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Master System sales estimates are between 10 and 13 million units. Retrospective criticism has recognized its role in the development of the [[Sega Genesis]], and a number of well received games, particularly in [[PAL region|PAL]] (including PAL-M) regions, but is critical of its limited library in the [[NTSC]] regions, which were dominated by the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]].
Master System sales estimates are between 10 and 13 million units. Retrospective criticism has recognized its role in the development of the [[Sega Genesis]], and a number of well received games, particularly in [[PAL region|PAL]] (including PAL-M) regions, but is critical of its limited library in the [[NTSC]] regions, which were dominated by the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]].


==History/ rth America was released as SEGA System but later had t==
==History==
[[Image:Sega-Sg-1000-MkIII-Console-BL.jpg|thumb|left|Mark III rear view]]

=== Mark III ===
In July 15, 1983, Sega, then a subsidiary of [[Gulf and Western Industries]], released its first [[home console]], the [[SG-1000]], in Japan,<ref name="Sega">{{cite web|title=SG-1000|url=http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/sg1000/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716103528/http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/sg1000/|archive-date=July 16, 2014|access-date=February 12, 2014|publisher=[[Sega|Sega Corporation]]|language=ja|df=mdy-all}}</ref> the same day its competitor [[Nintendo]] launched the [[Famicom]].<ref name="Wired">{{Cite journal|last=Kohler|first=Chris|date=October 2009|title=Playing the SG-1000, Sega's First Game Machine|url=https://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/10/sega-sg-1000/|url-status=live|journal=Wired|publisher=Condé Nast Publications|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101073612/http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/10/sega-sg-1000/|archive-date=January 1, 2014|access-date=October 5, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 1984, Gulf and Western Industries divested non-core businesses including Sega,<ref name="herald2">{{cite news |title=G&W Wins Cheers $1 Billion Spinoff Set |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:MIHB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0EB35D45A7276DB8&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0ECC86DE7A4704AD |newspaper=The Miami Herald {{subscription required|via=[[NewsBank]]}} |date=August 16, 1983 |access-date=October 10, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110080330/http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004 |archive-date=November 10, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and Sega president [[Hayao Nakayama]] was installed as Sega CEO. Sega released another console, the SG-1000 II,<ref name="Retroinspection">{{cite journal|author=McFerran, Damien|title=Retroinspection: Master System|journal=[[Retro Gamer]]|publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]]|pages=48–53|issue=44|issn=1742-3155|location=London, UK}}</ref> featuring several hardware alterations, including detachable controllers.<ref name="Wired" /> Nakayama and Sega co-founder [[David Rosen (businessman)|David Rosen]] arranged a [[management buyout]] with financial backing from [[SCSK Corporation|CSK Corporation]] and installed CSK CEO [[Isao Okawa]] as chairman.<ref name=":2" /><ref name="nytimes_esco">{{cite news|last=Pollack|first=Andrew|date=July 4, 1993|title=Sega Takes Aim at Disney's World|pages=3–1|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/04/business/sega-takes-aim-at-disney-s-world.html?pagewanted=3|url-status=live|access-date=May 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526082802/http://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/04/business/sega-takes-aim-at-disney-s-world.html?pagewanted=3|archive-date=May 26, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Hoping to better compete with Nintendo,<ref name=":02" /> Sega released another console, the Sega Mark III, in Japan in 1985.<ref name="Retroinspection" /> The Mark III was a redesigned version of the SG-1000.<ref name="kotaku1000">{{cite web|author=Plunkett|first=Luke|date=February 27, 2012|title=The Story of Sega's First Ever Home Console|url=http://kotaku.com/5888800/the-story-of-segas-first-ever-home-console|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915093659/http://kotaku.com/5888800/the-story-of-segas-first-ever-home-console|archive-date=September 15, 2014|access-date=September 14, 2014|website=[[Kotaku]]|publisher=[[Gawker Media]]|df=mdy-all}}</ref> It was engineered by the same team,<ref name="Edge">{{cite web|author=Parkin|first=Simon|date=June 2, 2014|title=A history of video game hardware: Sega Master System|url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/a-history-of-videogame-hardware-sega-master-system/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605204323/http://www.edge-online.com/features/a-history-of-videogame-hardware-sega-master-system/|archive-date=June 5, 2014|access-date=September 13, 2014|website=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]|publisher=[[Future plc]]|df=mdy-all}}</ref> including Hideki Sato and Masami Ishikawa, who had worked on the II and later led development of the [[Sega Genesis]].{{Efn|[[Sega Genesis]] and Mega Drive are the same console. It was known as Genesis in North America and Mega Drive worldwide|name=sgnote|group=lower-alpha}}<ref name="siliconera">{{Cite web|author=Sato|date=September 18, 2013|title=Sega's Original Hardware Developer Talks About The Company's Past Consoles|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2013/09/18/segas-original-hardware-developer-talks-about-the-companys-past-consoles/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202230217/http://www.siliconera.com/2013/09/18/segas-original-hardware-developer-talks-about-the-companys-past-consoles/|archive-date=December 2, 2013|access-date=November 23, 2013|website=Siliconera|publisher=[[Curse LLC]]}}</ref> According to Sato, the console was designed because of the limitations of the [[TMS9918]] graphics chip in the SG-1000 and II, which did not have the power for the kinds of games Sega wanted to make. The Mark III's chip was designed in-house, based around the unit in Sega's System 2 [[arcade system board]].<ref name=":02">{{cite book|last1=Sato|first=Hideki|author2=Famitsu DC|author2-link=Famitsu DC|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File:Sega_Consumer_History_JP_EnterBrain_Book.pdf&page=23|title=Interview: The Witness of History|work=セガ・コンシューマー・ヒストリー (Sega Consumer History)|series=Famitsu Books|publisher=[[Enterbrain]]|date=15 February 2002|pages=22–25|language=ja|isbn=978-4-75770789-4}} ([http://shmuplations.com/segahistory/ Translation] by Shmuplations. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814114513/http://shmuplations.com/segahistory/|date=2020-08-14}}).</ref>

The Sega Mark III was released in Japan in October 1985 at a price of ¥15,000.<ref name="MK3">{{cite web|title=Mark III|publisher=Sega Corporation|language=ja|url=http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mk3/|access-date=March 31, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716112819/http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mk3/|archive-date=July 16, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Though its hardware was more powerful than the Famicom, the Mark III was not successful on launch. Problems arose from Nintendo's licensing practices with third-party developers, whereby Nintendo required that games for the Famicom not be published on other consoles. Sega developed its own games and obtained the rights to [[Porting|port]] games from other developers, but they did not sell well.<ref name="Retroinspection" /> Sega developer [[Mark Cerny]] said "pressure was very, very high", with a typical Master System game allotted only three months of development time.<ref name="Cerny" />

=== North American release as Master System ===
Although the SG-1000 had not been released in the United States,<ref name=":05">{{Cite web|last=Plunkett|first=Luke|date=January 19, 2017|title=The Story of Sega's First Console, Which Was Not The Master System|url=https://kotaku.com/the-story-of-segas-first-console-which-was-not-the-mas-5888800|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306195938/http://kotaku.com/the-story-of-segas-first-console-which-was-not-the-mas-5888800|archive-date=March 6, 2017|access-date=March 3, 2017|website=Kotaku|publisher=[[Gizmodo Media Group]]|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Sega hoped that their video game console business would fare better in North America than it had in Japan.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wolf|first=Mark|title=Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming · Volume 1|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|year=2012|isbn=9780313379369|pages=553}}</ref> To accomplish this, Sega of America was established in 1986 to manage the company's consumer products in North America. Rosen and Nakayama hired Bruce Lowry, Nintendo of America's vice president of sales. Lowry was persuaded to change companies because Sega would allow him to start his new office in [[San Francisco]]. He chose the name "Sega of America" for his division because he had worked for Nintendo of America and liked the combination of words. Initially, Sega of America was tasked with repackaging the Mark III for a Western release.<ref name="Horowitz 2016 6–15" /> Sega of America rebranded the Mark III as the Master System, similar to Nintendo's reworking of the Famicom into the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The name was chosen by Sega of America employees throwing darts against a whiteboard of suggested names. Plans to release a cheaper console, the Base System, also influenced the decision.<ref name=":3" /> Okawa approved of the name after being told it was a reference to the competitive nature of both the video game industry and martial arts, in which only one competitor can be the "Master".<ref name="Horowitz 2016 6–15" /><ref name=":3">{{cite journal|date=June 2002|title=Bruce Lowry: The Man That Sold the NES|journal=[[Game Informer]]|publisher=[[GameStop]]|volume=12|issue=110|pages=102–103}}</ref> The console's futuristic final design was intended to appeal to Western tastes.<ref name="Edge" /> The North American packaging was white to differentiate it from the black NES packaging, with a white grid design inspired by [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] computer products.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Horowitz|first=Ken|title=Playing at the Next Level: A History of American Sega Games|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2016|isbn=9781476625577|pages=6–15}}</ref>

The Master System was first revealed in North America at the Summer [[Consumer Electronics Show]] (CES) in Chicago in June 1986. It was initially sold in a package with the "Power Base" console, a light gun, two controllers, and a pack-in [[multicart]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=|first=|date=June 1986|title=New, Advanced Video Game System Revealed|url=|magazine=Computer Entertainer|volume=5|issue=3|page=1|pages=|doi=|pmid=|access-date=}}</ref> The console was launched in September 1986 at a price of $200 ({{Inflation|US|200|1986|fmt=eq}}), including the games ''[[Hang-On]]'' and ''[[Safari Hunt]]''.<ref name="Allgame">{{cite web|author=Beuscher|first=David|title=Sega Master System – Overview|url=http://allgame.com/platform.php?id=23|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102043846/http://allgame.com/platform.php?id=23|archive-date=January 2, 2010|access-date=March 31, 2014|website=[[AllGame]]|publisher=All Media Network|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Nintendo was exporting the Famicom to the US as the NES, and both companies planned to spend $15&nbsp;million in late 1986 to market their consoles; Sega hoped to sell 400,000 to 750,000 consoles in 1986.<ref name="takiff19860620">{{cite news|last=Takiff|first=Jonathan|date=June 20, 1986|title=Video Games Gain In Japan, Are Due For Assault On U.S.|page=2|newspaper=[[The Vindicator]]|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QBhcAAAAIBAJ&pg=2846,1271636|url-status=live|access-date=April 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403104919/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QBhcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MlUNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2846,1271636|archive-date=April 3, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref> By the end of 1986, 125,000 Master System consoles had been sold, more than the [[Atari 7800]]'s 100,000 but less than Nintendo's 1.1&nbsp;million.<ref name="CE">''Computer Entertainer'', February 1987, [http://i.imgur.com/eUXac6M.jpg page 13] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122215258/http://i.imgur.com/eUXac6M.jpg|date=November 22, 2015}}</ref> Other sources indicate that more than 250,000 consoles were sold by Christmas 1986.<ref>{{cite news|first=Stephen|last=Advokat|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/99559046/|title=Consumers eat up successors to Pac-Man; video games being gobbled up|date=January 30, 1987|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|access-date=December 31, 2020|page=2B|via=Newspapers.com|quote="Sega came on the scene late, offering its Master System ($150) in late September. Even so, it sold more than 250,000 units by Christmas."}}</ref>

As in Japan, the Master System in North America had a limited game library. Limited by Nintendo's licensing practices, Sega only had two third-party American publishers, [[Activision]] and [[Parker Brothers]].<ref name="Retroinspection" /> Agreements with both of those companies came to an end in 1989.<ref name="Horowitz 2016 6–15" /> Sega claimed that the Master System was the first console "where the [[box art|graphics on the box]] are actually matched by the graphics of the game",{{r|takiff19860620}} and pushed the "arcade experience" in adverts.<ref name="Edge" /> Its marketing department was run by only two people, giving Sega a disadvantage in advertising.<ref name="Edge" /> As one method of promoting the console, at the end of 1987 Sega partnered with astronaut [[Scott Carpenter]] to start the "Sega Challenge", a traveling program set up in recreational centers where kids were tested on non-verbal skills such as concentration and the ability to learn new skills. ''[[Out Run]]'' and ''Shooting Gallery'' were two games included in the challenge.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Sharpe|first=Roger|date=December 26, 1987|title=Sega Challenge Travels Cross-Country Promoting Video|magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]|volume=51|issue=27|page=126}}</ref>

In 1987, amid struggling sales in the US,<ref name="Horowitz 2016 6–15">{{Cite book|last=Horowitz|first=Ken|title=Playing at the Next Level: A History of American Sega Games|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2016|isbn=9781476625577|pages=4–15}}</ref> Sega sold the US distribution rights for the Master System to the toy company [[Tonka]], which had no experience with electronic entertainment systems.<ref name="Retroinspection" /> The thinking at Sega behind the deal was to leverage Tonka's knowledge of the American toy market, since Nintendo had marketed the NES as a toy to great success in the region.<ref name="Horowitz 2016 6–15" /> The announcement was made shortly after the 1987 Summer CES.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Sharpe|first=Roger|date=August 22, 1987|title=Sega Makes News with Tonka Toy Announcement|magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]|pages=35-36}}</ref> During this time, much of Sega of America's infrastructure shifted from marketing and distribution to focus on customer service, and Lowry departed the company.<ref name="Horowitz 2016 6–15" /> Tonka blocked [[Video game localization|localization]] of several popular Japanese games,<ref name="Retroinspection" /> and during 1988 were less willing to purchase [[EPROM]]s needed for game cartridge manufacture during a shortage. They also became less willing to invest in video games after taking massive loans in purchasing [[Kenner Products|Kenner Toys]] in 1987, followed by poor holiday season sales and financial losses.<ref name="Horowitz 2016 6–15" /> Though the distributor of the console had changed, the Master System continued to perform poorly in the market.<ref name="Retroinspection" />

The Mark III was rereleased as the Master System in Japan in October 1987 for ¥16,800,<ref name="MS">{{cite web|title=Master System|url=http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/master/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716105805/http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/master/|archive-date=July 16, 2014|access-date=March 31, 2014|publisher=Sega Corporation|language=ja|df=mdy-all}}</ref> but still sold poorly.<ref name="Retroinspection" /> Neither model posed a serious challenge to Nintendo in Japan,<ref name="business_japan">{{cite journal|author=Nihon Kōgyō Shinbunsha|year=1986|title=Amusement|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tJcSAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Sega+is+estimated+to+have+sold%22|journal=Business Japan|publisher=Nihon Kogyo Shimbun|volume=31|issue=7–12|page=89|access-date=January 24, 2012}}</ref> and, according to Sato, Sega was only able to attain 10% of the Japanese console market.<ref name=":02" />

=== Europe and Brazil ===
The Master System was launched in Europe in 1987. It was distributed by [[Virgin Mastertronic|Mastertronic]] in the United Kingdom, Master Games in France, and [[Ariolasoft]] in Germany,<ref name="Virgin Games">{{cite journal|author=Hewison, Richard|title=From the Archives: Virgin Games, Part 1|journal=Retro Gamer|publisher=Imagine Publishing|pages=50–55|issue=84|issn=1742-3155|location=London, UK}}</ref> though Ariolasoft initially purchased the distribution rights for the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=|first=|date=September 11, 1986|title=Ariola Sega link|url=|magazine=[[Popular Computing Weekly]]|volume=5|issue=37|page=6|pages=|doi=|pmid=|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=|first=|date=December 1986|title=News|url=|magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]]|issue=62|page=9|pages=|doi=|pmid=|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|date=December 1986|title=The master|magazine=[[Your Computer (British magazine)|Your Computer]]|volume=6|issue=12|page=19}}</ref> Because Ariolasoft could not agree to a pricing agreement with Sega, Mastertronic signed a deal in 1987 to take control of UK distribution, and announced the deal at the 1987 Summer CES. The company announced the release of 12 titles by autumn.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=|first=|date=June 5, 1987|title=Mastertronic Ends Sega Saga|url=|magazine=[[Popular Computing Weekly]]|volume=6|issue=22|page=10|pages=|doi=|pmid=|access-date=}}</ref> Mastertronic advertised the Master System as "an arcade in the home" and launched it at £99 ({{Inflation|UK|99|1987|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}). Advance orders from retailers were high, but Sega proved unable to deliver inventory until [[Boxing Day]] on December 26, causing many retailers to cancel their orders; Mastertronic and Master Games entered financial crises and Ariolasoft vowed never to work with Sega again. Mastertronic had already sold a minority interest to the [[Virgin Group|Virgin group]] to enter the console business, and sold the remainder to avoid bankruptcy. The newly rebranded Virgin Mastertronic took over all European distribution in 1988.<ref name="Virgin Games" />

Virgin Mastertronic focused marketing the Master System on ports of Sega's arcade games and positioning it as a superior video game alternative to the [[Commodore 64]] and the [[ZX Spectrum]] computers. As a result of this marketing and of Nintendo's less effective early approaches in Europe, the Master System began to attract European developers.<ref name="classics">{{cite web|author=McFerran, Damien|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/07/hardware_classics_sega_master_system|title=Hardware Classics: Sega Master System|website=Nintendo Life|date=July 22, 2014|access-date=September 13, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140914044405/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/07/hardware_classics_sega_master_system|archive-date=September 14, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The Master System held a significant part of the video game console market in Europe through the release of Sega's succeeding console, the Mega Drive.{{Efn|[[Sega Genesis]] and Mega Drive are the same console. It was known as Genesis in North America and Mega Drive worldwide|name=sgnote|group=lower-alpha}}<ref name="Retroinspection" /><ref name="classics" /> In 1989, Virgin Mastertronic began offering rentals of the Master System console and 20 games. The United Kingdom also hosted a Sega video games national championship, with the winner competing against Japanese and American champions on British television show ''[[Motormouth]]''. Players competed on a variety of games, including ''[[Astro Warrior]]'', platform games, and sports games.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=December 2, 1989|title=Rent a Sega|magazine=[[New Computer Express]]|issue=56|page=2}}</ref>

The Master System was also successful in Brazil, where it was distributed by [[Tectoy]]<ref name="Retroinspection" /><ref name="classics" /> and launched in September 1989.<ref name="brasil_lancamento">{{Cite web|url=http://jogos.uol.com.br/playstation3/ultnot/2009/09/04/ult530u7180.jhtm|title=Master System completa 20 anos de vida no Brasil|date=September 4, 2009|website=[[Universo Online]]|publisher=[[Grupo Folha]]|language=pt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227035251/http://jogos.uol.com.br/playstation3/ultnot/2009/09/04/ult530u7180.jhtm|archive-date=February 27, 2014|url-status=live|access-date=February 21, 2014}}</ref> Tectoy, a Brazilian toy company startup focused on electronic toys, reached out to Sega about distributing their products. Despite hesitation given the situation with Tonka in the US, Tectoy was eventually given liberty to manage Sega products in Brazil. Their success distributing Sega's laser tag gun based on the [[anime]] [[Zillion (TV series)|''Zillion'']] gave Sega the confidence to allow Tectoy to distribute the Master System.<ref name=":0" /> By the end of 1990, the installed base in Brazil was about 280,000 units.<ref name="brasil_megadrive">{{cite news|url=https://acervo.estadao.com.br/publicados/1990/11/22/g/19901122-35513-nac-0081-eco-9-not-aaweass.jpg|title=Tec Toy lança no País o videogame Mega Drive|date=November 22, 1990|newspaper=O Estado de S.Paulo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304063644/http://acervo.estadao.com.br/publicados/1990/11/22/g/19901122-35513-nac-0081-eco-9-not-aaweass.jpg|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=live|publisher=Grupo Estado|issue=35513|location=São Paulo|volume=111|page=81|language=pt|issn=1516-2931|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Tectoy introduced a telephone service with game tips, created a Master System club, and presented the program ''Master Tips'' during commercial breaks of the television show ''Sessão Aventura'' of [[Rede Globo]].<ref name="brasil_lancamento" /> Nintendo did not arrive in Brazil until 1993,<ref name="playtronic">{{cite news|url=http://acervo2.folha.com.br/7/61/8/78/4780861/1024/4780861.png|title=Estrela e Gradiente trazem jogos Nintendo|date=March 18, 1993|newspaper=[[Folha de S.Paulo]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230509/http://acervo2.folha.com.br/7/61/8/78/4780861/1024/4780861.png|archive-date=March 3, 2016|url-status=dead|publisher=Grupo Folha|issue=23360|location=São Paulo|volume=73|pages=2–13|language=pt|issn=1414-5723|df=mdy-all}}</ref> and were unable to officially compete, given that clones of the NES dominated the Brazilian market.<ref name=":1">{{Cite magazine|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|date=November 2006|title=Company Profile: Tec Toy|magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]]|issue=30|pages=50–53|issn=1742-3155}}</ref> Tectoy claimed 80% of the Brazilian video game market.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sega-16.com/2015/11/interview-stefano-arnhold-tectoy/|title=Interview: Stefano Arnhold (Tectoy)|last=Sponsel|first=Sebastian|date=November 16, 2015|website=Sega-16|publisher=Ken Horowitz|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122012118/http://www.sega-16.com/2015/11/interview-stefano-arnhold-tectoy/|archive-date=November 22, 2015|url-status=live|access-date=November 30, 2015}}</ref>

=== Decline ===
[[File:Sega-Mastery-System-MkII-Console-FL.jpg|thumb|The Master System II, a cost-reduced version of the Master System released in 1990]]
Although the Master System was a success in Europe, and later in Brazil, it failed to ignite significant interest in the Japanese or North American markets, which, by the mid-to-late 1980s, were both dominated by Nintendo.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Kent|first=Steven L.|url=https://archive.org/details/ultimatehistoryv00kent|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World|publisher=Prima Publishing|year=2001|isbn=0-7615-3643-4|location=Roseville, California|pages=303, 343, 360|ref=CITEREFKent2001|author-link=Steven L. Kent|url-access=limited}}</ref><ref name="MarketShare1988">{{Cite book|last=Nintendo Official Magazine Staff|title=Nintendo's Market Share 1988|publisher=[[Ascential|EMAP]]|year=2001|location=London|page=35}}</ref><ref name="MarketShare1990">{{Cite book|last=Businessweek staff|title=Nintendo's Market Share 1990|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|year=1999|location=New York|page=60}}</ref> By 1988, Nintendo held 83 percent of the North American video game market.<ref>{{cite news|last=McGill|first=Douglas C.|date=December 4, 1988|title=Nintendo Scores Big|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/04/business/nintendo-scores-big.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2|url-status=live|access-date=March 27, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524041326/http://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/04/business/nintendo-scores-big.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2|archive-date=May 24, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> With Sega continuing to have difficulty penetrating the home market, Sega's console R&D team, led by Ishikawa and supervised by Sato,<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 3, 2015|title=How Sega Built the Genesis|url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2015/2/3/7952705/sega-genesis-masami-ishikawa|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151103090922/http://www.polygon.com/features/2015/2/3/7952705/sega-genesis-masami-ishikawa|archive-date=November 3, 2015|access-date=November 23, 2015|work=Polygon|publisher=[[Vox Media]]}}</ref> began work on a successor to the Master System almost immediately after its launch.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Harris|first=Blake J.|title=Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation|title-link=Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|year=2014|isbn=978-0-06-227669-8|location=New York, New York|page=386}}</ref><ref name="siliconera2">{{Cite web|author=Sato|date=September 18, 2013|title=Sega's Original Hardware Developer Talks About The Company's Past Consoles|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2013/09/18/segas-original-hardware-developer-talks-about-the-companys-past-consoles/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202230217/http://www.siliconera.com/2013/09/18/segas-original-hardware-developer-talks-about-the-companys-past-consoles/|archive-date=December 2, 2013|access-date=November 23, 2013|website=Siliconera|publisher=[[Curse LLC]]}}</ref> Another competitor arose in Japan in 1987 when Japanese computer giant [[NEC]] released the PC Engine ([[TurboGrafx-16]] in North America) amid great publicity.<ref name="IGNHistory">{{Cite web|last=Fahs|first=Travis|date=April 21, 2009|title=IGN Presents the History of Sega (page 4)|url=https://ign.com/articles/2009/04/21/ign-presents-the-history-of-sega?page=4|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221125331/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/04/21/ign-presents-the-history-of-sega?page=4|archive-date=February 21, 2014|access-date=October 5, 2013|website=IGN|publisher=Ziff Davis}}</ref>

Sega released its next console, the [[16-bit]] Mega Drive, in Japan on October 29, 1988.<ref name="RetroinspectionMD">{{cite journal|journal=Retro Gamer|publisher=Imagine Publishing|title=Retroinspection: Mega Drive|author=Sczepaniak, John|issue=27|year=2006|pages=42–47|issn=1742-3155|location=London, UK}}</ref> The final licensed release for the Master System in Japan was ''[[Bomber Raid]]'' in 1989.<ref name="Retroinspection" /> In the same year, Sega was preparing to release the new Mega Drive, rebranded Genesis, in North America. Displeased with Tonka's handling of the Master System, Sega reacquired the marketing and distribution rights to the Master System for the United States. In 1990, Sega released the remodeled Master System II, designed as a lower-cost version without the Sega Card slot.<ref name="Retroinspection" /><ref name="Allgame" /> Sega promoted the new model, but it sold poorly.<ref name="Retroinspection" /> By early 1992, Master System production had ceased in North America, having sold between 1.5&nbsp;million and 2&nbsp;million units,<ref name="sheff_1993">{{cite book|last=Sheff|first=David|title=Game Over |year=1993|publisher=[[Random House]]|location=New York, New York|isbn=0-679-40469-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gxyXUi336egC&q=master+systems|edition=1st|author-link=David Sheff|access-date=January 16, 2012|page=349}}</ref><ref name="startribune">{{cite news |title=16-Bit Hits – New video games offer better graphics, action |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:STMB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0EFE44C5DC10D939&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0ECC86DE7A4704AD |newspaper=[[Minneapolis Star Tribune]] {{subscription required|via=[[NewsBank]]}} |date=October 15, 1991 |access-date=April 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110080330/http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004 |archive-date=November 10, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> behind both Nintendo and [[Atari Corporation|Atari]], which controlled 80 percent and 12 percent of the market respectively.<ref name="NYTdismiss">{{cite news|title=Company News; Nintendo Suit by Atari Is Dismissed|date=May 16, 1992|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/16/business/company-news-nintendo-suit-by-atari-is-dismissed.html|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=September 19, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023164857/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/16/business/company-news-nintendo-suit-by-atari-is-dismissed.html|archive-date=October 23, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The last licensed Master System release in North America was ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit video game)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' (1991).<ref name="Retroinspection" /><ref name="RGamerMaster" />

The Master System was successful in Europe, where it had comparable sales to the NES.<ref name="digest_60"/><ref name="digest_61"/> For the year 1990, Virgin Mastertronic sold 150,000 Master Systems in the United Kingdom, greater than the 60,000 Mega Drives and Nintendo's 80,000 consoles sold in the same period. In the whole of Europe that year, Sega sold 918,000 consoles, greater than Nintendo's 655,000.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=May 1991|title=Segas sell better than Nintendos - official!|magazine=[[Sega Power]]|issue=18|page=6}}</ref> As late as 1993, the Master System's estimated active [[Installed base|installed user base]] in Europe was 6.25&nbsp;million units, larger than that of the Mega Drive's 5.73&nbsp;million but less than the NES's 7.26&nbsp;million.<ref name="digest_60">{{cite journal|date=March 1995|journal=[[Screen Digest]]|publisher=Screen Digest Ltd.|page=60|title=Sega Consoles: Active installed base estimates}}</ref> Combined with the Mega Drive, Sega represented the majority of the European console that year.<ref name="digest_61">{{cite journal|title=Total 8-bit and 16-bit Cartridge Consoles: Active installed base estimates|date=March 1995|journal=Screen Digest|publisher=Screen Digest Ltd.|page=61}} ([[cf.]] here [https://books.google.com/books?ei=L0UeT47oMouEhQeoldjNDQ&id=jFnvAAAAMAAJ&dq=sega+active+installed&q=nintendo+active+installed#search_anchor] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324035924/https://books.google.com/books?ei=L0UeT47oMouEhQeoldjNDQ&id=jFnvAAAAMAAJ&dq=sega+active+installed&q=nintendo+active+installed|date=March 24, 2017}} and here [https://books.google.com/books?ei=200eT4yAK8y1hAfsncjRDQ&id=jFnvAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22EU+as+listed+%3A+6730+10430+10460+7.410%22&q=%22Western+Europe+8550+13390+13510+9570%22#search_anchor] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324022622/https://books.google.com/books?ei=200eT4yAK8y1hAfsncjRDQ&id=jFnvAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22EU+as+listed+%3A+6730+10430+10460+7.410%22&q=%22Western+Europe+8550+13390+13510+9570%22|date=March 24, 2017}})</ref> The Master System's largest European markets were the United Kingdom and France, which had end of unit sales figures of 1.5&nbsp;million and 995,000 by 1995 and 1993 respectively.<ref>{{cite news|title=Final UK sales figures|date=May 1995|url=https://www.neogaf.com/threads/retro-sales-age-thread.981407/post-153404783|access-date=November 4, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Master System France, actual sales figures|date=May 2009|url=https://www.mastersystem-france.com/t2217p15-le-resultat-de-la-guerre-presque-20-ans-apres|access-date=November 4, 2020}}</ref> The Master System II was also successful and helped Sega to sustain their significant market share. Releases continued into the 1990s in Europe, including ''[[Mercs]]'' (1991)'','' ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit video game)|Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' (1992) and ''[[Streets of Rage 2]]''.<ref name="Retroinspection"/>The Master System was also popular in Australia, where 250,000 units were sold in 1990 alone.<ref>{{cite news|first=Gavin|last=Cantlon|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/120296512/|title=Cut-throat selling in video games|date=November 17, 1991|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=December 29, 2020|via=Newspapers.com|quote="Ozi Soft, [''sic''] has been distributing Sega video games since 1988 and also offers computer games. Christina Caddy, the company's public relations manager, said that last year it sold 250,000 units of the Sega Master system [''sic''], which carried an eight-bit console, at a recommended retail price of $99."}}</ref> 650,000 consoles had been sold in Australia by November 1994.<ref name="Sega MegaZone">{{cite magazine|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Sega's Secrets|magazine=Sega MegaZone|location=Australia|publisher=Mason Stewart Publishing Pty Ltd|date=November 1994|page=23}}</ref>

The Master System has had continued success in Brazil, where dedicated "plug and play" consoles emulating the original hardware continue to be sold by Tectoy. These systems include the Master System Compact<ref name="Retroinspection" /> and the Master System 3,<ref name="retrogamer_tectoy">{{cite journal|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=Company Profile: Tec Toy|journal=Retro Gamer|publisher=Imagine Publishing|year=2006|issue=30|pages=50–53|issn=1742-3155|location=London, UK}}</ref> and Tectoy has also received requests to remake the original Master System.<ref name=":0" /> In 2015, it was reported that Master System plug and play systems sell around 150,000 units per year in Brazil, a level that holds its own against modern systems such as the [[PlayStation 4]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/brazil-is-a-video-game-alternate-universe-where-sega-beat-nintendo|title=Brazil Is An Alternate Video Game Universe Where Sega Beat Nintendo|last=Smith|first=Ernie|date=July 27, 2015|work=Atlas Obscura|access-date=December 11, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621140933/http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/brazil-is-a-video-game-alternate-universe-where-sega-beat-nintendo|archive-date=June 21, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref> By 2016, Tectoy had sold 8&nbsp;million units of Master System branded systems in Brazil.<ref name="MDB">{{cite web|url=http://jogos.uol.com.br/ultimas-noticias/2016/05/12/console-em-producao-ha-mais-tempo-master-system-ja-vendeu-8-mi-no-brasil.htm|title=Console em produção há mais tempo, Master System já vendeu 8 mi no Brasil|last=Azevedo|first=Théo|date=May 12, 2016|website=[[Universo Online]]|publisher=[[Grupo Folha]]|language=pt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514115923/http://jogos.uol.com.br/ultimas-noticias/2016/05/12/console-em-producao-ha-mais-tempo-master-system-ja-vendeu-8-mi-no-brasil.htm|archive-date=May 14, 2016|url-status=live|access-date=May 13, 2016|quote=Comercializado no Brasil desde setembro de 1989, o saudoso Master System já vendeu mais de 8 milhões de unidades no país, segundo a Tectoy.|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

==Technical specifications==
[[File:KL NEC uPD780C.jpg|thumb|[[Zilog Z80A]] manufactured by [[NEC]]|alt=A Zilog Z80A processor, the CPU in the Master System]]
The Master System's main [[CPU]] is a [[Zilog Z80|Zilog Z80A]], an [[8-bit]] processor running at 4&nbsp;MHz. It has 8 [[kilobyte|kB]] of [[read-only memory|ROM]], 8 kB of [[random access memory|RAM]] and 16 kB of video RAM. Video is provided through an [[RF switch]] and displays at a resolution of 256 × 192 pixels and up to 32 colors at one time from a total palette of 64 colors;<ref name="MSspecs" /> the graphics chip was designed by Sega for the Mark III.<ref name=":02" /> The Master System measures {{convert|365|x|170|x|70|mm|in}},<ref name="MSspecs">{{cite web|title=Master System data|publisher=Sega Corporation|language=ja|url=http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/master/data.html|access-date=March 30, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407085454/http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/master/data.html|archive-date=April 7, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> while the Mark III measures {{convert|318|x|145|x|52|mm|in}}.<ref name="MK3specs">{{cite web|title=Mark III data|publisher=Sega Corporation|language=ja|url=http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mk3/data.html|access-date=March 30, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814093104/http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mk3/data.html|archive-date=August 14, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Both consoles use two slots for game input: one for Mega Cartridges and one for [[Sega Card]]s, along with an expansion slot and 2 controller ports.<ref name="MSspecs" /><ref name="MK3specs"/> Sound is provided by the [[SN76489]] [[Programmable sound generator|PSG]] chip, which can provide three [[square wave]] channels and one [[White noise|noise]] channel. The Japanese version also integrates the [[YM2413]] [[Frequency modulation synthesis|FM]] chip,<ref name="MSspecs"/> an optional feature on the Mark III. With few exceptions, Master System hardware is identical to the hardware in the Mark III. Games for the console are playable on the Sega Genesis using the Power Base Converter accessory,<ref name="Retroinspection"/> and on the Game Gear using the Master Gear Converter.<ref name="RetroGamer">{{cite journal|year=2009|title=Retroinspection: Sega Game Gear|journal=Retro Gamer|location=London, UK|publisher=Imagine Publishing|issue=41|pages=78–85|issn=1742-3155}}</ref> Compared to the base NES, the Master System has twice as much memory and a higher CPU [[clock rate]].<ref name="Edge"/>

Sega produced several iterations of the Master System. The Master System II, released in 1990, removed a number of components to reduce cost, including the Sega Card slot, reset button, power light, expansion port, and startup music and logo.<ref name="Allgame" /> In Brazil, Tectoy released several licensed variations; the Master System Super Compact functions wirelessly with an [[RF]] transmitter, and the Master System Girl, molded in bright pink plastic, was targeted at girls. The Master System 3 Collection, released in 2006, contains 120 built-in games.<ref name="retrogamer_tectoy" /> Handheld versions of the Master System were released under several brands, such as [[Coleco]] in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/26/coleco-tiptoes-back-with-sega-filled-handheld|title=Coleco Tiptoes Back with Sega-filled Handheld|author=Ransom-Wiley|first=James|date=October 26, 2006|website=[[Joystiq]]|publisher=[[AOL]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407080626/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/26/coleco-tiptoes-back-with-sega-filled-handheld|archive-date=April 7, 2014|url-status=live|access-date=April 22, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

=== Accessories ===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right;"
|-
|[[File:Sega-Master-System-Controllers.jpg|none|90px|alt=Two Master system controllers]] || [[File:SMS-Light-Phaser.jpg|none|90px|alt=A Master System Light Phaser]] || [[File:Sega-Masters-Sys-3D-Glasses.jpg|none|90px|alt=A pair of Sega 3D glasses]]
|-
| width="90" | <center>Master System controllers</center> || width="90" | <center>Light Phaser</center> || width="90" | <center>SegaScope 3-D glasses</center>
|}
A number of cross-compatible accessories were created for the Mark III and Master System. The controller consists of a rectangle with a [[D-pad]] and two buttons. Sega also introduced additional Mark III controllers, such as a [[Paddle (game controller)|paddle controller]].<ref name="Allgame" /> A combination steering wheel and flight stick, the Handle Controller, was released in 1989. The Sega Control Stick is an arcade-style joystick with the buttons on the opposite side as the standard controller. Unreleased in Europe, the Sega Sports Pad utilizes a [[trackball]] and is compatible with three games. Sega also created an expansion for its controller, the Rapid Fire Unit, that allows for auto-fire by holding down one of two buttons. This unit connects between the console and the controller.<ref name="Retro117" /> A [[light gun]] peripheral, the Light Phaser,<ref name="Allgame" /> was based on the weapon of the same name from the Japanese anime ''[[Zillion (anime)|Zillion]]''.<ref name="retrogamer_tectoy" /> It is compatible with 13 games and released exclusively in the West.<ref name="Retro117" />

A pair of [[Active shutter 3D system|3D glasses]], the SegaScope 3-D, were created for games such as ''[[Space Harrier 3-D|Space Harrier 3D]]'',<ref name="Allgame" /> although Mark III users need an additional converter to use them. The Mark III has an optional RF transmitter accessory, allowing wireless play that broadcast the game being played on a [[UHF]] television signal.<ref>{{cite web|title=Master System peripherals|url=http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/master/peri.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407085707/http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/master/peri.html|archive-date=April 7, 2014|access-date=March 31, 2014|publisher=Sega Corporation|language=ja|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Mark III peripherals|url=http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mk3/peri.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814072813/http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mk3/peri.html|archive-date=August 14, 2014|access-date=March 31, 2014|publisher=Sega Corporation|language=ja|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The SegaScope 3-D works via an active shutter system creating a [[Stereoscopic video game|stereoscopic]] effect. The glasses need to be constantly connected to the Sega Card slot, and thus do not function with the Master System II. A total of eight games: Blade Eagle 3D, Maze Hunter 3D, Poseidon Wars 3D, Line of Fire, Missile Defense 3D, Space Harrier 3D, ''[[Zaxxon]]'' and ''Out Run'', are compatible with the glasses.<ref name="Retro117" />

===Game Gear===
{{main|Game Gear}}
[[File:Sega-Game-Gear-FR.jpg|thumb|right|The Game Gear was based on the Master System's architecture.|alt=A picture of a Game Gear]]
Developed under the name "Project Mercury"<ref name="RetroGamer" /> and designed based on the Master System's hardware,<ref name="IGNGG">{{cite web|author=Buchanan|first=Levi|date=October 9, 2008|title=Remember Game Gear?|url=http://uk.retro.ign.com/articles/918/918381p1.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423010222/http://uk.retro.ign.com/articles/918/918381p1.html|archive-date=April 23, 2010|access-date=March 29, 2009|website=[[IGN]]|publisher=Ziff Davis|df=mdy-all}}</ref> the Game Gear was a [[handheld game console]]. It was first released in Japan on October 6, 1990,<ref name="encyclopedia" /> in North America and Europe in 1991, and in Australia and New Zealand in 1992.<ref name="RetroGamer" /> Originally retailing at JP¥19,800 in Japan,<ref name="encyclopedia" /> US$149.99 in North America, and GB£99.99 in Europe,<ref name="RetroGamer" /> the Game Gear was designed to compete with the [[Game Boy]], which [[Nintendo]] had released in 1989.<ref name="allgamegg">{{cite web|author=Beuscher|first=David|title=Sega Game Gear – Overview|url=http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114094408/http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=25|archive-date=November 14, 2014|access-date=July 8, 2013|website=AllGame|publisher=All Media Network}}</ref> There are similarities between the Game Gear and the Master System hardware, but the games are not directly compatible; Master System games are only playable on Game Gear using the Master Gear Converter accessory.<ref name="Journal du lapin">{{Cite web|last=Dandumont|first=Pierre|date=2017-11-26|title=Ces jeux Game Gear qui sont en fait des jeux Master System|url=https://www.journaldulapin.com/2017/11/26/game-gear-master-system/|access-date=July 7, 2020|website=journaldulapin.com|language=fr}}</ref> A large part of the Game Gear's game library consists of Master System ports. Because of hardware similarities including the landscape screen orientation, Master System games are easily portable to the handheld.<ref name="RetroGamer" /> In particular, many Master System ports of Game Gear games were done by Tectoy for the Brazilian market, as the Master System was more popular than the Game Gear in the region.<ref name=":0" />

==Game library==
[[File:PhantasyStarBattle2.png|thumb|right|''[[Phantasy Star (video game)|Phantasy Star]]'' for the Master System became one of Sega's successful franchises.|alt=A gameplay image from Phantasy Star]]
{{See also|List of Master System games}}
Master System games came in two formats: [[ROM cartridge]]s held up to 4 [[megabit|Mbit]] of code, while [[Sega Card]]s held up to 256 kbit. Cards, cheaper to manufacture than the cartridges, included ''[[Spy vs. Spy (1984 video game)|Spy vs. Spy]]'' and ''Super Tennis'',<ref name="Retroinspection"/><ref name="Allgame"/> but were eventually dropped due to their small memory size.<ref name=":02" /> The size of the release library varies based on region; North America received just over 100 games, with Japan receiving less. Europe, by contrast, received over 300 licensed games, including 8-bit [[Porting|ports]] of Genesis games and [[PAL]]-exclusive releases.<ref name="Retro117">{{Cite magazine|last=Buchanan|first=Adam|date=July 2013|title=The Collector's Guide: Sega Master System|magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|pages=20-31}}</ref> The first Mark III-specific cartridge was ''[[Fantasy Zone]]'', released on June 15, 1986,<ref name="mk3_soft_list">{{cite web|title=[セガハード大百科] セガマーク３/マスターシステム対応ソフトウェア|trans-title=Sega Hardware Encyclopedia: List of Sega Mark III/Master System software|url=https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mk3/soft.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181227181415/https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mk3/soft.html|archive-date=December 27, 2018|access-date=December 27, 2018|df=mdy-all}}</ref> and ''Bomber Raid'' was the final release on February 4, 1989, a few months after the launch of the Mega Drive.<ref name="mk3_soft_list" /> The final North American release was ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' in October 1991.<ref name="Retroinspection" /><ref name="RGamerMaster">{{cite journal|last1=Thorpe|first1=Nick|date=March 22, 2014|title=The History of Sonic on the Master System|url=https://archive.org/stream/retro_gamer/RetroGamer_179#page/46/mode/2up|journal=[[Retro Gamer]]|issue=179|pages=46-51}}</ref> Games for PAL regions continued to be released until the mid-1990s.<ref name="Retroinspection" /><ref name="Retro117" /> The PAL library included 8-bit entries in Genesis franchises such as ''[[Streets of Rage]]'',<ref name="Retro117" /> a number of additional ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' series games,<ref name="RGamerMaster" /> and dozens of PAL-exclusives such as ''[[Lucky Dime Caper]]'', ''[[Asterix (1991 video game)|Asterix]]'', ''[[Ninja Gaiden (Master System video game)|Ninja Gaiden]]'', ''[[Master of Darkness]]'' and ''[[Power Strike II]]''.<ref name="Retro117" /> ''[[Retro Gamer]]''<nowiki/>'s Damien McFerran praised the "superb" PAL library of "interesting ports and excellent exclusives", which was richer than the North American library and provided a "drip-feed of quality titles".<ref name="Retroinspection" />

Of the games released for the Master System, ''[[Phantasy Star (video game)|Phantasy Star]]'' is considered a benchmark [[role-playing game]] (RPG), and became a [[Phantasy Star|successful franchise]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Semrad|first=Steve|date=February 2, 2006|title=The Greatest 200 Videogames of Their Time, Page 8|url=http://www.1up.com/features/egm-200-greatest-videogames?pager.offset=8|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140118230906/http://www.1up.com/features/egm-200-greatest-videogames?pager.offset=8|archive-date=January 18, 2014|access-date=December 11, 2016|website=[[1UP.com]]}}</ref> Sega's flagship character at the time, [[Alex Kidd]], featured in games including ''[[Alex Kidd in Miracle World]]''. ''[[Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap]]'' was influential for its blend of platform gameplay with RPG elements.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mott|first=Tony|title=[[1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die]]|publisher=Universe Publishing|year=2013|isbn=978-0-7893-2090-2|location=New York, New York|page=177}}</ref> Different Master System consoles included built-in games, including ''[[Snail Maze]],'' ''Hang-On'', ''Alex Kidd in Miracle World'' and ''Sonic the Hedgehog''. After the Master System was discontinued in other markets, additional games were released in Brazil by Tectoy, including ports of ''[[Street Fighter II]]'' and ''[[Dynamite Headdy]]''.<ref name="Retroinspection" />

Additional releases were exclusive to Brazil, where Tectoy created Portuguese translations of games exclusive to the region. Some of these would tie in to popular Brazilian entertainment franchises; for example, ''[[Teddy Boy (video game)|Teddy Boy]]'' became ''Geraldinho'', certain ''[[Wonder Boy]]'' titles became ''[[Monica's Gang]]'' games, and ''[[Ghost House (video game)|Ghost House]]'' became ''Chapolim vs. Dracula: Um Duelo Assutador'', based on Mexican TV series ''[[El Chapulín Colorado]]''. Tectoy also ported games to the Master System, such as ''[[Street Fighter II]],''<ref name=":12">{{Cite magazine|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|date=November 2006|title=Company Profile: Tec Toy|magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]]|issue=30|pages=50–53|issn=1742-3155}}</ref><ref name=":03">{{Cite web|last=Sponsel|first=Sebastian|date=November 16, 2015|title=Interview: Stefano Arnhold (Tectoy)|url=http://www.sega-16.com/2015/11/interview-stefano-arnhold-tectoy/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122012118/http://www.sega-16.com/2015/11/interview-stefano-arnhold-tectoy/|archive-date=November 22, 2015|access-date=November 30, 2015|website=Sega-16|publisher=Ken Horowitz}}</ref> as well as various games from the Game Gear. Aside from porting, the company developed ''[[Férias Frustradas do Pica-Pau]]'' after finding out that ''[[Woody Woodpecker]]'' was the most popular cartoon on Brazilian television,<ref name=":03" /> along with at least twenty additional exclusives.<ref name="Retro117" /> These titles were developed in-house by Tectoy in Brazil.<ref name=":03" />

Due in part to Nintendo's licensing practices, which stipulated that third-party NES developers could not release games on other platforms, few third-party developers released games for the Master System.<ref name="Retroinspection"/> According to Sato, Sega was focused on porting its arcade games instead of building relationships with third parties.<ref name=":02" /> According to Sega designer [[Mark Cerny]], most of Sega's early Master System games were developed within a strict three-month deadline, which affected their quality.<ref name="Cerny">{{cite web|url=http://www.sega-16.com/2006/12/interview-mark-cerny/|title=Interview: Mark Cerny|last=Horowitz|first=Ken|date=December 5, 2006|website=Sega-16|publisher=Ken Horowitz|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017130701/http://www.sega-16.com/2006/12/interview-mark-cerny/|archive-date=October 17, 2014|url-status=live|access-date=April 16, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="Guardian Sonic">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/sep/13/sonic-the-hedgehog-sonic-lost-world|title=Sonic the Hedgehog: past, present and future|last=Parkin|first=Simon|date=September 13, 2013|website=[[The Guardian]]|publisher=[[Guardian Media Group]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140625195411/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/sep/13/sonic-the-hedgehog-sonic-lost-world|archive-date=June 25, 2014|url-status=live|access-date=June 6, 2014|quote=They made 40 games in this way&nbsp;...But by my judgment only two were really worth playing.|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/a-candid-talk-with-mark-cerny-who-designed-the-ps4-am-1540179832|title=A Candid Talk With Mark Cerny, Who Designed The PS4, Among Other Things|last=Totilo|first=Stephen|date=March 10, 2014|website=[[Kotaku]]|publisher=[[Gizmodo Media Group]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140604101656/http://kotaku.com/a-candid-talk-with-mark-cerny-who-designed-the-ps4-am-1540179832|archive-date=June 4, 2014|url-status=live|access-date=June 6, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' compared new Sega games to "drops of water in the desert".<ref name="cgw198811">{{Cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/stream/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_53#page/n53/mode/2up |title=Video Gaming World |last1=Kunkel |first1=Bill |date=November 1988 |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |last2=Worley |first2=Joyce |page=54 |issn=0744-6667 |last3=Katz |first3=Arnie |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405041224/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1988&pub=2&id=53 |archive-date=April 5, 2016 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Games for the Master System took advantage of more advanced hardware compared to the NES; ''Alex Kidd in Miracle World'', for example, showcases "blistering colors and more detailed sprites" than NES games.<ref name="AKinMW">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/01/25/alex-kidd-in-miracle-world-review-2|title=Alex Kidd in Miracle World Review|author=Buchanan|first=Levi|date=January 25, 2008|website=IGN|publisher=Ziff Davis|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311222135/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/01/25/alex-kidd-in-miracle-world-review-2|archive-date=March 11, 2014|url-status=live|access-date=March 31, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>cf. {{cite book|last=Mott|first=Tony|title=1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die|year=2013|publisher=Universe Publishing|location=New York, New York|isbn=978-0-7893-2090-2|page=108}}</ref> The Master System version of ''[[R-Type]]'' was praised for its visuals, comparable to those of the TurboGrafx-16 port.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Retro Reviews: R-Type|journal=Game Informer|publisher=GameStop|issue=114|volume=12|date=October 2002|page=114}}</ref>

The Sega Mark III and the Japanese Master System are [[Backward compatibility|backwards-compatible]] with SC-3000/SG-1000 cartridges, and can play card games without the Card Catcher add-on.<ref name="sgcartridge">{{cite web|url=https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/sc3000/cartridge.html|title=[セガハード大百科] ゲームカートリッジ For SC/SG|trans-title=Sega Hardware Encyclopedia: Game Cartridge for SC/SG|access-date=December 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181227133207/https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/sc3000/cartridge.html|archive-date=December 27, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="sega_my_card">{{cite web|url=https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/sc3000/mycard.html|title=[セガハード大百科] セガ マイカード|trans-title=Sega Hardware Encyclopedia: Sega My Card|access-date=December 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181227133205/https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/sc3000/mycard.html|archive-date=December 27, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> However, educational and programming cartridges for the SC-3000 require the SK-1100 keyboard peripheral, which is compatible with the Mark III but not the Japanese Master System. Mark III-specific games were initially available in card format (labelled My Card Mark III to distinguish themselves from games designed for the SC-3000/SG-1000), starting with ''[[Teddy Boy Blues]]'' and ''[[Hang-On]]'', both released on October 20, 1985.<ref name="mycardmk3">{{cite web|url=https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mk3/mycard_mk3.html|title=[セガハード大百科] マイカードマークIII|trans-title=Sega Hardware Encyclopedia: Sega My Card Mark III|access-date=December 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181227181442/https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mk3/mycard_mk3.html|archive-date=December 27, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

==Reception and legacy==
Due to the continued release of new variants in Brazil, the Master System is considered by many video gaming publications to be the longest lived gaming console in video games history, a title it took from the [[Atari 2600]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-11|title=5 Consoles That Lasted The Longest (& 5 That Lasted The Shortest)|url=https://gamerant.com/consoles-lasted-longest-shortest-time-most-least-popular/|access-date=2020-09-22|website=Game Rant|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-01-17|title=The 5 longest console lifespans|url=https://za.ign.com/ps4/64636/feature/the-5-longest-console-lifespans|access-date=2020-09-22|website=IGN Africa|language=en-za}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Adams|first=Kara Jane|date=2020-07-26|title=Sega Master System|url=https://medium.com/@KaraJaneAdams/sega-master-system-7e769af3f444|access-date=2020-09-22|website=Medium|language=en}}</ref> Sales of the Master System have been estimated between 10&nbsp;million and 13&nbsp;million units, not including later Brazil sales.<ref name="encyclopedia"/><ref name="GENSNES">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/20/genesis-vs-snes-by-the-numbers|title=Genesis vs. SNES: By the Numbers|author=Buchanan, Levi|date=March 20, 2009|website=[[IGN]]|publisher=Ziff Davis|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302144504/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/20/genesis-vs-snes-by-the-numbers|archive-date=March 2, 2014|url-status=live|access-date=March 31, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> It saw much more continued success in Europe and Brazil than it did in Japan and North America.<ref name="Retroinspection"/> In 1989, the Sega Master System was listed in the top 20 products of [[NPD Group]]'s Toy Retail Sales Tracking Service.<ref name="retailers">{{cite journal|author=Leccesse, Donna|title=Retailers say video is a dream come true; Nintendo is leading the way to better sales.|journal=Playthings|publisher=Sandow Media LLC.|date=May 5, 1989|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-7613047.html|via=[[HighBeam Research]]{{subscription required}}|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140921211908/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-7613047.html|archive-date=September 21, 2014|df=mdy-all|access-date=September 13, 2014}}</ref> However, the ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' 1992 Buyer's Guide indicated a souring interest in the console. Four reviewers scored it 5, 4, 5, and 5 out of a possible 10 points each, focusing on the better value of the Genesis and lack of quality games for the Master System.<ref name="egmbuyersguide1992">{{cite journal |author1= Steve|author2=Ed|author3=Martin|author4=Sushi-X|date=January 1992 |title=EGM Rates The Systems Of 1992!!! |journal=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |publisher=Sendai Publishing |pages= 74|url= https://archive.org/stream/Electronic_Gaming_Monthlys_1992_Video_Game_Buyers_Guide/electronic_gaming_monthlys_1992_video_game_buyers_guide_-_1991_unk#page/n73/mode/2up}}</ref> In 1993, reviewers scored it 2, 2, 3, and 3 out of 10, noting its abandonment by Sega in North America and lack of new releases.<ref name="egmbuyersguide1993">{{cite journal|author1= Steve|author2=Ed|author3=Martin|author4=Sushi-X|date=January 1993 |title=Electronic Gaming Monthly's Buyer's Guide |journal=Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher=Sendai Publishing |pages= 32}}</ref>

By contrast, 62&nbsp;million NES units were sold in North American, outselling the Master System several times over.<ref name="GENSNES" /> According to Bill Pearse of ''Playthings'', the NES gained an advantage through better software and more recognizable characters.<ref name="playthings">{{cite journal|author=Pearse, Bill|title=Nintendo and Sega gear up for battle. (Nintendo of America Inc. and Sega Inc. compete for 16-bit video game market; includes related articles) (Industry Overview)|journal=Playthings|publisher=Sandow Media LLC.|date=January 1, 1992|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-11866263.html|via=HighBeam Research{{subscription required}}|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028104226/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-11866263.html|archive-date=October 28, 2014|df=mdy-all|access-date=September 13, 2014}}</ref> Sega closed the gap between Nintendo in the [[History of video game consoles (fourth generation)|next generation]] with the release of the Genesis, which sold 30.75&nbsp;million consoles compared with the 49&nbsp;million [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] consoles.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Zackariasson|first1=Peter|last2=Wilson|first2=Timothy L.|last3=Ernkvist|first3=Mirko|title=The Video Game Industry: Formation, Present State, and Future|chapter=Console Hardware: The Development of Nintendo Wii|publisher=Routledge|year=2012|isbn=978-1-138-80383-1|page=158}}</ref><ref name="RetroSonic2">{{cite journal|journal=Retro Gamer — the Mega Drive Book|title=Sonic Boom: The Success Story of Sonic the Hedgehog|page=31|publisher=Imagine Publishing |location=London, UK|year=2013|issn=1742-3155}}</ref>

Retrospective feedback of the Master System praises its support toward development of the Sega Genesis, but has been critical of its small game library. Writing for [[AllGame]], Dave Beuscher noted that the Master System "was doomed by the lack of third-party software support and all but disappeared from the American market by 1992".<ref name="Allgame" /> Writing for ''[[Retro Gamer]]'', Adam Buchanan praised the larger PAL library as a "superb library of interesting ports and excellent exclusives".<ref name="Retro117" /> Damien McFerran, also of ''Retro Gamer,'' recognized its importance to the success of the Genesis, stating, "Without this criminally undervalued machine, Sega would not have enjoyed the considerable success it had with the Mega Drive. The Master System allowed Sega to experiment with arcade conversions, original IP and even create a mascot in the form of the lovable monkey-boy Alex Kidd."<ref name="Retroinspection" />

In 2009, the Master System was named the 20th best console of all time by ''[[IGN]]'', behind the [[Atari 7800]] (17th) and the NES (1st). ''IGN'' cited the Master System's small and uneven NTSC library as the major problems: "Months could go by between major releases and that made a dud on the Master System feel even more painful."<ref name="top25">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/top-25-consoles/20.html|title=Top 25 Videogame Consoles of All Time: SEGA Master System is Number 20|year=2009|website=IGN|publisher=Ziff Davis|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222061903/http://www.ign.com/top-25-consoles/20.html|archive-date=February 22, 2014|url-status=live|access-date=March 31, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The Master System retains a following.<ref name="top25" /> In 2019, ''Sega Master System: A Visual Compendium'' was published by Bitmap Books,<ref>{{cite web|author=Nintendo Life Staff|date=2019-06-18|title=Gallery: Flicking Through Sega Master System: A Visual Compendium|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/06/gallery_flicking_through_sega_master_system_a_visual_compendium|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705034835/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/06/gallery_flicking_through_sega_master_system_a_visual_compendium|archive-date=2019-07-05|access-date=2019-07-04|website=[[Nintendo Life]]}}</ref> a licensed book looking at the history of the console and its games.<ref>{{cite web|author=Nintendo Life Staff|date=2018-07-02|title=Kickstarter For The Sega Master System Visual Compendium Is Now Live|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/07/kickstarter_for_the_sega_master_system_visual_compendium_is_now_live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705035354/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/07/kickstarter_for_the_sega_master_system_visual_compendium_is_now_live|archive-date=2019-07-05|access-date=2019-07-04|website=[[Nintendo Life]]}}</ref>

In 2005, Sega reached a deal with Chinese company AtGames to release emulated Master System software in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China.<ref name="AtGames">{{cite journal|date=March 1, 2005|title=Sega expands distribution in Greater China.|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-133132727.html|url-status=dead|journal=Screen Digest|publisher=Screen Digest Ltd.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140921211913/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-133132727.html|archive-date=September 21, 2014|access-date=September 13, 2014|via=HighBeam Research{{subscription required}}|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Several Master System games were released for download on Nintendo's [[Wii]] [[Virtual Console]], beginning with ''[[Black Belt (video game)|Fist of the North Star]]'' in 2008 in Japan and ''[[Wonder Boy (video game)|Wonder Boy]]'' in North America.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cruis'n USA and Wonder Boy Now Available on Wii Shop Channel!|url=https://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/4uQJLEZJ2G__3IJq5TXii66HmIjir-lJ|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723150857/http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/4uQJLEZJ2G__3IJq5TXii66HmIjir-lJ|archive-date=July 23, 2008|access-date=March 15, 2010|publisher=[[Nintendo]]}}</ref> Master System games were also released via the [[GameTap]] online service.<ref name="game tap">{{cite news|author=Leupold, Tom|date=February 3, 2006|title=Games on tap, or 'History of the Gaming World, Part I'|newspaper=[[Oakland Tribune]]|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-7039983.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924050610/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-7039983.html|archive-date=September 24, 2014|via=HighBeam Research{{subscription required}}|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Sega}}
{{Third generation game consoles}}
{{Home video game consoles}}
{{Portal bar|Video games|Electronics|1980s|1990s}}

[[Category:Master System| ]]
[[Category:Master System| ]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1985]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1985]]

Revision as of 10:25, 14 April 2021

This article is about the game console. For the British rock band, see Mastersystem.

Master System



Top: North American/European Master System
Middle: Japanese Sega Mark III
Bottom: PAL Master System II
ManufacturerSega
TypeHome video game console
GenerationThird generation
Release date
Lifespan
  • BR: 1989–present
  • JP: 1985–91
  • NA: 1986–92
  • EU: 1987–96
Introductory priceJP¥16,800
US$200
GB£99
Units soldWorldwide: 10–13 million (not including recent Brazil figures)[5][6]
Japan: 1 million (as of 1986)[7]
United States: 2 million (as of 1993)[8]
Europe: 6.8 million (estimated as of December 1993)[9]
MediaROM cartridge, Sega Card
CPUZilog Z80A @ 4 MHz
Memory8 kB RAM, 16 kB VRAM
Display256 × 192 resolution, 32 colors on-screen
SoundYamaha VDP PSG(SN76489), Yamaha YM2413[a]
Backward
compatibility		SG-1000[b]
PredecessorSG-1000
SuccessorSega Genesis
RelatedGame Gear

The Sega Master System[c] is a third-generation 8-bit home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series of consoles, which was released in Japan in 1985 and featured enhanced graphical capabilities over its predecessors. The Master System launched in North America in 1986, followed by Europe in 1987, and Brazil in 1989. A Japanese version of the Master System was also launched in 1987, which features a few enhancements over the export models (and by proxy the original Mark III): a built-in FM audio chip, a rapid-fire switch, and a dedicated port for the 3D glasses. The Master System II, a cheaper model, was released in 1990 in North America and Europe.

The original Master System models use both cartridges and a credit card-sized format known as Sega Cards. Accessories for the consoles include a light gun and 3D glasses that work with a range of specially designed games. The later Master System II redesign removed the card slot, turning it into a strictly cartridge-only system and is incompatible with the 3D glasses.

The Master System was released in competition with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Its library is smaller and with fewer well-reviewed games than the NES, due in part to Nintendo licensing policies requiring platform exclusivity. Though the Master System had newer, improved hardware, it failed to overturn Nintendo's significant market share advantage in Japan and North America. However, it attained significantly more success in Europe and Brazil.

Master System sales estimates are between 10 and 13 million units. Retrospective criticism has recognized its role in the development of the Sega Genesis, and a number of well received games, particularly in PAL (including PAL-M) regions, but is critical of its limited library in the NTSC regions, which were dominated by the Nintendo Entertainment System.

History/ rth America was released as SEGA System but later had t

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference CE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference MK3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Gamers High! Futabasha Super Mook (in Japanese). Futabasha. 2015. p. 55. ISBN 978-4-575-45554-0.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference MS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Forster, Winnie (2005). The Encyclopedia of Game.Machines: Consoles, Handhelds, and Home Computers 1972–2005. Magdalena Gniatczynska. p. 139. ISBN 3-00-015359-4.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference GENSNES was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference business_japan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference sheff_1993 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference digest_60 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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