--- title: Sega Nomad categories: - Consoles params: name: Nomad image: /media/museum/photos/sega_nomad_2s.jpg logo: /media/museum/logos/sega_nomad_logo.gif company: /companies/sega company_name: Sega tabs: - hardware - connectors - emulators - links - videos hardware: - title: THE ACTION CHAIR subtitle: '' text: |- The action chair is a rare item. Connected to a Genesis/Megadrive, it acts as a controller! When you lean backward/forward it tells the Genesis to go down/up and when you lean left/right it tells to go left/right. Two handles on each side offer two buttons each, resulting in 4 buttons : START, SELECT, A & B. The Action Chair is basically a chair mounted on a controller. It is thus possible to play all games with it, though it is more convenient to play games like After Burner II, Space Harrier II, Super Thunder Blade, Hang on, Road Rash, Super Monaco GP, etc. Thanks to **Spycal** for this picture image: /media/museum/hardware/sega_action-chair.jpg - title: DOCUMENTATION subtitle: Page 1 text: Thanks to **Spycal** for this picture image: /media/museum/hardware/sega_action-chair_doc_1.jpg - title: DOCUMENTATION subtitle: Page 2 text: Thanks to **Spycal** for this picture image: /media/museum/hardware/sega_action-chair_doc_2.jpg connectors: - title: 3 BUTTONS JOYSTICK subtitle: '' text: |- The joystick port uses a multiplexing technique based on the 74HC157 chip (high-speed cmos quad 2-line to 1-line multiplexer) built-in the controller. There are 2 inputs for each 4 outputs of the chip. The console can determine which function is read by setting the *select* signal to 0v (logic low) or +5v (logic high). **Fun fact :** Atari 2600 joysticks could be used in the Genesis joystick ports. The button of the Atari joystick was the "B" button on a Sega Genesis, and the direction buttons are fully functional. image: /media/museum/connectors/genesis_joystick.gif emulators: - title: Gens url: http://gens.consolemul.com/ platform: Windows text: Excellent Genesis emulator - title: KEGA url: http://www.eidolons-inn.net/kega/ platform: Windows text: Kega is a Sega SG1000, SC3000, Master System, Game Gear, Genesis/Megadrive and SegaCD/MegaCD emulator for Win9x/ME/2000/XP - title: Wgens url: http://emu.makii.pl/pokazpliki.php3?tematy=smd platform: Windows text: Sega Megadrive emulator links: - title: GameFAQs url: http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/genesis/ text: All sort of FAQs related to the Genesis / megadrive (games, hardware, etc.) - title: GameWinners.com url: http://www.gamewinners.com/GEN/ text: Great cheat codes archive ! - title: GAMEX.COM url: http://www.gamesx.com/avpinouts/genesisav.htm text: Genesis / Megadrive video pinouts - title: Genesis Collective url: http://www.genesiscollective.com/ text: Giant software database, full of useful info - title: IGN.COM url: http://codes.ign.com/ text: A LOT of Genesis game codes - title: Megadrive FAQ url: http://www.classicgaming.com/museum/faqs/megadfaq.shtml text: Megadrive FAQ hosted by Classicgaming.com - title: Official 32X pages from Sega! url: http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/32x/ text: Excellent. Lot of info here (specs, pix, soft lists, ads,etc.) - title: Official Mega Drive pages from Sega! url: http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/md/ text: Excellent. Lot of info here (specs, pix, soft lists, ads,etc.) - title: Official Sega CD pages from Sega! url: http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/mcd/ text: Excellent. Lot of info here (specs, pix, soft lists, ads,etc.) - title: SEGA CD FAQ url: http://www.classicgaming.com/museum/faqs/segacdfaq.shtml text: Sega CD FAQ hosted by classicgaming.com - title: The Dump url: http://www.classicgaming.com/thedump/genesis/ text: Box arts, covers, reviews and more - title: The McDonald Family Homepage url: http://www.billnkaz.demon.co.uk/segalist.htm text: How to build a RGB to D-SUB video cable for your Genesis / Megadrive 1. Also a big cheat file is available - title: Video Game Music Archive url: http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/sega/genesis/ text: Sega Genesis music files directory !!! - title: Zophar's Domain url: http://www.zophar.net/genesis.html text: Nice emulator list & some interestinf game info to download - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com text: Sega dedicated newsgroup videos: - title: Sega Genesis TV commercial url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd-tH9fKuOo text: 'Length: 30s' comments: - author: jaume de la vega (Catalonia (Spain)) date: Wednesday 18th July 2012 text: 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''...) - author: JodSUMO (Sheffield, UK) date: Wednesday 15th February 2012 text: 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''. - author: Dr. Raptorheimer (U.S.A) date: Monday 13rd September 2010 text: The system with the WORST battery life ever. I tested one at my local game store, we slapped fresh batteries in it. It lasted for about a minute. - author: Alexander Frankland (Canada) date: Friday 2nd April 2010 text: |- this console did have alternative power. when i was in japan, i went to a retro video game shop that sold rechargeable battery packs for this console. according to the box (and i quote): "this pack will quadruple the life span of your nomad. see list in side for compatible games." the owner of the shop said that it was only compatible with the Japanese nomad, and on top of that, only 100 megadrive games. that must have suck for who ever owned one (that includes me). i hated spending $20 a month on batteries for the console. not to mention most of the games did not work! related: - /museum/sega-genesis - /museum/sega-genesis-2 - /museum/sega-genesis-3 - /museum/sega-mega-drive - /museum/sega-mega-drive-ii - /museum/sega-wondermega oc_id: 1233 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20221204131155/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1233 date: '2022-12-04' --- Released in Japan and the United States towards the end of the [Mega Drive](/museum/sega-genesis/)'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](/museum/sega-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. --- Contributors: Ste (text & info)
We need more info about this console ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.