Sega (Genesis) Nomad History & Review - Rare Variants - Adam Koralik

It's Adam Koralik here and today we're discussing one of the oddball limited versions of the Sega Genesis (Mega Drive), specifically, the American/Canadian exclusive portable Nomad model! We'll talk all about the history!
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[@AdamKoralik]

Update, I was wrong about the compatibility with Virtua Racing. It DOES work. Apologies.

[@legendsflashback]

Great video

[@l11l1venom1l11l]

Gargoyles works fine in mine, too. As far as I know, the only incompatible Genesis game is X-Men because it requires you to press the reset button at one point mid-game and obviously the Nomad doesn't have one.

[@legendsflashback]

@@l11l1venom1l11l 💡

[@demonology2629]

Virtua Racing only works on original hardware... There for .... NOMAD IS AUTHENTIC 🏆

[@VOAN]

@@demonology2629 The only three Sega hardware Virtua Racing doesn't work on was Sega Nomad, the Genesis 3, and the Sega 32X. Sega 32X I could see why since it had its own version of Virtua Racing but to not had it work for Nomad, and Genesis 3 was kinda questionable.

[@iam16bits]

My first interaction with the Nomad was from my godmother who got one sometime in the late 90s. Every time we went over to my godparents house I'd always want to play the Nomad. We had a Model 2, so the idea of a portable Genesis just blew my mind. She allowed me to borrow it a few times and even I brought it to school. Then as I started working I snagged one off ebay with the battery pack for $60. That was around 12 years ago and every time I put it on it takes me back to sitting in class, days before the school year ends, playing Sonic 2.

[@brpadington]

I bought the Nomad despite not owning a Genesis before. Games were extremely cheap at that point. I even used a GameGear with TV tuner as a second screen for my friends to use.

[@LobotomyTC]

Your camera doesn't like to autofocus, Adam! I got one of these back in 2007. Not my preferred method of playing a Genesis, but it's an interesting one, to say the least!

[@stephendalzell763]

Great Video :) I'm in the UK. I travelled to the US in 97 and picked one up it eventually became damaged, and to fix it at the time over here cost more than to buy the system. I threw it in the bin. 😢 I now know it was an easy fix. I have since replaced it. I thought I'd mention that the NEC Pc engine LT did this before the Nomad gave the option of connection to the TV, and with the Atari Lynx battery pack allowed handheld gaming. Another thing of beauty for me, at least, is the Redant GameAxe, which is basically a portable Famicom. It took inspiration from the Nomad it's so cool.

[@Johnnyversetti6969]

Adam my old friend, thank you for the explanation of the sega planet thought process. Still crazy you have a Pluto..

[@AdamKoralik]

Well, it's not mine. I'm just the custodian of it.

[@NiekPlasman]

If you ever get it modded don’t get the LCDDRV. That screen, although sharp and RGB capable, does not have pixel uniformity. This causes a constant shimmer while scrolling. Unfortunately I haven’t seen any alternative be readily available, so you are better of going with one of those TFT composite ones for now as their solid enough and easily replaced if a better option becomes available in the future.

[@survivalhh2995]

bought a nomad last year due to not having one and needing one to add to my portable gaming collection. Got to say its a really neat device, its very chunky but very cool. You can connect it to the tv as well and that is very unique especially for the time in came around at. I know the turbo express came before it but that could not connect to the tv.

[@wulver810]

I love my modded Nomad, for one thing the controller is amazing. If I could have an aftermarket controller that is a lighter Nomad, I'd buy it.

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

I consider the Sega Genesis Nomad portable system Sega's equivalent of NEC's Turbo Express, the portable version of the Turbo Grafx 16...

[@VOAN]

Yeap they are similar, the only difference was that you can't hook up the Turbo Express to play on the tv unlike the Nomad.

[@kickflipdemon]

lol i saw mrmario dropped a video on rgh 3 made easier sweet so i checked my subs and sure enough adam dropped new video on the ultimate 90s portable(if you never heard of turbo express) nomad

[@jasonnielsen2125]

Are Nomads region free? I’m sure they sold the Nomad in Australia as well. I remember seeing them at a Kmart, displayed in one of those lockable glass cabinets. I could be wrong and have it mixed up with a Game Gear but I’m sure I saw Nomads sold here.

[@AdamKoralik]

I'd be stunned if that was true as there's no evidence of that.

[@kurtandrews85]

I’m sure I’ve seen them in Kmart also. Must be loosing it

[@AdamKoralik]

@@kurtandrews85 in Australia?

[@kurtandrews85]

@@AdamKoralik yeah in the late 90s. I just did a quick search and couldn’t find any info for a aus release. Crazy I always thought they sold them here as well.

[@jasonnielsen2125]

@@AdamKoralik I’m certain of it now. I was late to the party in buying the Megadrive as a kid and the Saturn was being sold. I actually bought the Megadrive, Megadrive CD, and the 32X brand new and sealed on the same day, from the same Kmart, on clearance for $150.00 and I didn’t quite have the cash for the Nomad, which was also on clearance. They were packaged in the U.S style packaging. There were just 2 in the cabinet. I went back a week later and they were gone. I remember this day well as it was the day that I started collecting again because of the bargain price I’d paid and I’ve been collecting on and off ever since. I still have those very same pieces of hardware to this day.

[@drwrubel]

Was the Nomad a toys r us exclusive item at launch ?

[@AdamKoralik]

Not that I know of

[@johnnada6855]

I think the megadrive was not big in japan because the master system was not big, the pc engine was really more hardcore and the sega arcades were not enough to sell it., plus the Saturn was perceived as the real pc enigine successor, i mean NEC kinda murdered the PCFX and supported the saturn both in hardware and in hudson soft exclusives, also virtua fighter sold the saturn in japan, by that time their arcades were the most impressive, plus the 2D games were at the level of the neogeo arcades and the saturn was way cheaper than a neogeo, so the point of it all is that SEGA japan never knew how to manage business, they had a team of talented developers that made great games but on the business part they had issues, the american team on the other hand didn´t had good developers but had lots of marketing and sales power for sure

[@guillaumecleroux4581]

What could go wrong with people talking about playing with SEGA consoles named Uranus... I wonder...

[@-castradomis-1773]

The Nomad was the best 2 hours of portable gaming back in the day. It deserves it's place in history. With better battery life this thing could have been a serious contender.

[@pjp9840]

I had the game gear battery pack and ac adapter so battery life was never an issue for me.

[@Marcus_K]

I had a Nomad and PC Engine GT in the '90s. The GT especially was an impressive, pioneering device ahead of its time. I just used them for off-TV home play, because the battery life was poor and they were expensive, so I felt they were better kept safe at home. The Game Boy was the only '90s handheld I played on the go.

[@RobThanos]

For the Al Gore Rhythm!

[@rockmanx2002]

I got one of these things back in 1997. I knew at the time what it was because I was actually replacing a broken Model 2 Genesis that got fried at some point. That Nomad was my daily-driver Genesis for a number of years until I picked up a Model 1 Genesis sometime in the late 2000s, and it served its purpose well enough, limitations not withstanding. Battery life was terrible, but many a vacation hotel stay was made better playing this thing at night. My original died some years later, but I have a replacement now, and it's still fun to get it out and play around with it from time to time, even though there are infinitely better systems to hand for these games these days. Lots of good memories, though.

[@CasperEgas]

Would love to get a fully revised Nomad one day. Difficult to get in Europe...

[@nsgames24]

Space is something that's very fascinating to me. I guess Sega felt the same way with a lot of their systems, up until the Dreamcast.

[@tommypeace2601]

Don’t think we got this at all in the UK sad times. One of those systems which is just amazing it got even a moment to shine! Thanks Adam

[@RWL2012]

Not officially back in the day, but quite a few have been imported nowadays.

[@bland9876]

I'm surprised the nomad was the last portable system that could play home console games. Could you imagine being able to play Halo on the go in 2001? Or Metroid prime? Ratchet and clank? Would have been amazing. I remember seeing one for $40 in a play n trade once and then was kicking myself for not picking it up as on ebay they were $80 soon after.

[@UnrivaledPiercer]

Get one fully modded then do a follow up video comparing the modded one to a stock one side by side. It would be fun to see and then you could also break down the costs between them as well.

[@EDHBlvd]

The TurboExpress and Nomad were both so dope.

[@VOAN]

The only difference between both is that while the Nomad could also be play on the TV and on the go, the Turbo Express doesn't had TV output so even though it play the same games as its console, it's not really a true hybrid system.

[@wolfgangfrost8043]

I love that it took you 10 mintues to explain how confusing the Sega Planetary Prototype Universe was back then! That's where I got messed up as a kid! I might be the only North American Genesis owner to mistakenly buy a Master System cart without the Power Base Converter. It said Sega, so it must be for my Sega! I'm used to weird box art concepts, so the classic Master System grid doesn't bother me. I have not idea it's not directly Genesis compatible until it didn't fit into that cartridge slot. That's the moment in my young Genesis life I learned the Z80 in the Genesis was there for backwards compatibility too!

[@chrilz1498]

Thanks for the sharing the fully story of the Nomad, Adam. You have such a knack for sharing video game history. If you celebrate I hope you have an enjoyable Easter tomorrow, buddy

[@robertdanker6193]

Great video!! I picked up the Nomad on sale at Toys R Us shortly after it released. I really enjoyed it, I have great memories of taking it to school with an extra controller and playing my friends in Super Street fighter 2!!👍👍👍

[@techninefan90]

I’ve never heard of this thing until this video. There is a 90% chance I’ll forget it exists shortly after lol. But I love watching these videos from you and the fact that you have PERSONAL experience taking this device on a vacation trip is VERY cool man. Thank you for the video :)

[@Eth3realwarrior]

I got one laying around and I would love to mod it with some modern upgrades. It's fun but the screen is definitely aged, will definitely need a recap too.

[@TheTheme]

I have 2 Sega Nomad's. One I got originally from Toys R Us with Comic Zone and the other I got second hand. I love the system, it's just a damn shame that Xmen can't be beaten on the Nomad because of a lack of the reset button.

[@Rezigunn]

You can actually do a reset mod with a couple of simple components where you press the start and mode button together. Super simple and well worth it just for portable xmen

[@TheTheme]

@@Rezigunn That's good to know. I'm going to have to try that.

[@GuiOmania]

Awesome Video Adam !!! Do you know what happen to the retro bit Sega Nomad it was annonce in 2019 but we never ear from it again ???

[@AdamKoralik]

Must have missed that one.

[@fearlessfreep]

Had they a) added a controller port for player 1 and b) had a switch to turn the built-in screen off this would have been killer.

[@lordcanti]

I love my nomad. Got mine for free cause my family owned a junkyard back then and my dad found a nomad in one of the junked vehicles lol. Still works great!

[@BeccaMidnite]

The sega nomad is by far one of the coolest systems to ever exist. Literally a full sega genesis crammed in a handheld I’ve always wanted one 😄

[@Hussain9077]

It’s what you call the “cool” kids toy

[@stvnoahc7249]

I picked one up in 99 for 50 bucks, and it was one of the best gaming experiences I’ve had in my youth.

[@samuraicer317]

Yeah, I wanted a game gear way back in the day, wound up getting one of these, def happy for it honestly, would love to update mines with all the modern necessities to make it shine again

[@legendsflashback]

Egm reviewed nomad from 1996 to 1999 so...yeah if they counted all Genesis variants it would sell more than snes, cuz Nintendo got called lying about their SNES sales and it came light Genesis out sold it 2 to 1 early and only 2 Genesis were counted for 42 to 47 million total not all 20

[@Dec4AllTimeAlways]

I've followed Adam since his Atari Jaguar video as I got one during Christmas 1993. He's the Shenmue Super Fan. Shenmue II is my 2nd fav game ever behind OG FF7. Adam rocks!

[@Twi66e]

This is my most wanted console but it’s so hard to find a working version here in the UK 😭

[@ianeons9278]

Are you ever going to do handheld console recaps? If you ask me you should probably wait until the Switch 2 releases in 2024/2025 to do the 8th gen recap (Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, maybe Switch) and then do the handheld recaps after that.

[@AdamKoralik]

Maybe some day.

[@Lonewolfz24]

This was my first personal genesis. And I also bought the Sega battery pack (rechargeable) with it. I used it every day during lunch in college to play shinning in the darkness. Then I put it in my car (Pontiac Fiero) for my passenger along with like 10 games, and my friends loved that alot. Still have both, and I'm surprised you didn't go over the Sega recharge pack, as it gave the system about 6 hours battery life, which was totally serviceable.

[@supernovel7514]

I never got why Nintendo themselves consider the GBC a iteration of the OG gameboy but at the same time put "Gameboy Color" on gameboxes instead of just Gameboy. Or why they put such a bigger emphasis on games being for the GBC in stuff. Like how the Gameboy Color is in the shelf Easter egg along with the original GB in Melee or the different graphical icons on virtual console. But then they themselves don't even separate the two when it comes to sales and the like. It feels to me that a lot of people working at Nintendo themselves can't even agree on whether or not it's a console on its own. Nintendo is giving us mixed signals, not gonna lie.

[@randommoosebrains]

I remember in 2010 a friend of mine who is no longer with us brought this and his retro consoles to school on the last day of senior year and we GAMED. I remember playing a lot of splatterhouse 2 and 3 on this thing. Good times!

[@rogerswift1983]

if I didn't find this kind of stuff fascinating and the people who have the passion for it. I wouldn't be subcribed to channels like this

[@eupher2]

I bought a nomad on ebay probably in 2013, before it got super expensive. It came with the A/C adapter and the battery pack. For what it is, it's really good. I remember back when I was at my old job. It was a day with nothing to do, and I happened to bring my nomad that day. Lets say I got paid to play my nomad all day.

[@taionalmeida5337]

I remenber Tom Kalinske considering the Genesis still have some Steam when confronted with the project Of Saturn and didn't think turn ALL energies on a New console would be the best decision. The nomad could have been the solution for keep the Genesis sort Of living while transitioning to the next generation. Six years after the console technology where allready being simplified to the point Of making systems on a single chip. So I Think they should have try to keep things simple. Stripe the tv out, the Second controler, the DC conection, and about the screen ... Ok keep It colorized but not backlit, Just like the game boy and Its sucessor. And try to keep the energy comsuption similar to that one too. The cost reduction would be significative to keep It more or less on the price Of Its competitors. This would be a handheld genesis on a budget that could be kept Alive releasing cartrige games that would Also be compatíble with the home console. So softhouses could Release less expensive games for the Genesis/nomad before jumping to 32/64 bits. Owners Of genesis would not felt abandoned and, sega itself, could keep a Lot Of income Just translating and localizing stuff never before Released outside Of Japan and Europe. Do some ports Of computer games that are also based on the Genesis Chipset (like amiga) would be easy. This maybe do not Hurt the sucess Of game boy and pokémon mania ... But, dude, this would be a sure move for a every year more Lost Company as Sega.

[@chriswillis4960]

I loved the Nomad it was the best for long car trips and the like, I got to play my favorite segs games on the go, I also had a game gear and later gameboys, so they would switch up occasionally. Sadly, my Nomad met a sad fate of being ran over by a bike because I had it on the floor next to a power outlet. I have a new one no but I still miss my old one, you having 4 of them makes me kinda jealous haha.

[@fearlessfreep]

How topical! I just pulled my Nomad out from storage and forgot I had a PowerBack rechargeable battery pack that is pretty much new in the box - never used it.

[@andrealotito4412]

Master System compatibility can be fixed by adding one single bodge wire from the cart slot to a chip, for whatever reason they omitted that trace! Then you need one of those 3rd party adapters shaped like ordinary genesis carts since both official "power base" variants won't fit at all, that's it!

[@TeeDohJackson]

I remember seeing advertisements for the Nomad back in the day and I wanted one so bad, but never got one 😢 I ended up getting an Atari Lynx instead, which I still play to this day!!!

[@Elkplaysandpaints]

I actually had a Nomad as my first Genesis, and my first Sega console, growing up. Previously, my parents got a Model 2 Genesis for me, but they returned in the next day after they couldn't hook it up to the TV for some reason. Later, for my 7th birthday in 1997, my uncle gifted me a Nomad and Sonic 3. I used it exclusively in my house hooked up to an AC adapter, mostly cause I didn't know how to use the battery pack with my stupid child brain. My uncle did set up an RF adapter to connect the Nomad to our TV, at least, and we got a second controller so my brother and I could still get the Genesis console experience that way. I still have my Nomad now, plus the battery pack.

[@victorcal70vv]

Someone dub Adam to match his hand gestures hehehe

[@chrisarena7543]

Gotta say I’ve been watching your page forever. And every video is more awesome than the last. My favorite game page!!

[@RodgertheNegotiator]

I love sega. Not only as hardware but their games like Shenmue, Phantasy Star Online, etc.

[@Jake76667]

i wish the nomad could play 32x cartridges & had a cd drive to not only play sega cd games but also could play music cds & video cds

[@rich22221]

Always love hearing about Sega's history from your videos.

[@turismofoegaming8806]

I’d like to see somebody playing a nomad with the 32X plugged in on top!!😂

[@singletona082]

I remember so wanting one of these way back when they were on the market. Because i went to a school where i was there for the week. so being able ot packthe nomad and a few games and being goodtogo? Even if I'm still leashed t oa wall due to the battery packs lasting three minutes? In Hindsight imagine if sega had leaned int othe nomad more.

[@jameschangeslives]

Selling my Nomad and Game Gear and PS1 is anyone interested for 250

[@ricardog.s2505]

"I'm a hipster, and a douchebag, but not a hipster douchebag" lmao

[@joeyparkhill8751]

Feel free to fight me on this I honestly don't care, but The Directional Pad on the Nomad is fantastic, it's the best D-Pad on a handheld because the Directional Pad on the Nomad feels fluid & responsive! Sadly, I cannot say the same for the DS or the PSP! the PSP's just felt mushy & the DS D-Pad gave me hand cramps.

[@VOAN]

There's nothing wrong with the PSP and DS d-pad, you just got so use to the Nomad ones that those ones you hardly perfect feels awkward to you. It's the same to a lot of people. The PSP and DS ones are better than the Nomad one though.

[@S.Madman]

23:31 And there goes the story of how he used to have 4 Nomads, but then there were 3.

[@erneststackhouse1133]

I think the PS1 really did it in for the Sega Nomad. If you look at the profits: the PS1 made 100 Million. Even the Super Nintendo was at 49 Million. Sega Saturn was just at 18 Million. Those names are the big 3 in the mid 90s & Sega was losing. I think they were hoping to bring the glory of Genesis back, but everyone was ready to move on after they saw what home games could be like with a PS1. If it came out sooner in the hayday of Genesis then it might of did good, but even Sega was moving on with the Saturn. It was doomed from the start.

[@MaxAbramson3]

There was no portable 3D in those days, except for a few Genesis games on the Nomad. The $49.95 SVP LockOn cart would've worked on Nomad.

[@YourFunkLord]

The Sega Mercury? Sounds like an awesome Gas efficient vehicle.

[@AdamKoralik]

The Sega Mercury in the Ford Galaxy.

[@YourFunkLord]

@@AdamKoralik Right On 🤣👍

[@juanmartinstehle5047]

Great portable system but expensive and with short battery life.

[@cassiodalcin]

Hi Adam! Do you happen to have or ever came across those TecToy Wireless Master Systems? They've had a lot of those herenin Brazil, not sure If in Europe too. Cheers!

[@AdamKoralik]

I know of them, but I don't have any.

[@elitebutters0220]

Got a re-capped Nomad with on Ebay in 2022 for $460, sold it last July for $325 and then I bought it back for $350. I really did regret selling it, but I got it back with its battery pack and video cable!! Seeing the ridiculous prices these things are going for, I'm definitely keeping mine!!!

[@blackishjustin]

This is still my favorite handheld, even if it's not a true dedicated handheld. I got one in early 2000 some time. Unfortunately, there were not $50 CIB copies available in my area, but I was able to trade some PS1 games for it from my brother's friend. I recall feeling like I got ripped off a bit, but I had wanted one since first seeing it on display and knowing it was too expensive to get. Glad I still have it, and I play it pretty often still today. Batteries aren't even really an issue anymore because of the low cost of rechargeables now, or the battery mods you can make if you feel like it.

[@KoncadeGaming]

You can mod the nomad to enable cd audio and master system support with an everdrive pro or mode.

[@VOAN]

That also works on a lot of the clones too as well as the Model 3 Genesis. The thing is the Nomad and Genesis 3 both used clone on a chip hardware and not real hardware unlike the first two Genesis models.

[@legendsflashback]

Lcd screen and lithium battery now it's 💥

[@daddykarlmarx6183]

What a fool I was to not exist in 2001 to buy one of these

[@darktetsuya]

wow definitely surprising to hear SEGA being dead last in Japan back in the day, I never knew! I do remember seeing an article I think it was an old EGM talking about the MEGA JET in Japan. shame it seems nomad prices these days are crazy I'd totally snap one up and start collecting for genesis again, for sure.

[@VOAN]

The only time Sega did better in Japan was during the Sega Saturn era where it basically beats Nintendo for the first time but even so Sega dropped back down to third place with the Dreamcast due to no more money.

[@darktetsuya]

@@VOAN oh yeah I believe it, there were all kinds of games coming out on saturn over there from what I understand, it was wild!

[@gabe_silver]

Great content as usual, thanks for sharing👍

[@NoelComiX]

In Japan Genesis was ECW ROH, In America it was WCW.

[@Lightspeeds]

Sad but accurate.

[@NoelComiX]

@@Lightspeeds hey ECW and WCW were better than WWE 🇯🇵🇺🇸

[@VOAN]

@@NoelComiX ECW and WCW are WWE, you meant WWF which at the time was the better one.

[@atariboy9084]

I have three of them two in box one stand alone but all works. And love them all.

[@susanfit47]

Game Issues The following Genesis titles are known to have difficulty with or not to work at all on the Nomad: Decap Attack (Button compatibility issues, is not fixed even using 3-button mode compatibility) Forgotten Worlds (Fully incompatible with 6 button pad, not only on Nomad) Golden Axe II (Require using the MODE button to activate 3-button mode. Game is fully playable using it) King of the Monsters (Button compatibility issues, is not fixed even using 3-button mode compatibility) Phantasy Star MD (master system game in a MD cart, Nomad has master system mode disabled) Outback Joey (requires the fitness sensor peripheral HeartBeat Catalyst) Trouble Shooter (Button compatibility issues, is not fixed even using 3-button mode compatibility) X-Men is also not fully compatible with the Nomad - at one point in the game the player is forced to reset the console to continue, but the Nomad lacks a reset button.

[@voteDC]

Is the GameGear its own platform given it is essentially just a portable Master System?

[@AdamKoralik]

It's different enough. Not only is the medium it's stored on different, but the Game Gear offers a different display ratio as well as higher color palette and resolution. Hence you can play Master System games on a Game Gear (with an adapter) but you can't play Game Gear games on a Master System.

[@shaolin95]

17:55 what?????? The 6 button layout was used a lot and specially for fighting games was crucial!

[@The_Texorcist]

The nomad must’ve been a very small blip on the radar because I was a Sega fan and I don’t think I ever heard about this when it came out. I had a genesis, a Sega CD, a GameGear and a Sega Saturn so if I would have known about the nomad, I probably would’ve purchased one. In hindsight, it’s probably for the best just my virtual the fact that the nomads supposedly drink through batteries like nothing else and it looks a bit bulky for a handheld. Those still I like the idea of a handheld back and play a whole catalog of Genesis games that I would’ve already owned. That’s the thing though, had it become popular, would have motivated Sega to continue making genesis games far beyond which they originally had? Going back to think about it boy Sega really did screw up… had a great thing with the genesis and then introduced the Sega CD to try to lengthen the lifespan of the genesis, then the 32x to basically do the same thing, the Saturn… all the while trying to push a handheld that would’ve extended the Genesis format even longer. Again, one of those hindsight is 2020 things. They should’ve went from the genesis to a standalone 32x system or the Saturn and then ride that system for a few years till the Dreamcast. I think if they had done that by the time the Dreamcast came out, the companies reputation would still be good enough to really let that system shine and who knows Sega might’ve never left the console market and we would have some sort of Sega console today to rival Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.

[@UserNamesAreHard22]

"Sega hardware is usually pretty reliable" you better knock that game gear off the desk before you say that! I'm tired of replacing the bad caps on game gears! (I joke though, sega stuff has always been solid)

[@IanNewYashaTheFinalAct]

28:38 Sega Nomad with built-in flashcart support including being able to run Sega CD, Sega 32X, AND Sega CD 32X. Also, modern LCD screen WITH TV tuner so you can use it has RF, composite, AND S-video inputs - even better than the Game Gear's TV tuner. What else? The internal speaker upgraded to 7.1 Dolby Pro Logic and DTS Surround Sound, and instead of RGB out, it's component or HDMI out powered by that Rabbit Lovin' Maniac Mike Chi and RetroTINK. All these mods are currently in development by a joint task force of JesterPezz and the Black Dog lovin' Dan "Citrus3000psi" Kunz

[@NoelComiX]

Oooo Nomad!

[@demonology2629]

Game Gear is no more special then NOMAD... Because Game Gear is based off mainly 8-Bit SEGA MASTER SPECS.

[@AdamKoralik]

Based off of, but isn't actually Master System compatible.

[@demonology2629]

@Adam Koralik Oh yeah, it kind of is compatible with MASTER SYSTEM, have you heard about them converting game gear GAME GEAR roms into SEGA MASTER roms yet? Because I found a list of roms I can play on my Everdrive Pro some game gear games on my SEGA GENESIS. The architect of the way they did the games From game gear to SEGA MASTER are close Even the Game Boy was simular after the regular nintendo but it wasn't as powerful. Anyway it is possible you can play SEGA CD games on the Nomad with Everdrive Pro but you have to mod the NOMAD system. And I wouldn't want to do that. 🎮🤘🤩📺💛

[@RWL2012]

I've had a Nomad since June 2021 along with still-uninstalled (in April 2023) mod parts (Nomad Triple Bypass v2 and LCDDRV with 3.5" TFT screen, and the plan is to have the Master System mode enable done along with the installation). The main thing that has stopped me getting the installation done has been that I can only *_partially_* find how to wire the BRIGHT wheel to the LCDDRV using the method that gives proper full variable brightness control. I'm very interested in the upcoming Oleg Endo kit which should hopefully avoid the faff of the older mod stuff.

[@gamebunkeradventures4575]

I love my Nomad. I don't play it often, but every so often, I break it out. I'm pretty sure I played battletoads double dragon last on it.

[@Snotnarok]

My comical sad story involving SEGA portables is- I had a Game Gear and it got a lot of use, I had rechargeable batteries and that was great- worked enough where I didn't get why people said the GG's batteries were a problem back then. But I didn't charge them before a trip my mom wanted to bring me on to visit someone in a nursing home. So I bring my power cable, which is a decent size brick obviously. I get in, plug it in, sit down, start playing and THUD. Power goes off on the GG. I look over and the brick feel out of the wall. Well shoot. Turns out it bent the socket pins... Oh dear. And I'm a kid and I can't get wrestle it myself to bend. Oh dear. I asked a nurse for a pen to use as a bending tool but realized the pen was probably going to give first. Oh dear. "Shouldn't you be visiting the family your mom went to see?" Let's say, they were mentally unwell and me visiting didn't mean anything to them or me, basically a vegetable & I never knew them because of that. And we had to be let into this wing of the hospital- basically a wing for everyone who's mentally unwell. So I had nothing to do, or anyone to talk to.

[@Supersayainpikmin]

I think part of the reason people are more OK with the Switch than the Nomad for portabillity reasons is because most people have Switch games downloaded, and if not, the physical cards are tiny. Genesis cartridges eat up space kinda quickly. Still, if these things were still somewhat affordable, this would probably be perfect for people that didn't care about the Master System/Sega CD/32x libraries, since with a DC adapter and video out its pretty much a perfect Genesis (sans those two games) that can be taken elsewhere.

[@JOHNDOEJUGGALO]

Hey Adam! Hope you're well!

[@rushmatic]

I always wanted this as a kid and my parents said no because it would eat up batteries like crazy 😢

[@drewscruis]

I picked 1 of these up in a lot with a psp, and a Nintendo ds lite like 6-9 months ago on ebay. There was a typo in the listing and it flew under everyone's radar, I got all 3 for something like $150. I am going to mod an original rechargeable battery pack, and install a lcddvr. Looking forward to enjoying some genesis games again.

[@MatticusFinch1820]

Just picked one of these up off eBay with the screen mod and the Sega CD and SMS audio mod so now you can play Sega CD and SMS games with full CD audio and it has a upgraded board for even better screen quality. Can't wait for it to arrive! It cost half a month's rent but I don't give a shit lol

[@MrMegaManFan]

I had mine modded with a better screen and now love it (and got a battery pack from Greg at Laser Bear too).

[@mrtyreus0]

Back in 1995 my 9 year old self spent many hours in the back of my parents Oldsmobile playing various selections (Sonic III was a stand out Ecco was a challenge ) on my Genesis Nomad. A 20 pack of Duracell AA batteries was absolutely necessary. It was fun while it lasted. The next generation of consoles was upon us. I rented a Sega Saturn from Blockbuster around 1996. It was fun. But then the Nintendo 64 was introduced. My mom (god bless her) got trampled on a Black Friday sale at Toy's R Us to obtain the most acclaimed system at the time. The N64. Now I play emulators on Android and Golf sims.

[@MDPToaster]

My dad got me a SEGA Nomad off of EBay right before a long trip, thank god for those car power outlet converters, beat Sonic 2 in a car.

[@MotownBatman]

Mannn, I saved all my Pop-Cans (Michigan), Mowed Lawns, Cut Grass, Showeled Snow... Finally when Iw as 12 I had enough $$ Saved to Finally get my GameGear: Screw all my rich friends who've had Gameboys for Years..... Meh.... Battery Beast. Then maybe 6 months later this comes out.. I was Pissed, I could have taken Road Rash with me

[@ventura3600]

Many say the original Nomad screen was a pain for RPG and speedy games like shmup, racing or Sonic. Text was tiny, and ghosting was a buzzkill. It's a real struggle finding a vid where someone actually demos these hiccups on the OG screen. It'd be epic if you could whip up a vid showing these issues, throw in some Virtua Racing, Sonic, and a bit of RPG action. Thanks!

[@erneststackhouse1133]

I think the PS1 really did it in for the Sega Nomad. If you look at the profits: the PS1 made 100 Million. Even the Super Nintendo was at 49 Million. Sega Saturn was just at 18 Million. Those names are the big 3 in the mid 90s & Sega was losing. I think they were hoping to bring the glory of Genesis back, but everyone was ready to move on after they saw what home games could be like with a PS1. If it came out sooner in the hayday of Genesis then it might of did good, but even Sega was moving on with the Saturn. It was doomed from the start.

[@legendsflashback]

Genesis 3 is like Neptune mini 😆

[@retropulse03]

I had a nomad in 1998 when I was 10 and I took it EVERYWHERE. Make no mistake though, I was not allowed to have batteries. I had to lug my AC Adapter with me too. And of course, a cassette bag I repurposed for games. Didn't matter though, everywhere I went had a plug. I even had a DC jack for in the car, and our Van had a jack in the back. I played Sonic 3 & Knuckles more times than I can count on that big piece of crap. And I loved every second of it.