Best Year for the Master System

[Sinistral]

Looking at Ian's shiny new Game database page on the site www.smstributes.co.uk/allgamesbyyearreleased.asp what year would you say was the best year for the master system and why?

For me personally it’s got to be 1988 - the year shinobi and so many of the games I played when I was very young came out that year.

Looking at it in that view I'm pretty sure there are some errors on there, but the idea also got me thinking how interesting it was to see the "ramping up" of development towards the end of life of the console. I had no idea that 1993 was such a busy year for master system releases!

[playgeneration]

Its hard to choose, but 1991 is a good year for sure, and being my formative year in SMS gaming since I had my console for Xmas 1990. The obvious highlight of the year is Sonic, but there's also classics like Operation Wolf, Outrun Europa, Lucky Dimer Caper, Asterix, and the so bad its good Running Battle.

1986 would be my other choice, with Alex Kidd in Miracle World setting a early and very high standard as does another brilliant Sega game full of ideas and genius - The Ninja. Then there's My Hero and Astro Warrior, great games that are relatively basic but have a charming style, seem from such a distant era compared to the later released games.

[drrotule]

According to me, 1988 is also the best year because G&G, Golvellius, kenseiden, phantasy star, rtype, shinobi, thunder balde and wonderboy 2 are really wonderfull games.

Second one would be 1990 with AKSW, castle of illusion and golden axewarrior

[kungfukid]

A great idea for a thread! I honestly find it really difficult to pick to be honest.

In the end, I think I'd go for 1993, as I think it was only in 1993 that we started to really see what the system was capable of, especially with ports of some of the games seen on other consoles that I wouldn't have beleived could have been transferred so well before seeing them with my own eyes.

Games like Micro Machines, Robocop vs the Terminator, Mortal Kombat, Sensible Soccer, James Pond 2 and Streets of Rage all stand out to me from that year, and were all games that I never imagined would make it to the Master System.

I love the SMS exclusive titles, especially a lot of the earlier ones, but the games mentioned above, I think, gave some real legitimacy to the console as a still viable contender in the market at that time. Such a shame that the US missed out on all of these.

[frankfjs]

There were great games released every year!

For me it would be '87 & '88. Lots of great arcade ports, 3D games and other classics in those years.

[Centrale]

I agree with the above-mentioned reasons for 1988, plus the fact that Sega was securing licenses left and right for amazing arcade ports like R-Type, Vigilante, Rastan, and Time Soldiers. And didn't their version of Double Dragon come out in '88 as well? My apologies if I'm getting some of the dates wrong, but as I recall Sega was on fire in '88. Of course, this is from a U.S. perspective. You cats across the ocean have so many incredible reasons to favor later years. For us, the rumors of the Genesis/Mega Drive were just beginning in '88 and of course came to fruition the following year, and that's where all my attention turned to at that point.

[Transatlantic Foe]

1993 for me. It was basically the last year before it died and developers had really started to maximise its technical potential.

Mortal Kombat, GP Rider, Power Strike II, Robocop vs The Terminator, Star Wars, Sensible Soccer and both Streets of Rage! Sonic Chaos is technically very nice too, but ludicrously easy.

Wolfchild is basically just missing background music but looks really nice, gameplay is pretty average though. There are a few other 16 bit ports in there that, whilst being average games, are bloody impressive for an 8 bit console. 1992 is along similar lines, with nice ports of Desert Strike and Sagaia... but also the butchered ports of Space Gun and Special Criminal Investigation.

[warriors33]

For me , the best year for the Sega Master System are 1986 and 1991 ( and also 1992 ) , 1986 for AKIMW and 1991/1992 for Sonic between others

[ShadowAngel]

I would say 1991: Sonic, Asterix, Lucky Dime Caper, Bubble Bobble, Klax, Rampart, Mercs, Pacmania, Ms. Pac Man, World Class Leader Board...very good year, especially for Jump n' Runs.

[Tonto]

I'm gonna give a shout out to 1986

Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Fantasy Zone
Ghost House

All great games, beautiful to play, with a really original feel.

Then you've got the likes of Choplifter, The Ninja, Black belt, even Great Soccer is pretty good to play.

May not be the absolute best year, but it's given me a lot of enjoyment.

[psychofox]

1989 for me. Psychofox and Wonderboy 3.

2 of my favourite games of all time.

[lambrettadave]

It would be late 1991 for me as that when I got into sega and left me spectrum to rest there was already a good range of games out and some real classcis to follow in a few years.