Sega Genesis Nomad

The Sega Nomad was released in 1995, about the same time as the Sega Saturn. The unit featured a 3" passive matrix LCD screen and an amazing backlit function. Like Sega's previous handheld console, the Game Gear, the Nomad allowed players to play their games in the dark, without use of an extra light. The unit functioned as a Sega Genesis in essence. It could play the Sega Genesis cartridges and even accepted an extra controller in the bottom of the unit for playing two player titles. Because the Genesis cartridges were 16 bit, so was the Nomad. The six button function of the Nomad mocked the six button controller that was starting to be packaged with the home Genesis units and played the newer games that made use of this function with ease. Also thought of by Sega, was the fact you could play the Nomad on the TV. People did not have to buy the whole home console without the ease of portability, all they had to do was buy the Nomad and have both. It utilized the Genesis 2 RF switch to hook it up to a TV. The unit was accompanied at purchase by a battery pack that held 6 AA batteries.