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 SMS
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 Version 1.3
Snail Maze only BIOSes are incompatible with the following games.
- 4 Pak all Action
- Cosmic Spacehead
- Fantastic Dizzy
- Micro Machines
- The Incredible Hulk
- Street Fighter II
- Virtua Fighter Animation
Games Incompatible with Power Base Converter
The following games are incompatible with the original model Sega Genesis/Mega Drive with a Power Base Converter.
- 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)
- Games that aren't compatible with SMS Model 1 BIOS version 1.3
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 Shape 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)
- Missile Defense 3D (works, doesn't recognize the light phaser)
- Rescue Mission (works, doesn't recognize the light phaser)
- Hang On/Safari Hunt (various glitches; unconfirmed)
- GP Rider
PAL Games with Issues on NTSC Master System
| Game Title | Issue | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Andre Agassi Tennis | Plays too fast | Minor |
| Back to the Future Part III | ||
| 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 | Game just displays garbled screens after Codemasters logo | Unplayable |
| Desert Strike | Plays too fast, major graphical glitching | Severe |
| Fantastic Dizzy | Boots to a scrambled Codemasters logo then a black screen followed by a blue screen, crashes after a minute | Unplayable |
| Home Alone | Plays too fast, major graphical glitching, Kevin can fall through the floor, Harry and Marv sometimes stop moving | Unplayable |
| Micro Machines | Just displays a purple screen after the Codemasters logo | Unplayable |
| NBA Jam | Plays too fast, graphical glitching | Moderate |
| Operation Wolf | Cannot shoot at enemies | Unplayable |
| Power Strike II | Plays too fast[1] | Minor |
| Predator 2 | Plays too fast, graphical glitching when scrolling | Moderate |
| RoboCop 3 | Plays too fast | Moderate |
| RoboCop vs. The Terminator | Plays too fast | Minor |
| Sensible Soccer | ||
| Shadow of the Beast | Plays too fast | Moderate |
| Smash TV | Plays too fast | Moderate |
| Sonic Blast | Occasional glitched graphics, likely due to it being a Game Gear conversion | Moderate |
| Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Occasional glitched graphics | Minor |
| Space Harrier (some versions) | ||
| Taito Chase H.Q. | Plays too fast, glitched road graphics on turns | Severe |
| The Jungle Book | Plays too fast, minor graphical glitching | Minor |
| The Newzealand Story | ||
| 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 Terminator | Plays too fast | Minor |
| Winter Olympics: Lillehammer '94 | Plays too fast, minor graphical glitching | Minor |
| World Cup USA '94 | Plays too fast | Minor |