Sega MyCard

Satellite 7 was distributed exclusively in Japan on Sega Card.

The Sega Card or Sega My Card media format was an alternative to cartridges, designed by Sega for use with the SG-1000, Sega Mark III and Sega Master System. The latter two used cards with the name Sega My Card Mark III in Japan, to differentiate them from those designed for SG-1000 hardware.

Sega Cards were typically cheaper to produce, but have a limited storage capacity of 32KB. The idea at the time was to distribute bigger games on cartridge to be sold at a higher price, while smaller games would be distributed on card at a reduced price. Sega backed both formats during the 1980s, but phased out the Sega Card format in 1989 due to limited popularity with consumers. It was also considered a health risk, with younger children trying to eat them.

In Europe the majority of games distributed on card were re-released on cartridge (the exception being Great Soccer, which had already been discontinued since being superseded by World Soccer). However, the US card games failed to see a cartridge re-release, whilst the Sega Master System had already been discontinued in Japan by this point.

Unlike Master System cartridges which are of a completely different shape in non-Asian regions, both Western and Asian Sega Cards are physically identical. However, as Asian SG-1000 and Mark III games generally lack a ROM header (which the bios of Western systems require) Asian Sega Cards are not compatible with Western Master Systems. Systems without a card reader (the original SG-1000, SC-3000, and redesigned Sega Master System II) can use the Card Catcher to run card-based games. The Power Base Converter was the last piece of hardware to contain a card slot, however, as the Sega Mega Drive cannot run SG-1000 games, the slot is restricted solely to Mark III/Master System cards.

The Sega AI Computer also ran Sega cards, though they were incompatible with other systems.

Gallery

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  An example of the sleeve that came with Sega Cards.

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  Rear of an EU Master System Sega Card.

Card-Based Games

SG-1000

• Bank Panic (1985)
• The Black Onyx (1987)
• Bomb Jack (1985)
• C So! (1985)
• Chack'n Pop (1985)
• Champion Billiards (1986)
• Champion Boxing (1984)
• Champion Golf (1983)
• Champion Ice Hockey (1985)
• Champion Kendou (1986)
• Championship Lode Runner (1985)
• Choplifter (1985)
• Doki Doki Penguin Land (1985)
• Dragon Wang (1985)
• Drol (1985)
• Elevator Action (1985)
• Gulkave (1986)
• Hang On II (1985)
• H.E.R.O. (1985)
• Monaco GP (1983)
• Ninja Princess (1986)
• Pitfall II: The Lost Caverns (1985)
• Rock n' Bolt (1985)
• Soukoban (1985)
• Star Force (1985)
• Super Tank (1986)
• Wonder Boy (1986)
• Zippy Race (1983)
• Zoom 909 (1985)

Master System

• Bank Panic (1987)
• Comical Machine Gun Joe (1986)
• F-16 Fighting Falcon (1985)
• Ghost House (1986)
• Great Baseball (1985)
• Great Soccer (1985)
• Hang On (1985)
• My Hero (1986)
• Pit Pot (1985)
• Satellite 7 (1985)
• Spy vs Spy (1986)
• Super Tennis (1986)
• Teddy Boy (1985)
• TransBot (1985)
• Woody Pop (1987)