Due to Nintendo's licensing practices with third-party developers the Master System's game library lacked a number of quality titles. The hardware of the Master System also served as the base structure of Sega's handheld game console, the Sega Game Gear. However, it attained more success in Europe and Brazil, where it controlled a significant portion of the market share in each region. The Master System was technically superior to the NES, but failed to overturn Nintendo's significant market share advantage in Japan and North America. Succeeding the SG-1000, the Master System was released as a direct competitor to the Nintendo Entertainment System in the third generation of video game consoles. 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, while later models removed the card slot. It was originally released in 1985 as the Sega Mark III in Japan and then redesigned and redesignated the Master System for release in 1986 in North America, 1987 in Europe and Japan, and 1989 in Brazil. DESCRIPTION The Master System (マスターシステム Masutā Shisutemu?), often called the Sega Master System or SMS, is an 8-bit third-generation video game console that was manufactured by Sega.

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