8-bit games that you want to tell us about

[Tailzo]

So I made a thread about Sega Saturn games. It made me think of even older games that I wanted to post some screenshots of. I was searching a bit before I finally found the first Wrestling game I played.


Tecmo World Wrestling (NES)
Released Sep 01, 1989. I played it every time I visited my cousin. Until today I could not remember the name of the game, but after looking through 6-7 games I knew I had found the one. I remember it being fun, but I haven't tried it in a long time.

Hook (Sega Master System / Gamegear version)
I had a lot of trouble finding one, all I could remember was "Peter Pan something for gamegear". I think these are Master System screenshots, but SMS and SGG always look alike. ANyway, I remember playing a friends Gamegear with this game for a couple of weeks in the mountains in Spain. Great time :)

Gunstar Heroes (Sega Gamegear version)
So I've been a fan of Treasure games for a while. But it took many years before I saw the Sega Game Gear version of this game. Incredible I must say :)

Please make post memories, interesting games and screenshots that takes me back to the age of the 8-bit consoles :)

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

I have no idea if Air Fortress is under-played or if most people don't like it but I think it's an NES masterpiece. The game opens as a side scrolling ship shooter. But once the player lands, it becomes a jet-pack based action platformer. It's awesome! Heck, once you beat the boss you have to run back to your ship before the base explodes and fly off! Normally you have to wait a few hours for that to happen in a game!

It really feels like HAL Laboratory's response to Metroid. A far easier game than most NES titles of the era, it's just about the adventure rather than the challenge.

Please play it. The music is great! The gameplay is diverse! And well...it'll never happen...but I'd love to see a modern take on Air Fortress. Heck, maybe even a sequel!

 

[Deleted member 721]

Final Fantasy VII (NES)
Its a bootleg game originaly released in China, some fans translated and enhanced the game graphics and music.

Pokemon Yellow (Nes)
Another chinese bootleg game, there's a fan-translation, looks incredible to a nes game

 

[Deleted member 60582]

Rygar was the shit. The first time the game loaded up and I saw the sunset over the mountains...damn.

 

[Sails]

I have no idea if Air Fortress is under-played or if most people don't like it but I think it's an NES masterpiece. The game opens as a side scrolling ship shooter. But once the player lands, it becomes a jet-pack based action platformer. It's awesome! Heck, once you beat the boss you have to run back to your ship before the base explodes and fly off! Normally you have to wait a few hours for that to happen in a game!

It really feels like HAL Laboratory's response to Metroid. A far easier game than most NES titles of the era, it's just about the adventure rather than the challenge.

Please play it. The music is great! The gameplay is diverse! And well...it'll never happen...but I'd love to see a modern take on Air Fortress. Heck, maybe even a sequel!

Click to shrink...

Oh hey, obscure knowledge time. You may be interested in knowing that the proto for this game had a silly intro placeholder;

 THE HISTORY OF...      
           HAJI-MIKAN   

LONG LONG AGO THERE
LIVED A GROTESQUE BOY,
WHOSE NAME WAS HAJI-
MIKAN. 
HE WAS SO POOR THAT HE
COULDN'T BUY ANYTHING.
BUT HE BOUGHT 'WALKMAN'
AND 'STEREO KOZOH'. 
WHENEVER HE SAW SOME-
THING NICE HE SAID 'GIVE
ME! GIVE ME!' 
SO EVERYONE CALLED HIM
'OCTOPUS!' 

 ©1981 HAL LABORATORY

https://tcrf.net/Proto:Air_Fortress

 

[Deleted member 24079]

Hey Octopus!

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

SO EVERYONE CALLED HIM 'OCTOPUS!'

Click to shrink...

Good story but what a predictable ending.

(jk that was seriously interesting)

 

[vixlar]

Basewars (NES)
Baseball with robots. Made by Ultra (a side company of Konami). The pitcher shoots the ball with a cannon on his arm. It has voices (something rare on NES games). The cool part is about how you get an out. If the runner goes to first, for example, and the infielder has the ball on the base, is not an instant out, they must fight. If the runner win the fight, is safe, if the fielder wins is out. And there are four robot types, and each one with a special move. In the career mode you can earn money to buy armor and weapons for your team. It was really cool.

 

[Unicorn]

Micro Mages

New game but available to play on NES hardware.

 

[The Riot Inside]

I have no idea if Air Fortress is under-played or if most people don't like it but I think it's an NES masterpiece. The game opens as a side scrolling ship shooter. But once the player lands, it becomes a jet-pack based action platformer. It's awesome! Heck, once you beat the boss you have to run back to your ship before the base explodes and fly off! Normally you have to wait a few hours for that to happen in a game!

It really feels like HAL Laboratory's response to Metroid. A far easier game than most NES titles of the era, it's just about the adventure rather than the challenge.

Please play it. The music is great! The gameplay is diverse! And well...it'll never happen...but I'd love to see a modern take on Air Fortress. Heck, maybe even a sequel!

Click to shrink...

Wow I have not seen this game in forever. This is the game that the local Rent-A-Center used to demo their TV that had a built in NES. I played it for a good chunk while my parents were setting up to buy it. I remember being super bummed when we got the tv home and it did not come with the game and I never saw it again. What a coincidence.

EDIT: It was the Sharp Nintendo Television. Kinda wish we held on to it now that I see it sells for a crazy amount.

 

['3y Kingdom]

I have no idea if Air Fortress is under-played or if most people don't like it but I think it's an NES masterpiece. The game opens as a side scrolling ship shooter. But once the player lands, it becomes a jet-pack based action platformer. It's awesome! Heck, once you beat the boss you have to run back to your ship before the base explodes and fly off! Normally you have to wait a few hours for that to happen in a game!

It really feels like HAL Laboratory's response to Metroid. A far easier game than most NES titles of the era, it's just about the adventure rather than the challenge.

Please play it. The music is great! The gameplay is diverse! And well...it'll never happen...but I'd love to see a modern take on Air Fortress. Heck, maybe even a sequel!

Click to shrink...

The two things that make this game so cool are that:
1.) each level is divided into shmup and on-foot sections, and the collectibles from the first section become your energy and weapons in the second
2.) There's a nicely executed gravity system for the on-foot portions, pretty ambitious for an NES game.

I think the main thing that keeps people from loving it are the difficulty spike in the second half (some of the later levels are mazes), as well as the gameplay getting stale despite the variation between sections. Still a fun and unique game. For an interesting gravity system paired with exploration in an NES game, however, I much prefer Solar Jetman. I hope Rare Replay introduced a lot of new players to that one.

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

There's a nicely executed gravity system

Click to shrink...

I have no proof but it's HAL in the 80s so I'm gonna assume that's Iwata. He used fractions to improve the gravity of balloon fight for the NES port. It ended up being better than the arcade!

 

[robjoh]

Micro Mages

New game but available to play on NES hardware.

Click to shrink...

I support this. Really fun game with up to four players. Can be bought physical from broke studios (or at least in January when they open their store again).

https://www.brokestudio.fr/en/front-page-en/

It can also be bought on PC from steam. Still using the source code from NES but inside a emulator.

 

[Tailzo]

Final Fantasy VII (NES)
Its a bootleg game originaly released in China, some fans translated and enhanced the game graphics and music.
Pokemon Yellow (Nes)
Another chinese bootleg game, there's a fan-translation, looks incredible to a nes game

Click to shrink...

Both of these look incredible!

Legend of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (Gamegear)
This game was tailor made for Gamegear and looked quite a lot better than the Master System version. Sega consoles had a lot of great Disney games, and this was one of them.

Deep Duck Trouble Starring Donald Duck (Gamegear)
Another Disney platformer, and it was also quite good. Gamegear is home to a lot of excellent 8-bit conversions :)

 

[CaptainNuevo]

Donald No Magical World (1994, Gamegear, JP only)

It's a gamegear McDonald's game where you play as Ronald McDonald and hit enemies with a cane, which doubles as an umbrella for controlling your descent. It's pretty fun, and is almost like a reimaging of the classic Sega Genesis title McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure (it has an extremely similar soundtrack and some shared level themes).

 

[vixlar]

WURM Journey to the center of the Earth
What I liked was it had 4 game styles: Vertical shooter, horizontal shooter, some kind of labyrinth/platformer with shooting and kicking, and First Person vehicle shooter (with some kind of puzzle). As you used a vehicle, who has a drill and can fly, you can use somtimes the drill to pass trough walls.
I got to the final Boss, but I couldn't defeat him, it was some kind of puzzle where you must activate some crystals on a specific order.

Wrath of Black Manta
You are a ninja that must save a kid that is the new student of your old sensei. He was kidnapped by an international band. You must travel to many countries to find clues. Each time you go to a new stage you earn a new Art, but you can only use four arts at a time. There are some red enemies who can be interrogated to gather clues... actually, the game is linear, so you dont need it for advancing, but is cool for the lore and you can learn about some hidden rooms. You can even save other kids. The last boss is some kind of puzzle (again) and you must use four specific arts in a specific order (again).

 

[Tailzo]

Another Gamegear game I had the pleasure of playing:

Sonic Triple trouble
At the time it felt special, and really well made. Maybe because it was exclusive to Gamegear, and not a port? Well I really enjoyed it, and it seems to be among the best regarded Gamegear games. Developed by Aspect Co. Ltd (just like Sonic 2, Sonic Chaos, Sonic Blast and Tails Adventures).

 

[ss_lemonade]

I thought Destiny of an Emperor was the greatest RPG ever as a kid. Loved getting those long colored life bars

 

[Silvergun-Blue]

The Master System has it's own version of Ninja Gaiden and it's really good. Looks and sounds great and doesn't have the frustrating difficulty of the NES game.

 

[Funkybee]

I wanted to mention a NES game where the main char is a Ken clone from SF in a ninja gaiden style who does shoryuken tatsumakis and similar moves in a hellish world with skeletons bats and the usual enemies of that period.
I can't find the damn title name and it has been like this for the last 24 years.

 

[Tailzo]

Did you know Gamegear got some rpg spinoffs too?

Phantasy Star Gaiden (ファンタシースター外伝) - Game Gear (1992)
Taking place on a planet named Copto, one light-year away from the Algo star system, it tells the story of two youths, Alec and Mina, who set out to rescue Alec's father from a group of bandits known as the Daedelus. Copto is home to the Alisaland colony, named after Phantasy Star's heroine, Alis Landale (Alisa in Japan), who discovered it sometimes after the first game. There, according to this game, she fought the demon Cablon, and predictably sealed him away rather than destroying him; as the game begins, he is, of course, about to be resurrected after 400 years of slumber.

10 Phantasy Star gaiden games (Game Gear)
Between 1990 and 1992, Sega produced 10 spin-offs of its flagship RPG series, Phantasy Star. While the number is imposing, all were small, low-key releases, created at least in part to support some of the company's secondary platforms.

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/phantasy-star-ii-text-adventures/

 

[Tailzo]

Speaking of sega rpgs for Gamegear:

Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict (Gamegear)
(JP, 1995-06-30). It has been translated too :)

Speaking of rpgs, let's look closer at 3 huge ones:

Dragon Quest (NES)
Release May 27, 1986

Final Fantasy (NES)
Release December 18, 1987

Phantasy Star (SMS)
Release December 20, 1987

Think about it, these 3 released so close to each other! What a incredible time period :)

 

[Grizzel Greedigut]

I really liked ikari warriors back in the day

 

[Noogy]

I have no idea if Air Fortress is under-played or if most people don't like it but I think it's an NES masterpiece. The game opens as a side scrolling ship shooter. But once the player lands, it becomes a jet-pack based action platformer. It's awesome! Heck, once you beat the boss you have to run back to your ship before the base explodes and fly off! Normally you have to wait a few hours for that to happen in a game!

It really feels like HAL Laboratory's response to Metroid. A far easier game than most NES titles of the era, it's just about the adventure rather than the challenge.

Please play it. The music is great! The gameplay is diverse! And well...it'll never happen...but I'd love to see a modern take on Air Fortress. Heck, maybe even a sequel!

Click to shrink...

Incredible, this was THE first title I thought of when I saw the thread title. I loved this game, it was one of the very first to give me genuine terror! Every time the music stops and the destruction timer starts still gets me to this day.

 

[Tailzo]

I wanted to mention a NES game where the main char is a Ken clone from SF in a ninja gaiden style who does shoryuken tatsumakis and similar moves in a hellish world with skeletons bats and the usual enemies of that period.
I can't find the damn title name and it has been like this for the last 24 years.

Click to shrink...

Shadow of the Ninja?

Ninja Crusaders?

Or Shinobi for NES?


Anyway, Enix made some fine rpgs.


Just Breed (NES)
Maybe they thought the title was cool in Japanese, as it released only in Japan December 15, 1992

It is similar to Shining Force or Fire Emblem :)


Back to Gamegear rpgs, I like the look of


Defenders of Oasis (Game Gear)
Released Sep 18, 1992, it was also rereleased later on the eshop.

 

[retroman]

Bruce Lee is one of my all-time favourite Commodore 64 games.

Great mix of platforming and fighting. Luring enemies into traps is so much fun.

 

[Tailzo]

Wolfchild (SEGA Master System)
Released in 1993, this game got ports to many other systems.

 

[Tailzo]

Sagaia (SEGA Master System)
Beautiful 2d shootemup released in 1992.

Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes (MSX)
Developed by Nihon Falcom Corp. Released 1990

Miracle Warriors: Seal of the Dark Lord (SEGA Master System)
Developed by ASCII Corporation, Kogado Software Products. Released Nov, 1988

 

[retroman]

The Commodore 64 wasn't exactly the best platform for 3D racing games, but Buggy Boy was quite impressive, not to mention a lot of fun!

 

[Rygar 8Bit]

Zombie Nation (NES)
A scrolling shooter where you play a disembodied undead samurai head that is trying to get his sword back from an alien that crashed into America and turned everyone into zombies. The alien also brought the Statue of Liberty to life for reasons.

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikGoZ5QKUoY

 

[Tailzo]

The Commodore 64 wasn't exactly the best platform for 3D racing games, but Buggy Boy was quite impressive, not to mention a lot of fun!

Click to shrink...

That is very impressive. I do not know much about Commodore 64, so please show me more :)


Street Fighter II: Champion Edition Screenshots (SEGA Master System)
Developed by Capcom Co., Ltd. Released Sep, 1997

Street Fighter II (Game Boy)

Street Fighter II (Commodore 64?)

 

[Timppis]

From NES

Little Nemo: The Dream Master

Probably the best platformer of the era, which got the recognition already back then thankfully. It was basically Mario Odyssey where you could take the form of animals to solve puzzles and platforming. It was gorgeous, had absolute stunner of a music and gameplay to match the first two.

Still one of the best of all time.

 

[retroman]

That is very impressive. I do not know much about Commodore 64, so please show me more :)

Click to shrink...

Sam's Journey is a brand new Commodore 64 game. I haven't played it yet, but it looks really solid!

 

[Friskykillface]

Dynowarz #1
My dad bought that game but because we were poor and I only had like 2/3 games a year so I played that like everyday lol
Title screen song is good though 😎
Gameplay is the same for every level, wreck shit up as a dinosaur robot then get out and jump through pits and shit as a human.

 

[Rygar 8Bit]

Kick Master (NES)
Stage based side scrolling action rpg. Level up to gain new command input abilities, find chests that give you new spells some offensive and some defensive that you can swap out anytime after you find them.

Music:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrP81eSDYtI

 

[Tailzo]

Tenchi o kurau II: Shokatsu Kōmei-den (NES)
Developed by Capcom Co., Ltd. Released Apr 05, 1991

Ganbare Goemon Gaiden 2: Tenka no Zaihō (NES)
Developed by Konami Co., Ltd. Released Jan 03, 1992

Baku Baku Animal (Game Gear)
Developed by Sega AM3 R&D Division Released 1996

Sam's Journey is a brand new Commodore 64 game. I haven't played it yet, but it looks really solid!

Click to shrink...

I love those colors and that animation :)

 

[Rygar 8Bit]

The Magic of Scheherazade (NES)
A RPG that has a mix of zelda action and exploring the world for secrets, and random turned based battles. You select a class between fighter, saint or magician and gain party members as you explore the world. The setting is also really unique being based on the Arabian Nights, but also mixes time travel in there as well going between 5 time periods. Not many other games let you take loans from shops if you're short on coin as well, but watch out for that interest. God this game is good just go play it!

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG_b9F6AFGI&t=37s

 

[Transistor]

I wanted to mention a NES game where the main char is a Ken clone from SF in a ninja gaiden style who does shoryuken tatsumakis and similar moves in a hellish world with skeletons bats and the usual enemies of that period.
I can't find the damn title name and it has been like this for the last 24 years.

Click to shrink...

Street Fighter 2010. Amazing game. Killer soundtrack with a Geigeresque world.

 

[Tailzo]

Grandia: Parallel Trippers (Game Boy Color)
Published by ESP, Hudson Soft Company, Ltd., Developed by Game Arts Co., Ltd. Released Dec 21, 2000

Star Ocean: Blue Sphere (Game Boy Color)
Published by Enix Corporation, Developed by tri-Ace Inc. Released Jun 28, 2001

Astérix (SEGA Master System)
Published by SEGA Enterprises Ltd.. Developed by SEGA Enterprises Ltd.. Released 1991

 

[Deleted member 17210]

Did you know Gamegear got some rpg spinoffs too?

Phantasy Star Gaiden (ファンタシースター外伝) - Game Gear (1992)
Taking place on a planet named Copto, one light-year away from the Algo star system, it tells the story of two youths, Alec and Mina, who set out to rescue Alec's father from a group of bandits known as the Daedelus. Copto is home to the Alisaland colony, named after Phantasy Star's heroine, Alis Landale (Alisa in Japan), who discovered it sometimes after the first game. There, according to this game, she fought the demon Cablon, and predictably sealed him away rather than destroying him; as the game begins, he is, of course, about to be resurrected after 400 years of slumber.

10 Phantasy Star gaiden games (Game Gear)
Between 1990 and 1992, Sega produced 10 spin-offs of its flagship RPG series, Phantasy Star. While the number is imposing, all were small, low-key releases, created at least in part to support some of the company's secondary platforms.

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/phantasy-star-ii-text-adventures/

Click to shrink...

Those Phantasy Star text adventure pics are from 16-bit Mega Drive versions. ;)

Fist: The Legend Continues (C64)

Way of the Exploding Fist Part 2. I was blown away by this fighting/adventure hybrid as there was nothing quite like it in 1986 (even now it would be considered an innovative "Metroidvania"). The soundtrack is super eerie, too.

Moon Crystal (NES)

A later Japanese release that had its Western versions cancelled, it's one of the best looking and sounding platformers on the system. I like the Prince of Persia-ish ledge hanging.

Penguin Land (SMS)

A charming and addictive puzzle platformer. The physics are great even by modern standards, and it has a great level editor (I wish my battery hadn't died).

Sir Lancelot (CPC)

I prefer the Amstrad version over the Spectrum one since it lets you choose the level order but both are quality. It's also a puzzle platformer although more on the platform side than Penguin Land. Give it a chance. It's cooler than it looks!

I love this thread. It has lots of great choices.

 

[lordmrw]

I've reviewed plenty that have flown under the radar. Here's one:

Dragon Fighter (NES)

A cool action platformer along the lines of Ninja Gaiden and Shatterhand that I never saw any press for back in the day. No magazine reviews, ads, nothing.

 

[Tailzo]

Those Phantasy Star text adventure pics are from 16-bit Mega Drive versions. ;)



I love this thread. It has lots of great choices.

Click to shrink...

So that's why it looked better than I remembered :D


How about 16 bit to 8 bit conversions? :)

Golden Axe (SEGA Master System)

Altered Beast (SEGA Master System)

Alien Storm (SEGA Master System)

 

[lordmrw]

Over Horizon (NES)

A really cool shooter only released in Japan and Europe. Its unique feature is that it allows you to edit your weapons using a point system. THere are three weapons, laser, bombs, and homing. You have five points per weapon to put points in the other two to modify it, so you can give homing shots the strength of a laser that also explodes on impact. The more points dumped into a weapon the more it favors that category. You can also edit the placement of your options as well. The game provides a test level so you can check out your creations beforehand which is also pretty damn cool. Beyond its edit features though Over Horizon is just a really good shooter for the NES that deserves a higher profile.

 

[newmoneytrash]

10 Phantasy Star gaiden games (Game Gear)
Between 1990 and 1992, Sega produced 10 spin-offs of its flagship RPG series, Phantasy Star. While the number is imposing, all were small, low-key releases, created at least in part to support some of the company's secondary platforms.

Click to shrink...

phantasy star text adventures sound cool as hell

 

[Deleted member 17210]

Archon (C64, Atari 8-bit)
Classic action-strategy hybrid. Some speed and style was lost in later, more advanced versions like the NES port. I recommend playing the Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit computer/XEGS versions.

Shinobi II: The Silent Fury (GG)
Both Game Gear Shinobis are excellent but the second one has more depth. Instead of being watered down console games, they nicely mixed up the formula with some Mega Man-ish design, i.e. choosing level order and unlocking guys with new abilities.

Aleste 2 (MSX2)
Compile shooter goodness.

Gun*Nac (NES)
More Compile shooter goodness.

Robocop vs. The Terminator (SMS, GG)
Despite the added slowdown, I find this more fun than the 16-bit games of the same name. The way the enemies splat is more satisfying.

The Last Ninja (C64)
A polarizing game due to its trial-and-error jumping sections but for those with patience, it's a beautiful trek through ancient Japan.

Ultima IV (SMS)
The computer versions get plenty of praise but the Sega port shouldn't be ignored. It does simplify the interface and ditch the first-person dungeons but the heart and depth of the original is still there, and I think the streamlined controls work really well. And it supports FM sound despite never being released in Japan.

Zenji (Atari 8-bit, C64, CV)
A timeless puzzle game from 35 years ago.

Snatcher (PC-88, MSX2)
While surpassed by the Sega CD version, this is still super impressive by 8-bit standards.

Vice: Project Doom (NES)
Ninja Gaiden-style action with some shooter levels thrown in.

Rastan (SMS)
Fans of the arcade game should also play this despite the graphics downgrade. Little touches like the added wall jump give it personality of its own.

3-D Deathchase (ZX)
You might not expect a 3d Spectrum game to hold up but it's a neat take on Star Wars speeder bikes.

Maharaja (FC)
A graphic adventure/RPG mix based on Hindu mythology. It's a bit grindy (I recommend playing with an emulator speed up function) but it has some nice atmosphere.

Cyborg Hunter (SMS)
Think of this as the Metroid Fusion of 1988. It's kind of like Metroid but more linear, and with a character frequently communicating with you.

Arumana no Kiseki (FDS)
Konami's take on Indiana Jones.

The Train: Escape to Normandy (C64)
A mix of train operation simulation and shooter levels.

Alien Brigade (7800)
One of the exclusive gems of the Atari 7800 is an Operation Wolf-style light gun game.

 

[Tailzo]

NeoZeedeater Awesome game selection, I didn't know about most of these. :)

Sonic Blast (Game Gear)

• Developed by Aspect Co., Ltd.
• Released 1996
• Genre Action, Perspective Side view

I enjoy most Sonic games. I tend to find joy playing many different games. This game however, I was unable to enjoy. Sonic and Knuckles are just too big.

Sonic Labyrinth (Game Gear)

• Developed by Minato Giken
• Released 1995
• 2D scrolling, Isometric

Ok, so the only Sonic game from the 90s that I like less than Sonic Blast must be this one. Sonic controls really badly.

Space Harrier (Game Gear)

• Developed by AM R&D Dept. #2
• Released 1991
• Action, Perspective Behind view

Space Harrier is an awesome game that got many ports. The GameGear got one too :)

 

[Deleted member 20297]

I would love to see a technical breakdown comparison between NES and Master System. Games look way more colorful on the MS.

 

[Deleted member 17210]

I would love to see a technical breakdown comparison between NES and Master System. Games look way more colorful on the MS.

Click to shrink...

https://segaretro.org/Sega_Master_System/Hardware_comparison#Vs._NES

That is from a Sega fan site but it seems to objectively list advantages and disadvantages that match up with other info on the internet. The colour advantage is pretty obvious by just looking at the games. The SMS can display more on screen and much more per sprite. The NES' main advantage is in audio but that's not including the upgrade with the FM sound module/Japanese SMS or special chips added to Famicom games.

 

[Tailzo]

I would love to see a technical breakdown comparison between NES and Master System. Games look way more colorful on the MS.

Click to shrink...

https://segaretro.org/Sega_Master_System/Hardware_comparison#Vs._NES

That is from a Sega fan site but it seems to objectively list advantages and disadvantages that match up with other info on the internet. The colour advantage is pretty obvious by just looking at the games. The SMS can display more on screen and much more per sprite. The NES' main advantage is in audio but that's not including the upgrade with the FM sound module/Japanese SMS or special chips added to Famicom games.

Click to shrink...

Hardware wise the Master System is stronger. But NES was developed for by more people, over a longer time, so it has some very impressive games for the hardware. Another comparison could be GameBoy Color and GameGear.

Not sure this is the best example but here is a game on both systems

Aladdin Gameboy Color

Aladdin /GameGear

And here are some random games:


Mahou Kishi Rayearth (GameGear)
RPG for the Sega Game Gear. Published by SEGA and released on December 16, 1994, Magic Knight Rayearth is a short RPG based on the manga/anime series of the same name. It follows an alternate story-line where Mokona runs off and the three girls have to find them.

Lunar: Sanposuru Gakuen (Gamegear)
Released in 1996

Madou Monogatari I: Mitsu no Madouryoku (GameGear)
Released in 1993 by Sega.

Dragon Ball Z: Super Saiya Densetsu /Gameboy Color)

Wario Land 3 (Gameboy Color)

 

[softtack]

8-bit scared the hell out of me as a kid with its ominous visual palette spanding across many games.