There's a well-known adage that history is written by the victors, and that's as true in video games as it is in any other field. One might easily believe that the Nintendo's classic console was the only console available in the mid-to-late 1980s. Growing up in Nintendo's key territories of the US and Japan, this bulky device essentially became the only game in town – they possessed the iconic Mario, and its strong influence over game creators established dominance for key releases from that period. However, across Europe, where personal computers were dominant, the Nintendo system was outperformed by a superior technical alternative.
The Hardware Powerhouse
The Sega Master System was originally released in Japan in the autumn of 1985 as the Sega Mark III. Based around the famed Z80 CPU (used in microcomputers such as the Spectrum, Amstrad and TRS-80) and a powerful Sega-designed video display processor, it featured 8kb of RAM, a 64-colour palette and the capability to produce 32 sprites on screen at once – causing the competing console (using the antiquated 6502 CPU) appear obsolete.
Evolution and Rebranding
At first it was marketed in its home market as a successor to the SG-1000 line, which were closer to affordable home computers than games consoles, with their add-on keyboards and printing devices. But as the NES exploded in both North America and Japan, Sega had a rethink, stripped away computer-like capabilities and relaunched the Mark III in 1986 as the Master System – an purpose-built entertainment system with a streamlined, slender, geometric design, contrasting the beige Betamax visage of the NES.
Graphics were significantly better to other Z80 based systems as a consequence of Sega's visual technology.
Advanced Add-ons
Consumers received a light phaser, and manufacturers additionally offered a stereoscopic eyewear for the platform and a range of compatible games. “I am going to call out the three-dimensional OutRun,” comments coder Chris White, who developed a simulation program subsequently adopted by Sega on its digital service. “Sure it made your head hurt and the alternate flickering of the lenses was sufficient to cause visual distress, but it's representative of a period when Sega pursued bold ideas.”
European Distribution Approach
Sega controlled the rollout of the Master System in the US (at least initially), but looked to local companies to navigate the segmented continental market. In Britain and France (eventually including Spain), that role would go to the Mastertronic group. “Sega's partners had better marketing positioning in Europe,” notes industry veteran Nick Alexander, who was Virgin Mastertronic's managing director at the period. “They also had better retail and distribution relationships than Nintendo did in those days. Industry periodical the trade journal had a recurring humor that the company viewed Europe as mysterious territory – they didn't understand it, they were nervous of it. So they put their effort into the US.”
Young Audience Targeting
The executive, previously leading the gaming division since that period, implemented their bold, teenage-focused methodology. “I aimed to conceptualize the video game equivalent of a band going on tour,” he clarifies. “We acquired a two-level bus and toured the nation. Visits included school grounds and shopping centres. Substantial media attention resulted. Rivals consistently advertised their products as family-friendly, but the only market in Europe where that worked was German territories. We focused on youth and we knew if we got them would mean their younger siblings would want a Master System too. This strategy defeated competitors.”
Arcade Heritage
And while Nintendo had Mario, Sega possessed its own advantages: their amusement center background. The company set out to bring multiple beloved amusement machine games to the console including Space Harrier, OutRun, Golden Axe and After Burner, advertising their system in the west as an personal entertainment venue. Although hardly perfect ports of the original titles, these were much faster and graphically improved than any earlier home computer translations. To those of us who were teenage arcade addicts at the time, it seemed incredibly advanced.
Creation Benefits
For creators in Europe, the Master System hardware was a dream. “Previous experience involved microcomputers and titles were adapted for Commodore,” says Andrew Oliver, who alongside his sibling was making the Dizzy games for the development studio. “Visiting the industry event in Las Vegas and remember the company's exhibition. It was massive, and positioned near competitors – and the marketing emphasized: ‘Performance is paramount.’ In those times, technology was evaluated based on what was colourful and fast. So Codemasters cut a licensing deal, programming tools were obtained – it's a Z80, so we program it like a Spectrum, but the graphics chip is like a C64. Performance was exceptional and sophisticated visual effects were possible and moving elements. It was very easy.”
Developer Assistance
UK developers also found superior support from Sega. Programmer Mike Simpson at the UK company, eventually purchased. “A small team was established in Coventry, only about 20 people, and we were doing a variety of ports,” he notes. “A request was made to adapt the sophisticated title, a really high-end 16bit Amiga game, on to the Master System. The task seemed unachievable, so effort was invested! I was actually invited to Japan to learn how to program it: Time was spent at Japanese offices receiving instruction from industry veteran [subsequently designing modern consoles]. Memory contains organized development areas, and improvised sleeping arrangements existed!”
Lasting Legacy
Following the Genesis launch, the console's European success (and later Brazil), guaranteed continued software with streamlined successor ports such as the iconic hedgehog. Additional release Sonic Chaos, developed for both the Master System and portable gaming device (sharing technical foundations as the 8-bit system), was {one of the highlights of the series|among the franchise's best|notable