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There's a well-known adage that history is written by the victors, and that's equally applicable to gaming as it is in any other field. Nowadays you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Nintendo's classic console was the only console available in the mid-to-late 1980s. If you were brought up in Nintendo's target markets of the US and Japan, this chunky contraption essentially became the only game in town – Mario was their flagship character, and its vice-like hold on third-party developers created a monopoly for key releases from that period. In European markets, where microcomputers were king, the NES was beaten by a more advanced competitor.

Technical Superiority

The Master System was initially introduced in Japan in the autumn of 1985 as the Sega's Mark III. Based around the celebrated Z80 central processing unit (employed by home computers such as the TRS-80, Spectrum and Amstrad) and a powerful Sega-designed video display processor, it boasted 8kb RAM, a 64-colour palette and the power to display 32 graphical objects at one time – rendering the Nintendo system (using the antiquated 6502 CPU) appear obsolete.

Transformation and Marketing

At first it was marketed in its home market as a evolution of Sega's earlier systems, which were resembling inexpensive microcomputers than gaming platforms, with their optional keyboards and printers. But as the NES exploded in both North America and Japan, Sega had a rethink, removed some computing features and re-released the Mark III in that year as the Master System – an dedicated gaming platform with a streamlined, slender, geometric design, standing out from the dull, boxy look of the NES.

The games are visually superior to similar processor-based consoles as a result of Sega's graphics hardware.

Innovative Accessories

It also came with a light weapon, and the company also introduced a stereoscopic eyewear for the console and a range of compatible games. “I am going to call out the three-dimensional OutRun,” says programmer Chris White, who developed a simulation program later used by Sega on its PlaySega website. “Admittedly, it caused discomfort and the alternate flickering of the lenses was enough to trigger a mild seizure, but it's representative of a period when Sega wasn't afraid to try wild experiments.”

European Market Strategy

Sega controlled the rollout of the Master System in the US (at least initially), but looked to local companies to address the divided European landscape. Across British and French territories (eventually including Spain), that role would go to the Mastertronic group. “Allied companies possessed superior market placement in Europe,” says Nick Alexander, who was Virgin Mastertronic's managing director at the period. “Superior retailer connections existed than the competition possessed. Industry periodical the trade journal had a continuous gag that Nintendo saw Europe as where the dragons lived – they didn't understand it, caution dominated their approach. Consequently, resources were concentrated stateside.”

Teen-Centric Advertising

Alexander, overseeing the gaming division since 1983, implemented their bold, teenage-focused methodology. “I sought to imagine the interactive entertainment parallel to concert tours,” he elaborates. “Therefore, we purchased a red bus and drove it around the country. Destinations contained educational institutions and retail complexes. It got an awful lot of coverage. The competition traditionally positioned their titles as all-ages experiences, but effectiveness was confined to certain areas was German territories. We focused on youth and recognizing that securing their interest would mean their younger siblings would want a Master System too. That's how we beat Nintendo in Europe.”

Coin-Op Roots

Despite Nintendo's iconic character, the company owned significant intellectual property: their amusement center background. Developers worked to translate numerous successful arcade titles to the machine including classics like Space Harrier and Golden Axe, marketing its new machine in the Western markets as an home amusement center. While not flawless conversions of the original titles, performance was superior and more colourful than any earlier home computer translations. Among dedicated players at the period, it seemed incredibly advanced.

Programming Advantages

For creators in Europe, the Master System hardware was a dream. “Background included home computer development and our games were being ported to the C64,” notes Andrew Oliver, who alongside his sibling was making the Dizzy games for the game company. “We went to the CES show in Las Vegas and recall observing the Sega booth. The presence was substantial, and positioned near competitors – and their message was: ‘Performance is paramount.’ In those times, systems were judged by what was graphically rich and speedy. Therefore, an agreement was secured, development equipment was acquired – it's a Z80, so we program it like a Spectrum, but visual capabilities resembled other systems. The code ran really fast and you had all the nice parallax scrolling and moving elements. It was very easy.”

Technical Backing

UK developers also found better assistance from the company. Programmer Mike Simpson at the English studio, subsequently acquired. “We had set up a little internal development studio in the English city, approximately twenty staff, and multiple conversions were undertaken,” he says. “Someone asked us to port the sophisticated title, a graphically intensive computer game, on to the Master System. Success appeared unlikely, so effort was invested! Travel to Japan was arranged to learn how to program it: Duration involved headquarters visit being taught by Mark Cerny [later lead architect of the PlayStation 4 and 5]. Memory contains organized development areas, and improvised sleeping arrangements existed!”

Enduring Impact

Following the Genesis launch, the Master System's popularity in Europe (eventually in South America), ensured ongoing development with adapted Genesis titles such as the blue blur. The spin-off title Sonic Chaos, produced for various systems and Sega's Game Gear handheld (utilizing similar architecture as the 8-bit system), was {one of the highlights of the series|among the franchise's best|notable