Sega Genesis - Nomad

The SEGA Genesis Nomad console is probably the coolest yet most hardly known piece in the long list of crazy hardware SEGA's R&D team created based on the Genesis. Thankfully the gaming community is beginning to notice this console again- you might have found yourself here after watching a review of the Nomad on YouTube. You might find yourself in debate on whether to purchase one of these handhelds- being that of all the SEGA hardware I own my Nomad is my most prized possession, I absolutely can recommend to you yes it is worth it.Ok, you've probably heard all of the complaints regarding the Nomad already (it's so huge! It devours batteries! The screen looks like crap!), but come on- it's an entire Genesis crammed into a handheld that was on store shelves next to the original black-and-white Gameboy. It is a large device but surprisingly it's actually really comfortable to hold. The case has a slight curvature on it and there are some slight indents on the rear for your fingers. Coming from a Gameboy the Nomad definitely feels like it was made for adult hands, versus the small square package you got with Nintendo. Another small but really nice point- the Nomad has an amazingly good D-Pad, probably the best I've ever felt. Rather than the traditional 'plus' sign the Nomad has a little circular button that has an indent for your thumb to rock back and forth in. I play my Nomad a lot, and whenever I go to play one of my other Genesis consoles with a regular SEGA 3-Button controller, I find myself missing the D-Pad on my Nomad almost immediately.A stock Nomad is pretty well worth it as long as you purchase some decent rechargeable AA batteries for it. I've heavily modded my Nomad though with a modern replacement LCD screen and a LiPo battery. The mods weren't the hardest things to do (if you can use a soldering iron, Dremel tool, and a hot glue gun you can pretty much do these mods yourself), and they've improved the functionality of my Nomad ten-fold. The Nomad becomes even more useful if you invest in an Everdrive flash cartridge like I have- while expensive, it's so much easier taking the thing around with me when I have all of my games (and then some) on one cartridge. Even so, most Genesis titles aren't too expensive to start with (thank goodness the SNES collectors haven't targeted the Genesis yet) so if you're starting off with a small library it's easy to expand.My Nomad gets a surprising amount of use- it's just nice having a portable Genesis. I can relax in bed or on the couch or at the kitchen table or wherever and not be tied to a television, I can take it out onto my patio on nice days and play some games in the sun, I bring it with me when I'm in the waiting room at the dealership when I'm getting my car worked on, and I love bringing it to my local video game store and seeing other gamers' reactions to seeing it ("is that a Game Gear?" "No, it's better than a Game Gear!").All in all, the SEGA Nomad is a fantastic handheld that can play an already awesome library of games, and it has some great modding potential to overcome the few flaws that it has. I still have a hard time understanding everyone who claims that the handheld was 'awful', because my Nomad is probably my most fun (and most used) video game item I own.

This is a portable sega genesis with the capability to hook to your tv even has a 2nd controller port.Pros:Plays almost all genesis games and some mega drive games (region dependant)Smallest Genesis ModelEmulations great and all but nothing compares to the real thing games just play better with the real hardwareCons:Battery Life is horrible (if you don't mod the system)Screen is high quality for the time of release but is badly dated and is the main culprit in draining your battery life(can replace it but unless do it yourself can be pricey)Not compatible with accessories (32x,Sega Cd,Power Converter for master system note: can mod to play master system games)(Note: can't play games that require a reset button only game i know that requires one is X-Men unless you mod a reset button or use a flash cart with a reset button)Summary Absolutley the best way to play genesis games if you don't want a full console. You''ll need to buy catridges or buy an expensive everdrive to play copies of catridges. I bought mine as a collectors item but love playing it much more than expected so reccomended to all genesis fans and retro gamers and of course collectors.

The coolest thing about this product is the fact that it is a handheld Genesis!!! It uses the same adapter and the same RF (Radio Frequency)/Composite (RCA jacks) output. I use the composite output. I think with my 6 Energizer 2500 MiliAmp I got about 2 hours of gaming time. It might be longer then that. But I had sadly noticed that the life of my batteries are getting shorter (not due to using the Nomad). There is another type of battery that sells on Amazon for cheaper.Tenergy High capacity NiMH Rechargeable battery package: 8 AA 2600 mAh + 8 AAA 1000 mAh But this one comes with AAA and the Nomad only uses AA. It has a contrast selector which allows you to use it in any type of lighting. But I have not seen anyone try to make a Portable Genesis this is the only one I found, it has a second controller port for 2 players, and when plugged into an External TV...the first player uses the Nomad to play. I am very happy with this product. Just make sure it includes a Battery pack otherwise it will be kinda expensive to buy on separate.-Thanks

It used a lot of batteries, Low play time, can barely see the screen, I must have been an idiot, or just a rabbid collector. But even I did not want this thing for long. Just reviewing this to spite this device! No one is probably going to read. It is interesting how you can play this on your Smartphone and play almost all day.. My how technology has evolved!

Sega nomad just wasn't made right when you go to do something it resets and where you plug in the power cord its on top and they did a better job on the game gear

plug was no good

This is a really cool device. It's definitely more of a collector's piece, so if you're a casual gamer, it might not be for you. I highly recommend picking one up!!

The screen was much superior at the time, but it still has held up well throughout the days. The system feels solid in your hands, though it may be too fat for children. It doesn't weigh too much, but the battery is also an external affair the main downside to this product. But with all 6 buttons, and solid construction, I really like the Nomad, and would be doing it a disservice to give it anything but five stars.