SEGA Nomad: A handheld Genesis

Introduced in late 1995, the SEGA Nomad was a neat piece of work. It was conceived as a handheld version of the Genesis console, with a decent 320x224 pixel backlit 3.25-inch color LCD display. The little box could also serve double-duty as a TV-based home console: there was an A/V output and plug for a second control pad. It required six AA batteries, making it a bit clunky to lug around, and the backlit display and dual processor design chewed through a set of batteries in less than two hours.

Sales of the Nomad suffered because it was released near the end of the Genesis console's lifespan, and wasn't compatible with Genesis accessories such as the 32X (32-bit console add-on) and SEGA CD. The price was eventually reduced well below $100, but few people took the bait. Pity. I'd quite like one.