Highlights
- Sega Master System was a solid alternative to the NES, with great games that are still enjoyable today.
- The console found success in Europe and helped ensure the release of Sega Genesis.
- Many of Sega's retro consoles, including the Master System, are still timeless and have had recent spotlights.
The Sega Master System was 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 of Sega Genesis just three years later.
6 Retro Video Games That Still Hold Up Today
While games have come a long way over the years, there are some retro games that still hold their own.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 the best 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, and Prince 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.
23 Marble Madness
GameFaqs Score: 3.47
As titles like Tetris and Minecraft continue 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.
22 California Games
GameFaqs Score: 2.8
1987's California Games was developed by Epyx, who was best known at the time for their Summer Games and Winter Games series. As the name suggests, California Games implements a range of casual, outdoor sports that were popular in California during the 80s.
Like most critically acclaimed sports games from 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.
The playable sports are:
- BMX, Skateboarding, Flying Disc (Frisbee), Freestyle Footbag, Half-pipe, Roller Skating, Surfing
21 Ghouls 'N Ghosts
GameFaqs Score: 3.77
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 this spooky 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.
20 Sonic Chaos
GameFaqs Score: 3.47
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 System Sonic games, 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 the top-selling Game Gear game, though they also result in an overlooked Master System romp.
19 Bubble Bobble
GameFaqs Score: 3.98
Overlooked as a Master System title and as a game in 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.
8 Retro Video Games That Were Set In The 2020s
These retro games had their own predictions of what the world would look like in the 2020s back when they were first released.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's Bubble Bobble was ahead of its time, at least from a gameplay standpoint.
18 Wonder Boy 3: The Dragon's Trap
GameFaqs Score: 3.85
Westone and Sega's overlooked platforming adventure has seen new life with a cute, stylized remake in 2017. Still, the 1989 original manages to hold up with its solid mechanics, diverse gameplay, and rich presentation. For an 80s platformer, Wonder Boy 3 is 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.
17 Double 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 given Double Dragon's brutality.
16 Streets Of Rage 2
GameFaqs Score: 4.2
Despite its Genesis variant dazzling more visually and musically (and also missing multiplayer and Max Thunder), Streets of Rage 2 is still among 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 dynamic Streets of Rage 3. This game exemplifies Master System's slightly grittier, edgier sensibility, which Genesis would further run with.
15 Alien 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.
19 Best Sci-Fi Games On Switch
Though they may not seem like the console's main genre, there are tons of amazing sci-fi games awaiting fans on the Switch.Alien Syndrome is 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.
14 R-Type
GameFaqs Score: 3.81
R-Type is 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-Type is a 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.
13 Shinobi
GameFaqs Score: 3.61
Shinobi is the third entry in a row on this list that was initially released in 1987. Sega's game enjoyed enormous commercial success, and soon became one of the highest-grossing titles of the year. Shinobi was soon released on the Master System and NES, before coming to home computers.
Just over a decade after its release, the eastern-themed hack-and-slash was released on the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console and Xbox Live Arcade. Shinobi's success also sparked a long-running series of games, with the most recent release being Shinobi for the Nintendo 3DS which hit back stores in 2011.
12 Out Run
GameFaqs Score: 3.98
Out Run was initially released in 1986 and immediately shined with sunny, dynamic visuals that looked above and beyond most games at the time. This Master System game stood out for its pseudo-3D graphics and swift pacing, but also its fun arcade-style racing.
Out Run's visuals weren't the only feature that raised the bar for games at the time, however, as Sega's game was also a pioneer in high-quality gaming soundtracks and non-linear gameplay. Out Run's efforts were recognized by the Golden Joystick Awards, which awarded the game their prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year accolade.
11 Golden Axe Warrior
GameFaqs Score: 3.77
Golden Axe Warrior was released in 1991 by Sega and was a spin-off to the popular Golden Axe series, which mainly featured fun side-scrolling hack-and-slash gameplay.
6 Forgotten PS1 Hack And Slash Games
For whatever reason, these buried titles couldn't hack or slash their way through a crowded market.Golden Axe Warrior, however, is a top-down adventure game that is unapologetic in how closely it resembles the classic Legend of Zelda games; with a dash of Dragon Quest for good measure. Although the game falls short of The Legend of Zelda's quality, it was still a solid attempt at the same formula that provided a decent alternative to Master System owners.
10 Operation Wolf
GameFaqs: 3.57
Operation Wolf was initially released on the Sega Mega System in Europe back in 1990, before coming to North America the following year. The game had previously been released in arcades and on the NES and was highly anticipated by Mega System owners, following continued praise from fans and critics.
In fact, the arcade-style romp was awarded the Golden Joystick Awards' Game of the Year award in 1989, beating the highly regarded runner-up Starglider II.
9 Road Rash
GameFaqs Score: 3.84
With the Forza Horizon series dazzling gamers with its gorgeous visuals and vast landscapes, it's easy to forget just how far visuals have come in gaming in a relatively short time. Road Rash may not hold up visually, but its simple-yet-gripping gameplay is still thoroughly enjoyable today, along with its wild vehicular combat that adds an interesting dynamic to the racing mechanics.
The Sega Genesis version of Road Rash was developed and published by industry giants Electronic Arts, who recently made major waves in gaming's racing genre following their acquisition of Codemasters.
8 Prince Of Persia
GameFaqs: 3.75
The original Prince of Persia was first released on the Apple II in 1989, before coming to the Sega Master System three years later.
7 Ways The Lost Crown Is Different From Previous Prince Of Persia Games
While Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is harkening back to the roots of the series, there are also many ways it stands apart from previous games.Prince of Persia is regarded as the first cinematic platformer ever released and consequently had a huge influence on modern flashy games in the genre. Not only did the game heavily influence other cinematic platformers like the iconic Another World, but its influence can also be more indirectly seen in critically acclaimed modern titles like Limbo, Inside, and Little Nightmares.
7 Alex Kidd In The Miracle World
GameFaqs Score: 3.85
Following the release of the legendary Super Mario Bros. in 1985, the gaming industry soon took a sharp change in direction as studios tried to capitalize on the enormous critical and commercial success of Nintendo's mascot platformer.
One such release was Alex Kidd in the Miracle World, which hit stores in 1986. Although Sonic The Hedgehog is remembered as Sega's response to Mario, it was Alex Kidd that first tried to compete with its brand of platforming gameplay that didn't hide its influences from the original Super Mario Bros. Coincidentally, Alex Kidd has seen something of a renaissance of late, with a Miracle World remake released in 2021.
6 Psycho Fox
GameFaqs Score: 3.58
Psycho Fox was another one of Sega's attempts to dethrone Mario from the head of the platforming genre before Sonic The Hedgehog was released in 1991 and finally offered some true competition.
Psycho Fox didn't come close to Mario's commercial success, though it did offer a few interesting ideas — like the ability to switch between characters who offered different skills. This concept of morphing into different avatars or having interchangeable abilities is still seen in the platforming genre today, with Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time and Kaze and the Wild Masks being two recent examples.
5 Land Of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
GameFaqs Score: 3.94
Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse was one of Sega's numerous attempts to challenge Nintendo with the use of recognizable IPs. Along with Mickey Mouse, the game also featured multiple other iconic Disney characters like Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, and Goofy.
Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse didn't try to reinvent the wheel and kept its core gameplay very similar to other respected platforming titles from the time. Still, it did impress presentation-wise for its time, with some vibrant visuals and imaginative biomes. Although it lacked innovation, the game was very well received by fans and critics and was considered to be among the best platforming releases of the early 90s.
4 The Lucky Dime Caper Starring Donald Duck
GameFaqs Score: 3.68
Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse wasn't the only Sega Master System release to center around one of Disney's most iconic characters, as Donald Duck received his own game two years before the aforementioned Land of Illusion.
8 Forgotten Disney Games
Many of these Disney games deserve to be forgotten, but many others are incredibly fun games that should be played by all gamers.This colorful platformer was also released on the Game Gear and had a handful of differences from the Master System version, including platform and enemy positions, along with changes to the star system.