Why are sega master system caes/carts so ugly?

[madrocsz]

So yeah, I have had a box full of master system games and for over a year now have been considering collecting the rest of the games I would want for it

That said, is it wrong of me that the ONLY reason I don't want to is because they are completely fugly and would look horrible on the shelf? lol

Suggestions/help?

[sheep2001]

I love master system covers.  Only the first couple of revisions.   My ideal for them is to have the large grid,  the game logo on the spine, and the basic cartoony character on the front cover.

I think they were a fantastic design, and often quite amusing.  I can see why some people would hate how basic they are, and I do dislike the later ones with the smaller grid.  Grumbleduke came up with a rather snazzy blue cover design based on (I think) the later Brazilian releases.  If you wanted to go the custom route you could use that?

[satoshi_matrix]

I just bought my first Master System a few days ago and with the first back of games, I totally see what you mean. The grid design is alright but what the hell is with the minimalistic art? Boy sega sure made a lot of bad choices back in the day.

The other big problem is that the spines don't match up, and they are not unified. Considering how relatively small the master system library is, I don't see why we don't have a custom spine standard for covers like the NES has. Is it just that nobody here collects Master System games?

I'd like to see that happen, a standardized master system spine for custom cases. There are a lot of Europeans here, and the Master System flourished over there, so why no SMS love?

[noclass_nick]

i reckon the blue grid version would go nicely with the blue dot mega drive style cover on the shelf , and i prefer the small grid with the picture on the spine than the large one.

[sheep2001]

I guess my love for the original revision covers is because Master System was the 1st console i bought for myself, back in 1987 (i was 13).  I think I had moved on to the Amiga/Megadrive by the time they moved to the small grid design covers, so they hold no nostalgia for me.

[wiggy]

I hate that damned grid pattern.  It make the games feel like a math problem...

[TSOLfan]

My favorite part of the Sega Master System games are the manuals, in that, it seems that the same artist drew all of the art for the enemies across a vast majority of the games (for better or worse).

Ghost House had some awesome enemy artwork

http://www.ratigators.com/

[TSOLfan]

Captain Silver also had some pretty humorous enemy art (dare I say, the Banana King), and some of Kenseiden's was downright terrifying (though, I always laugh at the Child Scarer).

[SasoriSoren]

I love the Master System cases. They are basic and they fit the sort of basicness of the console itself. I mean, take a look at a Master System Cart. Not a whole lot going on there, so why does the cover have to be so extravagantly awesome? It would be like changing the black box games on NES.

Maybe I am rambling. I dunno. I just like the way they are.

[satoshi_matrix]

The black box games with the pixelart? Yeah, check out the European/Hong Kong/Japanese original versions. They actually use artwork and they're always a million times better.

just look how much better the Hong Kong SMB1 is.

[SasoriSoren]

Nice, but, I do like the black box pixel art style. Nostalgic, and from my childhood.