If you grew up in the North American video game market in the 80s and 90s, chances are that you’re very familiar with the console wars that occurred between Nintendo’s SNES and Sega Genesis. Genesis supposedly did what Nintendon’t — blast processing, and all that good marketing nonsense. But before there were the 16-bit console wars, there was the Sega Master System (SMS). This is a system that passed a lot of USA consumers by at the time, but contains a great library worthy of another (or a first time) look.

If you’re anything like me, the Master System library is probably one of the standard sets included when adding a ROM library to a new console. The entirety of releases on the system barely cracks a few dozen megabytes, so it’s a total no-brainer to keep available on your devices, but the trouble is, I never play them. For a lot of people who didn’t grow up with it, the Sega Master System is something of an afterthought in their emulation experiences. This is unfair to a system that truly punched above its weight class for a number of years, and it deservedly holds a special place in the hearts of a lot of gamers.

With the iconic Alex Kidd in Miracle World showing up as the RH GOTW, it got me thinking that the Master System deserves some feature article love, so here are the emulation handhelds in my collection that I reach for when I want to play the Sega Master System. I won’t stand up and say that these are the best ways to play, and certainly not the only ways, but just the consoles that I reach for when I want to jump back to the other 8-bit icon.

Some Background

The SMS was something of a victim of timing in North America. It was released in 1986, after Nintendo had already established a firm foothold in the market a year earlier. Sega was still something of an unknown to Western markets, and Nintendo was a safer bet for parents everywhere to ensure harmony on Christmas morning. Sonic was still years away, and Sega lacked the brand identity of its competition.

The Sega Master System – Image c/o Wikimedia

Where the SMS failed to make an impact in North America, it made up for the ground in other territories. The Master System saw moderate success in Europe, especially the UK. The only time I can remember seeing a Master System in someone’s home as a kid was at a cousin’s house in England. After seeing a cassette player hooked up to a PC on the same trip, I wrote off these strange technologies as inferior to those I knew, and never really paid the SMS much mind until I got into emulation on PC years later.

Of course, where the SMS found its largest audience was after its 1989 release in Brazil. Nintendo had limited distribution arms in the region at the time, and Sega stepped in with a local partnership and focused translations for the Brazilian market. The system found great success as the localized approach, combined with the relative affordability of the SMS over newer offerings like the SNES, made it the console of the era, and the childhood that many Brazilian gamers may look back at vs any memories with a mustachioed plumber.

Anbernic 280M

Fun story, this is the first modern emulation handheld that I purchased, and what reignited my emulation fire. A similar story to a lot of folks who found themselves with extra time during the COVID pandemic, I’m sure.

Alex Kidd was one of Sega’s earlier mascots

Just because it has some years under its belt doesn’t mean that the 280M isn’t still a great device. It’s a metal-shelled device with a premium feel and weight that handles up-to-PSX emulation in stride. Anything beyond that and you’re going to have a compromised experience, but with its comfortable form factor and premium feel, it’s still a go-to when I want a great experience on a smaller device.

Buy the Anbernic 280M @ AliExpress

The 2.8-inch 320×480 display handles the native SMS resolution of 256×192 well at the same 4:3 aspect ratio as originally intended. While it might be harder to find one new these days, the system is very much worth your consideration should you see one available online somewhere. Check out the RH Discord and Patreon for how to snag deals on one in the marketplace.

MagicX Mini Zero 28

As noted in Ban’s review, the Mini Zero 28 packs a hefty amount of power in a tiny package. It was one of those devices that ended up sitting on the shelf for a while after I finished my initial writing. Lost in a sea of never-ending releases without enough of an identity of its own to stand out from the pack. Or so I thought. This was my own misconception doing me a disservice.

Remember to turn off frame rate for a more immersive experience 😉

While the Mini Zero 28 languished on my shelf, I was missing out on one of the best ways to play older games, that maybe I hadn’t considered to use it for before. I was focused on how well it played things like PSP, but I already had devices I preferred for that experience. What I’ve found over time, though, is that the Mini Zero 28 is just a comfortable way to play a lot of great games in one place. Despite the console’s ability to shoot a little higher than some of its contemporaries, I find that it truly shines in bringing older experiences back to life.

This MagicX also comes in with a 2.8-inch screen, but this time boasting a higher resolution of 640×480. This means the Mini Zero 28 will scale SMS games well while packing even more pixel density into the tiny screen over something like the RG280M.

Buy the MagicX Mini Zero 28

PowKiddy V10

This is a handheld that deserves more love. The PowKiddy V10 is yet another RK3326 device in a market that’s absolutely overflowing with similar handhelds. It does nothing particularly remarkable in its design or implementation, and yet, I fell head over heels for it when it first landed in my hands.

Tenacious D wrote a whole song about it

The V10, for lack of a better phrase, just works. It arrives out of the box ready to go and is giftable for someone who’s not already swimming in the deep end of the emulation pool, but includes a bevy of available firmware options for the curious. Watch Stubbs’ review below for why it’s difficult to resist the charms of this compact, cartridge-sized platform.

Now, you might say that the V10’s 480×320 3:2 screen makes it a better fit to be featured on a GBA list, and you’d be correct, but its size, comfort, and just a certain je ne sais quoi make it one of my first thoughts for any SMS adventures.

Buy the V10 Direct @ PowKiddy

Buy the V10 @ AliExpress

Game Console R36XX

You didn’t think you were getting through a Nick list without a mention from everyone’s (see: my) favorite cloner. The R36XX slid under the tariff wire to arrive in my mailbox last month and blow my already budget-enthused mind. The addition of Wi-Fi makes this console the clear choice over the R36S that came before it.

I have my personal favorites

Retro Achievements takes a gaming experience of reconnecting with an old classic and adds a whole new layer of modern enjoyment to the mix. This simple addition makes for such a quality of life improvement over its predecessor that I find myself defaulting to the 36XX when I’m unsure where to best enjoy a certain title. Decent controls, a vibrant 4:3 screen, and a rock-bottom price make the R36XX a perfect console to enjoy some 8-bit After Burner.

Miyoo Mini (V4)

Something about playing games from the late 80s and early 90s era makes me move away from the big-screen technical behemoths of my collection. Sure, the Odin 2 will play the hell out of some Sega Master System games, but that doesn’t mean that it necessarily feels right. Having grown up in that era, I think I long for the devices that create a connection to that time period. For whatever reason, the Miyoo Mini defines this for me.

Seen here perched atop one of Ban’s famous nuts – The Miyoo Mini V4

Having never owned a Game Boy as a kid, I think that form factor stuck with me as emblematic of the entire era. Even though I owned a Game Gear and have favorite ways to play that system, I still reach for the Miyoo Mini when I want some Master System goodness.

The Mini V4 pictured here once again has a 2.8-inch 640×480 screen (see a pattern here?) that scales very well at 4:3 for Master System. Despite its size, the controls are comfortable for longer sessions, and custom firmware options allow you to tune the experience however you’d like it.

Buy the Miyoo Mini V4 @ Amazon

Conclusion

So that’s the picks from my collection that I reach for when I want to play some Sega Master System. What are yours? This list isn’t necessarily meant to be the be-all end-all of the discussion, but maybe just a few helpful suggestions if you are looking into exploring Sega’s lesser-known library.

Fantasy Zone II on the V10

The Master System offered a cheaper alternative to the most popular console of the era, and by doing so, gave a lot of folks around the world their first connection with a home console. Now, retro handhelds are here to help those who formed those memories reconnect with them and offer a new generation a slice of gaming greatness at a price that might have otherwise been unaffordable or inaccessible, just as Sega did for millions of gamers around the world with the Master System.

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