SegaGeneration 3
Sega Master System II
1986
AU Release
1 January 1990
AU Launch Price
$179 AUD
~$450 today
Units Sold
13M
Technical Specifications
Processor
Zilog Z80A @ 3.58 MHz
Memory
8 KB RAM, 16 KB VRAM
Storage
None
Media
Cartridges + Sega Cards
Best-Selling Sega Master System II Games
Global lifetime sales
Cultural Impact
The Sega Master System lost the third-generation console war to Nintendo in North America, but it dominated in Europe, Australia, and most spectacularly in Brazil — where it remained in production until 2021, an unbroken commercial run of nearly 35 years. In Australia, the Master System (and its compact redesign, the Master System II) was a genuine competitor to the NES, and many Australian kids grew up with Alex Kidd in Miracle World as their default pack-in game. The Master System birthed the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, with the portable Game Gear version of Sonic predating the Mega Drive original. The console proved that Sega had the engineering and software talent to compete with Nintendo — a rivalry that would define gaming through the 1990s.
Did You Know?
The Sega Master System continued production in Brazil until 2021 — a commercial lifespan of 35 years, making it the longest-running console in history
Alex Kidd in Miracle World was built directly into the Master System II's ROM chip, so the console had a game even without a cartridge — one of the few consoles with a built-in game
Sonic the Hedgehog appeared on the Sega Game Gear (a Master System-based handheld) before the more famous Mega Drive version — the Game Gear Sonic was a distinct, earlier release
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