Experiences with the Master System & Game Gear

[Relish in Chaos]

I was just wondering what people's experiences were with the Master System and Game Gear. They're retro consoles that never seem to be talked about, perhaps because they were overshadowed by the NES and Game Boy. But for those who played them, do you think they were good? Did their game libraries contain a lot of gems? Do you even prefer them to Nintendo's competitors?

 

[Frankster]

Master system was my first console, first games played being Super Hang On, followed by Sonic and "In the line of fire". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WqvAqUGOMs

Gamegear I got after instead of a gameboy as seemed to be the norm, i remember being mindblown by the gamegear at the time cos of its fancy color graphics.
Don't remember much about the games on it though :S

Overall i reckon they are underappreciated compared to their nintendo counterparts, gamegear is usually though of as a joke nowadays for its high battery consumption and a more limited library of games compared to the gameboy, and seems to be same deal with master system in the nes library of games just outmuscles the selection for the master system.

I'd say this round of the console wars went to nintendo, sega would win the next one (imo) with the megadrive.

 

[Fappy]

Never had a Master System but I have a Genesis. If the Genesis is anything to go by I am sure the Master System was good.

 

[Batou667]

Never had a Game Gear but the Master System was my first console. At the time I thought it was amazing - Sonic 1 and 2 were loads of fun even if they were frustratingly difficult, and Alex Kidd was the stuff of legends. Also, Castle of Illusion. Man, that brings back memories.

I remember the Master System had a lot of good lightgun games, too. I wasn't an RPG payer at the time, but I understand the MS hosted a lot of good adventure games - the first ever Phantasy Star game, Ys, Ultima, and so on.

My poor Master System rapidly started gathering dust once I got a Megadrive, but I still pull it out of retirement once every few years to try to beat Alex Kiddd in Mirale World. I've still never managed it (and that's including use of the continue cheat and the level warp...).

 

[Swyftstar]

I had one before I had an NES. When everybody else was playing Mario I was playing Alex Kidd. When everybody else was playing Zelda I was playing Golvellius and Sword of Vermillion. Then you had Outrun, Hangon, Shining in the Darkness, Shining Force (started on the MS and got me hooked on strategy rpgs), Shinobi and a slew of others. I loved that system. I got a NES later on and never really played it as much.
I always wanted a Game Gear but I remember it was expensive and I never got around to buying one.

 

[FalloutJack]

I was just wondering what people's experiences were with the Master System and Game Gear. They're retro consoles that never seem to be talked about, perhaps because they were overshadowed by the NES and Game Boy. But for those who played them, do you think they were good? Did their game libraries contain a lot of gems? Do you even prefer them to Nintendo's competitors?

If by overshadowed you mean that they were highly-successful and made Sega alot of frigging money, then YES. The problem is, of course, that Sega made alot of really poor business decisions. The Game Gear was, of course, not bad...but its battery life sucked. Still, my sister owned one and played it alot. Most of the success was really in the Genesis (the Master system).

Anyway, I had the Genesis and I liked it very much, lots of good games AND good times.

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

Most of the success was really in the Genesis (the Master system).

The Genesis was the US name for the Megadrive, not the Master System. The Master System was an 8-bit system that competed with the NES.

I loved my Master System, it had Alex Kidd in Miracle World built into it, and it was incredibly fun. Phantasy Star was a fantastic RPG at the time and the only one of the seminal '87 JRPGs to be released in the UK.

I always somehow preferred Golden Axe Warrior to Zelda, too, even though it was an utterly shameless rip-off.

 

[evilneko]

The Game Gear was, of course, not bad...but its battery life sucked. Still, my sister owned one and played it alot.

Not as bad as the Atari Lynx.

*sniffles, glances over at the long-neglected handheld sitting in a drawer* >.>

 

[AD-Stu]

Master System was my first console too - it was great for its time, had a huge library of games. I found the controllers to be pretty fragile though, we wore out a lot of buttons and d-pads, problems which other people with the NES didn't seem to have.

Pretty sure my brother still has the console at his house somewhere. No idea if it's even possible to plug it into a modern TV though