The world's premier resource for SEGA's arcade and console hardware legacy!
Sega attempted to bring Enduro Racer’s thrilling action to the Master System but sacrificed too much of what made the game such great fun. The result is a port that’s competent but not much more – and that’s just the Japanese version that didn’t have half the game removed.
The first Zillion game was a wonderful and exciting action title with lots of exploration. Its sequel stripped all of that away and instead gave players a dull and repetitive affair. It might not necessarily be a bad game, but it definitely came up short compared to its predecessor.
Wonder Boy in Monster Land took a side-scrolling platformer and turned into an incredible action/RPG that launched a franchise. The Master System port was excellent, and while it suffered from many of the same flaws of the arcade original, it remains a great addition to anyone’s 8-bit Sega library.
Largely unknown to Western games, The Black Onyx is something of a legend in Japan and laid the foundation for many console and computer RPGs to come. It’s quite barebones now, but it’s remarkable that the SG-1000 even got the game, considering it was released well into the Famicom era.
Sega’s 1987 sci-fi classic has done the rounds on multiple formats, but the best way to play it is in its original arcade form. Tense and action-packed, the game was a blast to play with a friend, and it hasn’t lost any of its charm or challenge over the years. It remains one of Sega’s arcade best.