Jeremy Parish

Segaiden 53: Great Baseball [JP] / Satellite 7 / Woody Pop / BMX Trial: Alex Kidd

Added 2023-05-31 11:56:38 +0000 UTC

Good news, friends: No age-gate this week. Although my old-man reflexes do make such a hash of my video footage of these alarmingly difficult games that it might be considered an act of violence worthy of censorship.

With this episode, I've now covered all Master System and Mark III releases through the end of 1987 (or at least the Mark III that wouldn't show up later on Master System; Phantasy Star hit in Dec. 1987, but it arrived in the U.S. 11 months later, so that's where I'm covering it in the chronology—you know the drill). I've also covered all peripherals, I think, with this episode giving a bit of air time to the Japan-only Paddle Controller, which works more or less like Taito's Vaus Controller for NES. Would you be surprised to learn that the Paddle Controller arrived on Mark III alongside an Arkanoid clone? Well, OK, but it did. And it would also come into play for Alex Kidd's second outing on the system, an oddball racing game called BMX Trial. Covering this system has been great. There's always something strange and unexpected lurking in the future.

I also mop up the last two Mark III 1985 releases that I somehow overlooked before... and which no one called me out on, at least not that I saw. I guess no one cares about Satellite 7. Relatably enough.

Now, to take a break from Master System for a few months before diving into 1988. Well, mostly take a break.