Game Master (console)

Lore & Background

The Game Master was developed by Hartung to rival the Nintendo Game Boy, and its distribution varied by region. In Germany, Hartung marketed it directly, while in the United Kingdom it was released as the Systema 2000 by Systema, a company already known for cheap LCD games. In France, it appeared under names such as Game Master by Videojet, Game Plus by Delplay, Super Game, and Game Tronic, with some models sold by Hartung itself. In Italy, it was sold by Virella Electronics, and in Spain as the Prodis PDJ-10. A Hong Kong version was sold as the Impel Game Master.

The console's design resembles the Sega Game Gear, featuring a D-pad and two action buttons, though the Game Plus variant adopts a more Game Boy-like appearance and was backed by a company called Caterpillar. The cartridges resemble those of the Watara Supervision, with the card edge jutting out past the plastic, and the Game Master uses a 40-pin cartridge port like the Supervision, but the two are not compatible. Notably, the Delplay Game Plus is incompatible with all standard Game Master cartridges.

Eighteen games were released for the system, including titles such as Bubble Boy, Car Racing (also known as Super F-1), Continental Galaxy, Dungeon Advanture, Falling Block, Finite Zone, Go Bang!, Hyper Space, Kung Fu, Move It, Pin Ball, Soccer, Space Castle, Space Invader, Space Warrior, Tank War, Tennis, and Urban Champion. Some games have alternate titles on their title screens.

Reader's Guide

The Game Master represents a notable attempt by Hartung to capture a share of the handheld market dominated by the Nintendo Game Boy. Its significance lies in its widespread regional rebranding and the variety of names under which it was sold, reflecting the fragmented nature of the European video game market in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The console's design similarities to the Game Gear and its use of a 40-pin cartridge port akin to the Watara Supervision highlight the era's trend of hardware borrowing and incompatibility. The existence of the incompatible Game Plus variant underscores the challenges of third-party console manufacturing and distribution. With only eighteen games released, the Game Master's library was limited, but its presence across Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, and Hong Kong demonstrates a broad, if niche, reach. The console's legacy is that of a lesser-known competitor that, despite its obscurity, has been preserved through multi-system emulators, allowing modern enthusiasts to explore its modest catalog.

Did You Know?

• The Game Master was sold in the UK as the Systema 2000 by Systema, a maker of cheap LCD games.
• The Game Plus variant, sold by Delplay in France, is incompatible with all standard Game Master cartridges.
• The console uses a 40-pin cartridge port similar to the Watara Supervision but is not compatible with Supervision games.
• Eighteen games were released for the Game Master, including titles like Bubble Boy, Kung Fu, and Space Invader.