Master System:Game Incompatibilites

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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
Alien 3 Minor graphical glitching when in air vents Minor
Andre Agassi Tennis 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 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
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
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 Plays too fast Minor
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 (European release) Space Harrier's legs are glitched, flickering transparencies on large sprites Moderate
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 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 Terminator Plays too fast Minor
Winter Olympics: Lillehammer '94 Plays too fast, minor graphical glitching Minor
World Cup USA '94 Plays too fast Minor
  1. ↑ [1]
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