DESCRIPTION
The SG-1000 (エスジー・セン Esujī Sen?), which stands for Sega Game 1000, was a cartridge-based video game console manufactured by Sega. This system marked Sega's first entry into the home video game hardware business, and while the system was not popular, it provided the basis for the more successful Master System.
The SG-1000 was first released to the Japanese market on July 15, 1983. Incidentally, this is exactly the same day that Nintendo's Family Computer was released. The console reached minor success in that market and sold moderately well within Asia until 1985. The system was launched in New Zealand as released by Grandstand Leisure Limited, Australia by John Sands and in other countries, such as France, Italy, Spain, and South Africa. The console in its original form was never launched in North America or the UK.
The SG-1000 is one of Taiwan's first and best-remembered consoles, where it was manufactured and sold (very briskly) under license as "Lou Shi" (阿羅士 Ā Luó Shì). In the same time period from 1983 to 1986, Famicom games were widely pirated as standalone and multi-carts (replete with rudimentary switch banks to select the active ROM), as well as no less than three different pirated versions of the Atari 2600 with boastful monikers characteristic of the times "Adventurer" (冒險家 Màoxiǎn Jiā), "Delight" (賓果 Bīn Guǒ), "Steadfast Creator" (強棒創造者 Qiáng Bàng Chuàngzào Zhě).
A very large thank you is given to SEGARETRO.ORG for descriptions, cover images and screenshots.
Among the most highly-rated cartridges that were released for the SG-1000 include Girls Garden, Sega Galaga, Flicky, Monaco GP and Wonder Boy.
