While the Sega Master System’s North American library of games can’t compare to the NES’s,
there are still a ton of good games for the console; especially when you take into account
the European exclusives.
So, to celebrate Sega’s often overlooked 8-bit console, on today’s episode of 5 Games
we are going to take a look at even more good titles for the Sega Master System.
First up is the iconic Out Run.
With Nintendo’s monopoly on third party developers, Sega relied heavily on arcade
ports to keep the Master System going in its early years.
So it should come as no surprise Yu Suzuki’s masterpiece Out Run would receive an 8-bit
port.
Of course, the Master System couldn’t replicate the awesome super scaling found in the arcade
cabinet, so this is definitely not the preferred way to play the game.
But, for an 8-bit line scroller, it ain’t half bad.
It gets all the basics right, with responsive controls, manual shifting between low and
high gear, fast graphics, and terrific use of color.
Even better, you aren’t really racing opponents, but rather the clock.
Near the end of a section, you’ll have an option to veer left or right, giving you a
choice of the environment you’ll see next.
This branching path system was fairly revolutionary at the time, and in all, there are 5 distinct
endings to receive, and dozens of different paths to take.
However, everything isn’t perfect.
As you travel up hills, it can be impossible to tell what turns are ahead, and incredibly
easy to smash into your fellow travelers.
Memorization helps, but at times I find Out Run to be a tad frustrating.
Thankfully, the soundtrack is simply sensational, perhaps the best found on the system, with
some of the catchiest melodies found from the 80’s.
It’s even better, in my opinion, when using the FM soundtrack.
The synthesized instruments sound incredible, and really help ease the pain of the arcade
difficulty.
Overall, Out Run is a decent racer and worth a look.
Next up is Rambo, known as Ashura in Japan and Secret Command in Europe.
Just looking at the title screen, you know this game is going to kick ass.
And it certainly does.
Rambo is a vertical scrolling run and gun game, which were insanely popular during the
1980’s.
Basically, you traverse your way up 5 grueling stages, shooting down enemies, rescuing hostages,
and defeating enemy rushes to progress to the next stage.
Your primary weapon is an assault rifle with unlimited ammo.
This can be upgraded by collecting L power-ups, which expand the range of your bullets, and
the S power-ups, which allows your bullets to travel through multiple enemies.
Grenades are your secondary weapon, are not unlimited, and can be used to blow up buildings,
large enemies like tanks, and open the gate at the end of the level.
Rambo himself is slow, but maneuverable, making avoiding incoming fire, while also mowing
down hordes of bad guys a fun experience.
However, even with the responsive controls, I find this game to be insanely difficult.
If you lose concentration even for a moment, you’ll quickly drain your three lives and
its game over.
In all honesty, Rambo doesn’t really add anything new to the run and gun formula, but
the pleasant music, bright graphics, and solid gameplay, make it easy to recommend.
Quartet is another arcade port from Sega, and a fan favorite in some Master System circles.
On the surface, this is a fairly vanilla side scrolling action game, with standard jumping
controls and a little pea shooter.
But Quartet is actually quite interesting.
The main gimmick of the game is having to find the hidden star in each level, before
you can actually clear it.
The star may not be accessible at first either, forcing you to find an item to access it.
You’ll also have to take out a boss who holds the exit key.
And there are multiple rooms to traverse through, helping the simplistic graphics from being
repetitive.
However, the coolest thing in the game is the jet pack.
This allows you to fly all over the screen, which of course makes the game a ton easier.
But if you die, the jet pack remains in place, so you really need to pay attention to where
you are when the inevitable happens.
Unfortunately, the enemies drive me absolutely crazy.
They re-spawn, almost instantly, which makes the game a lot more difficult than it probably
should be.
Still, the soundtrack is charming with that signature Master System sound, and with the
bright colorful graphics and smooth gameplay, this another solid title for the system.
Double Dragon is actually one of my favorite games on Sega Master System.
This of course is a side scrolling beat-em-up, or brawler, ported by Sega themselves for
the Master System.
As a lot of these Double Dragon ports were done by different companies, they all have
their own unique look and feel.
On this Master System version for example, the jump kick is the best attack in the entire
game.
It knocks enemies down, preventing them from attacking you, and has a nice range, making
it very easy to land hits.
The downside of course, is you’ll rarely use the other seven moves.
Still, there are environmental hazards to chuck at enemies, in addition to some weapons
like a whip and a bat, so all is not lost.
Graphically, Double Dragon is a great looking Master System game, with plenty of detail,
lots of enemies, and plenty of pink hair.
With all of this technical wizardry does come some flicker, but it’s never bad enough
to impact the gameplay.
But yet again, it’s the soundtrack putting this game over the top for me.
Double Dragon supports the FM Sound Unit and sounds absolutely amazing, rivaling many 16-bit
games.
The synthesized instruments are crisp and clear, and the compositions are outstanding,
rivaling the excellent Out Run.
It’s also worth mentioning this supports two players cooperatively, as do Rambo and
Quartet, so grab a friend and start kicking some ass.
Last, but not least, is Psychic World.
This was originally released on the MSX in Japan; saw a worldwide release on the Game
Gear, but this Master System port was exclusive to Europe.
This is another side scrolling action game, but with far more depth than many others of
the time.
First, there is lengthy introduction detailing a fairly comprehensive backstory.
Next, you have a number of different weapons you can use.
These weapons can be used in different circumstances, like creating ice platforms to jump on.
They can all be upgraded too, meaning you’ll want to explore every side path the game has
to offer looking for goodies.
You also have psychic abilities, which drain your physic meter.
These can warp you back to the beginning of the level or offer you temporary invincibility,
which allow you to make quick work of the games many tricky screens.
There are plenty of clever bits as well, like this boss who spits out platforms.
You have to time your jump so you don’t get trapped, and then use the platforms to
get near his head and start unleashing hell.
All in all, this is a fairly competent action platformer, blending plenty of interesting
and tricky enemy patterns with solid level design with decent jumping mechanics.
If you’re living in North America and looking for something to import for the Master System,
look no further than Psychic World.
So, there you have it, even more good games for the Sega Master System.
Now, this is not a definitive list, nor is it intended to be a best-of, and the Master
System has far more than 5 good games, so be sure to leave a comment and let me know
which Master System games, you enjoy.