One advantage the Sega Master System has over the NES:

[fg]

We can all agree that Sega Master System was overshadowed by the NES and later the Genesis but ine advantage that it had (at first) was (besides better graphics)…it was a top loader and because of that I’m sure that the games worked every time.

Yeah, I know why Nintendo made the boxey look (as NES maker Lance Barr stated) but I they should have made it with a Blinking Light Win-like device in it (minus the Blinking Light Win chip that allows you to play games from Europe.) here’s the Gaming Historian review of Blinking Light Win

m.youtube.com/watch?v=6lJeRoIMPno&pp=ygUWQmxpbmtpbmcgbGlnaHQgd2luIG5lcw%3D%3D

[Alyce: Old Media Enthusiast]

Some versions of the Master System also have pre-installed games (Snail Race, Alex Kidd in Miracle World and in some instances, Sonic the Hedgehog)

Another advantage technically is that the Genesis has an official device that allows Master System games to be played on Genesis hardware (Only Model 1 I believe)

[BorneAgain]

Its an interesting to imagine an alternate universe where the Master System got the third party support the Genesis got. Numerous developers probably would have had less restrictions and could have done some solid things with games on it. The same contemporary brand of nostalgia that UK (and especially Brazil) have for it now could have eventually taken hold in the US had Nintendo not controlled so much of what third parties could do in the 80s.

[WoodStoner1]

They got Ernie Anderson to do their ads.

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

Even though I was a Nintendo kid, the Master System was a great little console with an underrated library.

[Gunhaver]

Sept 17, 2023 16:16:42 GMT -5 BorneAgain said:

The same contemporary brand of nostalgia that UK (and especially Brazil) have for it now could have eventually taken hold in the US had Nintendo not controlled so much of what third parties could do in the 80s.

Please forgive me if this is completely wrong nonsense -- it's based on a fuzzy memory of something I read probably 10 or 15 years ago -- but is it true that some SEGA stuff is still manufactured and sold to/in Brazil? I was reading something about the popularity of the early stuff like the Master System allowed the company to still sell parts of the ol' back catalog in Brazil. If true, that's really neat.

[Mozenrath]

Sept 17, 2023 21:20:49 GMT -5 Gunhaver said:

Sept 17, 2023 16:16:42 GMT -5 BorneAgain said:

The same contemporary brand of nostalgia that UK (and especially Brazil) have for it now could have eventually taken hold in the US had Nintendo not controlled so much of what third parties could do in the 80s.

Please forgive me if this is completely wrong nonsense -- it's based on a fuzzy memory of something I read probably 10 or 15 years ago -- but is it true that some SEGA stuff is still manufactured and sold to/in Brazil? I was reading something about the popularity of the early stuff like the Master System allowed the company to still sell parts of the ol' back catalog in Brazil. If true, that's really neat.

I am unsure if it's still the case, but the Master System did get continued support in Brazil for a very, very long time.

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

Sept 17, 2023 21:20:49 GMT -5 Gunhaver said:

Please forgive me if this is completely wrong nonsense -- it's based on a fuzzy memory of something I read probably 10 or 15 years ago -- but is it true that some SEGA stuff is still manufactured and sold to/in Brazil? I was reading something about the popularity of the early stuff like the Master System allowed the company to still sell parts of the ol' back catalog in Brazil. If true, that's really neat.

TecToy took over the manufacture and distribution of the Master System and Genesis/Mega Drive in Brazil.

Master System III:


Master System Super Compact:


Mega Drive III:


Mega Drive IV:


Amazing as it seems, TecToy only officially ceased manufacturing these consoles a couple of months ago, as they are now moving in the Mini Classic direction.

[The Dark Order Inferno]

The Z80 processor.

In Europe you had a lot of developers who cut their teeth on z80 based home micros and the use of that meant you had a bunch of developers who could quickly adapt to the master system architecture and port popular games in those markets. It also meant things could be ported to and from the Game Gear in places the master system died a death.

[Allie Kitsune]

The built-in FM Sound Unit of the later Japanese Revision of the console (which actually used the "Master System" name instead of "Mark III") was a nice idea, too.

[Gunhaver]

Sept 17, 2023 23:14:15 GMT -5 Mighty Attack Tribble said:

Sept 17, 2023 21:20:49 GMT -5 Gunhaver said:

Please forgive me if this is completely wrong nonsense -- it's based on a fuzzy memory of something I read probably 10 or 15 years ago -- but is it true that some SEGA stuff is still manufactured and sold to/in Brazil? I was reading something about the popularity of the early stuff like the Master System allowed the company to still sell parts of the ol' back catalog in Brazil. If true, that's really neat.

TecToy took over the manufacture and distribution of the Master System and Genesis/Mega Drive in Brazil.

Those looked incredible. Are they purely pre built games or is there a cartridge slot I'm not seeing?

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

Sept 18, 2023 9:24:23 GMT -5 Gunhaver said:

Those looked incredible. Are they purely pre built games or is there a cartridge slot I'm not seeing?

A bit of both. The Master System III is built-in only and Master System Super Compact has a cartridge slot in the rear of the console.

The Mega Drive III's cartridge slot is in the place where you expect it to be (the seams aren't very visible in the pic). The MDIV is built-in games only with an SD card slot.

It's also worth noting that there's multiple models of each system, some which omit cartridge slots and expandable media completely:



Some which are a mixture of both:



And some which are purely cartridge-only: