Does the 32x adapter work with the Nomad?

[maibock]

[JerseyDevil]

Don't know if it does or not, but would really want to play it that way? Talk about awkward.

[maibock]

Considering that you can play the Nomad on a TV, it shouldn't be that awkward. Just thought it would be kind of cool if you can. Speaking of awkward, ever try to play 2 player on the Nomad? My neck still hurts...

[chrisbid]

you cant

 

as far as i know, the nomad uses the same strip-down setup as the Genesis 3,

 

but even if it did not, or if this wasnt a factor, the 32X unit would cover up the AV out port on the top of the nomad

[maibock]

Ahh, ok thanks

[jsoper]

It seems like you should be able to just by making some kind of cart

extender (gut a game genie?) for clearance issues, and sending the

video to a tv screen (can't get 32x video to lcd). And Genesis Virtua

Racing works on the nomad which is a good sign because it doesn't on

the gen3.

 

However the word is that it still won't work. I traded emails with a

really sharp hardware guy, and we think it might have something

to do with the Sega bios routine that runs at startup.

[Jasoco]

Sorry to revive such an old thread. But I thought I should share some experimental info.

 

I attempted this today. Let's begin at the beginning, shall we?

 

Now, you already realize that because of the plastic and large size of the 32X, you can't fit it in the Nomad's slot all the way snapped in NOR can you plug anything in even if it was in all the way.

 

So I decided to open it up..

 

I removed every last screw. All 22 of them. I finally got down to the actual boards after removing the shel. And man, are there a lot of pieces.

 

Once I got inside I noticed the board that plugs into the cart slot is separate from the main board. YES! I thought. I noticed it wasn't attached at all, but it was still hard to move. I realized this was because the wires are stiff. Good.. that helps even more.

 

I got it all connected up and into place. Bent carefully the main board out of the way and plugged everything in.

 

Inserted a game (After Burner II) which I tested a few times during the disassembly process (To make sure the thing still worked plugged into the Genesis even when a bare board.) and it worked every time.

 

So I connected everything into the Nomad. Connected it all up the same way I would if it were a Genesis.

 

Turned it on, looked at both screens. Of course, the Nomad's screen will be messed up at the most because it's raw video not meant to be seen yet. I looked at the TV screen. The BIOS shows.. but the colors.. the colors, Duke! They be messed up! DAMN IT ALL THE HECKENBACK!!!

 

And after the BIOS... nothing.

 

But all through this, the palette shifts. Starts at yellow, fades into red and blue and such. Looking pretty. But not usable or practical.

 

So I stopped. Satisfied for now that it won't work. At least not without some other stuff done.

 

I put it all back together. All 22 screws back in place. Got it all hooked back up.

 

I'll write an entry in my Blog documenting it. It was a failure, but a satisfying one.

 

Someone had to try it. And I don't know if I'm the first to try it. Probably not. But at least I got the satisfaction knowing that I can, if I want to, hook a 32X to a Nomad. But it won't work anyway.

 

No big deal really.

 

I have 4 32X games. 2 CD/32x games. None that I really want to play. And none I'd even want to play on the go.

 

So, I chalk it up to "Tried it. Didn't work. Next project, please."

 

And that you see, is my story. And I'm sticking to it.

 

Sadly my camera batteries were charging so for now, I have no picture of what it looks like hooked to a Nomad. No big deal. Maybe if someone figured out how to actually fix the video or explains why it doesn't work, I'll attempt it again. And take pics. But right now, no damn way am I taking all 22 screws out again.

 

 

On the subject of the Game Genie. I had wondered the same thing. Make a cart expander. It'd remove the need to actually open up the 32X, I even tried the Game Genie in between them with the switch off with no luck (Of course.) but strangely enough, I did see the same exact color fading as when I got it all hooked up right. Coincidence? I wonder why...)

 

I had hoped it'd work. I had dreams of making it work. Then somehow figuring out how to rewire the Nomad to accept the new video and have the first hand-held 32X. Shattered dreams I suppose.. Cést la vie.

[Ze_ro]

Someone had to try it. And I don't know if I'm the first to try it. Probably not.

 

I imagine this has been done before, but I'm surprised that we haven't heard any stories about it until now. I remember reading a thread (probably on DP) about a guy who managed to get a 32X to work on a Laseractive, partly by hacking each of them. It takes some major balls to hack a Laseractive....

 

--Zero

[Jasoco]

I really hoped it would work.

 

Of course, for all I know, it MIGHT actually work. When I was testing it before hand, I couldn't get DOOM to play. So I switched to After Burner II. After I put it together and then got it all back in its case, I couldn't get AB2 to work anymore. I don't want to think the thing died. I just blame it on a crappily made peripheral. (Genesis games still worked through it. So I doubt I broke it.)

 

I'd like to try again one day.

 

But right now I have no motivation. I mean, I have a total of 4 games to actually play on it. And except for the whole "Cool" factor, I see no reason to risk breaking the thing just for something that may not work.

 

I am curious to why the colors were shifting though. What causes this? It happened when I used the Game Genie as a spacer and then when I got it all hooked to the Nomad. That is weird.

 

I'd like to know if they purposely programmed it not to work. Or if there really is something missing in the Nomad that may explain it. (The Nomad has already been proven to have the Z80 chip. So that's not it. Must be something else.)