Dragon was close to arcade, but 2P was more important IMO.

[@ronsilk6212]

I just need to tell you i really enjoy your videos a lot. And the quantity of videos you put out. Thank you for the entertainment.

[@WelcomToTheNextLevel]

I completely agree with you concerning Castle of Illusion! I didn’t play the SMS version until a couple years ago, but the Game Gear version that I played in my youth was exactly the same and still better than the Genesis.

[@joeb2588]

Interestingly enough, i couldn't wait for a video game system to come out after Colecovision was discontinued. Finally the NES was released. I thought the graphics were no better than Colecovision and the 4 way d-pad was terrible. Still though it was a new system. Then I saw the Master System....game over. Got the Master System, never regretted it. Great video, love the Master System.

[@romulodornelas3206]

I'm Brazilian and the Master System was the official console in Brazil. Because the Nintendo was worried about the market in South America, SEGA dominated and all the NES games unofficial mostly and the consoles was made by Brazilian companys not with the same design of the American version and I never was very interested in play the Nintendo games because of that. Of course I played Super Mario 3 and still one of my favorites games but with this context Master System official and unofficial consoles for play NES I aways felt like NES games worse because that AND the graphics. I'm aways looked for games like Ninja Gaiden or Metroid like: "I don't know, this game don't look good" because I used to play MS and the games is aways super colorful. I'm just using Metroid and NG for exemples because now I love boths, but when they came out, my references graphics of Master System. Excellent video. Master System is my ♥️ (With Super Nintendo and PS1)

[@JAMlE1]

In the UK the master system never really went up against the nes. The nes came in the late 80s and was very popular, but died when the super nes came out. But master system hung around in stores as the master system 2 until 1994/95 . It was marketed next to the mega drive and the super NES.

[@danseth5775]

"Ghouls and Ghost" on the SMS is actually the best version out there and I mean against SNES and Genesis. It's very different , it uses an upgrade system where you upgrade your weapons, armor helmet and boots. If you haven't played it , give it a chance

[@dbranconnier1977]

Imagine what games like Contra (aka Gryzor) or Metal Gear would have been like on the SMS. It's unfortunate that game developers like Konami didn't port their games to the Master System.

[@ChaunceyGardener]

Sonic 1 was better on SMS. You are climbing an island and the level layouts reflect that. It even has little cutscenes with the map. You don't suddenly warp from Green Hill Zone to Greece and then Pinball. You have to make to a menacing sky base and hop into Robotnik's flying ship to fight him. Epic. Surely isn't fast but you also can't run for too long on Genesis because of the cluttered level design. Bonus levels aren't a requirement. Also it has an amazing soundtrack by Yuzo Koshiro. Sonic 1 on Genesis is just a cool first stage and nothing else.

[@Tiger351]

That's a big call saying the SMS version of Castle of Illusion was better than the Mega Drive/Genesis version, I've played both and the better visuals of the 16 bit version made it more playable and enjoyable to me. For me exclusive titles like Psycho Fox were what made the console great rather than just having better ports of games found on other systems.

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

Better graphics do not a better game make.

[@l1uchill]

Great video man! I honestly enjoyed this! The Sega master system came out before I was born so I never knew about it! Thanks to SLX I now have some more knowledge on gaming!

[@johnatahsantos5859]

I agree about Castle of Illusion, also California Games is better than the Genesis version. Ninja Gaiden in the Master is better the NES too.

[@mtoad]

Ninja Gaiden on the SMS isn't even close to as good as the NES game. Nothing on the SMS approaches Ninja Gaiden on the NES, or any of the best NES games. Terrible library

[@ostiariusalpha]

@@mtoad The SMS never had nearly as many top tier games as the NES, but it had a few; such as Aladdin, Choplifter, Chuck Rock II, The NewZealand Story, Phantasy Star, and Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap.

[@digitalworms]

Sad part for my childhood I completely missed this system hell I cant even recall seeing it and lived in Los Angeles! I had the NES and genesis but didn't know about it till later from a GamePro magazine!

[@lilyounggamer]

congrats on 50k subs man

[@Phenylalanin1979]

Completely agree on The Castle of Illusion. In fact I like Land of Illusion the best of all the Sega 8-bit and 16-bit Mickey Mouse games. The 8-bit games just have so much charm, love and care put into them and it shows. Wonderful games. I found out a while back that there is a third Game Gear Mickey game in the same style that came out in Brazil for Master System called Legend of Illusion. I need to check that one out.

[@brianoconnell6459]

I like how at 7:37 it looks like after you shoot the chicken, it looks like it jumps into the APC.

[@joypadretro2797]

Castle of illusion for the Master System is SUCH a good game. i prefer it over de Genesis version too!

[@Techno-Universal]

While California Games also was released on the C64 and DOS PCs and the C64 version was extremely similar to the NES version which was quite impressive considering how the C64 was released a full two years before the NES and five years before the game was released! :)

[@Elkott]

I live in the UK and the Master System was my first console and I have fond memories of it

[@splotch5]

It's clear the SMS had better graphics...but that sound chip...OUCH!!

[@craigdavies1747]

I'm in the UK and never had the nes. Thought the games looked grainy and lacked colour compared to the master system. Both had horrible sound though so was glad to get the snes and megadrive afterwards. Love looking back at this video's and own a lot of these systems still but find the games too simplistic to go back to now except a few rare occasions.

[@SomeOrangeCat]

To me it's kinda nuts that the same group of people who dump on the NES for not being as technically advanced as the SMS, will more often than not choose the ZX Spectrum over other, more capable, micros. Hmmmm.

[@jontomustalent575]

Man I can't get enough of your channel

[@Kissamies1]

As a kid who only experienced the 8-bit era on nes I find this video very interesting

[@BloodlessWolf]

Batman Returns can be easily added to this as well. You might even be able to argue for Ninja Gaiden though that one probably slightly goes to NES.

[@Ruudos]

Those are completely different games that only have their name in common. Ninja Gaiden SMS is held back by some stupid design decisions. Hardcoregaming101 has a good article on it.

[@BloodlessWolf]

@@Ruudos There isn't some hardcore rule set explaining what counts for this video. He even included Castle of Illusion.

[@Ruudos]

@@BloodlessWolf True. You can argue that Castle of Illusion and Ninja Gaiden are kind of similar. However Batman Returns is a completely different game (a platformer compared to a beat 'em up) just based on the same movie license.

[@loganjorgensen]

Poor graphics on the SMS is a crime when you consider how nice many NES games look. Just on a technical level having sprites and tiles at 5 to 8 colors on average is easier to use compared to 3 to 4 colors. In NA you are generally collecting GG carts to experience the more developed games that the rest of the world got on SMS later. And a shout-out to later SMS sound too since the music did get much better in games later in the life of the console. I love the NES but that monopoly of titles really left much of the SMS hardware underutilized in the large sense. :\

[@nicotinedeals]

Good video! I remember my friend having the Master System and I had the Game Gear. I bought a converter to it so I could play master system games on it. Good times 👍

[@vonzealsheley6610]

I like rampage on the Nintendo 64 better honestly I don’t have the very first one till I watch ur video I guess you learn something new every day

[@WrightOffsGaming]

Another really great vid thanks. I don't know how you manage to get so many really excellent video's out every week!

[@chriswaudby5580]

Both consoles had good and bad games but side by side comparisons such as these embarrassed the news another eye opener thank the lord for another brilliant video.

[@Fattydeposit]

Some more SMS Vs NES comparisons to ponder: - Fantasy Zone - Fantasy Zone 2 - Rygar ('Argos no Jujiken') - Spy Vs Spy - Rampart (Inc. NES & Famicom ones) - Marble Madness - Bubble Bobble - New Zealand Story Out of these only Rampart (Konami's Japanese version) and Rygar are superior IMO.

[@ostiariusalpha]

SMS The NewZealand Story tramples the NES version pretty hard, and that is despite that the NES one is quite good. Level layout is much more faithful to the arcade game, better color, better sprite animation, better sound effects, faster gameplay, no sprite flicker, and the control is even a smidge tighter and more responsive. The NES NZ Story's music isn't quite as chirpy, and the arcade music score is not abridged like it is on the SMS and every other port of the game.