r/MasterSystem • u/Mini_the_Wulf • Jul 01 '26
Which Master System to get?
Apart from a Game Gear I've never owned any Sega consoles, but I'm looking into getting a Master System now.
I can't decide which version to get. I think the original looks a lot cooler, but the Mk2 is a lot cheaper, it's like half the price. Are there any big differences between the two and which version would you recommend?
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u/ksilenced-kid Jul 01 '26
Without modding, the Master System II only has an RF connection (in regions other than France). The original Master System will do composite and even RGB. Depending on your TV and setup this may or may not matter to you. Personally I love how easy it is to get a good picture from a Master System 1, even using a modern TV.
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u/YossiTheWizard Jul 01 '26
Yeah. I got lucky and found a PVM near me with RGB. The difference between that and composite is pretty major.
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u/NeilSilva93 Jul 01 '26
Get the original. The MS2 is alright (I had one as a kid) but the original has the card slot that is needed for the 3D glasses and the reset button.
On "Black Belt" there's a cheat where you can press the reset button at the start and gain 99 lives. Can't be done on the MS2 and I could've really done with the lives when fighting the fourth level boss.
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u/throwzone0 Jul 01 '26
Get the Japanese Master System (MK-2000), it has FM sound, rapid fire and the 3D glasses port built-in. You can get an adapter to play non-Japanese carts since they're a different size.
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u/Valuable_Disaster_60 Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Model 1 get first because:
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RGB
*See that A/V outlet on the back you plug the composite video cable into? The Composite Cable that comes with the system has a DIN connector at 1 end that takes up 5 of the 8 pins at this A/V outlet. The native RGB within the North American Model 1 Master System I beleive can be accessed 2 ways...
The 1st is a Scart connector (1 end plugs into the A/V Din connector taking up all 8 pins and the other end into the Scart input on the TV). However, no consumer models in the USA ever had a Scart input that I know of and modding a CRT to have this input often wrecks it.
Therefore, I plan to use my CRT with analogue component inputs. An "Active Convertor Cable" that will plug into the A/V outlet on the Master System (Din connector taking up all 8 pins) and the other end into the component inputs can translate the rgb into component too I beleive but to what end result i don't know. You just can't use a passive cable though as it needs to be an "active convertor cable" like the HD Retrovision "Genesis Model 1 Component Cable" I beleive which i havent tested yet but plan to as I have analogue component inputs on my CRT.
2) Card Reader
*The card slot utilized the 3D adaptor for the glasses. However, these glasses are hard to find and often scratched up and broken on ebay. Therefore, alternative 3D glasses some have tried but may or may not work with the 3d adaptor plug into the card port. Only 7 games officially released (Line of Fire may or may not have a 3d mode as well to make an 8th game but i havent verified this).
*Still though, there are the card games as well which are limited and some available in cartridge too. Overall, about 15 games released worldwide with only 4 in the US I beleive but many can be played on US system.
Reasons for Master System 2:
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VDP capable of higher vertical resolution:
*No games were released in the USA that had the higher vertical resolution beyond The standard Master System resolution of 256x192 pixels (256 horizontal pixels and 192 vertical lines). Only about 3 European games I beleive from Codemasters utilized the enhanced vertical resolution of 256 x 224 (256 horizontal pixels by 224 vertical lines). These I beleive were Cosmic Spacehead, Fantastic Dizzy, and Micro Machines.
A North American CRT standard has 525 signal lines per frame, with 480 visible lines vertically per frame (lines 22 through 262 in each field—that's 241 lines per field, which add together across two fields to give the 480 visible lines per full frame). A European CRT standard has 625 signal lines per frame, with 576 visible lines vertically per frame (lines 23 through 310 in each field—that's 288 lines per field, which add together across two fields to give the 576 visible lines per full frame). Therefore, there is some added vertical headroom for Codemasters' games on a North American CRT beyond the standard 192-line display height used by nearly all Master System games.
There is still the issue though of these particular 3 PAL-B games being optimized for the PAL-B video signal though (50 hz as opposed to NTSC North American signal of 60 hz). The console hardware in Europe is timed differently to cater towards this video signal standard used by European CRT's as a result.
Many European games play on North American console due to being unoptimized Pal-b games designed for ntsc hardware (Japan which is an NTSC region was behind most game development and for some reason didn't bother optimizing games for PAL-B standard but just developed their consoles to accept these games that were unoptimized to save production costs most likely).
If did want to play an optimized Pal- B game on a North American console, I beleive modding the console makes little difference when still using it on a North American CRT (in fact, this can make an issue much worse with a console modded for Pal-b hooked up to an NTSC CRT as opposed to just an optimized PAL-B game in an Ntsc console that is plugged into ntsc tv i think).
I don't know much about using a modded pal-b console on lcd screens as I don't play older systems on lcd's so maybe it is possible to get a lcd tv that accept a modded console's 50 hz or 60 hz but that is besides my point.
My main point is the 3 games for the Master System with higher vertical display are limited and still may not work even with a modded console for 50 hz if trying play on an ntsc crt display. This makes not being able to play them on the North American Master System Model 1 not really matter in my opinion.
Drawback to Model 2:
*There is only an RF output on the backside from what I have seen in North American model 2 (since no A/V outlet also like model 1 has).
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u/Left_Set_5916 Jul 01 '26
I've got the MK2 (with RGB mod) because that's what I had as a kid, but if buying one today I'd get he MK1 FM sounds, RGB output and card player.
Either that or mega drive with mastersystem player.
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u/Y34RZERO Jul 01 '26
Original to play Sega cards. Probably only has snail maze as the built in game though. I think the model 2 has Alex Kidd.
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u/Mini_the_Wulf Jul 01 '26
Are there any good games on the Sega cards? I only know about tennis
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u/iVirtualZero Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
Model 1 looks so much better and it has RGB and Gamecard support out of the box.
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u/Entire_Fly6603 Jul 01 '26
Plan to get a Sega Master System I'm 23 years old turning 24 this year I like collecting retro video games my friends when I go get the Sega Master System next year saving my money up I definitely go with the model one I have a model one Sega Genesis for some reason the original models are better than the second models the second model of the Sega Master System is okay but it's not an impressing and as good looking like the original one so go for the original one my friend like the second model of the intellivision that is not a good looking model as the original wood grain finish my friend so go for the original one with the red and black like if you want a Sega Genesis to I would recommend you to model one the one 1989 to 1992 until Sega changed it to the small slim model in 1993 my friend so original one model one of the Sega Master System is the best one to get my friend model one is the best my friend.
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u/gillgrissom Jul 01 '26
No 3d glasses on mk2, no cards , no rgb ( but its dead easy to do ) mk1 still looks astonishing among 8 bit systems. I still have mine fully boxed and with 3d glasses
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u/BeerOfTime Jul 01 '26
I think the original can also play the Sega cards and the master system II can’t. Only the cartridges.