History of video games/Platforms/Master System
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The Sega Master System console and controller.
History edit
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Launch edit
The Sega Master System was preceded by the SG-1000.
On October 20th, 1985, the Sega Master System launched in Japan.[1]
Legacy edit
Discontinued in Europe in 1996, the Master System sold over 20 million units.[2] The Master System saw it's greatest success in Brazil, where it enjoyed a status similar to the NES in North America and remained popular and in production even in the year 2016.[3] Elsewhere the Master System was a more modest success, where it sold 1 million units in Japan, 2 million units in North America, and 6.8 million units in Europe.[1]
The Sega Master System was followed by the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Genesis.
Technology edit
Compute edit
The Sega Master System is powered by an 8-bit Zilog Z80 processor clocked at 3.58 megahertz, with an identical second source NEC D780C-1 CPU being used alternitively sometimes.[4][5]
The Master System has eight kilobytes of RAM and 16 kilobytes of low latency VRAM.[4]
The Master System uses a modified TMS9918 processor, called the Video Display Processor, with added features over the base design by adding mode 4.[4][6] The VDP also includes a Texas Instruments SN76489 for sound.[4][7][8]
Accessories edit
SegaScope 3D Glasses edit
The glasses were released at a cost of ~$50 in North America, Europe, and Japan in 1987.[9]
Game case edit
Games boxes for the Sega Master System games were made of durable plastic.[10] Box art for these games was relatively uniform.[11][12]
Notable games edit
1986 edit
Alex Kidd edit
Read more about Alex Kidd in Miracle World on Wikipedia.
1987 edit
Phantasy Star edit
Phantasy Star is noted as an early example of a game with a female protagonist.[13]
Read more about Phantasy Star on Wikipedia.
Gallery edit
Master System Console edit
Console Variants edit
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The redesigned Master System Mk II front. -
The redesigned Master System Mk II rear. -
The neon pink Master System Girl
Motherboard edit
Marketing edit
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Sega Master System logotype. -
Sega Mark III logotype.
External Resources edit
References edit
| Parts of this page are based on materials from: Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia. |
- ↑ a b "Sega Consoles: What You Need to Know About the Retro Game Giant". CBR. 5 May 2019. https://www.cbr.com/sega-consoles-retro-game-history/. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
- ↑ "Sega Master System (1986 - 1996)". Museum of Obsolete Media. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ↑ "Brazil's Obsession With the Sega Genesis Won't Slow Down" (in en-us). Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/brazils-obsession-with-the-sega-genesis-wont-slow-down-1788698522. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
- ↑ a b c d "Sega Master System Architecture A Practical Analysis". Rodrigo's Stuff. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ↑ "Prototype Master System: M404 - Development - SMS Power!". www.smspower.org. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ↑ "TMS9918a - Development - SMS Power!". www.smspower.org. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ↑ Langston, J. B. (11 October 2020). "jblang/SN76489". Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ↑ "SEGA MASTER SYSTEM TECHNICAL INFORMATION". Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ↑ "That Time Nintendo and Sega Introduced 3D Gaming, In 1987". Kotaku. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
- ↑ "Collecting Sega Master System Games Is A Huge Pain In The Ass" (in en-us). Kotaku. https://kotaku.com/collecting-sega-master-system-games-is-a-huge-pain-in-t-1795243730. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
- ↑ "Happy 25th Birthday, Sega Master System!". Kotaku. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
- ↑ "The Laziest Box Art in Video Game History" (in en-us). Kotaku. https://kotaku.com/the-laziest-box-art-in-video-game-history-5886757. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
- ↑ "A Brief History of Women in Gaming: The 1980s - The Strong National Museum of Play". Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved 14 December 2020.