Released in Japan and the United States towards the end of the Mega Drive's life, the Nomad was basically a handheld version of the popular home console.
No games were ever specifically created for the Nomad, limiting it to the back catalogue of the Mega Drive. Not that this was really a problem, as by this time there was already a significant number games available. However, due to the power requirements of the Mega Drive hardware and the backlit 3.25" LCD screen, the Nomad suffered the same short battery life which had plagued Sega's earlier Game Gear. Depending on the game being played, the Nomad could drain its six batteries in just 90 minutes!
A novel feature for a handheld was the inclusion of AV out connectors and a controller port. This meant the Nomad could be connected to a TV set and allowed for simultaneous two player gameplay.
With little marketing support from Sega and the arrival of the 32 bit era, prices were quickly slashed to as little as $60 to offload excess stock. The rarity of the Nomad (less than 1 million were sold) has made it something of a collectors item, and in the U.K., where the machine is largely unheard of, boxed examples can fetch anything up to £150.
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Contributors: Ste (text & info)
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Got my Japanese Nomad from Japan... (yep, really), is labeled as a Genesis Nomad but the system board is Japanese region from origin (In Sonic 2, Tails becomes Miles, Streets of rage is ''bare knuckle''...)
Wednesday 18th July 2012
jaume de la vega (Catalonia (Spain))
The Nomad was never released in Japan as far as my own research suggests. I can find claims it was released, but I think these are mistakes. I''ve found no other evidence whatsoever for a ''Mega Drive Nomad''. Shame really, because I would rather have one than my ''Genesis Nomad''.
