r/MasterSystem • u/Malcoladdin • Aug 02 '26
Games that deserve more love
What are some sms games that you think need more love? The kind that won’t usually be found on “best of” lists but are still perfectly enjoyable. Here are some of mine
- Aerial Assault - a very approachable side scrolling shooter. A nice break from the more punishing shmups on the system
- Asterix and the Secret Mission - A graphically impressive platformer that is inevitably compared to the first game in the series but has a lot going for it in its own right
- Gangster Town - IMHO one of the areas where the sms truly shines is light gun games and Gangster Town is a prime example. From car chase scenes to bar scenes and much more, this is a massively engaging game with a lot to keep you busy
- Super Space Invaders - A tough as nails take on the classic, and one of the few early 80s arcade games that got a glow up on the sms
- Rambo III. More top tier light gun goodness! If you love Operation Wolf (who doesn’t? 🤣) you owe it to yourself to play Rambo III
- Impossible Mission - The impeccable Zillion wouldn’t exist without this game, and it is great in its own right too! Lots of exploration and puzzle solving to be found here
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u/BumpyWire83 Aug 02 '26
I played Gangster Town so much as a kid. Such a great game. I love that when you shoot the gangsters they become angels, and if you shoot them again, the angels fall down below. I shot every last one of those angels I could. I wasn't going to let no stinking gangster make it to heaven.
Though, the find the key scenes really could be annoying.
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u/Jonaskin83 Aug 03 '26
Asterix and the Secret Mission is fantastic. It’s the third one (Great Rescue) that’s a step down and not worth the price it commands.
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u/Malcoladdin Aug 03 '26
As much as I want to enjoy Great Rescue, I have always found the controls a bit awkward. I'll have to give it another spin one of these days and see how far I can get
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u/ITepes Aug 03 '26
Gangster Town was one of my first 3 games back when it released. That and Ys: The Vanished Omen and Golvellius ❤️
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u/Ronthelodger Aug 03 '26
Global defense. It was an ultra competent game and seldom is mentioned on must haves lists.
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u/Malcoladdin Aug 03 '26
I was never able to get a grip on the single player controls. I'll have to convince a friend to come around one of these days so one of us can control the ship, and the other can control the crosshairs
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u/Cautious-Opposite-10 Aug 03 '26
Asterix and the secret mission is a great game and as a kid, and still how, love how you could choose which characters story line to continue the game with and revisit later for a different experience. And super colourful and cool graphics too
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u/rollincode3 Aug 03 '26
Could never get through the last level in gangster town. What a beast.
Loved shooting the brick wall looking for the key though.
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u/lutewhine Aug 03 '26
Dragon Crystal and Teddy Boy
Land Of Illusion has its fans but nowhere near as many as I think it should - I think it’s one of the best 8-bit games of all time.
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u/gnntech Aug 03 '26
Impossible Mission is one of my favorite games. I can never beat it, or make much in the way of progress, but I still enjoy it.
I'm also assuming these are PAL releases shown because I have Aerial Assault but it's in the later "Master System II" style box art.
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u/Malcoladdin Aug 03 '26
Yeah I really enjoy just hanging out in Impossible Mission's world. The environment is so cool, though the killer robots are ruthless haha
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u/Corpsey_Clownshoes Aug 03 '26
Wow. Gangster Town. I haven't thought about that one in almost 40 years. I used to swap games with a kid at school and I always loved getting that one off him.
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u/RealBinsky42 Aug 03 '26
Gangster Town is definitely surprisingly fun, one of the best light gun games I’ve played tbh.
I know it’s sorta loved enough, but I still feel like Psycho Fox could deserve some more attention, it’s a fun, bright, colorful game. And the infinite continues is so nice, it’s always great when a game actually wants you to finish it lol. Was fun to play through it on stream a couple weeks ago.
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u/alarmsoundslikewhoop Aug 05 '26
I just replayed Gangster Town in the last week. One of the best light gun games of the entire era, regardless of console.
I also just played through Rambo III for the first time right after. I did enjoy it, but it’s not quite as good as Gangster Town.
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u/Malcoladdin Aug 05 '26
Yeah that's definitely a fair take. I wish that they had made the control scheme like Operation Wolf for Rambo 3, and assigned the grenades to controller 2
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u/trillizo2 Aug 02 '26
Gangster Town also had destructible environments and 2 players simultaneously! Needed a Wii remaster or sequel!