What platforms is Snail Maze on?

Snail Maze was released on Sega Master System/Mark III.

When did Snail Maze release?

Snail Maze was first released on September 1, 1986.

Snail Maze

Sep 1, 1986PuzzleSega Master System/Mark III

Snail Maze — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Snail Maze on?: Snail Maze was released on Sega Master System/Mark III.
When did Snail Maze release?: Snail Maze was first released on September 1, 1986.

About Snail Maze

Snail Maze is a 1986 video game by Sega, part of the Sega Master System. Instead of being released on a cartridge, it was built into the system's BIOS and could be played by starting the system without a game cartridge inserted and holding Up and buttons 1 and 2 simultaneously. The later "Master System II" model did not include Snail Maze, it instead included a built in Alex Kidd in Miracle World. Snail Maze was never released in cartridge or card format.

Summary via IGDB.

Snail Maze on Wikipedia

Snail Maze is a 1986 maze video game developed and published by Sega for the Master System. Instead of being released on a cartridge, it was built into the BIOS of the non-Japanese versions of the console and could be played by starting the system without a game cartridge inserted and holding Up and buttons 1 and 2 simultaneously, consequently being a launch title for the console in the region. Some later console models included a minimal BIOS because of memory constraints, and Snail Maze had to be removed. These systems instead included a built-in Alex Kidd in Miracle World or Sonic the Hedgehog. Snail Maze was not released in Japan.

Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).

Game details

Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Game modes: Single player

Details via IGDB.

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Fake risk
Sega Master System	1986	—	—	—	Low (look-alike)

Also released on: Sega Master System/Mark III. We haven’t priced or authenticated that version yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28

Loose

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Complete

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Sealed

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Release record

Territory	Date
North America	September 1986
Europe / PAL	August 1987
Brazil	September 1989

Source: Product numbers: MAME's Master System software list and the No-Intro serial records in the libretro database, published only where both agree on the same cartridge dump; Japanese numbers also checked against Sega Japan's software list. Board and ROM numbers: MAME's software list

Region: NA+EU+BR
Released: 1986
Authenticity: Low

Modern re-releases, such as Sega Ages and Virtual Console, are not tracked hereLow look-alike risk

Sega Master System prices, all games & how to spot a fake

A maze game built into the console itself, so there is nothing to buy but the right console.

Snail Maze is a 1986 maze game developed and published by Sega. It was not released on a cartridge. It is built into the console in the West: start it without a cartridge inserted and hold Up and buttons 1 and 2. It was never released in Japan.

Later console models dropped it because of memory constraints, and those units carried a built-in Alex Kidd in Miracle World or Sonic the Hedgehog instead. A Mean Machines Sega letters page once answered a reader who had just discovered the trick by saying he was about six years late.

Before you buy

Because the game lives inside the console, check for it by starting the console without a cartridge and holding Up with buttons 1 and 2. Consoles that came with a built-in Alex Kidd in Miracle World or Sonic the Hedgehog do not have it.