History of SEGA: before the SEGA Master System
The SEGA MASTER SYSTEM was a very popular system. It spreads in South America and Southeast Asia and several third party games were developed until recently.
In July 1983, the memorable SG-1000 was released. SG stands for SEGA GAME. The price was 15.000 yen.
The SC-3000 that was released in the same month and was a redesign of the SG-1000 with extracts only the functions required for the game.
In July of the following year, the SG-1000II, which had a refined design that had a reputation for being “dumb,” was released, and two joypads became standard equipment.
The selling price keeps the same.
The SC-3000 was released in July 1983 as a personal computer with an 8-bit CPU and a price of 29.800 yen. The integrated keyboard was released in three colors, red and black and white. Soon a SC-3000H with a modified keyboard was also released.
SC stands for SEGA COMPUTER.
Various system upgrades were released. At that time, a programming environment was available at a low price of 30.000 yen.
In addition, a keyboard called the SK-1100 , which complemented the personal computer functions omitted from the SC-3000, was also released. By connecting to an extension terminal such as SG-1000, the same function as SC-3000 could be obtained.
By using an optional BASIC LEVELII / LEVELIII cartridge, it was also possible to do advanced BASIC programming.
Especially for LEVEL III, the memory has been expanded to 32KB of ROM and 32KB of RAM, enabling more advanced programming.
Then, in October 1985, SEGA MARK III , the top model, was released. The selling price was 15.000 yen.
While maintaining compatibility with the SC / SG series, specifications such as improved graphic performance were being planned. This is where video output became possible.
By the way, although the SEGA MARK III was compatible with previous systems, the color palette was changed. When the software for all models was started, there was also a problem that colors appeared dull.
This MARK III had many unique peripherals. The “Telecom Pack,” which skips video output images by radio waves, is one of the best.
And finally in October 1987 the SEGA MASTER SYSTEM , the last minor change of the previous system is released. The selling price is 16.800 yen.
The MARK III originally released for overseas as "MASTER SYSTEM / Power Base ''.
Peripheral equipment units sold separately like Rapid Fire (fire function) or "FM sound unit" equipped with "3D glass adapter."
This is where the design became more sophisticated and later became the "black" aircraft, the image color of SEGA game consoles.
When the power was turned on without inserting a cartridge, the background music of "Space Harrier" was played !!!!.
Actually in fact the system is, from an hardware point of view, equivalent to the"GAME GEAR" to be released later.
Overseas, soon become possible to find conversion adapters to play MARK III software on GAMEGEAR.
There are two types of software. A cartridge and a card format called "Sega My Card".
This card scan be used as it is after MARK III. The SC / SG series uses a connector called a "card catcher". Some software were released in both cartridges and My Cards format. Of course the content (the software) is the same.
A lot of My Card Mark III compatible with Mark III and later have been released. Cards disappear with the appearance of large-capacity gold cartridges.
The cartridge has changed from Mark III to 1-4 mega roms (1 mega = 128KB) rom, and has become a gorgeous package "GOLD CARTRIDGE". The software released by third parties was named "SILVER CARTRIDGE" to distinguish it. Only two books, "Argos's Cross Sword" and "Solomon's Key @ Queen Richter's Tears", released by Sario.
In the 1980s this hardware was in japan the most popular one, more than the NES. Unfortunately Sega, who was fighting with Nintendo, did not succeed to match the NES's quantity strategy, which had many third parties developers.
At the end of October 1988 the Mega Drive was released, and soon the outdated SG / MS generation will gradually disappear from japanese stores.
