Looks Like Retro-Bit Is Resurrecting Sega's Switch-Like Handheld, The Nomad

interesting!

I loved the Nomad back in the day. I really liked the fact that it was both a full blown Genesis console and a handheld...quite before its time. This is interesting news if something solid comes of it. I wouldn't mind if the thing had a huge number of Genesis ROMs internally and worked like a Switch...I could see myself buying it.

Nah! I already have my Nomad with a new lcd sceen and batterymod. Great to use with my everdrive

Hang on, wasn't this found to be featured in Call of Duty recently? COD on the Nomad confirmed!

@Krysta Same here! The Nomad looks amazing with a new screen.

I’m not sure why Retro-Bit have tinkered with the look of the Nomad, it’s definitely not an improvement. Way too much bezel below the screen which makes it look small. You’d think they’d take to opportunity to put a bigger screen in.

Interesting, and something I'd consider picking up. Though between my original Genesis and Mega Retron HD (and the Genesis games on Switch!), I have enough ways to play those games. What I'd love is a new Game Gear, without having to pay $300 for a modded one with a better screen and a rechargeable battery.

Loved my nomad back in the day.... I hope this one has a better battery life though! 6 AAA batteries lasted like 2 hours max, haha

nomad man sega enthusiast would want to miss this

Ooo I’ll have one. Wonder if SEGA is going with Retro-Bit for the Genesis Classic Mini now, instead of AtGames. They seem to be pretty tight.

This is fairly neat. I do like the idea. But I am getting sick of all the single device clone hardware. I don't want a closet full of these things.

But imagine this, a licensed device, like this, that can function as a portable or connect to a modern TV, that can play roms from every dedicated Sega system, Master System, Mega Drive/Gensis, GameGear CD, 32X, Saturn and Dreamcast. with interchangable attachments can play and save to the device old original copies of games(each sold separately), and an internet connection with an official digital store for games from those systems. That is what I want to see from Sega.

From Nintendo, what I want is that on the Switch.(minus the attachments for old cartridges, since I know that'd never work with the Switch's form factor) Second to that, a dedicated device for retro content from Nintendo like I described above, for everything pre-Nintendo Wii. That sort of device could work.

And I want these devices to not only play the original games, but to be able to save them to the device. To be able to better preserve these 20-40 year old game cartridges.

And yes, I know there would be licensing issues and all sorts of other issues and what I describe probably isn't feasible. But gosh darn it, I can still dream!

All I want for Christmas is y... SATURN GAMEPADS

For Switch. And PS4. And Raspberry Pi.

I still don't get why 8bitdo hasn't released some

@Dayton311
I was about to say the same thing. I had one of these back in the days, and what I remember the most from it was how it ran through batteries at an insane rate. I loved it, loved the idea behind it, but having to change batteries every two hours, throw them away if not rechargeable or have six batteries put in the charger when most chargers were only accomodating 4 at the time, was too expensive and/or too cumbersome, especially for the college student I was back then.

Although, this aspect aside, the concept behind it was way before its time. If you stop to think about it, Nintendo didn't really invent anything with the Switch. It's just a better (much better) executed version of the same idea.

Yeah, at last year's CES we were promised Bluetooth dreamcast controllers for 2018. No info since.

I think retro-bit should try to present their products a bit later in the dev cycle.

I didn't even know this existed!

What a waste and unnecessary expensive. Give us a well considered, well executed and generous Sega Collection handled by M2...job done.

That is pretty pretty cool

I have a Nomad and it's awesome.
It was way ahead of its age - and unfortunately, proper battery tech.

@Realnoize The Switch is just a tablet with controllers.

Alternate reality, Sega won the "console war" and we'd be writing on the segalife site.

I can get excited about the Nomad, but not a Nomad that runs emulation. There better be some serious hardware inside otherwise what’s the point of lugging that form factor over a Vita or GPD?

Could they do a Turbo Express next!!!!

Interesting, only thing is this newer Nomad will be just that, another Sega Genesis clone but if it could run Virtua Racing and had support for the Power Base Mini then yeah I would definitely buy one. Even better if it supports HDMI video output.

I hope they fix the screen size/dimensions; I hate cropping 16:9 to 4:3 (if they even allow that). I used to love the original Nomad, but it had issues with fast-paced games due to severe blurring.

Switch, meet your grandfather, Nomad!!
(They are both home consoles that happen to be portable!)

@Realnoize I had the Game Gear and the Nomad. I never put batteries in either of them, as I was aware of the battery life from reports. Obviously, I didn't use them as proper portable systems. I used them tethered to the wall, allowing them to be playable around the house when the TV with the consoles was occupied. In that role, they were wonderful. It was the same concept as the Wii U gamepad which people liked. I can imagine using them with batteries would get expensive and tiring.

Aw, man, my poor aching wallet. I definitely want ALL of these controllers. They look and sound really good. Might even go for the Nomad 2.0 as well, but I'll await an official review...

Not really sure why people are saying the Nomad and the Switch share some kind of similarities aside from being portable.... All the Nomad did was play games from an existing home console base (the turbo express did the same only years earlier). It came out at the end of the genesis life cycle! The Switch is a standalone system that plays games specifically developed for it. Just like the many handheld systems that predate it and the Nomad.

Me want... tons of MD games.

Please God, let it be good!

Ah yes, the Nomad. Definitely ahead of its time and resulted in another failed hardware venture from Sega in those days. But heck, release that now and I think in terms of retro systems, actually would have a strong shot of being more successful than original fortunes were.

@Dayton311 It’s actually funny because everyone mentions the battery life but I had a bunch of rechargeable batterries so never even had a problem with the battery life. Played for a while then switched out batts in a few seconds and good to go!

Full console which not only plugged into the TV, but had an extra controller port, colour backlit LCD, 6 button controller and played the actual catridges not portable versions..

Shows what we COULD have if companies wanted to produce amazing products, and this console is the reason I don’t always give the Switch the credit other people do...

I'd rather just have the games on switch.

I actually have an old Nomad that some guy sold to me for really cheap as a throw-in for a couple of old games I bought off him off Craigslist. It's neat as a novelty but I never used it on the go.

Oh, I want one of these!

This was the best portable back in the day in my opinion. I wouldnt my getting this but i dont know if i would get a lot of use out of it these days.
Still cool though.

Give me give me give me!!! 💵

I recently acquired a Nomad from the US as they never came to PAL territories. The Megadrive stands as one of the most important consoles to me and owning the handheld version was a big item on my to own list now I’m older and can afford things I never could as a kid.

I had the LCD replaced with something more modern and had a switchless region free board installed along with a modded external battery. Bliss!

The reset button should be on the top of the system, not its current location, not noticeable. And the oval circle surrounding the d-pad should look more like the original. It basically should be one to one copy.

I wonder how long the battery would last if instead of this being an emulation machine, the original Genesis components where shrunk down to say 7nm process. It would probably last for years on a watch battery, with the screen and audio turned off.

I've always been fascinated by the Nomad, but it certainly had it's share of problems. If this got released and is good quality, I would be all over it. I'd be all over a Game Gear remodel too, considering how hard it is to find a Game Gear that isn't messed up.