Sega Master System, also known as SMS, is an 8-bit video gaming consoled developed and released by Sega in 1985. Initially, the console was known as Sega Mark II, the name Master System was also very popular in Japan. When it was released, the sale of Sega Master System rivaled that of Nintendo Entertainment System in Japan, but the same was not the case in North America where it performed so poorly. Master Systems emerged as of the direct competitors of Nintendo in the development and manufacture of third generation consoles. When its successor - Sega Game Gear entered the market, it was a huge improvement from its predecessor.
The initial Sega Master System was released in Japan in 1986 and then in Europe and the United States in one year later. It managed to stay in the markets for nearly ten years, until 1996 and this was primarily attributed to the European customers. As noted earlier, the console did not perform well in the United States, and back in Japan, it faced stiff competition from Nintendo. During the close to ten years that it was in operation, the sales records were slightly over 13 million devices.
When it was released, only Nintendo Entertainment System was the greatest threat to the new release, however, if the marketing campaigns of the Sega Master Systems had succeeded, then they would have also boasted of a good market share. Despite the stiff competition by Nintendo in Japan and poor sales numbers in North America, the system had incredible success in Europe. It was out of its popularity in Europe that various gaming companies started to offer support for the console and this subsequently increased the stakes of the company in the European market.
Another country that was instrumental to the success of Sega Master Systems was Brazil. When the console was upgraded to SMS 3, more than 2 million units were sold, and you will be surprised to learn that SMS 3 is still selling in Brazil up to this day.
Of all the games ever released by Sega Master System, Sonic the Hedgehog was the most popular one and is still popular with very many gamers. The other popular games for this console include Astro Warrior, Battle of Run and ALF. The console also has a secret game that users can access without a cartridge by simply pressing keys D, 1, 2. The game is pretty simple and now one of the biggest highlights of Sega Master Systems. All possible Master System ROMs are exclusively availble for the visitors of Retrostic. Download your favorite Master System emulator and enjoy.