(30/30) The Ninja

This is from the Master System, which was the only system that had it.

A top down arcade game set in ancient Japan where you play as a ninja throwing stars at enemies. This game is reminiscent of Commando.

The A button is for throwing stars in the direction you're facing and the B button is for throwing stars straight upwards. Pressing the A and B buttons together make you disappear for a moment, which can help you avoid danger.

There are 13 stages to play through, shooting stars at enemies and bosses.

The scrolls upgrade your weapon and speed and there are also scrolls you need to find in order to complete the game. Those are almost impossible to find without a strategy guide though.

At the end of each stage you get bonus points based on accuracy. It's worth going for a good score because you have a chance to earn some much needed extra lives this way.

Objects and text display well enough on the small screen.

(29/30) Tails Adventures

This is from the Game Gear, which was the only system that had it.

A spin-off adventure platformer from the Sonic series starring his buddy Tails. A big departure from the regular Sonic games, this one is all about thorough exploration to find items and gadgets that help you explore further, which makes it a lot like a Metroid game.

Tails' home island has been invaded and he has to use his inventions and gadgets to send them packing. You select stages from the map and explore them to find what you need while throwing bombs at enemies. You then go back to Tails' house to get ready for the next excursion. Sometimes he has to get into his submarine to reach other stages. It all adds up to an adventuresome experience.

He also has his trademark flying ability which can only go so far at first, but as he collects chaos emeralds he builds more stamina so he can fly further and withstand more damage.

There's a password system that uses a 4 X 4 grid of hexadecimal digits. Be careful not to confuse 0 and D as they look similar.

Objects and text are very easy and pleasant to see on the small screen.

(28/30) Super Columns

This is from the Game Gear, which was the only system that had it.

Sequel to the classic 3-block column dropping game where you try to match 3 of the same block in any direction, with bonus points for combos.

In this game you can also rotate the columns into rows. There are other extras too like a special item that occasionally appears that gives you the ability to flip the stack upside-down. In addition to the endless and flash modes there's also a story mode.

The endless mode is just like the one in the original Game Gear Columns, where you can go for high scores in every difficulty setting and corresponding level.

Flash mode is where you try and clear the buried shiny blocks to win the stage and go on to the next.

Story mode is where you play the game competitively against characters that challenge you in an Arabian Nights-like setting. Clear many combos to force the ground in your opponent's play area to push up to the ceiling and close up. Win 3 matches against each character to move on to the next.

Of the two Columns games on the handheld, this is the best one to play on the small screen. The objects and play area in this version are much bigger and better to look at. Of course, both games are very pleasant to play on the big screen too.

(27/30) Sonic Triple Trouble

This is from the Game Gear, which was the only system that had it.

Also known as Sonic & Tails 2, this is the sequel to Sonic Chaos. As with the first game, you can choose to play as either Sonic or Tails through another 6 zones with 3 acts each. They each have their same controls this time round too apart from a useful ball curl when you bounce up from a spring.

The triple trouble comes from having to deal with Dr Robotnik, Fang in the special stages and Knuckles at the end of some zones.

At the end of a stage you get bonus points depending on rings collected and time and you earn a continue for every 50,000 points.

Both characters can now collect the 5 chaos emeralds to be found, which are earned through completing the special stages, which can be accessed by collecting 50 rings and finding a box with a picture of a chaos emerald on it.

The sound test is accessed simply by pressing UP or DOWN on the title screen. A little time attack stage is also available this way.

To access the level select, hold UP while the game is booting up and press START when Knuckles collects the third emerald. If you do it correctly you'll hear a ring collection chime.

Very pleasant to play on the small and big screen alike.

(26/30) Sonic Spinball

This is the Game Gear version.

Very unusual pinball game where you have to think of Sonic The Hedgehog as a pinball that you can control directly to some degree. It goes against the way you expect and you have to adapt to this unorthodox way of controlling him. In addition to his own control, the A and B buttons control the left and right flippers respectively.

The object of the game is to navigate the 4 pinball table mazes, finding chaos emeralds and opening up paths to each table's boss. There are also bonus stages in between tables.

Play these sounds in the options under "SOUND FX" to unlock the following cheats:

Pause, press B and move anywhere on the table: 0, 9, 0, 1, 6, 8
Pause, press DOWN to skip to the next table/section: 0, 2, 1, 5, 6, 6

Text and objects are easy to see on the small screen. Just like any normal pinball game there's ample opportunity for scoring points.

(25/30) Sonic Drift 2

This is from the Game Gear, which was the only system that had it. The first Sonic Drift is not included on the handheld.

An enjoyable arcade kart racer featuring 3 cups with 6 tracks each. You can choose to play as either Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Eggman, Fang or Metal Sonic; each having their own strengths, weaknesses and special abilities; which are used by pressing UP to spend rings you collect during the race.

Basic driving is done by holding the B button to accelerate while tapping A to brake around severe bends. There are also items to collect that give you a speed boost, jump or weapon to use by pressing UP.

The tracks each have their own little features which add a nice bit of variety to the racing and turning. Some tracks have 3 laps whereas others are much longer and have set start and finish points instead of having laps.

In addition to the mode where you race against rivals, there's a free run mode where you drive on your own around any track of your choosing, where you can practise getting the best times. If you want to quit in the middle of a free run press pause and then press A & B together.

Objects are a bit iffy to see on the small screen, especially when they're even smaller in the distance ahead on the track. On the big screen it's a lot more pleasant to play.

(24/30) Sonic Chaos

This is the Game Gear version of the game.

Also known as Sonic & Tails, this is one of the later 8-bit Sonic games but follows the formula of the earlier ones very well. You can choose to play as either Sonic or Tails through 6 zones with 3 acts each.

If you play as Sonic you can gain access to special stages by collecting 100 rings for a chance to earn one of the five chaos emeralds to be won this way. Holding UP and jump lets you charge up his super peel-out move.

If you play as Tails you can fly for a short period of time by holding UP and jump. Both characters can do the spin dash.

At the end of each stage you get bonus points depending on time, speed and rings collected. For every 50,000 points you earn a continue, which can come in handy.

A level select can be accessed by pressing UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT and then START on the title screen.

A sound test can be accessed by pressing DOWN, DOWN, UP, UP, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, and then START on the title screen.

On the small screen they sped up the game a bit too much for some reason; perhaps to compensate for the slower speed when played on the big screen. They've done this with a few games on the handheld but it's very noticeable here. Still plays very well though.

(23/30) Snail Maze

The game that was built into the original Master System and could be played when the cartridge slot was empty, which was a lovely idea.

A pure maze navigation game where you guide a little snail from the start to the finish, accompanied by a happy little tune and under the pressure of a timer, which has extra time added when you complete a round. There are 12 rounds in all.

It's nice to play on the small screen but some of the vertical lines aren't very well defined. The lines are all perfect on the big screen though.

(22/30) Ristar

This is the Game Gear version, which has its own unique features.

Colourful and upbeat platformer where you play as Ristar the Shooting Star, a fantastical creature who stretches his arms out, grabs and whacks his face off things and is able to catapult himself into outer space towards other planets just by swinging on poles.

In this game stages take place across 6 planets, rich for exploring and you're not scored or under pressure for time so it is worth exploring to find treasures and trying everything out. At the end of a planet's stage you fight a boss before hopping to the next planet to right the wrongs of the game's main antagonist Greedy.

Stages get pretty hard as the game progresses and you can often find yourself addicted to slowly climbing a wall by stretching out and bashing your face off of it!

But it's all in good fun. Everything appears nicely on the small screen.

There's also a password system with 6 digits. If you enter KUMI you get access to a debug mode, where you can skip to the next level by pressing B while the game is paused and then unpausing. Also, if you hold UP and B and then unpause you gain access to a level select screen.

(21/30) Quartet

This is the Master System version of the game.

Very arcade-centric horizontal platformer with a sci-fi theme. You play as a woman named Mary who has to destroy enemy alien invaders.

In each of the 6 enemy filled stages, you have to find and destroy the boss, grab the key it leaves behind and find the exit. There's a jetpack you can use, but you get knocked off it when you get hit. Try to stay low so it doesn't remain suspended too high in the air to reach.

Annoyingly, the shoot and jump buttons are reversed from standard.

At the title screen if you press the START button 14 times and then press A you start the game with a wide beam.

Text and objects are easy enough to see on the small screen.

(20/30) Putt & Putter

This is the Master System version of the game.

A mini-golf sim with 3D isometric stage layouts and elements from pinball tables like bumpers. It's got 3 stages, each with 6 holes. There's a couple of bonus holes as well when you do a complete playthrough. There's also a practice mode with 6 holes of its own.

At the title screen hold LEFT and DOWN, then press A or B to unlock a stage select when you begin a normal game.

Text and objects are quite pleasant and easy to see on the small screen.

(19/30) Penguin Land

This is from the Master System, which was the only console that had it. In the original version of the game there was a stage editor, but it's absent here unfortunately.

A cute puzzling platformer, where you play as a penguin trying to get his egg down to the bottom of the stage in order to join your penguin crew on your spaceship. You do this by breaking bricks Lode Runner style and guiding it carefully, figuring out where to go while avoiding enemies and other hazards.

Annoyingly, the action button and jump buttons are reversed from standard.

There are 30 rounds in the game at first and you can select one to start from at the title screen. After you beat them there's an additional 20 available. At the end of every stage you get a time bonus.

Throughout the game there are many different blocks and objects you come across that mix the gameplay up a bit. It's worth getting a feel for these and seeing what they allow and don't allow you to do.

Objects are easy to see on the small screen but the text is very difficult to see due to its outline.

(18/30) Opa Opa

This is the Master System version of Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa.

This horizontally scrolling shooter looks and plays similarly to its predecessor which is also built-in to this handheld, but now you can go to different areas through warp points, which gives this game its own spin.

Just like the first game there's no turbo fire option, but the objects and text are easy to see on the small screen.

(17/30) Mean Bean Machine

This is the Game Gear version of Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, which features characters from the "Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog" cartoon. It's a nice way to present this Puyo Puyo game.

Puyo Puyo is a block dropping game where they come down in pairs of blocks. You must stack and match at least 4 of the same colour to clear them out. It's usually played competitively, where you try and make chains of blocks clearing in order to dump rubbish blocks onto your opponents side with the aim making their screen flood and collapse.

There are 3 modes of play.

Scenario mode is the competitive mode where you play in stages against Dr Robotnik and his robots, including Scratch, Grounder and Coconuts from the cartoon. There's a little high score table and a password system that uses 4 characters.

Exercise mode is the solo endless game where you select your difficulty and away you go. There's the odd special block you get that mixes things up and there's a little high score table here too. Should be a good place to practise chains.

Puzzle mode is stage based where you're given little missions on what to do on prepared stacks of blocks. It's presented as a training manual for Dr. Robotnik's robots which is pretty cute. There's a 4 digit password system in place here too so you can continue at a different time.

Blocks, play area and text are nice and easy to see on the small screen.

(16/30) Kung Fu Kid

This is from the Master System, which was the only console that had it.

A 2D scrolling beat em up with a martial arts theme, it's not dissimilar to Kung Fu Master. Awkwardly enough, the kick and jump buttons are reversed from the standard.

It's no-nonsense fun just heading forward and giving a quick kick to the enemies heading your way before moving on to the next. You also have a little projectile by holding UP and kicking.

At the end of each of the 7 stages is a boss and a good way to deal with them is holding the kick button to keep your leg out while jumping into them. Upon completing a stage you're awarded bonus points for remaining time and HP.

Objects appear nicely enough on the small screen but the text is very hard to make out due to its outline.

(15/30) Golden Axe

This is the Master System version.

Classic roaming beat em up with a fantasy theme. In this version of the game you can only play as Tarik but you can choose between earth, fire and thunder powers. A is for attacking, B is for jumping and both buttons together is for using the special powers if you have any bottles for them.

Very fast and difficult but everything can be seen on the small screen comfortably, including text and ranking.

When you lose all your lives hold UP and B at the game over display to get another continue.

(14/30) Global Defense

This is the Master System version.

A horizontally scrolling shooter where you control a defence satellite shooting out enemy alien artillery, which is headed for Earth.

You aim with a cursor in order to target enemy objects and you can hold the A button to instead move your satellite around and out of harm's way. The B button is for shooting, which fires out rapidly without having to tap the button over and over again.

There are 10 stages which alternate between offensive and defensive halves, the former being the scrolling stage and the latter having a single screen where you try and stop enemy artillery slipping past you. The object of the game is to try to destroy as much of the enemy as possible without them doing any damage. You get special bonus points for defeating all the enemies perfectly.

Text is quite easy to read on the small screen and you only need to hold the button to shoot rapidly so it's really nice to play on this.

(13/30) Gain Ground

This is the Master System version of the game.

A top down action game all about fighting your way to the exit at the other end of the screen. It's quite slow moving and demands a fair amount of strategic thinking. It also has a time travel theme, going through various battles at different periods and with the occasional boss battle also.

A is for a normal shot and B is for a special shot, depending on your character. You select a character from your team and try to either get them all through the exit one by one or clear out the enemies on the field. You're awarded special bonus points for defeating all the enemies in a field and there's also bonus points awarded for time.

You can also rescue defeated team mates or gather new ones by picking them up on the field one at a time and bringing them to the exit.

The characters and objects are a bit dinky on the small screen but it's not too bad. The text is clear to read, especially the text that appears between stages which is HUGE and a pleasure to read. It's also quite nice to play on the big screen.

As the game boots up, if you hold A, B and UP you get access to a special mode where you can select any level and use all the types of characters available.

(12/30) Fantasy Zone

This is the Master System version of the game.

A horizontally scrolling shooter with cute graphics and cheerful music. It isn't auto-scrolling so you can move your ship around freely in an area going left or right. You complete an area by clearing it of enemies and facing its boss.

Occasionally a shop appears where you can buy upgrades to your ship using the money you earn from defeating enemies.

Unfortunately there's no turbo fire option but at least the objects and text are easy to see on the small screen.

(11/30) Ecco: The Tides of Time

This is the Game Gear version.

An adventure game where you play as Ecco the Dolphin swimming through deep sea mazes, solving puzzles, defeating enemies and finding keys to advance to the next area.

It can be pretty difficult swimming around without bumping into everything or messing up a puzzle but the time travel science fiction plot-line provides some motivation to keep going and see what happens next. This is driven through tidbits of dialogue you get when you use your sonar on fellow dolphins and killer whales. This adds nicely to the atmosphere.

The A button is for a charge attack, the B button is for swimming quickly and the START button is for Ecco's sonar. Since this button on the handheld is harder to press than the other buttons, it can be unpleasant to press rapidly at times such as when you have to navigate a dark tunnel. Not sure what it was like on the original Game Gear.

Passwords use 5 digits. All information is quite legible on the handheld's screen.

If you bring up the map with Ecco's sonar by holding START, then press LEFT, A, B, A, B, DOWN, B and UP you get into an excellent cheat menu where you'll find a level select and sound test, gain access to all the dialogue messages and the ability to set flags for invincibility, unlimited keys and being able to swim everywhere without colliding with anything.

(10/30) Dragon Crystal

This is the Master System version.

A dungeon-crawling Rogue-like with 30 randomly generated maze floors and no password feature. Yikes!

You spend a lot of time picking up items and trying them out haphazardly in order to identify them, all the while trying to survive against the enemies so you can prepare for later floors. You're followed by a dragon egg that hatches and changes as you level up and it can also be used strategically against enemies.

Due to its complexity this game takes a long play session and a focused mind to complete and makes for an excellent challenge. It might be worth keeping an identify list and developing your own strategies for the later floors.

Very fast paced and upbeat, the music in the Master System version probably makes it the happiest Rogue-like ever.

On the small screen the text is clear and easy to read.

(09/30) Columns

This is the Master System version.

Classic 3-block column dropping game where you try to match 3 of the same block in any direction, with bonus points for combos.

There's the original mode, where the game goes on endlessly; or flash mode, where you try and clear the buried shiny block to complete it. 

I don't recommend playing this on the small screen at all. The play area and blocks are really tiny for your eyes to focus on and since the game is so addictive, your eyes will get sore after a session of any significant length of time at all. It's lovely on the big screen though.

I really wish they used the Game Gear version instead. Play area and blocks are much bigger so it's easier on the eyes. That version also has nice little scenery changes after every level increase and has both original and flash modes too. Another advantage of that version is that it displays high scores for every difficulty setting and corresponding level. Master System version doesn't display any high score after a session.

(08/30) Bomber Raid

This is the Master System version, which was the only console that had it.

A vertically scrolling shooter with a World War II theme. It's got 5 levels and at the end of each you're given bonus points depending on the percentage of enemies you defeated. The power ups include speed ups, more powerful shots and up to two smaller planes flying alongside you to add more fire power, with different directional options depending on the number indicated on the icon you collected(I recommend 2 for shooting forward). The A button is for normal shots and B is for a strong bomb attack.

When flying over certain terrains, bullets can be difficult to see so I recommend playing this on the big screen. There's no turbo fire option here either so that's another reason to go for it as the small screen moves around while pressing the button rapidly.

There's a level select cheat but since it requires a second controller it can't be done here unfortunately.

(07/30) Baku Baku Animal

This is the Master System version of the game with the added borders. Wouldn't the Game Gear version have been a more logical choice? The text and objects are still nice and big though.

A nice competitive block dropping game where they come in pairs of blocks. Line up the faces of the animals with their corresponding foods to clear them out and aim for combos to throw some extra blocks on top of your opponent's pile so you can knock them out. It's better to stack food of the same type than it is to stack animals of the same type.

There are three difficulty modes; each offering their own parts to the plot, so it's worth starting from the easiest setting. You play as a girl named Polly who wants to become the royal zookeeper, but all kinds of people try to get in your way and challenge you. These tiny scenes all take place between stages with amusing trash talk between characters.

Passwords use 4 digits and can be found online easily.

(06/30) Aztec Adventure

This is from the Master System, which was the only console that had it.

A top down action game where you navigate 11 stages of mazes, defeating enemies with your sword and hunting down the boss enemies indicated by each stage's introduction screen.

This sounds similar to Zelda but Nino(your character) moves much slower than Link does. However, you can still keep up with your enemies by neutralising their projectiles with your sword. You can then pick up items from felled enemies and can use money to hire up to two extra swordsmen at a time by your side. This all provides a decent amount of strategic depth to the game.

It might be nicer to play this on the big screen since Nino doesn't move very quickly anyway. You'll be able to see enemy projectiles better too.

The level select is a bit complicated to access. On the title screen:

1. Press UP 5 times before the scroll opens up.
2. Press RIGHT 3 times while Nino throws money at the swordsmen.
3 Press LEFT 1 time and DOWN 1 time while the swordsmen follow Nino.

If done correctly a little Nino head appears with the number of the stage you can choose to start from.

Now for the Sound Test. On the character portrait screen:

1. Press LEFT 1 time
2. Press RIGHT 20 times

If done correctly, a little Nino head appears with the number of the BGM you can choose to listen to.

(05/30) Astro Warrior

This is from the Master System, which was the only console that had it.

This game is a solid vertical scrolling shooter with a space theme and some power ups to collect that give you more shots to fire with, some extra little trailing option ships that shoot more and some lasers too. There are some bosses to fight at the end of stages as well.

I recommend playing this one on the big screen because objects can be difficult to see when you fly over the bright platforms, but they're otherwise quite easy to see against the dark space. Another reason is because there's no turbo fire option and the handheld screen moves while you keep pressing the buttons to shoot, making it more difficult to focus on the action.

(04/30) Assault City

This is from the Master System, which was the only console that had it.

A light-gun style shooter game with a robot apocalypse theme, this version of the game uses the D-Pad for aiming with a cursor. One of the buttons is for shooting, the other is for changing between two speeds of the cursor's movement.

There are 6 rounds, the first of which begins with target practice that determines the game's difficulty level. When you complete a stage, your remaining health units add 1,000 points each to your score.

There's enough action on screen to keep you engaged and it feels good to go for a boss' weak point when it's revealed.

This is one example of a game I would rather play on a bigger screen, due to the dinky cursor that sometimes blends in to the background on the small screen. The font in the cutscenes(which are enjoyable(also skippable)) can be difficult to make out on the small screen too and the scenes themselves generally go very quickly, so the slowdown of the big screen can help you keep up with the plot.

If you hold UP and press A & B together on the title screen, you start the game with a machine gun and infinite health.

(03/30) Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars

Originally from the arcade machine, this version is from the Master System.

Very straightforward A-to-B platformer, along with a time limit bar that gives you bonus points upon finishing a level. Jumping is what you do mainly, though you can power up your jump or obtain projectiles to shoot enemies. There are other collectibles too; such as the one that replenishes the timer bar, which also functions as your HP. This style is somewhat reminiscent of Wonder Boy/Adventure Island.

There are 12 levels, though the latter half is like a more challenging loop of the former half. The objective is to restore the 12 constellations of the zodiac, hence the title.

A couple of nice examples of speech in this game, the funniest of which is Alex's blood curdling scream when he gets hit!

(02/30) Alex Kidd in Miracle World

This is from the Master System, which was the only console that had it. In this version of the game Alex eats a rice ball instead of a hamburger and the standard attack/jump buttons are reversed. Nooo!

This platformer is about jumping around and punching blocks and enemies from the side when you come across them, in order to find money and items. You can use the money to buy vehicles and power-ups, bringing a nice bit of variety into the gameplay across the 17 levels. Much of the challenge comes from trying to line up to punch everything, which can get a bit awkward.

Occasionally you'll come across someone who'll challenge you to play a rock-paper-scissors guessing game, where you earn the right to pass if you win and forfeit a life if you lose.

The money you collect can also come in handy when you lose all your lives. At the game over screen, if you had collected 400 Baums you may continue from where you lost if you hold UP while pressing B eight times. The words "CONTINUE MODE" show up if you've done it correctly.

(01/30) Alex Kidd High Tech World

This is from the Master System, which was the only console that had it.

The first part is an adventure game where you walk around Alex's family castle, interacting with people and objects for clues in order to find a map to the new arcade "High Tech World". Later on it becomes a platformer where you try to not get killed by ninjas as you make your way to the arcade before it closes.

The adventure part can be confusing, so drawing a map of the castle or using a walkthrough might be handy as you can easily slip up and get a game over.

The platforming section is really difficult because you have to avoid and attack the ninjas in the forest while the tree branches get in the way of movement.

The game uses an 8-digit password using upper and lower-case letters, the latter of which don't show up very clearly on the small screen. However, the in-game dialogue shows up pretty well.

Try the KepYsOpLRZ password to go straight to the ninja stage.