SMS VS NES

[TmEE]

NES for me for sure.

It would be nice to have a machine with NES sound and SMS graphics though

[Thenewguy]

I like both systems a lot, and am a great fan of 8-bit in general, but NES is one of the best systems ever made.

Still, I think of it like this, SMS had a very respectable number of good games which looked great, NES had masses of great games which looked awful, so I wouldn't say its all cut and dry, I mean, graphics aren't everything, but some genre's, such as RPGs are pretty sad without the vibrant graphics and nice environments to explore.

[Da_Shocker]

What's the thing with the SMS chip? How does the FM chip that was in the Mark III compare to the NES's chip?

[sheath]

The YM2413 available to the Mark III, built in to the Japanese Master System (and my US Master System) is comparable to the Genesis' YM2612 except for being Mono. Also, no Master System game utilizes the PSG and YM2413 simultaneously, which is what makes Genesis sound so distinctive.

While the NES and SMS thread proved to me that the NES had the technically superior sound capabilities I still find roughly equal numbers of grating/quality sound on both platforms. The NES's graphical glitches and poor video out put even over Composite really takes it down a notch for me in addition to the excessively poor color compared to the Master System.

With me it will always come down to gameplay though, and as I own over 60 Master System games and don't see myself going over 40 NES games I would have to vote for the Master System in this poll. Sega's Arcade games are why I got into gaming in the first place. I had already played NES games at friend's houses and most of its console only titles were amusing but not the kind of game I would want to replay once finished. That has been a consistent problem with console games for me, they generally seem to be designed to create franchises rather than infinitely replayable experiences.

[Black_Tiger]

The YM2413 available to the Mark III, built in to the Japanese Master System (and my US Master System) is comparable to the Genesis' YM2612 except for being Mono. Also, no Master System game utilizes the PSG and YM2413 simultaneously, which is what makes Genesis sound so distinctive.

While the NES and SMS thread proved to me that the NES had the technically superior sound capabilities I still find roughly equal numbers of grating/quality sound on both platforms. The NES's graphical glitches and poor video out put even over Composite really takes it down a notch for me in addition to the excessively poor color compared to the Master System.

With me it will always come down to gameplay though, and as I own over 60 Master System games and don't see myself going over 40 NES games I would have to vote for the Master System in this poll. Sega's Arcade games are why I got into gaming in the first place. I had already played NES games at friend's houses and most of its console only titles were amusing but not the kind of game I would want to replay once finished. That has been a consistent problem with console games for me, they generally seem to be designed to create franchises rather than infinitely replayable experiences.

There are SMS/Mark III games, like Monica da Turma(WBIII doesn't work for me) that use PSG and FM at the same time, in-game. The problem is the same as most FM soundtracks, the music is the same as the PSG version and PSG sounds have just been swapped out for FM ones. Instead of using a higher number of sound channels.

[eddiespruce]

I love both consoles, but I'm going to have to vote for the NES, because It was my first console, and I have a lot of great memories playing it. I have around 120 games for it and a lot of them are fun. I didn't grow up with a Master System, mostly because they never, ever sold Master Systems in Newfoundland. I purchased my first SMS on eBay in 2008, and I'm still finding lots of great Master System games that I enjoy, but I don't think I'll ever favor it over the NES unfortunately.

[TheSonicRetard]

The SMS was my first game system. It had far fewer games than the NES, but I preferred the SMS and even to this day I do. I have over 80 SMS games and maybe 15 or so NES games. Space Harrier was just awesome (one of the first games I played on my SMS when I bought it in '87 or so), and it was something that couldn't be done on the NES. I was a big fan of Sega in the arcades, so it only made sense to get an SMS since their games were not available for the NES, at least not in any competent form. Sega impressed me more and I thought their games were more fun. I thought that the NES had better sound hardware, though.

While I agree with you, you do know that there is a space harrier port for the NES, right?

It's vastly inferior to either Space Harrier or Space Harrier 3D, though.

[cowboyscowboys]

This is what I would consider "good" SMS music and I still think it sucks. The compositions aren't bad but come off so weak. Yuzo's song at 5:22 deserved a hell of a lot better then this sound chip. Has anyone done a 16-bit Genesis version of this? (at 5:38 it has Hyperstone Heist Sound Driver written all over it).


The entire Turtles 3 soundtrack went #1 on the Billboard top 100 chart. I can't find a link with all the music but this is clearly in another league compared to the SMS.


I guess this will do.

[Kamahl]

Best the NES has to offer musically (not counting recent famitracker tunes).
It's much better than anything the SN76489 can do.

[StarMist]

@ TmEE, TheNewGuy, et al: I vastly prefer NES graphics to SMS, apart from some of the earliest pixel puzzle games (where even if it's not a puzzle by genre there's always the puzzle what in hell half the sprites are). Smooth outlines don't matter terribly and the results of the SMS palette always look like some one-man Turbo Grafx homebrew. Sure the NES displays a lot of pink, but I like pink. The only good looking SMS game I know of is Zaxxon 3D (best for gameplay too); Zillion would get a pass; Golvellius I tried to like but wound up hurting my eyes. Phantasy Star is decent but the bulleted pov repels me. And I really enjoy the NES/Famicom rpg aesthetic: Dragon Warrior, Destiny of an Emperor, FF, Juubee, Lagrange Point, and in its own category for various reasons LoZ.

[Kollision]

agree with StarMist
the NES by far
SMS cannot compete, not even regarding graphics, I don't see this superiority everyone talks about anywhere
I'll give it though, one of the best 8-bit platformers is Kenseiden - a marvelous game in all aspects

[blobolonia]

Many of the better looking NES games make up for the lack of color by pushing contrast, like a velvet Elvis painting or something. Sometimes it works, other times it looks confusing.

[TheSonicRetard]

@ TmEE, TheNewGuy, et al: I vastly prefer NES graphics to SMS, apart from some of the earliest pixel puzzle games (where even if it's not a puzzle by genre there's always the puzzle what in hell half the sprites are). Smooth outlines don't matter terribly and the results of the SMS palette always look like some one-man Turbo Grafx homebrew. Sure the NES displays a lot of pink, but I like pink. The only good looking SMS game I know of is Zaxxon 3D (best for gameplay too); Zillion would get a pass; Golvellius I tried to like but wound up hurting my eyes. Phantasy Star is decent but the bulleted pov repels me. And I really enjoy the NES/Famicom rpg aesthetic: Dragon Warrior, Destiny of an Emperor, FF, Juubee, Lagrange Point, and in its own category for various reasons LoZ.

Since you love Zelda so much, what are your thoughts on Golden Axe Warrior?

[tisurame]

The NES sound chip is much better than the SMS one, no doubt. About the graphics, I also prefer the NES. I love how games like Mega Man looks:



It looks very pleasing - can't say the same about most SMS games.

[Gogogadget]

I want to vote SMS because it's Sega-16, but I can't, I just think the NES is better tbh.