Sega Master System
The Sega Master System (マスターシステム Masutā Shisutemu, abbreviated to SMS or Master System) is a third-generation 8-bit cartridge-based video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1986 in North America, seven months after the original NES, and in 1987 in Europe. Its original Japanese incarnation was the "Sega Mark III", which was first released in 1985.
 | |
|---|---|
 Japanese Sega Mark III North American Sega Master System PAL Master System II | |
| Manufacturer | Sega |
| Type | Video game console |
| Generation | Third generation |
| Retail availability | JP October 20, 1985 (Mark III) NA June 1986 EU September 1987 JP October 18, 1987 (Master System) SA September 4, 1989 |
| Discontinued | JP 1989 NA 1991 EU/CA 1996 |
| Units sold | 10-14.8 million |
| Media | ROM cartridge |
| CPU | 3.58MHz Zilog Z80 8-bit processor |
| Controller input | SMS controllers, Sega Light Phaser |
| Best-selling game | Alex Kidd in Miracle World JP November 1, 1986 |
| Predecessor | SG-1000 (Wikipedia) |
| Successor | Sega Mega Drive/Genesis |
When the system was later released in North America it was sold in two incarnations: a bare-bones console with one controller bundle called the Sega Base System and a bundle with two controllers and a light gun entitled the Sega Master System. It was this latter configuration that became the more popular and better known of the two, and the system almost immediately became synonymous with this bundle. The system itself appears to have originally been intended to have been referred to as the "Sega Power Base" in English-speaking markets, and the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive adapter that lets Master System games be played on that console was later referred to as the "Power Base Converter".
In the European, Oceanic, and Brazilian markets, this console launched Sega onto a competitive level comparable to Nintendo, due to its wider availability, but it failed to put a dent in the North American and Japanese markets. The Master System was released as a direct competitor to the Nintendo Entertainment System in the third videogame generation. Despite its shaky performance in the major territories, it enjoyed over a decade of life in smaller markets. The later Sega Game Gear is effectively a hand-held Master System, with a few enhancements, although it required an adapter to play actual Master System cartridges.
There are no known global problems with Sega Master System titles on Dolphin.
Virtual Console Compatibility List (Sega Master System)
Help complete the list!
- Click the icon
to the right of the rating stars and put just a number 1 through 5 into the page. Use the compatibility guide below as a reference of what rating to use. - When updating a rating, please make sure it's in accordance with the list of problems in the title's page.
| Compatibility | Description |
|---|---|
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Perfect: No issues at all! |
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Playable: Runs well, only minor graphical or audio glitches. Games can be played all the way through |
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Starts: Starts, maybe even plays well, but crashes or major graphical/audio glitches |
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Intro/Menu: Hangs/crashes somewhere between booting and starting |
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Broken: Crashes when booting |
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Unknown: Has not been tested yet |
| Region indicator | Region description |
|---|---|
| AU | Australia |
| CA | Canada (NTSC /w French translation) |
| EU | Europe, PAL/SECAM territories |
| JP | Japan and Asia (NTSC-J) |
| KO | Korea |
| NA | North America and NTSC territories |
| RU | Russia |
| Title | Year | Region | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Kidd in Miracle World | 2008 | JP/NA/EU | 5
|
| Alex Kidd in Shinobi World | 2010 | NA/EU | 4
|
| Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars | 2009 | JP/NA/EU | 4
|
| Enduro Racer | 2008 | JP/NA/EU | 5
|
| Fantasy Zone | 2008 | JP/NA/EU | 5
|
| Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa | 2009 | JP/NA/EU | 5
|
| Hokuto no Ken | 2008 | JP | 4
|
| Phantasy Star | 2009 | JP/NA/EU | 5
|
| R-Type | 2009 | JP/NA/EU | 5
|
| Rambo: First Blood Part II aka Secret Command aka Ashura | 2009 | JP/NA/EU | 5
|
| Sonic the Hedgehog | 2008 | JP/NA/EU | 5
|
| Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | 2008 | JP/NA/EU | 5
|
| Sonic the Hedgehog Chaos aka Sonic & Tails | 2009 | JP/NA/EU | 5
|
| Space Harrier | 2008 | JP/NA/EU | 5
|
| Wonder Boy | 2008 | JP/NA/EU | 5
|
| Wonder Boy in Monster Land | 2009 | JP/NA/EU | 5
|
| Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap | 2009 | NA/EU | 5
|