10th December 2010, 6:56 PM
(This post was last modified: 10th December 2010, 7:28 PM by A Black Falcon.)
So I got another system, a Sega Master System. I decided to get one after picking up that copy of Golvellius, I was like "okay this is ridiculous, how many SMS games do I need to buy before I finally get something to play them on...", so I started looking around. The Power Base Converter for the Genesis was my first thought, and I've been looking into getting one of those for quite some time, but it has some drawbacks -- first, it doesn't work with the 32X, so I'd have to detach that, switch the cables, and plug in the PBC in order to use it. That would be a big pain. Second, it doesn't fit into a Genesis 2 unless you take it apart and remove the plastic shell, which isn't very good. I don't have a working Genesis 1. And last, even if I got one on ebay for like $20 or something, it's much less likely to come with a bunch of stuff, so you'd end up buying all of that stuff separately and spending more on it. I wanted instead to get a system with a bunch of stuff, so I'd spend much less for it overall. So that's what I did.
Got it on EBay a week or so ago, arrived today in a sizable box; I could have gotten one locally, but the cost always made me not want to -- the only place with one around here is asking $45! I went to ebay instead and got a pretty decent deal on this. For a total of $47, including shipping, I got:
-Sega Master System console, with power supply and RFU
-2 SMS controllers
-1 SMS Control Stick controller (a strange controller with a stick and buttons that are on the right of the stick, the reverse of like every other controller ever)
-1 Quickshot joystick for the SMS (third party joystick-style controller, with turbo switch)
-1 Sega Sports Pad trackball - Used by only 3 games in the US, oddly enough, all sports titles. I don't have any of them and haven't tried it yet in gamepad compatibilty mode. Supposedly it's not very good, though the complete lack of the games you'd expect a trackball to have -- breakout, missile command, anything like that -- is the biggest problem. Sega released a trackball and the only games for it are football, hockey, and soccer? Really? (In Japan there was a Breakout-style game that supported it, but that game was only released on Game Gear in the US.)
-a Light Phaser lightgun that does not work (pressing the trigger doesn't do anything)
-SegaScope 3-D Glasses, with both the glasses and card adapter you plug it into the system with. One of the side ear things is broken off, as seems to be the case with most 3d glasses, and the description didn't mention that, but it didn't say they were intact either. Oh well, I taped it on and it works fine now, it just can't fold close now (minor point). They're big and bulky and not very comfortable, but work fine. This was a real plus about this system, I wanted to be able to play the 3D games, and you need 3d glasses for the 3d games... and they cost like $20-50 on their on on EBay.
-10 games, all with cases (6 or 7 with the manual too) -- It's a selection of common titles, but still, 10 games is pretty nice. :)
I already had 5 SMS games I'd purchased over the years:
Power Strike (complete) - Compile shmup, great game
Psycho Fox (cart only) - Decent platformer, attacks remind me of DecapAttack on Genesis. I found that game boring and not very good, but I think I like this a bit more. Simple game, but fun once I get into it. It is hard though, one hit kills you and if you die you start the stage over from the start.
Outrun (complete) - okay for an 8-bit version
Hang On & Safari Hunt (cart and case) (Safari Hunt requires the Light Phaser) - combo cart, two okay but not great games in one
Golvellius (cart and case) - Great Compile action-RPG-shooter, a little bit like their The Guardian Legend on NES but fantasy. Long passwords for saving, like TGL.
Then with this system I got: (again, all have their cases, and some manuals too)
Space Harrier - No reason to play this much considering I have the 32X version, I probably would not have bought this if it hadn't come with the system.
After Burner - Same as above.
Maze Hunter 3-D (3D Glasses required) - Topdown platform/action game.
Blade Eagle 3-D (3D Glasses required) - Shmup with a twin-layer system, reminding me of Vertical Force on Virtual Boy but the SegaScope 3D glasses, while cool, aren't the VB's equal, so it's a harder game to get used to.
Missile Defense 3-D (Light Phaser & 3D Glasses required) - I'll need a working lightgun for this.
Astro Warrior - early SMS shmup
The Ninja - Sequel of sorts to Sega's earlier arcade/SG1000 game Ninja Princess, except this time you're a ninja guy rescuing a kidnapped princess, instead of a ninja princess saving her kingdom. Ninja Princess is a great game, so I wanted this one.
World Grand Prix - Bland behind-the-car F1 racing game. Track editor, but of course it won't save it.
Shooting Gallery (Light Phaser required) - Need working light gun, basic lightgun game
Fantasy Zone - A classic... haven't played it much yet though. Also on NES and TG16, but I don't have those versions.
Also I went to one store around here that has some SMS games, and got a few more.
Enduro Racer - $6, cart in case - Racing, Excitebike-ish
Kenseiden - $3, cart in case - sidescrolling action/platformer
Double Dragon - $5, cart in case with poster (EU ver.) - beat 'em up, has the 2 player simultaneous mode NES Double Dragon doesn't. Not as good as the Genesis version though of course.
Zaxxon 3-D - $5, complete (3D Glasses supported but not required) - isometric shmup with depth, like the original Zaxxon. The 3d glasses make figuring out what height you're at a little easier, but it's still a tough game.
Vigilante - $3, cart only - sidescrolling beat 'em up.
Global Defense - $3, cart in case with poster - Sort of like a shmup crossed with Missile Command. Unique game, looks fun.
There were only eight 3-D glasses games released for the SMS, and only six of those had a US release (the other two were Europe only). I already have four of them, so the only ones left for the US are Poseidon Wars 3-D and Space Harrier 3-D; for EU imports there's also Out Run 3-D and Line of Fire.
Got it on EBay a week or so ago, arrived today in a sizable box; I could have gotten one locally, but the cost always made me not want to -- the only place with one around here is asking $45! I went to ebay instead and got a pretty decent deal on this. For a total of $47, including shipping, I got:
-Sega Master System console, with power supply and RFU
-2 SMS controllers
-1 SMS Control Stick controller (a strange controller with a stick and buttons that are on the right of the stick, the reverse of like every other controller ever)
-1 Quickshot joystick for the SMS (third party joystick-style controller, with turbo switch)
-1 Sega Sports Pad trackball - Used by only 3 games in the US, oddly enough, all sports titles. I don't have any of them and haven't tried it yet in gamepad compatibilty mode. Supposedly it's not very good, though the complete lack of the games you'd expect a trackball to have -- breakout, missile command, anything like that -- is the biggest problem. Sega released a trackball and the only games for it are football, hockey, and soccer? Really? (In Japan there was a Breakout-style game that supported it, but that game was only released on Game Gear in the US.)
-a Light Phaser lightgun that does not work (pressing the trigger doesn't do anything)
-SegaScope 3-D Glasses, with both the glasses and card adapter you plug it into the system with. One of the side ear things is broken off, as seems to be the case with most 3d glasses, and the description didn't mention that, but it didn't say they were intact either. Oh well, I taped it on and it works fine now, it just can't fold close now (minor point). They're big and bulky and not very comfortable, but work fine. This was a real plus about this system, I wanted to be able to play the 3D games, and you need 3d glasses for the 3d games... and they cost like $20-50 on their on on EBay.
-10 games, all with cases (6 or 7 with the manual too) -- It's a selection of common titles, but still, 10 games is pretty nice. :)
I already had 5 SMS games I'd purchased over the years:
Power Strike (complete) - Compile shmup, great game
Psycho Fox (cart only) - Decent platformer, attacks remind me of DecapAttack on Genesis. I found that game boring and not very good, but I think I like this a bit more. Simple game, but fun once I get into it. It is hard though, one hit kills you and if you die you start the stage over from the start.
Outrun (complete) - okay for an 8-bit version
Hang On & Safari Hunt (cart and case) (Safari Hunt requires the Light Phaser) - combo cart, two okay but not great games in one
Golvellius (cart and case) - Great Compile action-RPG-shooter, a little bit like their The Guardian Legend on NES but fantasy. Long passwords for saving, like TGL.
Then with this system I got: (again, all have their cases, and some manuals too)
Space Harrier - No reason to play this much considering I have the 32X version, I probably would not have bought this if it hadn't come with the system.
After Burner - Same as above.
Maze Hunter 3-D (3D Glasses required) - Topdown platform/action game.
Blade Eagle 3-D (3D Glasses required) - Shmup with a twin-layer system, reminding me of Vertical Force on Virtual Boy but the SegaScope 3D glasses, while cool, aren't the VB's equal, so it's a harder game to get used to.
Missile Defense 3-D (Light Phaser & 3D Glasses required) - I'll need a working lightgun for this.
Astro Warrior - early SMS shmup
The Ninja - Sequel of sorts to Sega's earlier arcade/SG1000 game Ninja Princess, except this time you're a ninja guy rescuing a kidnapped princess, instead of a ninja princess saving her kingdom. Ninja Princess is a great game, so I wanted this one.
World Grand Prix - Bland behind-the-car F1 racing game. Track editor, but of course it won't save it.
Shooting Gallery (Light Phaser required) - Need working light gun, basic lightgun game
Fantasy Zone - A classic... haven't played it much yet though. Also on NES and TG16, but I don't have those versions.
Also I went to one store around here that has some SMS games, and got a few more.
Enduro Racer - $6, cart in case - Racing, Excitebike-ish
Kenseiden - $3, cart in case - sidescrolling action/platformer
Double Dragon - $5, cart in case with poster (EU ver.) - beat 'em up, has the 2 player simultaneous mode NES Double Dragon doesn't. Not as good as the Genesis version though of course.
Zaxxon 3-D - $5, complete (3D Glasses supported but not required) - isometric shmup with depth, like the original Zaxxon. The 3d glasses make figuring out what height you're at a little easier, but it's still a tough game.
Vigilante - $3, cart only - sidescrolling beat 'em up.
Global Defense - $3, cart in case with poster - Sort of like a shmup crossed with Missile Command. Unique game, looks fun.
There were only eight 3-D glasses games released for the SMS, and only six of those had a US release (the other two were Europe only). I already have four of them, so the only ones left for the US are Poseidon Wars 3-D and Space Harrier 3-D; for EU imports there's also Out Run 3-D and Line of Fire.