RE: SEGA NOMAD

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

RE: SEGA NOMAD. Many questions, interested in anyone's memories / opinions / history / experiences or just general thoughts on the subject. To be clear as well, I don't know a lot about this particular handheld having never owned one, though I could say the same of the Sega Game Gear, simply from observations and peoples accounts I have heard quite a bit about the Game Gear and have known about the original poor screen, eating batteries like mad and the mods people do for the screen and batteries issues as well as capacitor replacements etc. However, with the Sega NOMAD, other then what I obviously could go look up now, I don't really know as much about it and correct me if I am wrong but wasn't it produced quite late in the life of the Sega Genesis? Was this possibly a measure to prolong the life and usefulness of the Sega Genesis and it's library since they shared the same titles?

Unlike the Game Gear or even the Master System previously, they had many crossover titles even if they were not always completely identical but they also had many original titles they did not share with the Genesis whereas the NOMAD simply allowed you to take the same library of Genesis games and play them on the go, so because of this did those games translate well to such a small screen since they were not initially designed for play on a handheld? I suspect for TG-16 fans lucky enough to also own a TurboExpress it was not comparable since that screen, if I recall correctly, was fairly decent even if tiny overall? But how was it playing Genesis games on the NOMAD? Was their similar screen mods (or even battery mods) or capacitor replacements common with the NOMAD? DID any of you guys here own a Sega NOMAD either back in the day or currently? Any real fans of it or did it seem like a needless addition ?

[TheDevil'sCompass]

I bought a Nomad when they first came out and still have it. I mainly bought it because at the time I was doing a lot of traveling for work. I had a small library of Genesis games so it seemed logical to pick up the Nomad instead of a different handheld. It was easy to toss the Nomad and a few games in my carry-on for my trips. Games played fine as I recall though I didn't spend hours per day playing it. I mainly picked it up, played a quick game then put it down. It seemed to eat batteries on a regular basis, so I picked up an AC adapter after my first trip. I never really liked the screen, but it was serviceable at the time. There weren't really any options back then so you just accepted it. I also didn't like the form factor. It's not that it was uncomfortable per se, it just felt a bit off. For my use it worked, but I never picked it up to play when I wasn't traveling. 

[Chilly Willy]

I have a Nomad. It's got the SMS cart mod for playing SMS games, LED backlight mod, NTSC/PAL switch, and the START+MODE = Reset mod. I'm looking at replacing the LCD screen next.

 

With the original LCD, quite a few games are a little problematic as it becomes hard to read the score/time/etc. Quite a few are great! If it has tiny characters for the score/time/whatever, it will probably be tough to see. This should be better if you've replaced the LCD.

 

As mentioned, it eats batteries, so I mainly play it connected to AC (it will use the "standard" Sega AC adapter used with Genesis 2, 32X, etc). I save the batteries for if/when I take it on the road... which is almost never.

[Tanooki]

I got a Nomad as my actual Genesis to use/tv plug in for use too in the middle of the 90s after it and SNES had hit that sunset basically.  Lost it to some sickening choices mid 2000s, but as of last year I got one again, did a straight trade for some Disney goodies and was shocked to discover it was modded with a decade old style piece of work using an in car DVD player panel, which surprisingly works well.  I would have secured it better in there, but...

 

I can speak to both a stock and not stock one.

 

The system was out mid/later life of the Genesis, kind of a primo line thing to do, both to pull off what TG16 failed because their US office was incompetent with the Express, but also kind of a middle finger to the Gameboy too.  Unlike the Game Gear the screen wasn't atrociously cheap, blue, and blurry thankfully.  IT does have a fair bit of glow to the darks so there is no real 'black' to it because of that.  It was a battery pig, but not as bad as you'd think, on par with Game Gear, not worse forunately, just not largely better either given it eats up 6AAs.  Modern ones (AAs) to add some time to the clock compared to the old so that's a plus, if a small one.  The system is 100% compatible with its own games except for select few that get whiny due to internal bugs, which also will fail onthe full console if you use a 6 button controller so it's not added misery.

 

The modded system I'm on now though, that LCD that got hacked(wired) in there and hot glued in place, it's a bit too dark if you cock it far enough down more facing your chest which people kind of naturally do, but that's the only real fail as it fits the view area.  The image is clean, clear, and crisp given the age of the panel I'm using in there.  Also it's less of a battery pig, I get more play time out of it than an original unit would since it's not a hungry old LCD.

 

I've not run into where you can't read stuff, but maybe being a 15 year stretch compared to what I have in there now I'm forgetting, but I played all sorts of stuff on it then.  The screen is (original) better than the old TG16 Express one where it really did have a smaller off resolution so you could not read smaller print or even could not see some bullets in shooters which is fatal for playing. I never had that problem.

 

Thankfully Sega didn't cheap on the Nomad, they didn't use the cheap crap fishy caps that went into the GameGear that ate most of them alive by now, you can get a kit, maybe to feel safe you could use it, but they're not ticking time bombs.  For me, depending, I have the AC adapter and a a/v cable for mine, but I can run it off batteries too and not feel ripped off, it just depends.

 

The other day I had fired it up because I got a copy of Gauntlet IV and the detail was as amazing as ever, even the little details on things were not lost, but again, not a stock screen.

[+jgkspsx]

I got my Nomad for $25 from a Toys R Us or Kay Bee clearance. The screen is not ideal for shmups with small bullets but it’s much faster and less prone to ghosting than the Game Gear. The colors are washed out, but not terribly, and at the right angle and brightness it looks pretty nice. It is comfortable to hold and the d pad is excellent. I highly recommend it if you have a decent Genesis collection and like handhelds.

 

@Chilly Willy how simple are those mods? Do you have the mod that lets you get Sega CD audio with a MegaSD?

[Tanooki]

It's like GBA SP (001) beta version.  Washed out the same way, but it's not anything as sharp and does blur a little, just nothing terribly like GG did.

[Chilly Willy]

Some are really easy, like connecting the SMS line or DTACK. You just solder a line from a point on the board to a connector pin. The backlight and screen are a bit more complex. I had Tiido do the mods on mine as I'm getting a bit old for delicate soldering... family arthritis is starting to creep in my hands. As to the MegaSD, I don't have one, so I haven't looked at mods related to it. I probably should (get one and check on mods). Anywho, here's a good link for Nomad mods in general.

 

Here's a link that covers the MegaSD audio mod.

Edited March 7, 2022 by Chilly Willy
audio mod link

[Tanooki]

Some strange mods there, some are the usual fixes for short comings of typical Sega design quality.  But adding SMS for the sake of an everdrive (or powerbase?)  And megaCD audio..again..why?  everdrive?

[sirlynxalot]

I tried out the nomad in the last 10 years as part of game collecting and playing/trying out stuff I didn't own when it was new.  I'd say it looks cool, but the smallness and portability is impacted by the fact that your cartridge sticks out halfway, and you probably have a heavy battery pack or are connecting it to an AC adapter any time you use it.  You can hook it up to a TV but with the weight of the unit and the various wires you might have coming out of it to play it, it's just more comfortable and practical to play genesis games on a regular genesis console.

 

So, I'd say it is a cool looking piece of hardware, but its not that practical or comfortable for its intended use as a portable system.

 

I think I read that the game The Ooze was originally intended to be marketed as a "launch" title for the nomad.  I wonder if this means that sega maybe originally had plans to market the nomad as its own non-directly compatible portable system, along the lines of how the GG and the master system are hugely similar but you can't simply put a cartridge from one into the other and the GG wasn't really marketed in most cases as a portable master system.  In any case, seems like sega Japan wasn't into it, since the Nomad only released in the US and The Ooze was an American developed game.

Edited March 7, 2022 by sirlynxalot

[Tanooki]

Going to have to disagree with that.

 

My original one I used quite a bit on the TV, and when it was yes I ran it off AC power.  The battery box does add a little weight, but it's not enough to get tiresome even over time.  Having 2 wires pop off the top of the system don't cause any odd feeling or disruption, and with the other port to the side off the bottom you can easily get into a 2P game with someone too without problems.  The only advantage of the original console is the ability to slap their expansion devices to the system and if you weren't into the ehhh 32x library or CDs, it was no loss.  The fail really of the line was the dumpy Genesis3 which didn't run all games as it was paired back internally.

[+jgkspsx]

10 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Some strange mods there, some are the usual fixes for short comings of typical Sega design quality.  But adding SMS for the sake of an everdrive (or powerbase?)  And megaCD audio..again..why?  everdrive?

Everdrive or MegaSD. Playing my CD library on a handheld is such a tempting prospect that I have played several games in silence just because.

 

I find the Nomad a lot more comfortable than the DS/3DS XLs and the Switch.

[Tanooki]

12 hours ago, jgkspsx said:

Everdrive or MegaSD. Playing my CD library on a handheld is such a tempting prospect that I have played several games in silence just because.

 

I find the Nomad a lot more comfortable than the DS/3DS XLs and the Switch.

I guess yeah, I never was into or cared about the SCD so it's a non starter for me, the master system mod would be more my speed.

 

But I do agree, the Nomad has a comfortable hold to it weighed down with the battery pack or not, and why?  The size.  It's just beefy like a real game controller, maybe a bit too wide into the realm of the old cheeseburger fat xbox pad, but still, that won't tire or be so thin it makes you hurt your hands bracing a thin little thing with your pinkies which causes strain they're not meant to hold.

[Chilly Willy]

MegaSD for all those awesome SCD games on the go. Everdrive/NeoMyth for SMS and Genesis games. There's a post over at Sega16 somewhere where I did a test of how long different flash carts ran on the Nomad with the battery pack (spoiler - it's less than a real cart, for obvious reasons).

 

Playing SMS games on the Nomad is like having a better GG. Bigger screen, bigger game resolution (the GG really cut down the resolution of the games), bigger handheld (you could kill a mugger with your Nomad - let's see you do THAT with a GG!)...

 

[+remowilliams]

I've always really liked the Nomad.  My primary one developed a stuck line in the (quite old) LCD screen mod so I dropped an LCDDRV unit in there, and also dropped a composite LCD mod into my second Nomad.

 

I also picked up a fantastic battery pack from Laser Bear

 

Nomad testing in stereo!  : D

 

 

 

[Tanooki]

@remowilliams Nice job.  I just got my Nomad old mod that failed pulled out and it upgraded, went with composite, also ended up having it recapped, glass lens added, region modded for MD(JP), and tied in the audio for SMS+SegaCD if you use the Mega Everdrive.  It's quite the treat.  I've been considering some kind of battery pack, the laser bear came up, currently just use the original one since it lasts a decent stretch and also the AC adapter too.

 

Got a friend south of here that could clean up the old disaster some oaf did many years ago, and it worked out with a nice trade for a decently valuable Wii game for the work too which is cool since when I got the nomad that was a trade too.   Nomad is a fantastic handheld console for what it is, good size and heft so your hands don't get uncomfortable over long use.  The only thing that sucks, a few games hate it since it's 6 button, not the ones who get pissy until you hit Mode, but those who just malfunction outright as I have one...the coveted by some Trouble Shooter(Battle Mania) which is a great game.

[johannesmutlu]

On 3/6/2022 at 8:59 PM, Tanooki said:

I got a Nomad as my actual Genesis to use/tv plug in for use too in the middle of the 90s after it and SNES had hit that sunset basically.  Lost it to some sickening choices mid 2000s, but as of last year I got one again, did a straight trade for some Disney goodies and was shocked to discover it was modded with a decade old style piece of work using an in car DVD player panel, which surprisingly works well.  I would have secured it better in there, but...

 

I can speak to both a stock and not stock one.

 

The system was out mid/later life of the Genesis, kind of a primo line thing to do, both to pull off what TG16 failed because their US office was incompetent with the Express, but also kind of a middle finger to the Gameboy too.  Unlike the Game Gear the screen wasn't atrociously cheap, blue, and blurry thankfully.  IT does have a fair bit of glow to the darks so there is no real 'black' to it because of that.  It was a battery pig, but not as bad as you'd think, on par with Game Gear, not worse forunately, just not largely better either given it eats up 6AAs.  Modern ones (AAs) to add some time to the clock compared to the old so that's a plus, if a small one.  The system is 100% compatible with its own games except for select few that get whiny due to internal bugs, which also will fail onthe full console if you use a 6 button controller so it's not added misery.

 

The modded system I'm on now though, that LCD that got hacked(wired) in there and hot glued in place, it's a bit too dark if you cock it far enough down more facing your chest which people kind of naturally do, but that's the only real fail as it fits the view area.  The image is clean, clear, and crisp given the age of the panel I'm using in there.  Also it's less of a battery pig, I get more play time out of it than an original unit would since it's not a hungry old LCD.

 

I've not run into where you can't read stuff, but maybe being a 15 year stretch compared to what I have in there now I'm forgetting, but I played all sorts of stuff on it then.  The screen is (original) better than the old TG16 Express one where it really did have a smaller off resolution so you could not read smaller print or even could not see some bullets in shooters which is fatal for playing. I never had that problem.

 

Thankfully Sega didn't cheap on the Nomad, they didn't use the cheap crap fishy caps that went into the GameGear that ate most of them alive by now, you can get a kit, maybe to feel safe you could use it, but they're not ticking time bombs.  For me, depending, I have the AC adapter and a a/v cable for mine, but I can run it off batteries too and not feel ripped off, it just depends.

 

The other day I had fired it up because I got a copy of Gauntlet IV and the detail was as amazing as ever, even the little details on things were not lost, but again, not a stock screen.

 

On 3/6/2022 at 8:59 PM, Tanooki said:

I got a Nomad as my actual Genesis to use/tv plug in for use too in the middle of the 90s after it and SNES had hit that sunset basically.  Lost it to some sickening choices mid 2000s, but as of last year I got one again, did a straight trade for some Disney goodies and was shocked to discover it was modded with a decade old style piece of work using an in car DVD player panel, which surprisingly works well.  I would have secured it better in there, but...

 

I can speak to both a stock and not stock one.

 

The system was out mid/later life of the Genesis, kind of a primo line thing to do, both to pull off what TG16 failed because their US office was incompetent with the Express, but also kind of a middle finger to the Gameboy too.  Unlike the Game Gear the screen wasn't atrociously cheap, blue, and blurry thankfully.  IT does have a fair bit of glow to the darks so there is no real 'black' to it because of that.  It was a battery pig, but not as bad as you'd think, on par with Game Gear, not worse forunately, just not largely better either given it eats up 6AAs.  Modern ones (AAs) to add some time to the clock compared to the old so that's a plus, if a small one.  The system is 100% compatible with its own games except for select few that get whiny due to internal bugs, which also will fail onthe full console if you use a 6 button controller so it's not added misery.

 

The modded system I'm on now though, that LCD that got hacked(wired) in there and hot glued in place, it's a bit too dark if you cock it far enough down more facing your chest which people kind of naturally do, but that's the only real fail as it fits the view area.  The image is clean, clear, and crisp given the age of the panel I'm using in there.  Also it's less of a battery pig, I get more play time out of it than an original unit would since it's not a hungry old LCD.

 

I've not run into where you can't read stuff, but maybe being a 15 year stretch compared to what I have in there now I'm forgetting, but I played all sorts of stuff on it then.  The screen is (original) better than the old TG16 Express one where it really did have a smaller off resolution so you could not read smaller print or even could not see some bullets in shooters which is fatal for playing. I never had that problem.

 

Thankfully Sega didn't cheap on the Nomad, they didn't use the cheap crap fishy caps that went into the GameGear that ate most of them alive by now, you can get a kit, maybe to feel safe you could use it, but they're not ticking time bombs.  For me, depending, I have the AC adapter and a a/v cable for mine, but I can run it off batteries too and not feel ripped off, it just depends.

 

The other day I had fired it up because I got a copy of Gauntlet IV and the detail was as amazing as ever, even the little details on things were not lost, but again, not a stock screen.

I got my sega nomad ever since i bought one on ebay back in 2012 and it’s very cool to own one since i can play aound with it around the house or during bus trips and if i want i could also hook it up to a tv using the RGB scart cable,but i also bought a sega megadrive || recently since it also has mastersystem support,supports external sound and it also supports link play via port to for games such as zero tolerance and it’s compatible with the sega CD and 32X and it also works with the sega manacer and justifier ( not sure if the nomad is compatible with lightgun games once hooked up to a crt tv,did somebody ever tried it??),but i especially bought the genesis || as part of my sega colection,

the sega nomad just looks more appealing then the gameboy or GBA sp,

in fact sega should had released the nomad world wide ,it’s hardly the precursor of the switch but it did implemented the to be able to play home or on the go😁

[Tanooki]

I had a Nomad back in the late 90s, bought it if I remember correctly direct from Sega.  I had a habit in a few middle-late 90s years to buy stuff from their dead site Sega Parts, just like I'd go to TZD (Turbo Zone Direct) to get my Duo refurb from them and a number of new largely CD (US/JP) games too.  I held onto that Nomad until the mid 00s when it like much was lost to me, it was only about 2 years ago if that I made a trade for some Disney porcelain figures I had to someone who had one who didn't care so it was an even swap.  Little did they know they had a very poorly done mod inside with a decade old repurposed car DVD player screen and custom board to drive it, which about a year into, failed, so I had to have it earlier this year replaced with something nicer and the mess cleaned up.  As long as I care to keep Sega around it, like the Mega Sg are staying with me.  And no the  Nomad isn't light gun compatible, unless you run the A/V cable to an out of date CRT.  I have the sega Mega Everdrive with the added support, my Mega Sg enjoys that, and the Nomad when I got it fixed also has SMS support added with the audio etc, CD too supposedly, and has a JP/US region switch on boot.

[M-S]

Releasing the Nomad only in the US was one of the weirdest decisions made by Sega, here in Brazil the Mega Drive was selling more units than the Sega Saturn and the 32X combined, and the Pokemon fever was didn't reach the peak until the GBA and DS. There was also a Japanese prototype called Venus, and it could have sold well considering the Mega Jet sold well in Japan.

 Anyways, Retro-Bit is making a new Nomad and I hope Tectoy releases it around here as well since they have a shop right here in my city and they sell the M30 controller with all of accessories for just around 30U$, if I have to import it no problem but I would prefer going there and buying it myself.

[Frozone212]

On 3/6/2022 at 6:49 AM, Chilly Willy said:

I have a Nomad. It's got the SMS cart mod for playing SMS games, LED backlight mod, NTSC/PAL switch, and the START+MODE = Reset mod. I'm looking at replacing the LCD screen next.

 

With the original LCD, quite a few games are a little problematic as it becomes hard to read the score/time/etc. Quite a few are great! If it has tiny characters for the score/time/whatever, it will probably be tough to see. This should be better if you've replaced the LCD.

 

As mentioned, it eats batteries, so I mainly play it connected to AC (it will use the "standard" Sega AC adapter used with Genesis 2, 32X, etc). I save the batteries for if/when I take it on the road... which is almost never.

like this?

 

[Chilly Willy]

Yes, just like that. 😁  It's quite expensive if you're not using rechargeable batteries.

 

[Frozone212]

Batteries are for suckers. I remember the game gear. What a HOG! 

 

Still, Asterix and Obelisk? not bad

 

People like me:

 

The battery companies: