Segaiden #24: The Mark III, feat. Hang On and Teddy Boy Blues
Added 2021-12-22 13:23:08 +0000 UTCI always like to post a meaningful or otherwise better-than-average episode around the holidays, and I'm thrilled to say this year's lineup bears that out. Last week's episode was one for the books, and I'm even happier about this one—not least of all because jumping from SG-1000 hardware to Master System (well, Mark III) was a profound relief. I don't think the Master System gets a lot of respect in the U.S., and I can safely say that's because we didn't have SG-1000 releases up through its debut. As much as I admire what Sega did with that hardware, the leap to its successor is profound and honestly thrilling.
That's to be expected, of course. What may surprise you is just how hard this episode goes on Teddy Boy Blues. It's a pretty interesting game when you look at the broader context around it.
Anyway, please enjoy this excellent (if I do say so myself) episode, and whatever holiday you celebrate during these darkest of Saturnalian days: Happy Holidays!
Comments
There was also a significant SC-3000 user base in New Zealand, with user groups in a number of cities and towns. Check out Sega Computer (NZ) magazine: https://archive.org/details/segacomputer.
Jason Le Vaillant
2022-01-08 18:45:32 +0000 UTCThat was particularly excellent! I really appreciate the extensive detail around console launches you give, from design to general climate to the hardware specs, telling people exactly what it is that makes the machine special without getting too hard into the technical weeds. It also helps me better grasp the gravity of these two launch titles - I had no idea Teddy Boy Blues was such a big deal marketing-wise. This definitely predates Nintendo's collaboration with All Night Nippon, and is therefore to my knowledge one of the first big cross-media promotions for console video games that would be a sign of a whole lot of things to come for Sega. Maybe it's not the brightest game of its generation, but compared to anything except Super Mario Bros. out in 1985 on Famicom it certainly makes a strong statement. I do have a note to make however - apparently in Australia, retailer John Sands pushed the SC-3000 and SC-3000H hard enough that the SG-1000 (via its computer-first variant) is fondly remembered in Australia, and the Master System was very successful there as well. Perhaps not as groundbreaking as its presence in Brazil, but it certainly explains why there's such a strong Sega fanbase in Australia of all places.
Vinushika
2021-12-23 03:30:19 +0000 UTCI can’t confirm this, but a full rendition of the Hang On theme apparently existed on the game’s cart. It certainly sounds legit, and I’ve seen it listed as a “hidden track” from several sources. I wonder why it wasn’t ultimately used. It sounds awesome. https://youtu.be/hm6F5LlqbpA
Kris Randazzo
2021-12-23 00:41:29 +0000 UTC
