Trying to sort through Master System console bundles... because I'm not sure anyone has bothered to yet. Japan, Asia, Brazil and South Korea are fine. Europe is "mostly okay", the challenge there being there were 532789324 Master System II bundles released across 34289432 countries. It's the US that's confusing me. And more specifically, the "original style" Master Systems (not Master System IIs). This is because Sega did everything in their power not to call the damned thing the "Sega Master System" - they insisted in calling it the "Sega System", which is probably another reason why they struggled to sell it in that region. The other problem is some European models do this too, and when you've nothing but crappy photos, it's difficult to know which models belong to the US and which to the EU. I have this much so far. But as you can see, it's lacking information and just sort-of "stops" half way through the console's timeline. I don't know what the Tonka-branded consoles look like, and I don't have any post-Tonka stuff. I'm confused because things like these showed up http://segaretro.org/File:SSS_EU_Box_Front.jpg "Sega Super System", 2 control pads, one light phaser, one pair of 3-D glasses. Don't know for sure whether this is from the US or Europe (I guessed Europe... but that would lead to other issues since there could be other "non-Master System" Master Systems out there. http://segaretro.org/File:SVGS_US_Box_Front.jpg "Sega Video Game System", which has wildly different packaging to anything I've seen from the US so far. Is this from Tonka? Is it identical to the above package? http://segaretro.org/File:SMSAK_EU_Box_Front.jpg I have this marked down as a European box. But if this is European, what is this?. If it's American, why go to the trouble of printing all these different languages on the back of the box?. Were there two Alex Kidd in Miracle World bundles, each with a different screenshot? http://segaretro.org/File:TSMSHangon_US_Box_Front.jpg I'm led to believe that perhaps this is the oldest Master System bundle of them all, which would make sense. It's got the simplest packaging design, and I think every console has the text "MASTER SYSTEM" printed on it, even if the box says otherwise. However, the internet told me that the console started off life as two separate entities - the "Sega Base System" and "Sega Master System". I assume these two were this and this respectively, due to their similar packaging designs. Is the internet wrong? otherwise I think I'm pretty close. Could do with good quality scans/photos though - there's a lot of minor differences between Master Systems that people don't realise.
The console itself is called the Sega Power Base. Every console says that on it. The difference in the Sega Base System and Sega Master System is the included accessories. Later Master System consoles started putting Master System/Power Base on the console itself.
I gathered that much. Though I've yet to see a US Master System without the text "Master System/Power Base" printed on it. The NES console unit is called the "Control Deck", but as far as I'm aware every NES bundle had the term "NES" or "Nintendo Entertainment System" in the title. Not really the case with the Master System and that's why it's more interesting.
Hmm - a quick check shows that the first models say "Master System/Power Base", and that later ones dropped the Power Base to just say "Master System". I guess Sega felt that "Master System" had more brand appeal by that point than "Power Base".
I have a master system bundle that comes with the console 2 controllers and a light phaser, the console has 2 games built in safari hunt and a dirt bike game, ill update the post with the name of the bundle and such when I go home next, I cant remember it off the top of my head ("sega master system plus" possibly) EDIT: found it http://www.retrogearuk.co.uk/Hardware/Sega.../prod_1753.html
You probably have the early Hang-On/Safari Hunt bundle ("The Sega Master System") mentioned in the article... can you compare yours with that?
As far as text printed on the console goes: US: "SEGA Master System/Power Base" Japan: "SEGA Master System" Europe: "SEGA Master System/Power Base" (I think) Brazil: "Master System" (and later "Master System II" (and possibly "Master System 3D") I don't think these ever changed... but the only evidence I have are poor quality photographs. I did upload everything I've found on Sega Retro, but things are very slow at the moment so getting the links takes forever. I'm less certain about bundle names. I know the "Master System Plus" bundle exists for Europe, but I'm not sure if it ever existed for the US.
