The Master System was based on the SG-1000, a machine marketed only in Japan & marked Sega’s entry into the global console market in 1987. Competing with many more established brands, Master System sales were slow in Japan & the US, but it gained supporters in Britain, where over 100 games were produced by third party designers like Acclaim, US Gold. & Codemasters, The Master System II, a cheaper smaller & curvier version without any technical improvements on its predecessor was released in 1990 as a stopgap while Sega concentrated on the development of its replacement, the Megadrive & the handheld Game Gear.
- Japan 1990 – games produced until 1995
- Units sold: 10 million
- Number of games: 300
- Game storage: Cartridge / card
