While most video game consoles tend to slowly fade away following the release of their successors, some stick around for quite a bit longer. The PS2 was notorious for this, with production of the console continuing for more than six years following the release of the PS3 before the system was finally discontinued in early 2013. The popularity of older consoles varies quite a bit from country to country, though.
Brazil was one of the many regions in which the PS2 remained popular, with Brazilian PS2 owners even getting access to Netflix thanks to the system's incredible longevity. That's nothing when compared to the Sega Master System, however, which, thanks to a licensing agreement between Sega and Tec Toy, is still being sold in Brazil today almost 35 years on from its original release.
Such was the popularity of the Master System in the country back in the nineties that Tec Toy even released a selection of Brazil-exclusive Master System games. There are 22 of them in total as well as 8 rom hacks, many of which have become highly collectible due to the limited quantities in which they were produced. The quality of the games themselves is a little hit and miss, although some are incredibly impressive given the limitations of the hardware.
22 Castelo Rá-Tim-Bum (1997)
Based on a Brazilian kids TV show of the same name, Castelo Rá-Tim-Bum actually doesn't look too bad at first glance. Unfortunately, however, the gameplay is pretty much non-existent. Players move from left to right over and over again with no real purpose and the multicolored flashes that trigger each time the player transitions between screens can quickly cause headaches.
21 20 Em 1 (1995)
Released in 1995, 20 Em 1 was a bundle game sold with the Master System and so is one of very few games for the system that doesn't have an official game box. It doesn't really have a lot going for it either, with its ugly driving games offering very little in the way of fun. Some of the other games on the cart aren't quite as bad, but they're nothing special either and many of them use the same horrible looping melody.
20 Virtua Fighter Animation (1997)
The Virtua Fighter series sent shock-waves through the fighting game community when it first hit Japanese arcades in the early nineties. Sadly, though, Virtua Fighter Animation for the Game Gear didn't have quite the same impact and the lazy Master System port that was released in Brazil was even worse. Around a third of the screen is black, with players barely able to make out Akira and co due to how small they are on screen.
19 Mickey's Ultimate Challenge (1998)
Mickey's Ultimate Challenge was one of many Disney games to release for the Master System and the last new title to be released for the console in Brazil. It looks terrible when compared to the Mega Drive version, however, which released in the States more than four years earlier. As with most of the Master System games exclusive to Brazil, it's based on the game's Game Gear port and offers no notable improvements despite releasing some three years later.
18 Earthworm Jim (1996)
Sadly, the Master System release of Earthworm Jim seems to have been based on the Game Gear port of the game rather than the Genesis or Super Nintendo versions. As a result, it looks pretty bad and, though definitely playable, is nowhere near as enjoyable. There are far better looking platformers for the Master System, so there's very little reason for anybody to ever play this one.
17 Legend of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (1998)
Legend of Illusion doesn't look too bad at first glance, but it's actually a poor port of the game's Game Gear version. The developers didn't even bother to stretch the game's output to fill the entire screen vertically, instead opting to leave a large black box at the bottom of the screen. It's still a lot better than Mickey's Ultimate Challenge, though that by no means makes it a good game.
16 Disney's Ariel The Little Mermaid (1992)
Considering it was released in 1992, Disney's Ariel The Little Mermaid isn't half bad, but the gameplay does get repetitive fairly quickly. It plays a little like Echo the Dolphin, although the dark colors detract a little from the fantastic under the sea setting that players will have likely expected from a Little Mermaid game. Worse still, it somehow manages to look worse than the Game Gear version.
15 FIFA International Soccer (1996)
The Master System port of FIFA International Soccer offers very few improvements over the Game Gear version that released in North America in 1994. That said, for those who couldn't get their hands on a Genesis or SNES and wanted to play soccer on a home console, there weren't really too many other options. It's not a bad game, but is inferior to FIFA 96 in almost every conceivable way.
14 Mortal Kombat 3 (1996)
Though the idea of playing Mortal Kombat 3 on the Master System may seem cool at first, it's worth noting that the Game Gear version on which the port is based had already been available in Brazil for a full year at the time of the port's release. It's still better than the Game Boy version, though, and, unlike the Nintendo port, did not have the blood and gore which defines the series removed.
13 Taz In Escape From Mars (1997)
There was already a Taz game available for the Sega Master System, so why exactly Tec Toy opted to port the Game Gear version of its sequel over to the console remains to be seen. Perhaps if Taz In Escape From Mars were a better game it would make sense, but it's inferior to its predecessor in just about every way. That's not to say that it's a terrible game or anything, but Taz-Mania definitely provides much better value for money.
12 Disney's Bonkers Wax Up! (1998)
Originally released for the Game Gear, Disney's Bonkers Wax Up! is a little reminiscent of Home Alone 2 on the NES, although the colors are a lot darker. It's not quite as complicated either, offering a solid platforming experience with decent sound effects and visuals throughout. Though far from spectacular, it's streets ahead of some of the other platformers released for the console.
11 Sonic Blast (1997)
Considering the Game Gear version of Sonic Blast never released in Brazil, the Master System version no doubt came as a nice surprise for Brazilian gamers. It plays exactly the same as its handheld counterpart, with no noticeable changes made either to gameplay or the game's visuals. Brazilians did have to wait an extra year to get their hands on it, however, with the Master System port releasing at the very end of 1997.
10 Sítio do Picapau Amarelo (1998)
Based on a series of Brazilian novels of the same name, Sítio do Picapau Amarelo is a platformer developed and published entirely by Tec Toy. The colors are incredibly bright compared to some of the other games on the system and the gameplay is surprisingly enjoyable too. There isn't all that much to it, but for a game designed for young children, it really isn't half bad.
9 Ecco The Tides Of Time (1996)
Those hoping for an Ecco experience akin to the one found on the Genesis will be bitterly disappointed here as the Master System release of Ecco the Tides of Time is once again based on the Game Gear port. It's at least a better game than Disney's Ariel The Little Mermaid, however, thanks to its more visually appealing color palette and more involved gameplay.
8 X-Men: Mojo World (1996)
The Game Gear version of X-Men: Mojo World never released outside of the United States, meaning that Europeans never got a chance to play it. Brazilians did, however, although rather than the Game Gear version, they were instead treated to a near identical Master System port. Both released in 1996, meaning that for once Brazilians didn't have to wait years for the game to make its way south. For that reason alone, it's a good port.
7 Dynamite Headdy (1995)
It's hard not to be reminded a little of the Super Nintendo game Plok when playing Dynamite Headdy due to the way that the protagonist whips his head around in order to deal with enemies. Unfortunately, the game is nowhere near as good as the Software Creations classic, although given the limitations of the Master System, the vibrant colors and decent sound effects are actually quite impressive.
6 Quest for the Shaven Yak Starring Ren Hoëk & Stimpy (1995)
Though very few changes were made from the Game Gear version of the game, Quest for the Shaven Yak is still a solid title and one that really captures the comedy stylings of Ren & Stimpy in spite of its 8-bit graphics. The controls are tight too, which was often the Achilles' heel of many of the side-scrolling platformers released during the mid-nineties.
5 Baku Baku Animal (1996)
Baku Baku Animal is a block-dropping game with a twist and arguably one of the best Brazilian exclusives for the system. Players drop blocks depicting fruit and vegetables together with animal blocks and must line up the animals with the food that they eat to clear the screen. Admittedly, it gets old pretty quickly, but it at least offers something unique that can't really be found elsewhere.
4 Battletoads in Battlemaniacs (1996)
Those living in North America only ever got to play Battletoads in Battlemaniacs on the Super Nintendo, but Brazilians were able to play it on the Master System as well. Granted, they had to wait an extra three years before they could do so and the graphics aren't nearly as good, but considering the additional power of the SNES, it's actually a fairly impressive port.
3 Férias Frustradas do Pica-Pau (1995)
Férias Frustradas do Pica-Pau is a fully licensed Woody Woodpecker game that both looks and plays great and really pushes the console to its limits. There are some really well designed levels when compared to what else scattered throughout the game and the controls are surprisingly tight for a title that was developed exclusively for a single region.