Sega Master System

Overview

The gamepad.

Peripherals

The 3D glasses.

The Light Phaser

• CPU: 8-Bit Zilog processor running at 3.579545 MHz
• Memory: 64 Kb RAM
• Video: Texas Instruments VDP, 256 x 192 or 256 x 224 resolution, 32 colors on screen (16 for sprites/background, 16 for background only) from a palette of 64
• Sound: Texas Instruments 4 channel processor (3 Square Wave, 1 White Noise)

Built-in Games

The Sega Master System (depending on the model) came with one, two, or three games built into its hardware. For the model 1 Sega Master System, the machine pre-programmed with three games. The actual retail quality games were Hang On (Action) and Safari Hunt (Light Phaser Series). However, there is a special exclusively programmed meta-mini-game hidden in the Master System hardware. It is a Snail Maze game that can be accessed through holding both the one and two buttons as well as holding the up potion of the directional square.

Software Formats

The Sega Master System had multiple forms of solid state software technology that was made compatible for the system.  The machine allowed for cartridges in the Mega-Cartridge series. For example, the game Alex Kidd in Miracle world was a Mega-Cartridge game, but later and more advanced games like After Burner used the Four Mega-Cartridge technology. It is unknown at this point if the Sega Master System cartridge technology surpassed the Four-Mega Cartridge. However, there is another variation on this form of software; the implementation of a lithium battery (exactly the same as batteries used for computer motherboards). This addition is indicated with the cartridge suffix descriptor of "Plus" or plus battery aided rewritable memory storage. For example, Phantasy Star is classified as a Four-Mega Plus Cartridge. The Plus feature allowed for players to record scores and game progress.
Another form of game media for the Sega Master System also had support for game card or "Sega Cards". These were credit card sized solid state form of media that were fed into their own dedicated input slot on the system. The appeal of this software format was that they held less (only 34KB of space), game cards ended up being cheaper than Sega's Mega Cartridge games. One of the best titles on the Sega Card media is Transbot. It is important to note that the two later model designs of the Sega Master system omit a game card input slot.