One of the earlier Master System games released Kung Fu Kid holds up surprisingly well, it's a very simple though addictive game reminiscent of the old arcade game Kung-Fu Master. Boss fights are pretty well done and the game controls extremely well and is very responsive giving you an impressively high level of control.

This is a pretty accurate port of the arcade game, you basically have to sneak around stealing items, It's a good game though unfortunately on the Master System the 2 player co-op option is sadly missing.

Top down shmup where the aim is to rescue a certain number of survivors and then head to the exit, there's some really great boss designs and it's good fun on 2 player.

The Master System port of Prince of persia is really nice, it has some really impressive graphics and animation and the game (which is kind of a puzzle and platforming adventure style affair) and plays very well.

This is a great version of the multi-format game that looks and plays excellently, the basic premise is to run around searching and rescuing survivors whilst shooting the Aliens and then making it to the exit (like a platforming version of Alien Syndrome)

Lord of the Sword is an adventure game, it throws you into a massive world where you need to complete tasks, you are free to explore it any way you want which leads to a game with lots of depth that can be at times a little confusing until you play it enough to be able to find your bearings.

One of the more popular Tetris clones of the time, Columns requires you to match coloured blocks of 3 in a row and includes a more combo orientated gameplay.

Batman Returns is a nice platformer that has you swinging around in true Bionic Commando fashion, the games very playable though a little difficult (one hit kills) it also has the notable aspect of having branching pathways between levels allowing you to choose your route.

It comes as no surprise knowing Sega's illustrious history with lightgun games that many of the best and most interesting released during the 8-bit period arrived on their Master System console. Whilst most lightgun games from the 80s were one dimensional affairs Sega was trying to make their games a bit more interesting, in Rescue Mission you're charged with the duty of protecting medics as they travel across the rails, this includes shooting enemies and clearing away mines.

A pretty good vertical shmup that plays kind of like an Aleste game mixed with Sega's Scramble Spirits, it has one of those power-up systems that seem to go on forever and as such it takes a long time to upgrade to full power. One reason why I decided to put it lower on the list is due to the bosses being extremely unfair to fight if you've just lost all your power-ups.

Solid Tennis game that plays very well and gives you a pretty impressive (for the time) amount of different options.

Very interesting RPG that's quite open-ended and non-linear. It's definately a solid and entertaining game but can be a bit of a grind to play at times.

Cool little puzzle game where you play as a penguin trying to roll it's egg to the bottom of the screen without letting it break, if it drops to far (safe distance is shown by a white line) then it'll break, if you land on it and it has no where to move it'll break. A nicely designed game that's quite playable

Simple but playable Football/Soccer game with tons of depth and very rewarding gameplay, it's still a popular game today which really shows it's timeless appeal.

Another great and interesting lightgun game on the Master System, here you're in charge of protecting a girl as she walks through a haunted house

Though not quite the Contra equivalent that the Master System needs, Robocop Vs Terminator is still a quality run and gun game alternative that has great graphics, some pretty impressive music (not too sure about the out of place end of level jingle though) and a level of gore that would never have been seen on Ninty's console.

Playing quite similarly to the C64's Racing Destruction Set as well as the NES game R.C. Pro-Am, Buggy Run has you racing around courses from an isometric view and upgrading your vehicle between races.

Must stand as being the most ambitious in the Dizzy series Fantastic Dizzy is massive and spans many different locales ranging from Pirate ships to Graveyards. The basic premise in all Dizzy games is just to walk back and forth collecting and using items to solve puzzles which once complete allow you to progress further into the game.