Playing Master System Games in 2022

[kungfukid]

I'm interested in how everyone is playing their Master System games these days? Are you still using an original console (whether 1 or 2)? Something else to play physical games? Emulator? These days I tend to have my original consoles in their respective boxes, and for everyday playing I've been using the Retron 5 for the past four or five years now.

[edwithmj]

Mainly emulation. My consoles are mostly put away so it's just more convenient.

[asterix]

I’ve play my games on the good old original sms2.
Love when I go into my own little bobble back in time with the console that gave me so much fun at great memories. The feeling of turning the switch on and off, grabbing a game, looking at the box and the artwork, it’s all part of the enjoyment and the entertainment.

[Batman666]

I have my original system (SMS1) from 1989 hooked up to my TV so that I can play anytime I want, but it ends up that I only play on that setup on "special" occasions. For example every year on or right around my birthday. For the more day-to-day retro gaming, which includes the SMS, I use RetroArch on my PC.

[rupert]

Mainly using an Analogue Mega SG with an Everdrive, and 8bitdo wireless controller. Hooked up to a 1080p gaming projector and a 110” screen. It’s a really good gaming experience both with old 8bit games and more modern consoles.

I also have the demo cabinet which has the original CRT in it. That’s pretty cool to use occasionally although I’m still using the 8bitdo wireless pad and not the Sega control stick that came attached to it.

[8bitboyuk]

Pretty much exclusively still using my Master System model 1 which is the exact same one I was given on my 11th birthday #OldSkool. But it doesn't really matter how you play IMO mate. Just enjoy and give one of our challenges a crack if you want too!! Just come find us on Twitter or YouTube using #MasterSystemChallenge

[brian]

I'm not playing SMS these days

My childhood (an only) SMS died about 2 years or so ago and my games have been just keeping a shelf looking nice and white.
Been playing and slightly expanding my Sega Genesis/32X/CD collection since.

Had a hankering for some SMS, and figured it was time to check e-bay for a replacement.
Maybe even get one with Missile Defense 3-D in the ROM since I have the Hang On/Safari Hunt cart now and have yet to add Missile Defense 3-D to my collection.

HAH!

Times, prices and availability have changed!!!
The last half hour I spent on e-bay was a very depressing time.

What happened to this hobby??
At least Genny stuff I could find locally from time to time, but SMS has always been an online thing.
Online prices have gotten insane.
If I didn't love my games so much I'd sell the lot them right now looking at what some of this stuff is selling for!!!

[Kaunisto]

Every december I dig out my old SMS 1 for a month or so. The pads are barely working (including third I got back in the day) and have to keep moving cords to get decent picture. But there's no replacement for the real thing. Got a little old TV just for Light Phaser games.

Of course, that's just for the dozen games I actually have, for everything else it's emulator... just last year played Miracle Warriors.

[Batman666]

Feb 16, 2022 23:11:32 GMT brian said:

What happened to this hobby??
At least Genny stuff I could find locally from time to time, but SMS has always been an online thing.
Online prices have gotten insane.
If I didn't love my games so much I'd sell the lot them right now looking at what some of this stuff is selling for!!!

I think it's a combination of the pandemic with some people having more money to spend and an influx of people wanting to re-live their safe childhood memories in an uncertain time.

But probably the bigger culprit is that people have been fooled into believing video games are going to be the next big profitable collector market, like comic books were, and people that had no previous interest in video games have been spending money like crazy because they see it as a future investment.

And even though the comic book investors mostly go for the sealed stuff, the prices in general for everything rises when they spend like that.

Hopefully the investment bubble will burst sooner than later especially as the grading and auction people have been exposed to artificially drive up the prices which got the investors attention. But who knows.


But yeah, if anybody ever had a thought of selling their games, this might be the moment to do it. But I'm in the same boat as you, I'm to emotionally attached to my SMS games to sell them. Somebody else has to force me to do it if that's going to happen.

[brian]

Well

Good News and maybe some news that will help others!!!

For $210 Canadian Dollars I was able to score:
A boxed SMS by Irwin (Canadian distributor... same box I had as a child that my sister turned into a cassette storage thingy)
So, being boxed, it had the original AC adapter, RF switch, 2 controllers and light phaser.

PLUS

It came with two (beautifully) working Sports Pads, and a Control Stick, and two carts; Hang On/Safari Hunt and Great Baseball.


Now. The listing just stated the System, Hookups, and controllers/Phaser all tested and 2 sports pads untested for 200.
I offered 150... needing the system, and wanting a second light phaser again for Gangster Town and assuming the sports pads didnt work if listed as "Untested" when everything else was tested and working!!!

When it arrives... it's in the original box, with 2 extra carts, and both Sports Pads work awesome.

So happy.

A decent start to 2022.

*EDIT

The news that might help others!!!

I've had 3 Light Phasers now. Still have 2 of them.
My original (which was beat to poop and given an honorable burial)
My replacement (which didn't meet my expectations... UNTIL the happy ending)
and this third one which helped me learn and will hopefully help you!!!

Long story time.
My original... very old... I was young... couple moves... the back plate fell off, I painted the front sight neon orange on my dads recommendation, the cord was taped in too many places... and by the time I moved on to using a dedicated TV in a game room with A/V hookup (from Ebay!) I noticed it's accuracy was... questionable.

So I found a new one around 2012.
Looked beautiful.
But didn't shoot much better.
And both had similar issues.
Worked Fine with Safari Hunt and Shooting Gallery, but had trouble hitting screen borders in Gangster Town and Rambo III, in fact I COULDN'Y hit the DEL on the name entry of Gangster Town and it was a REAL crap shoot whether you actually activated your Life Drink or Grenade in Rambo III, and it just wouldn't work at all with Rescue Mission other than to start the game. (I don't have Marksman/Trap Shooting, Wanted or Missile Defense to test)
BUT... I also have a 3.5 inch battery powered B&W TV, that for shits and giggles I've hooked my SMS up to just because it actually has mono composite input. No RF input, the Antenna jack is 3.5" (Plus it has it's own aerial).
And the Light Phaser is PIXEL PERFECT on that little MotherF***er!!!
Why did I bury the old one? It probably still worked (granted it WAS unsightly...)

Now, today, 2022
I have another light phaser with the EXACT SAME ISSUES.
I want to blame the TV, but I have had the same issues with 2 other TVs
Now; All CRT 3 TVs in question were made after the year 2000, and again the Phaser works beautiful on my battery powered B&W.
So... what is it about "modern" CRTs that don't like the Light Phaser?
Well... I noticed when I shoot during games that work fine [Safari Hunt/Shooting Gallery] the screen looked normal.
When I shoot during Gangster Town/Rambo 3... the screen hangs on the white frame a WEEENY bit longer.
and on Rescue Mission? The game where it doesn't work at all? (except to start the game, because all you have to do is pull the trigger) I notice during the white frame, the screen would jump so 'high' that I would see garbled pixels on the bottom 1/5ish of the screen.
I haven't had 'proper' RF hookup since... I don't know when.
I switched to a Genny 2 in the Mid-late 90s while everyone else was playing PS/N64 (plus I had a 486DX2/66!!!) because my AC died, and my buddy was selling his for dirt cheap, I just wanted the power plug, but, well, you know!
So I didn't play SMS again till the late 90s/2000 when I found Ebay and bought some SMS games and an A/V cord and Adapter so I could play SMS and my original Genny in A/V on my 32" CRT, just like my DVD player! (Oh, for the year 2001 again...)

I wondered... are these TVs trying to filter the Signal? Like... old VHS movies would glitch on my old TVs... on these new TVs, using composite, they sometimes go to the "blue Screen" because the signal has gotten so bad it just shows that... same as tuning a bad channel, it shows the blue screen rather than static.
Is it seeing these random flashes on white frames as anomalies and trying to "correct" them?

I think it is.

I hooked my SMS up to my 32" Sanyo CRT direct with RF. Nothing attached to the switch box.

EVERY GAME*... AMAZING ACCURACY
*(I Tried)

AND, in fact (rather, in MY experience with MY setup), the picture clarity is NOT that far off from the A/V cord. Plus the sound has more bass in a way I like. It's definitely at a lower frequency. Which is obviously up to individual taste, plus who knows what the programmer was hearing while creating it, the lower or higher version? the FM version??

After I get my SMS fix over the next month or so, I'm gonna have to play some Genny in classic RF!
Who knows maybe it'll help the Menacer Accuracy! (I'm hoping)

By the way
If I have a 32X and Sega CD2 hooked up to model 1 Genny... will the Genny RF carry ALL that out to the TV?
If you don't know, I WILL soon enough...
or maybe someone can fill me in before then!

NOW

There Are NO Limits



Except... Speed, Personal Space, Buffet Visits... you know... be reasonable

[segamasterdude]

I play my master system most weeks. I mainly use my trusty sms 1 on my 26" crt TV. Occasionally ill use my analogue sg but thats if im playing with the kids on the lounge tv.

[xhojn]

Primarily I have been playing using my EverDrive on my Model 2 Mega Drive. I hadn't played many SMS games since my childhood but since I joined in with the high score challenges it has really helped me to see what the library really had to offer. Also it's cool to try out the homebrew as well.

I have also picked up a converter so I can play original carts on my Mega Drive as well. My sister still has all of our old games but I recently picked up Sonic 1 and Streets of Rage.

[ShadowAngel]

Emulator. My Master System is connected to a TV (and i did use it last year just for fun), emulators are more convenient though. I found a nice Launchbox pre-configured set that consists over 21,000 games for basically all non-cd based consoles (and Arcade, C64, Amiga, CPC and ZX) including flyers, box scans, marquees and to make it playable on a widescreen: Borders fitting for the system and a CRT border on the playscreen, so it really looks great.
I use a Retro-bit 6 Button Mega Drive Pad, it's even licensed by Sega and is just like the original, otherwise for more Arcade stuff i use my trusty old X-Arcade Tankstick, still goes strong after 18 years

[theeveshamgamer]

I still use all of my physical consoles. I have one MK1 in the living room and one MK1 in my bedroom and my mk1 master system convertor on my Megadrive. I have a few backup MK1 systems and a Master System 2 but the 2 hardly gets used as the others are set up with RGC packapunch rgb scart leads and OSSC's connected to startech hdmi switches. I just love the crisp image and stereo sound with this setup (atleast, on the games that support stereo)