|
The Sega Master System (SMS for
short) (Japanese:
マスターシステム), was an 8-bit cartridge-based gaming console manufactured by
Sega.
For information on the earlier
Japanese version of the console, see
SG-1000 Mark III.
The SG-1000 Mark III came after the
SG-1000 Mark I and
SG-1000 Mark II. It was introduced in
1984 in
Japan. The mascot of the system was
Alex Kidd.
The system was redesigned and was sold in the
United States under the name Sega Master System in
June
1986, one year after the
Nintendo Entertainment System was released. The console sold for $200.
The Master System was then released in other places, including a second
release in
Japan in
1987 under its new name.
Though the Master System was more technically advanced in some ways
than the NES, it did not attain the same level of popularity among
consumers in the
United States. Its lack of success in the U.S. has been attributed to
various causes, among them the difference in game titles available for
each platform, and the slightly later release date of the Master System.
The licensing agreement that
Nintendo had with its third-party game developers may have had an
impact as well; the agreement stated, in effect, that developers would
produce games for the NES only. The Master System sold 125,000 consoles in
the first four months. In the same period, the NES would net 2,000,000.
Nintendo had 90% of the North American Market at the time.
Hayou Nakayama, then CEO of Sega, decided not to use too much effort
to market the said console in the NES-dominated market. In 1988, the
rights to the Master System in North America were sold to
Tonka,but its popularity continued to decline. The move was considered
a very bad one, since Tonka had never marketed a console and had no idea
on earth what to do about it.
In 1990, Sega was having success with its
Sega Megadrive/Sega
Genesis, and they took back the rights from Tonka for the SMS. They
designed the Sega Master System II, a newer console which was smaller, and
lacked a reset button. The latter came about as a cost reduction measure.
Sega did everything in its power to market the system, but nothing came
out of it. The card slot was also absent.
By 1992, the Master System's sales were virtually nonexistent in North
America, and production ceased. The SMS didn't do too well in
Japan either, since the
Nintendo Family Computer, which the Japanese Master System competed
with, dominated the Japanese market.
In
Europe, the Sega Master System was marketed by Sega in many different
countries, including a few which
Nintendo wasn't even selling consoles to. The Europeans garnered lots
of third party support for the SMS, and it outdid the NES in that market.
Nintendo was forced to get licensing for some popular SMS titles in that
market. The Master System was supported until
1996 in that market. It was finally discontinued so
Sega could concentrate on the
Sega Saturn.
The SMS didn't do as well as the
NES in
Australia, but the defeat wasn't as crushing as it was in North
America.
Brazil was one of the SMS' most successful markets. It was marketed in
that country by
Tec Toy, Sega's Brazilian distributor. A Sega Master System III had
been released in that market, and several games had been translated for
the Brazilians. Characters in the said games had been modified so that
they appealed to Brazilian audiences. Brazil was where the first several
Sonic the Hedgehog
Game Gear titles started out in.
Tails, one of the characters, made his worldwide debut in
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Master System. That title would later be
ported to the Game Gear in other markets. Later in its life in Brazil,
Game Gear games had been ported to the Master System, and several original
Brazilian titles were made for the system. The console production was
familiar to the Brazilians, which explains the success in that market.
During the Master System's final days in Brazil, games had been marketed
for small children. The console finally ended production in that market in
1997.
Overall, the SMS was mildly successful worldwide, but failed to capture
the
Japanese and
North American markets. Sega would learn from its mistakes and made
the
Sega Megadrive wildly popular in
Europe and
Latin America, and the North American equivalent, the
Sega Genesis, popular in that said market. The failure of the SMS
meant the success of the Megadrive and Genesis.
Specifications
- CPU: 8-bit 3.6 MHz
Zilog
Z80 CPU
- Graphics:
Texas Instruments
TMS9918 derived VDP (Video Display Processor)
- 1024 Kbit ROM
- Sound: Texas Instruments
SN76489 4 channel mono sound
- 64 Kbits (8KB) RAM
- 128 Kbits (16KB) Video RAM
- Up to 32 simultaneous colors availible from a palette of 64
- 240x226 Screen resolution, 32x38 text display mode
- 8x8 pixel characters, Max 488
- 8x8 pixel sprites, Max 256
- Horizontal, Diagonal, Vertical, and Partial Screen scrolling
- 3 sound generators, 4 octaves each, 1 white noise generator
- 1 Game Card slot (Mark III and Master System 1 only)
Notable Games
-
Teddy Boy
-
Phantasy Star
-
Alex Kidd in Miracle World Integrated into one version of the
console
-
Hang On Integrated into one version of the console
-
Safari Hunt Integrated into one version of the console
-
Shinobi
-
Sonic the Hedgehog
-
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
-
Sonic Chaos
-
Kenseiden
-
Wonder Boy
-
Wonder Boy in Monster Land
-
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap
-
Wonder Boy in Monster World
|
