1988 Sears Sega Master System Love

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Stoking Up On Master System Games

God, all it takes is the mere mention of a mention of the MSJY in the wonderful Retro Gamer magazine, and all of a sudden I've remembered where it is and the fact that I've neglected to post here for a while.

A while back I let you know about the Master System titles that Gamestation were knocking out, and how pricey some of them were.

Those good people over at Retro Scene are also well stocked with a good supply of 8 Bit wonders, so why not nip over and take a look?

Amongst them you'll find these two classics, Ecco and After Burner. Now I remember these two games as Megadrive/Genesis titles. The two systems lived in harmony with one another for quite some time, before the Master system was phased out, rather like the way the PS2 and PS3 co-exist today.

Because so many people owned the older hardware, were happy with it and weren't rushing out to buy the newer and more expensive hardware (rather like the PS2 and PS3!) It made sense for publishers to bring out different versions of the same game on the older and newer platforms.

Obviously the Master System versions were simpler and less elaborate, but developers were more used to the older hardware and very often the 8 Bit versions stood shoulder to shoulder with their 16 Bit brothers.

Anyway I think I'm going off on something of a tangent! the point is, click on the Retro Scene link and grab yourself some Master System goodness!

The archaic SMS vs. NES video battle

There's nothing better than a flame war, even though I wouldn't dare hope for one right now, what with the SMS Junkyard's audience being less than 5 (rather old) guys, a dog and a blind little girl. Still, the video above, created by BitterPoetMadman (!), is a brilliant way of showcasing just how powerful Sega's 8-bit console seemed when compared to the NES. Light years ahead and that's probably why it half-conquered Europe. Well, that, and Nintendo taking ages to bring their offerings to the old world. Oh, and here's one more comparison vid.

We're back and we got our 8-bit Sega thingies with us

This humble Junkyard really deserved better. It's wasted its youth with us lazy bastards and never managed to truly shine or get the attention it deserved, what with taking the back seat to everything else and sadly looking on as other blogs lustfully enjoyed post after post. Still, as long as the SEGA Master System cunningly avoids death we wont give up. In fact, we might just give the blog a push, probably by providing a rather more steady stream of content.

Please, do watch this space...

Ghostbusters - Sega Master System

A lovely looking game here, and one which by all account was sumptuously superior in terms of graphics to its NES incarnation. So don't forget.... "If there's something strange, in your neighbourhood, Who y' gonna call?"

Gamestation's Sega Master System Section

Gamestation may have been swallowed whole by corporate monsters Game, meaning that Retro Gamers are now unable to walk into their Blockbuster based stores and pocket some enticing Retro Treasures, but online things are looking healthier than ever.

Newly opened on the Gamestation website is a specific Master System section with some quite pricey, but classic 8 Bit games...

Let's take a look at three featured on their Master System page and whince at the outrageous prices...

Wonderboy in Monster Land "Out Now: A drastic departure from the original, Wonder Boy in Monsterland thrusts our hero into a medieval world and arms him with a sword and shield. Buying new equipment is something you're going to want to do, but you can spend your hard earned cash on some booze as well. The gameplay is a far stretch from the strict run-and-jump platforming mechanics of the original, with some interesting RPG elements tossed into the mix."

Price? A whopping £9.99!!!! FK Rating... "Bloody Steep!"

Smash T.V. "Out Now: Smash TV is set in a futuristic game show (with the 'future' being, according to the game, '1999') in which one or two players attempt to collect prizes, cash and keys, while fighting off hordes of attacking enemies. The Classic Robotron game-play is enhanced further with the addition of power-ups and imaginative and challenging end-of-level bosses."

Price? A very reasonable £1.99!!! FK Rating... "I'd buy that for a dollar!"

Alex Kidd - The Lost Stars
Out Now: "The Lost Stars actually gives you unlimited lives but forces you to play against a timer. Getting hit or falling down a pit will reduce the timer or send you back a few screens, making the game much more forgiving. The graphics are bright, colorful, and full of detail, and the music is horribly catchy."

Price? A still not-too-cheap£6.99!!! FK Rating... "About the price of a Wii VC Download..."

So if you wanna purchase these classics, just click on the links... They're based on eBay prices and remember, you'll have to pay an additional £1.00 postage!