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Thhere's a common saying that victors shape historical narratives, and that's just as relevant in the world of video games as it is in other domains. Nowadays you'd be forgiven for thinking that the NES was the only console available in the 1980s era. If you were brought up in Nintendo's target markets of North America and Japan, this bulky device essentially became the primary option – the company had Mario after all, and its vice-like hold on third-party developers established dominance for major titles of the era. However, across Europe, where home computers ruled the era, the console was surpassed by a technologically superior rival.

The Hardware Powerhouse

The Master System was originally released in Japan in the latter part of 1985 as the Mark III. Built upon the celebrated Z80 central processing unit (employed by personal computers such as the Spectrum, Amstrad and TRS-80) and a sophisticated visual processor engineered by Sega, it included 8kb of RAM, a 64-color range and the power to display 32 sprites on screen at the same time – rendering the Nintendo system (using the antiquated 6502 CPU) appear obsolete.

Transformation and Marketing

Originally, it was sold domestically as a evolution of Sega's earlier systems, which were resembling inexpensive microcomputers than gaming platforms, with their optional keyboards and printers. However, when Nintendo's console dominated in both North America and Japan, Sega had a rethink, removed some computing features and reintroduced the system in the mid-80s as the Sega Master System – an unapologetic games machine with a sleek, slimline, angular look, contrasting the beige Betamax visage of the NES.

Graphics were significantly better to other Z80 based systems as a result of Sega's graphics hardware.

Innovative Accessories

It also came with a light phaser, and manufacturers additionally offered a set of three-dimensional viewers for the system and a variety of appropriate software. “I must highlight the 3D version of OutRun,” comments programmer Chris White, who wrote a Master System emulator subsequently adopted by Sega on its PlaySega website. “While it induced headaches and the alternate flickering of the lenses was sufficient to cause visual distress, but it's representative of a period when the company embraced innovation.”

European Market Strategy

Sega controlled the rollout of the Master System in the US (in the beginning), but looked to local companies to address the divided European landscape. In Britain and France (subsequently Spain), this responsibility fell to Virgin Mastertronic. “Collaborators enjoyed stronger brand positioning in Europe,” says executive Nick Alexander, who was Virgin Mastertronic's managing director at the time. “Superior retailer connections existed than rival companies maintained. Gaming publication Computer Trade Weekly had a recurring humor that competitors considered Europe uncharted land – they didn't understand it, caution dominated their approach. So they put their effort into the US.”

Teen-Centric Advertising

Alexander, overseeing the entertainment branch since the early 80s, adopted their rebellious, youth-oriented strategy. “I aimed to conceptualize the gaming version of musical touring,” he clarifies. “Therefore, we purchased a red bus and toured the nation. Destinations contained educational institutions and retail complexes. Widespread publicity was generated. Rivals consistently advertised their products as family-friendly, but success was limited to specific regions was the German market. We focused on youth and we knew if we got them would mean brothers and sisters would request a Sega console as well. This strategy defeated competitors.”

Arcade Legacy

Although Mario belonged to competitors, Sega possessed its own advantages: their amusement center background. The company set out to bring multiple beloved amusement machine games to the console including classics like Space Harrier and Golden Axe, promoting their platform in the overseas territories as an personal entertainment venue. Although hardly perfect ports of the original titles, these were much faster and graphically improved than previous computer ports. To those of us who were teenage arcade addicts at the time, it seemed incredibly advanced.

Developer Experience

For creators in Europe, the console architecture was ideal. “We'd been working on the Spectrum and Amstrad and software was converted for other platforms,” says developer Andrew Oliver, who with his brother Philip was creating the Dizzy series for the game company. “We went to the CES show in the entertainment capital and I remember seeing the Sega stand. It was massive, and right alongside Nintendo – and the communication focused on: ‘Performance is paramount.’ During that period, computers really were all about what was graphically rich and speedy. So Codemasters cut a licensing deal, we got the dev kits – it's a Z80, so we program it like a Spectrum, but the graphics chip is like a C64. Performance was exceptional and advanced graphical techniques were available and sprites. It was very easy.”

Technical Backing

British programmers discovered Sega to be more helpful than Nintendo. Programmer Mike Simpson at the British publisher Personal Software Services, subsequently acquired. “We had set up a little internal development studio in the English city, limited personnel, and multiple conversions were undertaken,” he notes. “A request was made to adapt the advanced game, a technically demanding Amiga title, for the 8-bit console. The task seemed unachievable, so effort was invested! Visiting headquarters occurred to understand system architecture: Duration involved headquarters visit being taught by Mark Cerny [subsequently designing modern consoles]. I remember rows and rows of tightly packed desks, and furniture served multiple purposes!”

Lasting Legacy

Following the Genesis launch, the platform's continental appeal (and later Brazil), ensured ongoing development with adapted Genesis titles such as the blue blur. The spin-off title Sonic Chaos, created for multiple platforms and Sega's Game Gear handheld (utilizing similar architecture as the Master System), was {one of the highlights of the series|among the franchise's best|notable