Unreleased Sega Master System games

[Frogacuda]

Came accross this list from another forum. Some pretty interesting ones in there:
http://shinobiman.proboards15.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1165528885


List of all unreleased SMS games known or rumoured to have been in development.
Thanks to playgeneration, Bock, adol, Tonto, kungfukid, dezaneube, Phil, Yawackhary and TheRedEye for additions, corrections & scans.

Arch Rivals (Sega)
Listed in the "Master System: Les Jeux 1992 - 1993" booklet (scanned at SMS Power), also reviewed in Sega Pro (scan (http://www.smstributes.co.uk/view_page.asp?articleid=96)) alongside several screenshots. Game Gear version was released.

Arcus Odyssey
Passwords for this MegaDrive game were erroneously listed in the Master Section of Sega XS magazine, and it later appeared on several older online lists of SMS games.

Bugs Bunny (Sega)
Listed as "coming soon" in "Master System Les Jeux 1992-1993".
A GameGear game, Bugs Bunny in Double Trouble, was released but not until 1996, so this may be a different title.

Captain Planet (unknown)
Mentioned in a 1994 French mag (mag??, issue ??, month ??) as being one of the last Master System games in development.

CJ Elephant Fugitive (Codemasters)
Mentioned on last page of Micro Machines instruction manual alongside several screenshots, and also previewed in Sega Power issue 48 (SMS Power scan (http://www.smspower.org/scans/sms/scans/media/segapower-magazine48-1.jpg)). Game Gear version was released.

Cliffhanger (Sony Imagesoft)
Reported as in development in issue 5 of Sega Master Force.

Cube World (Sega)
Listed as "coming soon" in the 1988 Mastertronic catalogue. No further details known.

Die Hard II (Grandslam)
Listed in "Master System: Les Jeux 1992-1993" and reviewed in issue 1 of Sega Pro (11/91) alonside a couple of screenshots (scan (http://www.smstributes.co.uk/images/magscans/diehard2.jpg)).

Dinobasher featuring BigNose the Caveman (Codemasters)
Reviewed in Sega Power (March 1994) (scan (http://www.smstributes.co.uk/view_page.asp?articleid=76)). Prototype owned, dumped & released by Bock.

Dragon's Revenge (Tengen)
An interview with Dan Van Elderen, Tengen's Chief Operating Officer , in issue 5 of Sega Master Force (11/93), states that SMS, MD & GG versions of this were planned. Only the MegaDrive version was released.

Drop Zone (Codemasters)
Advertised for release (where??), and rumours of proto copies have circulated for a while. GameGear version was released.

Duck Tales (Sega)
Listed as "Coming Soon" in "Les Jeux Master System 1992". Possibly a working name for Deep Duck Trouble?

Excellent Dizzy Collection (Codemasters)
Compilation of 3 Dizzy games (Dizzy the Adventurer, Go! Dizzy Go! and Panic Dizzy). Bock has an early & incomplete proto. Complete version released on Game Gear.

Fire & Forget
Confirmed by programmer Gil Espeche as being ported to the Master System as a test.

Global Golf (Codemasters)
Listed as "In the pipeline" in Sega Power (July '94) and briedly mentioned alongside a screenshot in Spanish mag Hobby Consoles (SMS Power scan (http://www.smspower.org/scans/sms/scans/media/hobbyconsolas-magazine33-2.jpg)). Possibly became 'Ernie Els Golf' on the Game Gear?

Godfather, The (US Gold)
Reviewed by German mag Video Games (off-site scan (http://www.dcevolution.net/dsdevelopment/contributor/godfather-sms.jpg)) in February 1993 with several screenshots and also advertised as "coming soon" from US Gold (where?)

Hook (Sony Imagesoft)
The circulating ROM was provided by it's programmer, Mark Tailor.

Hurricanes (US Gold)
Listed as 'In the pipeline' in Sega Power (July 1994). Game Gear version was released.

Impossible Mission 2 (Epyx)
Mentioned in issue 8 of 'S' Magazine (scan (http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/876/impossiblemission2wintezg1.jpg)).

Itchy & Scratchy Game The (Acclaim)
Listed as due for a March '94 release in issue 6 of Sega Master Force (12/93). GameGear version was released.

Judge Dredd (Acclaim)
Listed (inaccurately?) on the Olivers Brothers website as being developed by Interactive Studios (see here (http://www.blitzgames.com/olivertwins/business.htm)). A Game Gear version was released.

Kawasaki Superbikes (Domark)
Listed as being in development in issue 5 of Sega Master Force (11/93). A GameGear version was released.

Last Action Hero (Sony Imagesoft)
Reviewed by the Spanish mag 'Hobby Consoles' (SMS Power scan: page 1 (http://www.smspower.org/scans/sms/scans/media/hobbyconsolas-magazine29-1.jpg),2 (http://www.smspower.org/scans/sms/scans/media/hobbyconsolas-magazine29-2.jpg)) alongside several screenshots. Released on Game Gear.

Lemmings 2 (Sega)
Confirmed as being completed by programmer Mark Tailor. Reviewed by Sega Power (scan (http://www.smstributes.co.uk/view_page.asp?articleid=103)) alongside a couple of screenshots.

Light Corridor (Infogrames)
Erroneously included in the Master System cheats section in Sega XS magazine, and from there included in older online lists of SMS games.

Light Force
Erroneously included in the Master System cheats section in Sega XS magazine, and from there included in older online lists of SMS games.

Marko's Magic Football (Domark)
Listed as being in development in issue 5 of Sega Master Force (11/93). A GameGear version was released.

Maze Hunter 3D II (Sega)
This has been on SMS Rumour lists for years and was presumably mentioned somewhere, but I've no idea what the original source was.

Moonball (Sega)
Discussed in an SMS Power thread as being included in a list of forthcoming Mark III titles in Japanese mag 'Gameboy' (Nov '87).

NBA Jam (Acclaim)
Listed as available in Sega Power (Summer 1995). Released on Game Gear.

Pac-In-Time
Confirmed by programmer Gil Espeche as being developed in Master System form aswell as GameGear. GG prototype has been dumped & released.

Paperboy II (Sega)
Listed as "Coming Soon" in "Master System Les Jeux 1992-1993"

Panic Dizzy (Codemasters)
A listing on the Oliver Twins website (http://www.blitzgames.com/olivertwins/earlyyearsp2.htm) suggests this was considered for stand-alone release before being compiled onto the (also unreleased) Excellent Dizzy Collection.

Pat Riley Basketball (Sega)
A few protos are known, and the ROM is easily found. A pre-release box was shown in promo shots (scan (http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/3002/patrileymockupmy3.jpg)).

Phantasy Star II (Sega)
Slightly incredulously mentioned in issue 32 of Sega Pro (3/94) alongside what appear to be screenshots of Phantasy Star IV (MegaDrive). Scan (http://www.smstributes.co.uk/images/db/phantasystar2.jpg).

Quarter Back (Sega)
Included in a list of all released SMS games in issue 1 of 'S' Magazine (scan (http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/4793/smagazinequarterbackve7.png)). Possibly refers to American Pro Football?

Rise of the Robots (Acclaim)
Developed by DataDesign (see here (http://www.datadesign.uk.com/history_page.htm)). Game Gear version was released.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (Virgin)
Previewed in Joypad & Hobby Consoles magazines (SMS Power scans: Joypad (http://www.smspower.org/scans/sms/scans/media/joypad-magazine14-1.jpg), Hobby Consoles 1 (http://www.smspower.org/scans/sms/scans/media/hobbyconsolas-magazine14-1.jpg),2 (http://www.smspower.org/scans/sms/scans/media/hobbyconsolas-magazine17-1.jpg)) though the accompanying screenshots are taken from the NES version.

Simpsons, The: Bartman vs. Radioactive Man (Acclaim)
Previewed in issue 6 of Sega Master Force (12/93), though the accompanying screenshots are taken from the NES version.

Sonic Chaos 2 (Sega)
Listed as "In the pipeline" in Sega Power (Jul '94). Released on Game Gear only as 'Sonic Triple Trouble'

Sonic Edusoft (US Gold)
An "unofficially licensed"(?) game supposedly developed by Tiertex in 1991, according to a Wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic%27s_Edusoft) that appeared in Sep '06. Previously discussed here (http://www.smspower.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9109&highlight=edusoft).

Spider-man/X-Men: Arcade's Revenge (Flying Edge)
Fake-looking box shown in a magazine ad. Released on Game Gear.

Sports Pad Soccer (Sega)
Released in Japan, but also advertised as Coming Soon in the US Spring/Summer 1987 Game Catalog Presumably canned when they decided to add Sports-Pad compatibility to the US Great Soccer instead.

Super Basketball (Sega)
A looping 2-screen demo was shown at a 1989 US trade show (CES?) and later found it's way into Bock's hands.

Sylvester & Tweety in Cagey Capers (Tecmagik)
Mentioned in issue 7 of Mean Machines Sega (4/93) alongside a couple of screenshots (scan (http://www.smstributes.co.uk/images/db/sylvester.jpg). A MegaDrive version was released.

Tintin on the Moon (Virgin)
Previewed in Sega Power (May '92) & Player 1 (issue?? month??) alongside a few screenshots (scan (http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/Tonteau/TinTinScanA.jpg))

Wild Streets (Titus)
Briefly mentioned in issue 6 of 'S' Magazine (scan (http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/6194/smagazinewildstreetscu2.jpg)). No screenshots

Winter Games (Epyx)
Mentioned in issue 8 of 'S' Magazine (scan (http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/876/impossiblemission2wintezg1.jpg)).

Woody Pop (Sega)
Released in Japan, but also listed in several early US/Euro catalogues



Games advertised under alternate titles

Combat & Rescue (Sega) Listed as Coming Soon on the back of the "Take Hold Of The Sega Adventure" poster/catalog. Working title for Rescue Mission.

Freedom Fighter (Sega) Listed as "Coming Soon" in 'S' magazine (Aug 1990). Working title for Aerial Assault.

World War 3-D (Sega)
Listed as "coming soon" in the US Spring/Summer 1987 Game Catalog and in the UK 1987 Mastertronic catalogue. Working title for Missile Defense 3-D.


If anyone can spot any omissions or inaccuracies, provide scans of anything not already available here or at SMS Power, or can fill in any of the missing magazine issue numbers or dates then please do!

Some of these I had never heard of. A Godfather game? A port of Light Corridor (neat little game, by the way)? News to me.

[Bruhaha69]

Cool. Too bad we never got that Maze Hunter 3D 2. Only thing I didn't like about the first game (aside from headaches because you couldn't save) was how slow the main character walked. Made me stay away from armor in the game.

That Wild Streets game looks awesome if that was truly an SMS screen. Hard to believe, though.

Thanks for posting

[Frogacuda]

The screenshot there is Fire and Forget II for Genesis.

[DarthArcturus]

thats a pretty large list. The unreleased/canceled list for dreamcast always gets me sad :(

[jp]

thats a pretty large list. The unreleased/canceled list for dreamcast always gets me sad :(

Total Annihilation 2... :frown:

[Bruhaha69]

The screenshot there is Fire and Forget II for Genesis.

Well, that makes a hell of a lot more sense.

Hey, here it is:

http://www.2xmoinscher.com/jeux/detail.asp?id=23549

Sweet cover art

[HawkClay]

Remember the poster that came with the Master System games had Woody Pop on it... and I wanted that game SO BAD!!! Seriously, every time I went to the store, it was the first thing I looked for... Of course, I never saw it since it was never released here.

Luckily, it was released for Game Gear, and my friends all chipped in and bought it for my 15th birthday! I remember playing it after Driver's Education classes for HOURS! :flirt: I was VERY happy to finally get it! :flirt:

[Frogacuda]

Woody Pop was neat. I think it was a Sega Card game, too, which I believe were playable in US systems, but I never got the import. I didn't have a GameGear for many years, either (I was an Atari Lynx kid, believe it or not), so I didn't get to play Woody Pop until like 1998 or so. I didn't play Wonderboy III until then, either. I had always wanted to, but it was one of those games I never actually saw a copy of, since I shopped at flea markets and it was all dumb luck.

The Godfather game seems like the most interesting one on this list because it A) seems to be completely finished, since it was reviewed, and B) never made it out on any other system, despite being a major license (US Gold did put out a version on the popular computers of the day, but it seems to be a different game from the SMS one). I really hope a prototype of that surfaces.

[oneironama]

WOODY POP?! *mouth drops*

OMG I haven't heard that name in years....sad to say I don't remember it too well either :' [

How many SEGA systems was that on? I'm sure I've played it, but I never had a SMS....must've been the GG version...time to consult the nearest search engine =P

Also, for someone who's never even SEEN a SMS, let alone played it, what are 5 good games to start with? (played Phantasy Star, that's it)

[jp]

Wonder Boy III: Dragon's Trap
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Power Strike II
Zaxxon 3-D
Penguin Land

Edit:
And I know someone is going to come in and berate me for listing Power Strike 2 since its rare and psuedo expensive ($50-60), but it really is an amazing 2D shooter.

[Frogacuda]

Also, for someone who's never even SEEN a SMS, let alone played it, what are 5 good games to start with? (played Phantasy Star, that's it)
1) Wonderboy III: The Dragon's Trap - This is everything great about Mario and Zelda rolled up into one amazing game that's even better than both of those. One of the best games you'll ever play.

2) Phantasy Star - Nearly uncontested king of 8-bit RPGs. It's aged a bit, especially the battle system, but I played it recently, and it's still a great game.

3) Kenseiden - Kind of like Castlevania set in feudal Japan, but it's better than any of the 8-bit CVs. You can learn new moves and progress through the levels in a non-linear fashion. It's also one of the best action games on the system.

4) Penguin Land - Completely awesome puzzle-platformer. Loads of cute, a pinch of weird, and one of my fondest memories.

5) Psycho Fox - JP's choice of Power Strike II is just as good as this game IF you happen to be a fan of compile's shoot 'em ups, but I chose Psycho Fox because it's a really charming platformer with great graphics and really strong gameplay.

Edit:
And I know someone is going to come in and berate me for listing Power Strike 2 since its rare and psuedo expensive ($50-60), but it really is an amazing 2D shooter.I'd be more inclined to berate you for Zaxxon 3D. Which is a game I like, considerably more than most people seem to, in fact, but there are more deserving games. Kenseiden, Alex Kidd, Wonderboy...

[Bruhaha69]

Both of those are good SMS lists. I would also recommend Zillion, Fantasy Zone, Fantasy Zone 2 and Teddy Boy. There are many more, but I know you're not looking to get overflowed with suggestions.

[NeoZeedeater]

I hope some of those unreleased SMS games surface in rom form. A lot of them seem to be downgraded 16-bit games but I’m curious about earlier games like Moonball.

My SMS recommendation list is pretty much the same as Frog’s except with Psycho Fox replaced with Alex Kidd in Shinobi World. Psycho Fox is cool but the stiff controls hold it back from being among my top SMS games.

The other games recommended are great too. I’m not a big fan of Zaxxon 3-D but the special effects were awesome. Missile Defense 3-D is my favourite of the 3d glasses games.

[oneironama]

There are many more, but I know you're not looking to get overflowed with suggestions.By all means keep going, the more the merrier! = D

Thanks for the great lists everyone, I've already jotted every single game down = J And I shall get to them...one day...

speaking of SMS, I read somewhere that Opa Opa makes an appearance in that Sega Splash Golf game...just goes to show you can never be too sure where's SEGA's concerned =P

[HawkClay]

Glad to see I'm not alone with the Woody Pop love! ;)

Also, Opa-Opa has had quite a few cameos! Phantasy Star Online, Planet Harriers... heck, even the Master System Quartet game had Opa-Opa! Such a great cameo character too!

I'll go ahead and throw out 5 more Master System games that haven't been listed yet:

1. Wonder Boy in Monster Land - The prequel to Wonder Boy III, and even better in some ways! I love both games to death, so I would say both... but it seems part III is already strongly represented! ;)

2. The Ninja - This is one that I absolutely LOVED! It's a scrolling action game that plays out kind of like a shooter! It's got solid controls, and was always just a fun game to play!

3. Quartet - A definite watered down game from the arcade version, but it's still a solid game none-the-less! It's got a good supply of secrets, some of which I only recently discovered even! Much like Alex Kidd in Miracle World, this one has continued to suprise me since I got it in the mid 80's (and I've played both those games to death)!

4. Gangster Town - This is arguably the best light gun game of the 8-bit era (or beyond?)! Not only are you shooting bad guys, but you have to worry about health, finding secrets, saving the girl, beating bosses... AND destroying the environments! It's my all time favorite light gun game outside of recent arcade ports, and if you have a light phaser it's definitely cool to check out... and even better 2 player!

5. Space Harrier 3-D - I can't think of the Master System without Space Harrier! Actually, I liked the original better... but figured I'd be different tonight! :p Seriously, I figured the original has been played in better ports (although the Master System version has things other versions do NOT have... ;) ), and the 3-D game is dang cool with the 3-D glasses! If you don't have the glasses, there is a code for 2-D mode (which requires a high score which could easily be obtained even in 3-D mode without the glasses)! This was one that really felt like a game of the future to me!

:)

[Bruhaha69]

By all means keep going, the more the merrier! = D

Thanks for the great lists everyone, I've already jotted every single game down = J And I shall get to them...one day...

speaking of SMS, I read somewhere that Opa Opa makes an appearance in that Sega Splash Golf game...just goes to show you can never be too sure where's SEGA's concerned =P

Not sure about Sega Splash Golf, but he was in Arnold Palmer Golf for the Genesis. If you landed 100 balls without hitting the green, you'd get a gameover screen. Apparently, you had to enter up, down, up, down, left, right, left, right, b, a at that point, but I don't remember that....I guess I'll trust Gamefaqs there. Anyway, you'd get put into the first level of Fantasy Zone after that.....without the scrolling, though, so it was a dumbed down version.

He's also the cursor during the intro section of Zillion and was in the Zillion anime as well.

More games for SMS that are pretty good:

Choplifter - Simply pick up hostages from enemy bases and return them to the home base. Just make sure you don't get killed....especially not while returning the poor bastards. Great game but it gets difficult.
Action Fighter - Ever played Spy Hunter? To me, this is a superior version of that game. Very good times to be had here.
Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars - Based on the arcade version and nothing like Alex Kidd in Miracle World. Your life bar is basically your clock. when it runs out, it's game over. This also means you don't want to get hit because that will deplete a portion of the meter. It's a simple game but I think it's very fun and always good for a quick runthrough.
Cloud Master - Horizontal shooter with some pretty sweet looking sprites. A lot of fun but also very hard. It's one of those games were you will be screwed if you die on later levels. Keeping your power-ups are a must for victory.
Maze Hunter 3-D - Cool, overhead 3D glasses game. You walk around the maze looking for the exit to the next level. You go down drainlike holes to transport you to different places on the map and pipe smash your way through enemies. The only problem is that you move VERY slow. There is a suit in the game that makes you move more quickly, but you're slow by default.
Hang-On/Safari Hunt - Motorcycle Racing game with a light gun shooting game on one cart. If you've played Hang-On, you know what to expect and Safari Hunt brutally murders Duck hunt.
Astro Warrior - Vertical shooter that's pretty short but still fun. There are only 3 real levels but you cycle through them
Global Defense
Alien Syndrome
Black Belt/Hokuto No Ken(Fist of the North Star) - Black belt was the bastardized US version, but both are fun. If you've played Kung Fu, this is a similar experience. The main difference is that boss fights take control like a one-on-one fighting game. You still only have your punch, kick, and jump kick attacks, but the your character sprite is much bigger on this section (redrawn, not scaled up) and you automatically face the enemy.
Spell Caster/Kujaku Ou (Peacock King) - Kind of an action platform side scrolling game with a bit of point and click adventuring between.

Not sure if you've played Mystic Defender for Genesis, but this was its prequel even though the American versions treat them as completely different games. Another bastardization, I guess.....never bothered me as a kid, but it certainly makes more sense now why the games were so similar. They were supposed to be based on the Kujaku Ou/Peacock King manga and anime. The US versions have his robe removed because it looked too much like a dress, I suppose.
Rambo: First Blood Part 2/Ashura/Secret Commando - Pretty sure it was the same in all regions aside from inbetween level pictures.

[oneironama]

Wow, I think I'm set now 8)

Thank you SO MUCH guys, and I'm sorry I couldn't contribute to the topic at all, when it comes to SEGA the Master System is my achilles heel ; P

...but not for long! = J

[Frogacuda]

I loooove the SMS/Arcade Choplifter. I know it's a remake, but Sega's version is the definitive as far as I'm concerned.

[Bruhaha69]

Such a hard game, though. For the longest time, I thought level 3 was the final level. When I finally beat it, I think I crapped myself. I felt like I had achieved greatness only to find out I wasn't even close.

I'm not sure if they arcade version had multiple cabs, but the one they had (might still have) at Canobie Lake had a screen behind the cab seat that made the game appear to pop out in 3D if you were just watching while someone played. Either that, or I'm drunk, but I trust my memory for the most part.

[Frogacuda]

I've seen cabs like that, but it was probably a generic JAMMA cab with choplifter in it, rather than a specific cab for that game.

I never found the game that hard, though level 6 is a bitch.

[NeoZeedeater]

I recall Choplifter being in a cab like that, too.

[Bruhaha69]

I've seen cabs like that, but it was probably a generic JAMMA cab with choplifter in it, rather than a specific cab for that game.

I never found the game that hard, though level 6 is a bitch.

Really? I guess it was less difficult if you were patient, but I had a hard time not going full blast through everything. I think you have to be above average to do well in Choplifter. I love the music, too. Sounds like a chopper blade, haha

[Raz]

Really? I guess it was less difficult if you were patient, but I had a hard time not going full blast through everything. I think you have to be above average to do well in Choplifter.

I found "Choplifter" to be quite difficult, too. It's been a couple of years since I played it last, as I believe my latest experience with it was emulated. One of my favorite SMS games, for certain. I have fond memories of playing it at a friend's house when I was in grade school.