Master System Monday(?) # 15: Michael Jackson Moonwalker Game Mission 1-1

I've already posted a review of this Master System Masterpiece some time ago. With Michael Jackson's dominance of the pop charts and financial muscle in the early '90s and Sega's rising power at the same time, this game could only be a runaway success. Released in arcades, on the 16 BIT Megadrive and 8 BIT Master System, the game was/is a classic! It was cerainly the game that first revealed to me what a great console the Master System is and inspired this particular thread a long time ago on The Saturn Junkyard, before moving here via Gnomes Gaming On The Go... Enjoy!

Master System Monday # 14: Master System Mods...

Wow! Its like me and Gnome are psychic twins or something... whilst he was looking at Master System Emulation (see excellent post below...), I was looking at some Master System mods...

Including a way of modding your fabulous 3D Master System Glasses, for use on your PC...


Whilst I don't claim to understand what the Dicken's they're talking about, I do get the feeling that its all very clever, and therefore worth a look...

Who knows? If they develop some sort of intelligence enhancing drug some day soon, I might be able to tinker with my 8 Bit wonder in the future!

Oh and for a great look at Master System Peripherals look here...

Oh! And BTW, I've found a place where you can play the Secret SMS Snail Maze game, celebrated by my esteemed colleague a few posts ago... Look here...

MEKA Sega Master System Emulation

Looking for the best in freeware SMS emulation for your PC? Hoping to also taste the pleasures offered by such obscure retro consoles as the Sega Game 1000, the Sega Super Control Station or even the Colecovision? Praying for some truly 8-bit hardcore pr0n? Well, sorry, can't help with the pr0n bit, but the excellent MEKA multi-machine emulator will more than make it up to you.

Download it here (for free) and don't forget to try some themes, have a look at the lovely Meka Configurator utility and the SMS Checker ROM organizer.

RAD Retro Reviews: Altered Beast Review

Altered Beast Review

Originally a game brought out for the MegaDrive/Genesis in 1988, Altered Beast has appeared on virtually every gaming system known to man! Currently enjoying its Billionth reincarnation on the Wii's Vitual Console, it was ported to the wonderful Master System in 1989.

Despite a restricted amount of levels (4), and besieged with in-game slowdown at times... This side scrolling beat 'em up is still a lot of fun. The whole game has a very mythological theme and you play as a dead Roman Centurion, who has to battle the undead, monsters, animals, giant wasps and whatnot, to rescue a Goddess.

As you defeat your enemies, you collect power ups in the form of pulsating orbs which allow you to transform into... you guessed it, an Altered Beast! Your greater size and power then allows you to more easily defeat your enemies! (Which is good because as you progress through the game, the bad guys come thick and fast... )

And what would a beat 'em up be without a boss fight at the end of each level? This game has everything you want from a video game... Proof of its brilliance is that it is still being downloaded by Wii owners today. A quick read of this Wikipedia Article will explain more than I ever could...

I actually own both the Master System version, and its 16 bit incarnation, which was released on The Dreamcast's wonderful US only "Sega Smash Pack".

I'll try and post a bit of video above...

The hidden SMS Snail Maze Game

Owners of the original Sega Master System Power Base (and not the SMS II) are also owners of the pretty nifty Snail Maze Game too, as the SMS was the first console ever to come with a built-in almost hidden game. Read a review of said game here.

And in case you've lost your console's manual and can't remember how to actually access Snail Maze, well, here's what to do: Turn on the console (without having a cartridge inserted), pick up the controller and press up and both fire buttons. Simple as that.