Summary
TheSega Master Systemwas initially released in North America back in 1986, just under a year after the Nintendo Entertainment System’s NA release.Sega’s console had improved hardware compared to the NES, though it failed to compete commercially with Nintendo’s console in North America and Japan. However, the Master System found success in Europe, which helped ensure the release ofSega Genesisjust three years later.
Due to Sega’s eventual inability to compete with Nintendo and Sony which put them out of the console market, many gamers overlook their home consoles today. This was unfortunate for any retro gaming fans, as the Mega System proved a solid alternative to NES, with several great releases that are still enjoyable to play today. To give such games their due praise, here are some of thebest Sega Master System games.
Updated December 1st, 2023 by Stephen LaGioia:Sega’s retro consoles have had an unexpected spotlight on them recently, following the Sega Genesis' inclusion in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. Between this, and some of the console’s major franchises seeing revivals — like Sonic, Streets of Rage, andPrince of Persia— the 8-bit machine’s timeless nature is apparent.
Despite sometimes getting overshadowed by Nintendo’s retro machines, and Sega’s own Genesis, the Master System remains a haven of classic games spanning many genres. And with several great, often overlooked Master System games, we thought we’d revisit this list, adding more gems from this NES competitor.
23Marble Madness
GameFaqs Score: 3.47
As titles likeTetrisandMinecraftcontinue to prove, the simplest gaming experiences can often be the most fun. Stretching back to 1984, this Master System Port managed to hold up well with its appealing and charmingly simple gameplay. As one might guess, players control a marble as they roll their way through a series of themed isometric grids.
Courses are littered with hazards that include tight, winding paths and ambiguous blobby foes. While lacking the smooth, intuitive feel of the arcade’s trackball, the game controls surprisingly well given its 2D visuals and d-pad interface. Despite the campaign being quite short even for its time, every minute is packed with fun maneuvers and tricky trials.
22California Games
GameFaqs Score: 2.8
1987’sCalifornia Gameswas developed by Epyx, who was best known at the time for theirSummer GamesandWinter Gamesseries. As the name suggests,California Gamesimplements a range of casual, outdoor sports that were popular in California during the 80s.
Like mostcritically acclaimed sports gamesfrom the 80s,California Games’gameplay is very simplistic, especially when compared to modern sports games, but it offers tight-knit and well-balanced gameplay that is still thoroughly fun today.
Known for its grueling difficulty (even for the harsher standards of the ’80s),Ghouls ‘N Ghosts— like its predecessor —has remained an overlooked classic. Almost all 50 minutes and six stages of thisspooky action platformer are loaded with tough, thrilling gameplay. This mostly comes by way of a barrage of foes hellbent on stopping the protagonist King Arthur.
Players are tasked with trekking across a slew of diverse, but mostly ominous, scrolling maps, as they fend off demonic and zombified creatures. Meanwhile, gamers can unearth sleeker gold armor and new weapons laced with special attacks. This time, Arthur also shoots upward, though this does little to alleviate the punishing difficulty.
20Sonic Chaos
Sega’s lovable blue mascot has seen no shortage of renditions over the years, with more current outings being more mixed compared to his older classics.
This late entry of the Master System, also on Sega’s handheld system Game Gear, isn’t often thought of on the console front — though it’s still a gem. While confined to 8-bit,Sonic’s flavor of fast, intense platforming is not lacking here, as the experience brings elements more like his Genesis games.
Some added depth and speed, as compared to older Master SystemSonicgames, are injected here. This includes an extra-fast move that Sonic can use, and including the ability to play as Tails. These qualities helped make this thetop-selling Game Gear game, though they also result in an overlooked Master System romp.
19Bubble Bobble
GameFaqs Score: 3.98
Overlooked as a Master System title and as a gamein general,this platformer brought tons of fun gameplay for those willing to look beyond its basic aesthetic. Taito offers hours and dozens of levels of bubble-popping chaos, which can be enjoyed simultaneously with another player.
Players are tasked with slaying baddies by trapping them in bubbles and popping them, all while grabbing items, and abilities, as well as bouncing on their own bubbles. With plenty of gripping content, unique bubble-popping mechanics, and great co-op, 1986’sBubble Bobblewas ahead of its time, at least from a gameplay standpoint.
18Wonder Boy 3: The Dragon’s Trap
GameFaqs Score: 3.85
Westone and Sega’s overlooked platforming adventure has seen new lifewith a cute, stylized remakein 2017. Still, the 1989 original manages to hold up with its solid mechanics, diverse gameplay, and rich presentation. For an 80s platformer,Wonder Boy 3is also rather robust, taking several hours to venture start to finish through the Mecha Dragon’s lair.
These attributes helped the game earn Electronic Gaming Monthly’s “Best Game of the Year” in 1989, and it’s still a cult classic among fans.
17Double Dragon
GameFaqs Score: 3.6
While somewhat overshadowed by its arcade and NES counterparts, the Master System version shines in its own right for various reasons. This appealing co-op brawler is, in many ways, at its best on the console, as it adheres more to the arcade rendition.
It amps up the experience with more vibrant colors and the ability to display more enemies on screen. It also permits unlimited continues, a welcome inclusion givenDouble Dragon’s brutality.
Despite its Genesis variant dazzling more visually and musically (and also missing multiplayer and Max Thunder),Streets of Rage 2is stillamong the best beat-em-ups on the console. This street brawler takes the appealing formula of the first game while refining the mechanics and amping up the action.
It does this while remaining fairly simple and accessible — which doesn’t quite apply to the dynamicStreets of Rage 3. This game exemplifies Master System’s slightly grittier, edgier sensibility, which Genesis would further run with.
15Alien Syndrome
GameFaqs Score: 3.02
This 80s run-and-gun game from Sega may have taken a turn for the worse in subsequent decades, though its origins remain as stellar as ever. Players can lock and load in some thrilling co-op as they take the role of the soldiers Ricky and Mary. They’ll blast their way through overhead-scrolling sci-fi biomes, staving off creatures and saving hostages along the way.
Alien Syndromeis akin to a game-ified version of a campy 80s sci-fi, a quality that’s proven endearing to fans who like an intense thrill ride.
14R-Type
GameFaqs Score: 3.81
R-Typeis a side-scrolling shooter that was developed by Irem. The game was first released on Arcades in 1987, before coming to the Master System the following year. The game keeps players on the edge of their seats with a pummeling of action through space combat and ominous foes.
Like most coin-operated arcade shooters,R-Typeisa brutally tough, grind-it-out game, ensuring players couldn’t get too much playtime for their coin. Due to how often players would replay the opening sections, the first boss Dobkeratops became an iconic villain during the 80s.
