The Sega Master System was initially released in North America all the way back in 1986, just under a year after the Nintendo Entertainment System's NA release. Sega's console had improved hardware compared to the NES, though it failed to compete commercially with Nintendo's console in North America and Japan. However, the Master System found success in Europe, which helped ensure the release of the Sega Genesis (known as the Sega Mega Drive outside of North America) just three years later.
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Due to Sega's eventual inability to compete with Nintendo and Sony that put them out of the console market, many gamers overlook their home consoles today. This is a mistake for any retro gaming fans, as the Mega System had numerous excellent releases that are still enjoyable to play today.
10 Operation Wolf
Operation Wolf was initially released on the Sega Mega System in Europe back in 1990, before coming to North America the following year. The game had previously been released in arcades and on the NES and was highly anticipated by Mega System owners, following continued praise from fans and critics. In fact, the game was awarded the Golden Joystick Awards' Game of the Year award in 1989, beating the highly regarded runner-up Starglider II.
9 Road Rash
With the stunning trailer for Forza Horizon 5 recently being shown at E3, it's easy to forget just how far visuals have come in gaming during the industry's relatively short lifespan thus far. Road Rash may not hold up visually, but its simple yet addictive gameplay is still thoroughly enjoyable today, along with its extreme violence that adds an interesting dynamic to the racing mechanics.
The Sega Genesis version of Road Rash was developed and published by industry giants Electronic Arts, who recently made major waves in gaming's racing genre following their acquisition of Codemasters.
8 Prince Of Persia
The original Prince of Persia was first released on the Apple II in 1989, before coming to the Sega Master System three years later.
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Prince of Persia is regarded as the first cinematic platformer ever released and consequently had a huge influence on the platforming genre. Not only did the game heavily influence other cinematic platformers like the iconic Another World, but its influence can also be more indirectly seen in critically acclaimed modern releases like Limbo, Inside, and Little Nightmares.
7 Alex Kidd In The Miracle World
Following the release of the legendary Super Mario Bros. in 1985, the gaming industry soon took a sharp change in direction as studios tried to capitalize on the enormous critical and commercial success of Nintendo's mascot platformer.
One such release was Alex Kidd in the Miracle World, which hit stores in 1986. Although Sonic The Hedgehog is remembered as Sega's response to Mario, it was Alex Kidd that first tried to compete with its brand of platforming gameplay that didn't hide its influences from the original Super Mario Bros. Coincidentally, a remake of Alex Kidd in the Miracle World is set to release on June 22, 2021, in Brazil; before releasing worldwide two days later.
6 Psycho Fox
Following on from the previous entry, Psycho Fox was another one of Sega's attempts to dethrone Mario from the head of the platforming genre before Sonic The Hedgehog was released in 1991 and finally offered some true competition.
Psycho Fox didn't come close to Mario's commercial success, though it did offer a few interesting ideas, in particular the ability to switch between characters who offered different skills. This concept of morphing into different characters or having interchangeable abilities is still seen in the platforming genre today, with Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time and Kaze and the Wild Masks being two recent examples.
5 Land Of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse was one of Sega's numerous attempts to challenge Nintendo with the use of recognizable IPs. Along with Mickey Mouse, the game also featured multiple other iconic Disney characters like Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, and Goofy.
Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse didn't try to reinvent the wheel and kept its core gameplay very similar to other respected platforming titles from the time. Although it lacked innovation, the game was extremely well received by fans and critics and was considered to be among the best platforming releases of the early 90s.
4 The Lucky Dime Caper Starring Donald Duck
Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse wasn't the only Sega Master System release to center around one of Disney's most iconic characters, as Donald Duck received his own game two years before the aforementioned Land of Illusion.
The game was also released on the Game Gear and had a handful of differences from the Master System version, including platform and enemy positions, along with changes to the star system.
3 Asterix
Asterix was yet another attempt from Sega to find success in the platforming genre by using a popular IP. The franchise began as a comic book series all the way back in the 1950s, before branching out into other forms of media such as film, TV, and of course, gaming.
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Asterix's gaming franchise has recently had a new breath of life, following the remaster of Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 in 2018 and the release of Asterix & Obelix XXL 3: The Crystal Menhir in 2019.
2 Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog was the final game released for the Mega System in North America, following the Sega Genesis' release in 1989. The version that was released on the Mega System was the 8-bit iteration, which differentiated itself from the Sega Genesis' 16-bit version in a handful of ways.
Differences included Chaos Emeralds being found in regular stages rather than specific levels, Sonic being unable to re-collect rings after taking damage, and stages being simplified with no vertical loops.
1 Phantasy Star
The Phantasy Star series is best known to gamers today for the free-to-play Phantasy Star Online 2 and the recently released, shared universe game Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis.
The original Phantasy Star was first released on the Mega System in the late 80s, before coming to multiple other consoles since including the Sega Genesis, Game Boy Advance, and PlayStation 2. The RPG received huge praise from fans and critics and helped Sega gain ground on Nintendo. However, the ground gained was limited, as Phantasy Star had the unfortunate timing of releasing in Japan just two days before the original Final Fantasy.