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 Console
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 Versions 1.3 and 2.0
Snail Maze-only BIOSes are incompatible with the following games:
- 4 Pak All Action (selecting any game goes back to the main menu)
- Street Fighter II (crashes when a match starts)
Games Incompatible with 315-5124 VDP
The 315-5246 VDP used in the Master System II and VA3 model 1 consoles has additional extra-height (256 x 224 pixels NTSC, 256 x 240 pixels PAL) graphics modes which a handful of games make use of. These modes are also supported by the Game Gear VDP and the 315-5681 VDP found in some Brazilian consoles. The following games are incompatible with consoles that use the older 315-5124 VDP, such as most model 1s (including all NTSC model 1s) and Japanese consoles. They are also incompatible with the Genesis/Mega Drive as its VDP does not incorporate the extra-height modes:
- Cosmic Spacehead
- Fantastic Dizzy
- Micro Machines
Games Incompatible with Power Base Converter
The following games are incompatible with the original model Sega Genesis/Mega Drive with a Power Base Converter.
- 4 Pak All Action (selecting any game goes back to the main menu)
- 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)
- Street Fighter II (automatically selects two-player mode, game is playable otherwise)
Games Incompatible with Passive Converters
The following games are incompatible with Master System converters that are entirely passive, such as the Australian Master Mega Converter sold by HES and inexpensive modern adapters sold on sites such as eBay and Aliexpress. This is because these converters have no method of setting up the stack pointer, which some games need in order to boot properly. However one person has found that by disconnecting the reset pin on the Master System cartridge connector (which was tied to 5v) and connect it instead to B02 on the console connector, and also wire IORQ to B07 on the console connector, Wonder Boy III works including pause and reset.
The 3D feature of games that use 3D glasses also will not work since this converter lacks a card slot.
- After Burner (black screen)
- Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (one report of a pink screen but otherwise works fine)
- Assault City (7034; 7040 unknown)
- Aztec Adventure (one report of a black screen, otherwise works fine)
- Bubble Bobble (black screen)
- Golfamania (animated garbage)
- Golvellius (one report of buzz w/ flickering screen, otherwise works fine)
- Parlour Games (garbage screen)
- R-Type (one report of a black screen but otherwise works fine)
- Shinobi (one report of a black screen but otherwise works fine)
- Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (black screen)
- Card 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, this is due to the game locking up when it detects the FM sound hardware)
- Missile Defense 3D (works, doesn't recognize the Light Phaser)
- Rescue Mission (works, doesn't recognize the Light Phaser)
- GP Rider
PAL Games with Issues on NTSC Master System
Note that these issues also apply to a Mark III or Japanese Master System. Testing was performed on a US model 1 SMS and a French SMS II modified with a 50/60 Hz switch, both using an original Master EverDrive. This list also applies to the Game Gear, which permanently runs at 60 Hz.
| Game Title | Issue | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Alien 3 | Minor graphical glitching when in air vents | Minor |
| Andre Agassi Tennis | Plays too fast | Minor |
| Arcade Smash Hits | 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 | Plays too fast, flashing colors | Moderate, unplayable on all consoles with 315-5124 VDP |
| Desert Strike | Plays too fast, major graphical glitching | Severe |
| Fantastic Dizzy | Plays too fast, garbage pixels in status bar | Minor, unplayable on all consoles with 315-5124 VDP |
| 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 |
| Krusty's Fun House | Plays too fast | Minor |
| Micro Machines | Plays too fast, flashing tiles on top of screen | Minor, unplayable on all consoles with 315-5124 VDP |
| NBA Jam | Plays too fast, graphical glitching | Moderate |
| Operation Wolf | Cannot shoot at enemies | Unplayable |
| Out Run Europa | Plays too fast | Minor |
| PGA Tour Golf | Plays too fast | Minor |
| Power Strike II | Plays too fast[1] | Minor |
| Predator 2 | Plays too fast, graphical glitching when scrolling | Moderate |
| Prince of Persia | Plays too fast | Minor |
| 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 the Hedgehog 2 | Occasional glitched graphics on top of screen | Minor, game actually plays at proper speed on 60 Hz |
| Space Harrier (European release) | Space Harrier's legs are glitched, flickering transparencies on large sprites | Moderate |
| Star Wars | Plays too fast, some slowdown | Minor |
| Super Kick Off | Plays too fast | Minor |
| Superman | Plays too fast | Minor |
| Taito Chase H.Q. | Plays too fast, glitched road graphics on turns | Severe |
| The Addams Family | Graphical glitching at top of screen | Moderate |
| The Flash | Plays too fast | Minor |
| The Flintstones | Plays too fast | Minor |
| The Jungle Book | Plays too fast, minor graphical glitching | Minor |
| The Lion King | Plays too fast | 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 Smurfs | Plays too fast | Minor |
| The Terminator | Plays too fast | Minor |
| Trivial Pursuit | Plays too fast | Minor |
| Ultimate Soccer | Plays too fast, garbage pixels on top of main menu | Minor |
| Winter Olympics: Lillehammer '94 | Plays too fast, minor graphical glitching | Minor |
| Wimbledon II | Plays too fast | Minor |
| World Cup USA '94 | Plays too fast | Minor |