The SEGA Venus Prototype!

[axel]

I think it was just a matter of one too many poor decisions by Sega, not to mention all the infighting between SOJ and SOA. The Nomad was (and is) still pretty expensive, I'm not sure they could have put out an enhanced version and have it sell in the late 90s, because it just would have been too expensive, and they couldn't afford any more losses at that point. Even the GBA, which is essentially (and I know I'm oversimplifying) a portable Super NES didn't launch until Summer of 2001, and the Dreamcast was all but dead by that point.

Yeah you're probably right, it was just too expensive for the time. I love the GBA for its outstanding library of games but hardware wise it was nothing special, the CPU is very good but the screen still isn't backlit and the resolution is 1/2 that of the Nomad, in many games the audio is worse too.

[Greg2600]

Me too. The Neptune might be my favorite Sega console design. I think he mentioned he tried searching for a Pluto prototype at Sega but couldn't find one.

Really? Well I can't understand a lick of Japanese! I'm shocked he even found a Venus. I'm not sure how much stock SEGA of Japan put in retaining prototypes. After all it was SOA people who leaked them in many cases.

[Team Andromeda]

Plus it's something neither of Sega's rivals would have done. Nintendo was pouring money into the Virtual Boy and Sony was years away from making a portable.

I think SEGA were in looking at NEC and just had the Hardware bug. Almost anything NEC did with its PC Eng range, SEGA copied be that CD Roms Add-ons, Hand Held systems based on your home Hardware and like NEC made a lame product with the 32X, just like NEC with the Super Grafx. Shame mind the Nomad was a stunning product and way ahead of its time. I think what really hurt the GameGear and Nomad was simply the battery life, that was a killer and by the time of the Nomad 16-Bit sales were seeing massive declines and see as old hat which never helped but battery life was a killer; If the Nomad and indeed the 32X came out a year earlier than they did it could have been a little different.

I loved my Nomad and wised I didn't sell it after I got my launch USA PSP. Live and learn

[eeplox]

Retrobit were showing off a prototype Nomad clone they made a while back, what ever happened with that? I never had a Nomad or even handled one because it only came out in North America.

[Centrale]

Retrobit were showing off a prototype Nomad clone they made a while back, what ever happened with that? I never had a Nomad or even handled one because it only came out in North America.

I remember seeing that and wondering why they didn't at least fit it with a larger screen... although I'm sure it would be a much clearer screen even at the original size. But I imagine the whole project ran into the 2020/COVID buzzsaw.

[axel]

I think SEGA were in looking at NEC and just had the Hardware bug. Almost anything NEC did with its PC Eng range, SEGA copied be that CD Roms Add-ons, Hand Held systems based on your home Hardware and like NEC made a lame product with the 32X, just like NEC with the Super Grafx. Shame mind the Nomad was a stunning product and way ahead of its time. I think what really hurt the GameGear and Nomad was simply the battery life, that was a killer and by the time of the Nomad 16-Bit sales were seeing massive declines and see as old hat which never helped but battery life was a killer; If the Nomad and indeed the 32X came out a year earlier than they did it could have been a little different.

I loved my Nomad and wised I didn't sell it after I got my launch USA PSP. Live and learn

Yup you're right anything NEC did Sega did too. NEC's TurboExpress was the most advanced handheld in the world until the Nomad came along, nothing else was even close. NEC should have been pushing the TE as a high end, luxury product, at the time I don't remember them doing anything to distinguish it from the Game Gear or Lynx. Hindsight is always 20/20 and yeah the lack of lithium batteries in the early 90s did them no favors.

[eeplox]

I remember seeing that and wondering why they didn't at least fit it with a larger screen... although I'm sure it would be a much clearer screen even at the original size. But I imagine the whole project ran into the 2020/COVID buzzsaw.

My thinking is that SEGA wouldn't give them a license because they plan to put out a Nomad Mini at some point.

[slider1983]

I like how they classified the Mega Drive Mini as "Moon."

That's no moon, that's a Mega Drive!