Sega Master System

From Sega Retro

MasterSystem1.jpg
Sega Master System
Manufacturer: Sega
Variants: Sega Mark III, Sega Master System II, Sega Game Box 9, Tectoy Master System Super Compact, Super Gam*Boy, Super Gam*Boy II

The Sega Master System (SMS) (Japanese: マスターシステム; Romaji: Masuta Shisutemu), is a cartridge-based video game console manufactured by Sega. It is a rebranding of the Sega Mark III, which in turn was a successor to the SG-1000 and SG-1000 II. In South Korea the Master System was distributed by Samsung and known as the Super Gam*Boy and later Aladdin Boy.

The Sega Master System was the first of Sega's consoles to see widespread distribution, and went head-to-head with Nintendo's Famicom/NES across the world. Though it was unsuccessful at dethroning Nintendo in many regions, the Master System was able to outperform other rivals (notably the Atari 7800) to hit second place in the third generation of video game consoles. This helped pave the way for the more successful Sega Mega Drive.

History

North America

Though the SG-1000 had been distributed across Europe, Asia, Austraila and New Zealand, North America was new ground for Sega, and the company felt that the Sega Mark III name would fail to attract customers. The console was therefore completely redesigned, and the new "Sega System" first appeared in June 1986 (a year after the Nintendo Entertainment System), selling for $200 USD.

Initially two bundles of the console were sold in this region - the cheaper "Sega Base System" (containing just a Power Base (the console unit) and a control pad and the "Sega Master System" (which also included a second control pad and a Light Phaser). The latter bundle proved to be more popular, so much so that Sega would adopt the name "Sega Master System" and apply it to all future products, eventually dropping the term "Sega System" entirely.

Nintendo had control of 90% of the North American video game market at the time, and Sega struggled to get a foothold in the region. After several months of poor sales, Hayao Nakayama, then CEO of Sega, decided to invest less money into marketing the Master System, inevitably selling the North American rights to Tonka in 1988. The move was considered a very bad one, since Tonka had never marketed a video game console and were clueless how to step up their game, hence its popularity continued to decline.

Sega Master System II console

By 1990, Sega had released the Sega Mega Drive (Sega Genesis) and felt the need to take back the rights from Tonka for the SMS. They soon created the cost-reduced Sega Master System II, a newer console which was smaller and sleeker but which, to keep production costs low, lacked several features that had been present on the original. Sega did everything in its power to market the system, but nothing came out of it. By 1991, the Master System's sales were virtually nonexistent in North America, and production ceased.

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 due to its slightly later release date and very ugly packaging designs. 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. However, Sega did have the advantage of being able to pluck titles from their ever-growing arcade game library at the time, and so was able to build up a strong library of exclusive Master System titles.

The Master System sold 125,000 consoles in the first four months, while in the same period, the NES would net 2,000,000. It is likely that Sega achieved better results with the Master System than Atari did with their Atari 7800 console, released in the same year.

In Canada, the Master System was distributed by Irwin Toy, though many games were imported from the US.

Japan

Pressure had been applied to Sega from the minute they entered the home console market in Japan. The SG-1000 and SG-1000 II were less successful than expected, fighting a losing battle against the MSX computer standard and the rise of the Nintendo Famicom. Faced with market defeat, Sega released the much improved Sega Mark III in the hopes of gaining a bigger share of the market.

But the Sega Mark III also failed to sell in the volumes Sega expected. In a last ditch effort, Sega brought the redesigned Sega Master System seen in North America to the Japanese audience in late 1987. The Japanese system is slightly superior in design - it contains the Mark III FM Sound Unit (missing from western versions), a port to connect the 3-D glasses directly to the console, and is fully backwards compatible with the SG-1000 (like the Mark III). Differing cartridge sizes meant this was not possible outside Japan and Korea.

The Master System performed slightly better than the Sega Mark III, but faced stiff competition with newer systems, including Sega's own Mega Drive, which debuted in October 1988. The Master System was essentially dead by the end of 1988, with one new release in December of that year (Chouon Senshi Borgman) and the final release arriving in February 1989 (Bomber Raid).

Japanese Master Systems are quite difficult to spot, even though the cartridge size is smaller. They can be identified by the text on the left hand side of the unit - western models read "Master System/Power Base", while Japanese systems simply read "Master System".

Europe

At the time, Europe was still a divided continent when it came to video games. Most consumers (especially within the UK) played games through home computers, such as the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. American video game consoles were sold in the region, but were not marketed heavily, leaving a big gap for Sega to fill.

The Master System appeared in Europe in 1987 and was virtually identical to the North American model, bar the fact it outputs a PAL signal. Sega distributed the consoles themselves, making a much bolder effort than Nintendo and selling the Master System in regions Nintendo had neglected. The Europeans hence garnered lots of third party support for the SMS, forcing Nintendo to obtain licensing for some popular SMS titles in that market.

The redesigned Sega Master System II was also released in Europe, however the colouring is slightly different. European SMS IIs are black, while their North American counterparts are grey.

Unlike the rest of the world, the Master System was able to outsell the NES in Europe, mainly due to the numerous poor marketing decisions and delays from Nintendo's European distributors (which arguably still continue to this day). The Master System was supported until 1996 in Europe, but was finally discontinued so Sega could concentrate on the Sega Saturn. Many Master System games were exclusive to Europe, and the console established a large user base to market the even more successful Sega Mega Drive to.

Brazil

Brazil was one of the SMS' most successful markets. The Master System was marketed by Tec Toy, Sega's Brazilian distributor, and as there was limited competition, became the console of choice. Further re-releases of the console such as the Sega Master System III were released, and several games were translated into Portuguese or localised for a Brazillian audience (for example, Wonder Boy in Monster Land featured Turma da Mônica, the main character from a popular children's comic-book in Brazil).

Later in its life, Sega Game Gear games had been ported to the Master System, and several original Brazilian titles were made for the console. Tec Toy also produced a licensed version of the wildly popular fighting game Street Fighter II in 1997, one of the most technically impressive titles for the system.

The Sega Master System is still being produced in Brazil, though systems with cartridge slots faded away by the mid-2000s. For more information see Tectoy Master System.

South Korea

At the time, tensions between Japan and other Asian countries meant that Sega could not market the Sega Master System themselves. Instead, Samsung were put in charge, renaming the system as the Gam*Boy and repackaging/translating software and hardware in 1989. There are several Master System games exclusive to South Korea, but rampant piracy means many of these games are also unlicensed. Many of these games are MSX ports, and so use the SG-1000 video modes as opposed to the Master System's more sophisticated video modes.

South Korean cartridges are of the same form factor and pinout as Japanese cartridges, and so both regions are interchangeable with one another. South Korean control pads however have a more rounded look, and employ a different type of D-pad, similar to Nintendo's. Like its western counterparts, the console was redesigned and sold as the Gam*Boy II / Aladdin Boy, but it employed a completely different color scheme.

Asia

The Master System also saw a release in other parts of Asia, with the console being very similar to the redesigned Japanese model. The only major difference is that some regions required a PAL signal, while others an NTSC one. It is otherwise fully compatible with the Japanese game library.

About the Console

Main article: Sega Master System Models

Sega Master System

The SMS I is a large, tech-looking system measuring 14 3/8" W - 6 5/8" D - 2 3/4" H, with sharp corners (unlike the Genesis or SMS II) and black plastic casing. In comparison, the NES looks like a Cessna single-engine compared to the SMS' SR-71 design. After a one-inch base, the machine is formed upward and inward to form the cartridge slot plateau.

The SMS has an introduction screen which appears each time the system is turned on (with or without a game inserted). The Sega logo slowly "slides" into view mid-screen (with accompanying sound effect), and the text "Master System" appears underneath. The two-tone Sega tune is also played during this sequence.

Unlike the NES, the SMS has an instructional screen that appears if you turn on your system without having a cart or card inserted (the instructional screen appears after the introduction screen). Later on, Sega switched to built-in software, which automatically loads if you turn on your machine without a game present.

Early original Master Systems contain the "easter egg" Snail Race minigame, though later consoles included Hang-On or Hang-On & Safari Hunt, depending on the system bundle.

Sega Master System II

In 1990, a redesigned, smaller Master System console arrived in the form of the Sega Master System II. Very much the opposite of the original model, the Master System II looks similar to the redesigned Genesis 2/Mega Drive II system which would come several years later. Design aspects of the SMS II include smooth curves, rounded corners, variable degrees of black and gray-colored plastic, and an enlarged pause button. As an incentive, Sega included Alex Kidd in Miracle World as a built-in game, later to be replaced by Sonic the Hedgehog in 1991.

The SMS II lacks the following features (which were dropped in order to reduce the price of manufacture):

  • Card port (resulting in the inability to play card-based games and the use of the 3-D glasses)
  • Swinging, hinged cartridge slot doors (the SMS II cart port operates via a sliding cover)
  • Opening logo music tune and text "Master System", when powered up
  • Reset button
  • Power LED
  • A/V output (except on French consoles, which in turn lacked RF output)
  • Expansion port

Specifications

CPU

  • 8-bit Zilog Z80
    • 3546893Hz for PAL/SECAM, 3579545Hz for NTSC

Graphics

  • VDP (Video Display Processor) derived from Texas Instruments TMS9918
    • Up to 32 simultaneous colors (16 for sprites, 16 for background) available from a palette of 64 (can also show 64 simultaneous colors using programming tricks)
    • Screen resolutions 256x192 and 256x224. PAL/SECAM also supports 256x240
    • 8x8 pixel characters, max 488 (due to VRAM space limitation)
    • 8x8 or 8x16 pixel sprites, max 64
    • Horizontal, diagonal, vertical, and partial screen scrolling

Sound

  • Sound (PSG): Texas Instruments SN76489
    • 4 channel mono sound
    • 3 sound generators, 4 octaves each, 1 white noise generator
  • Sound (FM): Yamaha YM-2413
    • 9 channel mono 2-operator FM sound
    • built into Japanese Master System
    • available as plug-in module for Mark III
    • supported by certain games only

ROM/RAM

  • ROM: 64 Kbits (8KB) to 2048 Kbits (256KB), depending on built-in game
  • Main RAM: 64 Kbits (8KB)
  • Video RAM: 128 Kbits (16KB)

Game Slot

  • Game Card slot (Mark III and original Master System only)
  • Game Cartridge slot
    • Japanese and South Korean consoles use 44-pin cartridges, same shape as the SG-1000
    • Western consoles use 50-pin cartridges with a different shape
    • The difference in cartridge style is most likely a form of regional lockout
  • Expansion slot

Peripherals

Internals

RF Converter: MGB3-VU3401, 8E388        
PCB Component Side Markings: (c) SEGA 1988         
:       SEGA (R) M4  POWERBASE / NTSC  171-5533-01       
:       837-6629  19 AUG 1988         
CON2: 35 Pin Card Slot  209-5020 K16R         
CON3: 50 Pin Cartridge Slot  PSB4D255-4R1 M18R         
CON4: 50 Pin Card Edge         
IC1:  Zilog Z0840004PSC Z80CPU 8828 SL0965         
IC2:  0821EX SEGA MPR-11460 W46         
IC3:  NEC JAPAN D4168C-20 8829P5007         
IC4:  SEGA (R) 315-5216 120U 8820 Z79         
IC5:  SEGA 315-5124 2602B 84 18 89 B         
IC6:  NEC JAPAN D4168C-15-SG 8828XX215         
IC7:  NEC JAPAN D4168C-15-SG 8828XX215
IC9:  SONY 8M09 CXA1145

SMS Control Pad Information:

  • female plug on end view:
5 4 3 2 1 
 9 8 7 6
  • pin 1: Up
  • pin 2: Down
  • pin 3: Left
  • pin 4: Right
  • pin 5: No Connection
  • pin 6: Button 1 (Start)
  • pin 7: No Connection
  • pin 8: Common (Ground)
  • pin 9: Button 2

Miscellaneous

Can Game Gear games be played on the SMS?

The Game Gear can run SMS carts, of course, but that may very well be due to intentional backwards compatibility of the GG to the SMS, and such may not work in reverse. The only hardware difference known between the two on a chip level is that the GG can define 4096 possible colors, while the SMS can only define 64 colors, but that may be enough. If the GG has more colors, than it must have a different method of setting each of the color registers than the SMS did: The SMS color can be determined by one byte, so probably only needed one register, whereas a number from 0 to 4095 needs two bytes, and therefore the GG chips probably have two color registers, or one register with a special system which allows both bytes to be written one half at a time.

The Game Gear was probably designed to allow the color registers to be set by either the 64 color method (for downward compatibility), or the 4096 color method, whereas the SMS was created before the GG, so it would not support a GG-specific game's method of setting colors.

The possible problems resulting from this incongruity -alone- might be:

  1. A complete crash (if the GG game tried to set registers that did not exist or had nothing to do with color)
  2. Completely scrambled colors (if the GG uses the same registers to write the colors, but in a different way)
  3. No picture at all (if the GG writes colors using registers that had no function in the SMS, so no SMS color reg would ever be written to, and all would default to black, so no picture)

It may still be possible that the two are still compatible, but only if Sega intentionally created the GG to set colors in a matter that would cause the SMS to use it's nearest approximation, or if each cart were programmed to be SMS-compatible.

Sega RGB Cable

In France, the original Master System (and the SMS II, which had the A/V port instead of RF jack) were sold with an RGB lead (model 3085). One end plugs into the SMS, the other into the SCART/Peritel socket on a TV, via a small box in the lead, labeled 'Adapteur R.V.B.'. As it utilizes RGB, it gives a sharper and more vibrant picture compared to RF or composite video. The box contains a small PCB, the purpose of which is to provide the blanking and function switching signals, so that the TV can automatically switch to RGB input.

List of Games

Launch Titles

North America

  • Hang On & Safari Hunt

United Kingdom

Gallery

  • Sega Master System (US)

  • Sega Master System II (US)

  • Sega Master System II (EU)

  • Sega Master System (JP)

  • Master System (BR)

  • Master System II (BR)

  • Master System III Compact (BR)

  • Super Gam*Boy (KR)

  • Super Gam*Boy II (KR)

  • Aladdin Boy (KR)

External links

Sega Home Video Game Systems
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SC-3000 Mega-CD Mega-CD II Genesis 3
Sega Mark III 32X Dreamcast
Master System Master System II
AI Computer Game Gear
Saturn
Pico Beena


Sega Master System
Topics Sega Master System | Technical Specifications (Hardware Comparison) | History | Boot ROM | Magazine articles | Promotional material | Merchandise
Hardware Asia | North America | Western Europe | Eastern Europe | South America | Australasia | Africa

Sega Mark III | Sega Game Box 9 | Master System Girl | Master System Super Compact | Kiosk | Sega System E

Add-ons Demo Unit II | Telecon Pack | FM Sound Unit | 3-D Glasses
Controllers SJ-152 | Control Pad | 3-D Glasses | Control Stick | Handle Controller | Light Phaser | Paddle Control | Rapid Fire Unit | Sports Pad | SG Commander
Misc. Hardware Action Replay | Card Catcher | Action Case | Freedom Connection | Playkit
Unreleased Floppy Disk Drive
Consoles-on-a-chip Arcade Gamer Portable | TF-DVD560 | DVD Karaoke Game DVT-G100 | Fun Play 20-in-1 | Handheld Electronic Games | Master System 3 Collection | Master System 3 | Master System Evolution | Master System Handy | PlayPal Plug & Play | Poga
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