Based on an 8-bit processor, it was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress. The Sega Game Gear ( ゲームギア Gēmu Gia ?) was Sega's first handheld game console. Specs - Zilog Z80 - 280kb RAM - TMS9918A GPU The Master System was technically superior to the NES, which predated its release by nine months in North America, but failed to overturn Nintendo's significant market share advantage in Japan and North America. The Master System was released as a direct competitor to the Nintendo Entertainment System in the third videogame generation. The Master System also featured accessories such as a light gun and 3D glasses which were designed to work with a range of specially coded games.
The original Master System could play both cartridges and the credit card-sized ' Sega Cards,' which retailed for cheaper prices than cartridges but had lower storage capacity. The Master System ( マスターシステム Masutā Shisutemu ?), often called the Sega Master System or SMS, is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan (as the Sega Mark III), 1986 in North America, 1987 in Europe and 1989 in Brazil.
