Old-school handheld gamers, which do you prefer: The Gameboy (and its variants)the Game Gear, or the Nomad?

[Deleted member 23850]

This is a bit before my time, as I was too young to have much knowledge of the first handheld rivalry. I did have a Game Boy Pocket (earliest handheld I ever owned), and I did have hands on experience with the Nomad. Curious to what the older gamers thought, though.

Looking back, this is hard to really judge since I was in kindergarden/elementary school during both consoles heydays...but if I had to pick one today, I would go with the Nomad, horrible battery life notwithstanding. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 alone does it for me, and the lack of more "adult" games make me even less interested in the Game Boy.

 

[Rosebud]

That was before my time too, but I never heard of "Nomad"

 

[Deleted member 8166]

Wonderswan.

 

[skeezx]

i don't think i knew anybody who didn't shelve their GG after a month or two.

and it kinda killed the Nomad's prospects. kids were like "well... i already have a Game Gear tho"

 

[DeliciousSunnyD!]

Did anyone even actually own a Sega Nomad? It seems incredibly interesting in that it's literally a handheld Genesis, but I have to imagine it did terribly. I can't imagine it having great battery life either lol.

Hard to imagine anyone choosing anything other than the Gameboy out of these options, though I don't have much knowledge about the Game Gear either really.

 

[Deleted member 23850]

Did anyone even actually own a Sega Nomad? It seems incredibly interesting in that it's literally a handheld Genesis, but I have to imagine it did terribly. I can't imagine it having great battery life either lol.

Hard to imagine anyone choosing anything other than the Gameboy out of these options, though I don't have much knowledge about the Game Gear either really.

Click to shrink...

I had a few stepbrothers (who long since moved away) who had them. It sadly never caught on, but IMO, ot was actually a damn good console and honestly could have been one of the best handheld consoles....

....but was ultimately undone due to battery life. Battery life was HORRENDOUS, and IMO that was its main issue. Six AA batteries lasted you around...I think 2 to 3 hours. This was the days before rechargeable batteries were a thing too, unless you were willing to buy an incredibly expensive, ugly, and bulky rechargeable battery.

It's a shame, because the Nomad was literatly the first portable console that allowed you to play an entire library of home console games on the go. Sega deserves credit for being the first console manufacturer for pulling that off.

 

[Starlatine]

...........is this a serious question?
I was a sega shill in sega land and i still bought a gameboy

 

[eXistor]

Game Boy has a LOT of hidden gems outside of the obvious classic games like Link's Awakening. Game Gear is okay, but nothing close to Game Boy.

Nomad is kinda cheating seeing as that's a portable Genesis. Also, I live in Europe and that was never even a thing here.

 

[Deleted member 12867]

Did anyone even actually own a Sega Nomad? It seems incredibly interesting in that it's literally a handheld Genesis, but I have to imagine it did terribly. I can't imagine it having great battery life either lol.

Click to shrink...

You basically had to be plugged into a wall outlet at all times.

 

[Taco_Human]

Those new Krikzz everdrives work on the Nomad. Could be work picking up if you have a power supply and for cool points. lol.

 

[Tailzo]

Did anyone even actually own a Sega Nomad? It seems incredibly interesting in that it's literally a handheld Genesis, but I have to imagine it did terribly. I can't imagine it having great battery life either lol.

Hard to imagine anyone choosing anything other than the Gameboy out of these options, though I don't have much knowledge about the Game Gear either really.

Click to shrink...

I imported one from the US. It was a Sega Switch

 

[Vinegar Joe]

I am one of the 3 people who voted for the Game Gear.

Even I know I'm wrong.

 

[Fitz]

...........is this a serious question?
I was a sega shill in sega land and i still bought a gameboy

Click to shrink...

+1 to this. Game Boy Pocket 4eva. Never heard of a Nomad.

 

[Redcrayon]

Game Boy. I liked the GG, my brother had one, but when we went on long car trips the GB lasted the whole way, whereas the GG lasted 3 hours max.

 

[CortexVortex]

The Gameboy was incredible back then.
Kid Dracula, Pokemon, Tetris, Wario Land, Mystic Quest and so many other amazing games

 

[DeliciousSunnyD!]

You basically had to be plugged into a wall outlet at all times.

Click to shrink...

So it did have a power cable at least? That would make it somewhat viable I guess, though not really for the most common uses of handhelds. For instances without outlets, you'd have to have a big pack of AA's, and I have to think you'd burn through those pretty quickly.

I imported one from the US. It was a Sega Switch

Click to shrink...

What's the screen/picture quality like? I have all three U.S. Genesis pieces of console hardware so the Nomad is definitely interesting to me.

It'd be cool if there was a SNES equivalent too.

 

[ShineALight]

I had a Game Gear growing up and it was an unusually generous gift from my grandparents. I had the Hook game and a Sonic game and enjoyed both, but the battery life was terrible and it seemed like it never occurred to anyone in my family to explore the library any deeper. I never had a Gameboy either, so it would have been cool to have actively used a handheld, I was pretty blown away by Pokemon and Link's Awakening on the bus.

 

[sir_crocodile]

This is one of the easiest polls ever. The answer is the one that didn't eat aa batteries in a few hours.

Comparing the console libraries the gb was far superior to the gg anyway. warioland 1, dragon warrior monsters, donkey kong 94, links awakening and mega man v are still some of my fave games ever. Gb can't touch the md library but I'd prefer to play gb games for 20 hours then md games for 2.

 

[Deleted member 12867]

So it did have a power cable at least? That would make it somewhat viable I guess, though not really for the most common uses of handhelds. For instances without outlets, you'd have to have a big pack of AA's, and I have to think you'd burn through those pretty quickly.


What's the screen/picture quality like? I have all three U.S. Genesis pieces of console hardware so the Nomad is definitely interesting to me.

Click to shrink...

My parents refused to buy me more batteries because the thing ate them so fast this was before rechargeables so I understand why haha. I honestly don't remember the screen well enough to provide any accurate information, but I remember being extremely impressed with it as a child. It was neat because I could take it room to room and not have to worry about my older brother hogging the tv as much. It was definitely ahead of it's time like a lot of Sega's ideas back then.

Edit: I feel like a fucking boomer.

 

[Sqrt]

I had a game gear. I could not finish any game on it because of the battery life and the batteries being too expensive for a kid at the time...

 

[Deleted member 12867]

I had a game gear. I could not finish any game on it because of the battery life and the batteries being too expensive for a kid at the time...

Click to shrink...

Yeah that was the struggle back then.

 

[Zweisy1]

Where's Lynx? It was the most impressive piece of hardware for its time and it did have some gems software wise as well.

But i have to go with Gameboy here. By far a better software library than GG.

 

[Deleted member 12867]

Where's Lynx? It was the most impressive piece of hardware for its time and it did have some gems software wise as well.

But i have to go with Gameboy here. By far a better software library than GG.

Click to shrink...

I still to this day have never seen a Lynx or met anyone that has. Was it just not popular in the US or something?

 

[ShineALight]

Does it warrant discussion that Gameboy is far and away leading the polls while being the least technically impressive of the pack? Beyond it's library, which is substantial, it also didn't chew through batteries in the way that other handheld consoles at the time did; so what it lacked in graphical prowess it made up for in usability and consistently delivering strong content.

 

[Forkball]

I would easily put Neo Geo Pocket and Wonderswan over the Game Gear.

Analogue Mini needs to HURRY UP

 

[ghostcrew]

Weird to put the Nomad in the poll instead of something like the Lynx. The Nomad just played Mega Drive games. And nobody had one.

I had (have) Game Boy, Game Gear and Lynx and Game Boy easily takes it for library alone. It's the most primitive of the lot hardware wise but neither of those other consoles had Links Awakening or Pokemon Red/Blue or Metroid 2 or the Wario Land games etc etc etc.

Game Boy is a beast.

 

[Symphony]

Can't say anything about the Nomad, it didn't release here and I've never even seen one. Gameboy Pocket and Game Gear were the first handhelds I got to play/own and out of the two I'd take the Pocket in a heartbeat (beautiful system, great library), but if we're talking strictly about the OG GB then.... neither? I really hate the screen on both the GG and the OG GB.

 

[Deleted member 12867]

Does it warrant discussion that Gameboy is far and away leading the polls while being the least technically impressive of the pack? Beyond it's library, which is substantial, it also didn't chew through batteries in the way that other handheld consoles at the time did; so what it lacked in graphical prowess it made up for in usability and consistently delivering strong content.

Click to shrink...

I'm also a believer in a good game being a good game regardless of graphics. It's basically how Nintendo stays alive.

 

[Zweisy1]

I still to this day have never seen a Lynx or met anyone that has. Was it just not popular in the US or something?

Click to shrink...

Dont think it was too popular anywhere. Anyway it had very impressive hardware with graphics chip that did rotations and other cool tricks.. it probably had the best home version of S.T.U.N Runner for example..
But boy did it eat through batteries and was huge.

Nintendo built the Gameboy they did for a reason and they were extremely wise to do so. Its the only handheld I could take with me and feel like I could get a decent playtime out of. I also liked how it had games that very suprisingly deep and epic for a little black & white handheld such as Link's Awakening and some of the RPGs.

 

[mopinks]

nobody on earth ever owned a Nomad

 

[Red Liquorice]

I had a Gameboy and Game Gear, and as much as I love the Master System, the Game Gear was bulky and had terrible battery life from what I remember. The Gameboy was just a little gem even if the screen was pretty dire (ghosting).

 

[MonMonDad]

Game Boy, of course. I bet no one in my country ever seen what a Nomad is.

 

[Tailzo]

So it did have a power cable at least? That would make it somewhat viable I guess, though not really for the most common uses of handhelds. For instances without outlets, you'd have to have a big pack of AA's, and I have to think you'd burn through those pretty quickly.


What's the screen/picture quality like? I have all three U.S. Genesis pieces of console hardware so the Nomad is definitely interesting to me.

It'd be cool if there was a SNES equivalent too.

Click to shrink...

I bought it together with my brother, and sadly we do not know where it is anymore. Otherwise I'd love to try this: https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/29/15708856/sega-nomad-usb-power-mod-nintendo-switch

 

[WarAdept]

The one with fucking Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow on it.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

GameBoy had superior games and battery life. GameGear was awesome for Sonic but showed batteries no quarter or mercy.

 

[fnwilborn]

There is only one king, and his name is GameBoy.

 

[Sumio Mondo]

Game Boy was my first Nintendo console and it did not disappoint. Fantastic handheld.

 

[Kapryov]

To this day I've only ever seen a Nomad in person once.
It was in 2002, a second-hand video game shop in a small town in the USA, behind the counter, with a hefty price tag. My inner child still bugs me for passing it by.
That console was a white whale.

Anyway, for me it was the Game Gear, though I think I played it more while connected to the AC adapter than with batteries. Even the GG was awful with its battery life.
My younger brother had a Gameboy but the screen hurt my eyes even back then.

My older brother, on the other hand, had a console you've skipped in this poll, one which I thought was more common than the Nomad at least - the Atari Lynx.

I put so many hours into California Games and Gates of Zendocon.
I think it's still in a box somewhere in storage, but it doesn't turn on anymore.

 

[Celine]

You put the Nomad on the poll but not the Atari Lynx and TurboExpress?
That's silly, back then there weren't only Nintendo and Sega as console makers.
It could be made the case that even Bandai's WonderSwan* and SNK's Neo Geo Pocket are worthy of a spot (certainly over the Nomad).

* Yes, I know the WS was never released officially outside of Asia but it had a notable presence in Japan and it end up outselling the Game Gear there.

Wonderswan.

Click to shrink...

I would easily put Neo Geo Pocket and Wonderswan over the Game Gear.

Click to shrink...

My men.

It's a shame, because the Nomad was literatly the first portable console that allowed you to play an entire library of home console games on the go. Sega deserves credit for being the first console manufacturer for pulling that off.

Click to shrink...

TurboExpress was released in 1990 and could run the PC Engine (hu card) library, including Street Fighter 2 CE.
So Sega Nomad wasn't the first to pull off that feat.
Though seeing Virtua Racing running on a 1995 handheld console is certainly impressive.
Too bad it never received games developed with the console in mind which to me is a big flaw compared other handheld consoles of the '90s which actually got 'em.

Street Fighter 2 CE on TurboExpress:


Virtua Racing on Nomad:

 

[RockmanBN]

nobody on earth ever owned a Nomad

Click to shrink...

TIL about Nomad

 

[skeezx]

I still to this day have never seen a Lynx or met anyone that has. Was it just not popular in the US or something?

Click to shrink...

wasn't popular anywhere but in the late 80s/early 90s gaming hardware could somewhat thrive being niche. like today if somebody released a $600 switch competitor that didn't outright bomb, you're not going to see kids on the playground running around with one

 

[fiendcode]

GB has the best portable library by a wide margin, best formfactor, best battery life and (in later models) best screen/visibility. It's an easy pick.

 

[Duxxy3]

The one with games and battery life.

 

[Deleted member 28461]

I got a Nomad when I was 18. Couldn't afford one as a kid, so even though it was unnecessary I still had to have it. I would've lost my shit if I had gotten one as a kid. It's a Switch from 1995 that exists mainly to devour batteries. It's great.

Game Gear was the only gaming system I had as a little kid, so I have a ton of nostalgia for it. I still have it in my bedroom closet, tucked away in that big official case they released. Has fitted compartments for the Wide Gear and rechargeable battery. After learning how broke we were when I was a kid, I have a deep appreciation for it. My mom busted her ass to be able to afford it for me.

Atari Lynx is also cool. I got one in 2006, so way after it had come and gone. Had fun with it for a couple days.

The stick on the NeoGeo Pocket felt so amazing. The sound and feel of the clicking was sublime.

 

[New Donker]

GB easily. I played my GameBoy constantly as a kid. I remember being blown away when I got the GB color.

A couple of my cousins had the the GameGear and we always preferred our GameBoys

My brother and I almost bought a nomad together, but decided on a CDX instead. I bet that thing is worth some money now....we used to use it as a portable CD player 😂

 

[Thera]

I didn't even knew the nomad was a thing...

 

[Dark1x]

Since a lot of folks aren't familiar with the Nomad, be sure to check out this episode of DF Retro I did on it. All you need to know.

DF Retro: Sega Nomad - The Original Switch-Style Hybrid Console?

Nintendo Switch is rightly lauded for its hybrid console concept - the idea of having a fully mobile console you can also use for living room play, with full...

youtu.be

 

[darkside]

Atari Lynx.

This was my first system I ever had. I had way more good times with it than the OG Gameboy I also got. I just couldn't deal with the dull green screen vs what the Lynx was offering. I must have spent hundreds of hours on California Games as a child.

 

[Tankshell]

Game Gear for life. It was a Christmas present one year, bundled with Sonic. Nostalgia overload.

 

[Richietto]

Lol Game Boy. Cheap, good battery life, and it had the games. We had a Gamegear at one point. Ended up selling it because the battery usage was not worth it. Like seriously what a waste of batteries.