The Master System 2 was launched in 1990 to position it as a cheaper alternative to the incoming Mega Drive.

Now I consider this quite a late game even in the Mega Drive‘s life, but for it to come out on the Master System as well was an absolute mind blower to me. According to Sato, the console was designed because of the limitations of the TMS9918 graphics chip in the SG-1000 and II, which did not have the power for the kinds of games Sega wanted to make. Retro Gamer's Damien McFerran praised the "superb" PAL library of "interesting ports and excellent exclusives", which was richer than the North American library and provided a "drip-feed of quality titles". This console was often known for having games such as Alex Kidd in Miracle World built into the console when bought, meaning kids could play it straight out the box with no games! But this is one game, which although isn’t terrible, doesn’t hold up in gameplay stakes to it’s 16 bit counterpart.Nevertheless, I’m not sure why this different IO chip was needed, and what those additional pins do.

It had a slower pace (which goes in the face of it’s main selling point), there were no loops and it generally required more thought. You’ll notice that the game is now full screen, rather than the standard split screen present on the arcade release and all other ports. The Master System is essentially a rebadged Sega Mark III and so shares the majority of the same traits as Sega's earlier console. North American release as Master System [ edit ] The Master System was redesigned to appeal to Western tastes. These titles use the Master System compatibility mode and don't take advantage of any Game Gear-specific functionality.Tectoy introduced a telephone service with game tips, created a Master System club, and presented the program Master Tips during commercial breaks of the television show Sessão Aventura of Rede Globo. The Master System takes much of its design cues from the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), released in 1983 in Japan and 1985 in the US, with detachable controllers and power and reset buttons. Combined with the Mega Drive, Sega represented the majority of the European console market that year.

There are similarities between the Game Gear and the Master System hardware, but the games are not directly compatible; Master System games are only playable on Game Gear using the Master Gear Converter accessory. There is no card port (and by extension, no 3D Glasses support), the unused expansion port was removed and the reset button has been omitted in favour of a larger pause button. The Master System was first revealed in North America at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Chicago in June 1986.You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. In 2009, the Master System was named the 20th best console of all time by IGN, behind the Atari 7800 (17th) and the NES (1st). Not only did it get rid of the reset button and the card slot, it also got rid of the AV output the Master System featured. In Brazil, Tectoy released several licensed variations; the Master System Super Compact functions wirelessly with an RF transmitter, and the Master System Girl, molded in bright pink plastic, was targeted at girls.