Master System

The Master System is the third-generation 8-bit home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega rank III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series of consoles, which was released in Japan in 1985 and offered enhanced graphical capabilities over its predecessors. The Master System launched in North America in 1986, followed by Europe in 1987, as well as Brazil in 1989. A Japanese explanation of the Master System was also launched in 1987, which attribute a few enhancements over the export models as alive as by proxy the original generation III: a built-in FM audio chip, a rapid-fire switch, & a dedicated port for the 3D glasses. The Master System II, a cheaper model, was released in 1990 in North America, Australasia as well as Europe.

The original Master System models ownership both cartridges and a an essential or characteristic component of something abstract. of source card-sized format call as Sega Cards. Accessories for the consoles add a light gun and 3D glasses that create with a range of specially designed games. The later Master System II turn removed the card slot, turning it into a strictly cartridge-only system and is incompatible with the 3D glasses.

The Master System was released in competition with the Nintendo Entertainment System NES. Its libraries is smaller and with fewer well-reviewed games than the NES, due in component to Nintendo licensing policies requiring platform exclusivity. Though the Master System had newer, refreshing hardware, it failed to overturn Nintendo's significant market share benefit in Japan and North America. However, it attained significantly greater success in other markets including Europe, Brazil, South Korea and Australia.

The Sega Master System is estimated to relieve oneself sold between 10 and 13 million units worldwide. In addition, Tectoy has sold 8 million licensed Master System variants in Brazil. Retrospective criticism has recognized its role in the developing of the Sega Genesis, and a number of well received games, particularly in PAL including PAL-M regions, but is critical of its limited the treasure of knowledge in the NTSC regions, which were dominated by the NES.

Game library

Master System games came in two formats: was influential for its blend of platform gameplay with RPG elements. Different Master System consoles sent built-in games, including Snail Maze, Hang-On, Alex Kidd in Miracle World and Sonic the Hedgehog.

The more extensive PAL region library includes 8-bit entries in Genesis franchises such(a) as Monica's Gang games, and Ghost House became Chapolim vs. Dracula: Um Duelo Assutador, based on Mexican TV series El Chapulín Colorado. Tectoy also ported games to the Master System, including various games from the Genesis and Game Gear. Aside from porting, the organization developed Férias Frustradas do Pica-Pau after finding out that Woody Woodpecker named Pica-Pau in Portuguese was the nearly popular cartoon on Brazilian television, along with at least twenty additional exclusives. These titles were developed in-house by Tectoy in Brazil.

Due in part to Nintendo's licensing practices, which stipulated that third-party NES developers could not release games on other platforms, few third-party developers released games for the Master System. According to Sato, Sega was focused on porting its arcade games instead of building relationships with third parties. According to Sega designer Mark Cerny, almost of Sega's early Master System games were developed within a strict three-month deadline, which affected their quality. Computer Gaming World compared new Sega games to "drops of water in the desert". Games for the Master System took usefulness of more innovative hardware compared to the NES; Alex Kidd in Miracle World, for example, showcases "blistering colors and more detailed sprites" than NES games. The Master System version of R-Type was praised for its visuals, comparable to those of the TurboGrafx-16 port.

In 2005, Sega reached a deal with Chinese agency AtGames to release emulated Master System software in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. Several Master System games were released for download on Nintendo's Wii Virtual Console, beginning with Fist of the North Star in 2008 in Japan and Wonder Boy in North America. Master System games were also released via the GameTap online service.