Master System:Game Incompatibilites

The Master System unfortunately has some incompatibilities with various games depending on the model at hand.

Original lists by Tycho on smspower.org

Non-Japanese Games on Japanese Console

Japanese Master System/Mark III games are both narrower and thicker than non-Japanese cartridges in addition to having a different pinout. Therefore, the cart slot on Japanese systems can not physically accommodate non-Japanese games. However, third-party adapters exist that allow you to play non-Japanese games on a Mark III or Japanese SMS.

Games Incompatible with SMS Model 1 BIOS Versions 1.3 and 2.0

Snail Maze-only BIOSes are incompatible with the following games:

• 4 Pak All Action (selecting any game goes back to the main menu)
• Street Fighter II (crashes when a match starts)

Games Incompatible with 315-5124 VDP

The 315-5246 VDP used in the Master System II and VA3 model 1 consoles has additional extra-height (256 x 224 pixels NTSC, 256 x 240 pixels PAL) graphics modes which a handful of games make use of. These modes are also supported by the Game Gear VDP. The following games are incompatible with consoles that use the older 315-5124 VDP, such as most model 1s (including all NTSC model 1s) and Japanese consoles. They are also incompatible with the Genesis/Mega Drive as its VDP does not incorporate the extra-height modes:

• Cosmic Spacehead
• Fantastic Dizzy
• Micro Machines

Games Incompatible with Power Base Converter

The following games are incompatible with the original model Sega Genesis/Mega Drive with a Power Base Converter.

• 4 Pak All Action (selecting any game goes back to the main menu)
• Alien 3
• F-16 Fighter/F-16 Fighting Falcon (this is due to the game using a legacy SG-1000 video mode which is not supported on Genesis/Mega Drive hardware)
• Street Fighter II (automatically selects two-player mode, game is playable otherwise)

Games Incompatible with HES Converter

The following games are incompatible with the Australian HES-branded Sega Genesis adapter. The 3D feature of games that use 3D glasses also will not work.

• After Burner (black screen)
• Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (pink screen)
• Assault City (7034; 7040 unknown)
• Aztec Adventure (black screen)
• Golfamania (animated garbage)
• Golvellius (buzz w/ flickering screen)
• Parlour Games (garbage screen)
• Shinobi (black screen)
• Card games (physical incompatibility)

Games Incompatible with Genesis/Mega Drive Controller

The following games are incompatible with a Sega Genesis/Mega Drive controller. You can patch these games to fix this or play them on a Japanese Master System or Mark III via a cartridge adapter. They will also play normally on a Japanese Mega Drive or region modded console set to Japanese mode.

• Alien Syndrome
• Bomber Raid
• Great Volleyball
• Montezuma's Revenge
• Penguin Land
• Shanghai
• Tennis Ace
• Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
• Wonder Boy in Monster Land

Games Incompatible with Sega Master System II

Because the Master System II lacks a card slot, it is not compatible with Sega Card games. Also, since the adapter for the 3-D glasses uses the card slot, games which make use of the glasses cannot be played properly (unless the game has a 2-D mode).

Games Incompatible with the Tototek SMS-Mark III Adapter on SMS

• Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (blank screen; reports of some working)
• Wanted (red screen, this is due to the game locking up when it detects the FM sound hardware)
• Missile Defense 3D (works, doesn't recognize the Light Phaser)
• Rescue Mission (works, doesn't recognize the Light Phaser)
• GP Rider

PAL Games with Issues on NTSC Master System

Note that these issues also apply to a Mark III or Japanese Master System. Testing was performed on a US model 1 SMS and a French SMS II modified with a 50/60 Hz switch, both using an original Master Everdrive.

Game Title	Issue	Severity
Alien 3	Minor graphical glitching when in air vents	Minor
Andre Agassi Tennis	Plays too fast	Minor
Arcade Smash Hits	Plays too fast	Minor
Back to the Future Part III	Displays a yellow screen, does not boot	Unplayable
Battlemaniacs	Minor graphical glitching at top of screen	Minor
Bram Stoker's Dracula	Plays too fast, occasional glitched graphics	Minor
California Games II	Boots to a black screen	Unplayable
Cosmic Spacehead	Plays too fast, flashing colors	Moderate, unplayable on all consoles with 315-5124 VDP
Desert Strike	Plays too fast, major graphical glitching	Severe
Fantastic Dizzy	Plays too fast, garbage pixels in status bar	Minor, unplayable on all consoles with 315-5124 VDP
Global Gladiators	Minor graphical glitching at the bottom of the screen	Minor
Home Alone	Plays too fast, major graphical glitching, Kevin can fall through the floor, Harry and Marv sometimes stop moving	Unplayable
Krusty's Fun House	Plays too fast	Minor
Micro Machines	Plays too fast, flashing tiles on top of screen	Minor, unplayable on all consoles with 315-5124 VDP
NBA Jam	Plays too fast, graphical glitching	Moderate
Operation Wolf	Cannot shoot at enemies	Unplayable
Out Run Europa	Plays too fast	Minor
PGA Tour Golf	Plays too fast	Minor
Power Strike II	Plays too fast	Minor
Predator 2	Plays too fast, graphical glitching when scrolling	Moderate
Prince of Persia	Plays too fast	Minor
RoboCop 3	Plays too fast	Moderate
RoboCop vs. The Terminator	Plays too fast	Minor
Sensible Soccer	Plays too fast	Minor
Shadow of the Beast	Plays too fast	Moderate
Smash TV	Plays too fast	Moderate
Sonic the Hedgehog 2	Occasional glitched graphics on top of screen	Minor, game actually plays at proper speed on 60 Hz
Space Harrier (European release)	Space Harrier's legs are glitched, flickering transparencies on large sprites	Moderate
Star Wars	Plays too fast, some slowdown	Minor
Super Kick Off	Plays too fast	Minor
Superman	Plays too fast	Minor
Taito Chase H.Q.	Plays too fast, glitched road graphics on turns	Severe
The Addams Family	Graphical glitching at top of screen	Moderate
The Flash	Plays too fast	Minor
The Flintstones	Plays too fast	Minor
The Jungle Book	Plays too fast, minor graphical glitching	Minor
The Lion King	Plays too fast	Minor
The Newzealand Story	Plays too fast, severe graphical glitching and flickering sprites	Severe
The Ottifants	Plays too fast	Minor
The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants	Plays too fast, Bart's legs are glitched	Minor
The Simpsons: Bart vs. the World	Plays too fast	Minor
The Smurfs	Plays too fast	Minor
The Terminator	Plays too fast	Minor
Trivial Pursuit	Plays too fast	Minor
Ultimate Soccer	Plays too fast, garbage pixels on top of main menu	Minor
Winter Olympics: Lillehammer '94	Plays too fast, minor graphical glitching	Minor
Wimbledon II	Plays too fast	Minor
World Cup USA '94	Plays too fast	Minor