Brazil's TecToy cranks out Mega Drive Portable handheld

While Sega's Nomad handheld didn't exactly take off, Brazil's TecToy nonetheless looks to be ready to take its own shot at a portable Genesis console, although it's new "Mega Drive Portable" appears to be decidedly more limited than Sega's offering. The biggest drawback, as you might have guessed, is that the handheld drops the clunky cartridges in favor of twenty built-in games, including Altered Beast, Ecco, Kid Chameleon, and Sonic & Knuckles, to name a few. On the upside, it does at least appear to be a good deal more portable than the Nomad, and you'll also apparently able to hook the device up to your TV for some bigger screen gaming. If that's enough to put you in a nostalgic mood, you'll be able to grab one of these for about $110 when it hits Brazil on December 5th.

[Thanks, Sapuca]

[Fernando @ Nov 13th 2007 11:31AM]

omg! awesome!

[Nick Ellis @ Nov 13th 2007 11:39AM]

Thanks, but no, thanks.

[Jeff @ Nov 13th 2007 11:33AM]

"Coleco" had the same thing out but in a different package here a little while back, and it was a lot cheaper.

Here you go: http://www.retrothing.com/2006/12/review_sega_cla.html

[Jeff @ Nov 13th 2007 11:35AM]

Oops. My mistake. The Coleco handheld's a Game Gear clone, not a Nomad clone. So, yeah, two different things.

[CB @ Nov 13th 2007 12:00PM]

How much!!!!!!

[Phoenixfury @ Nov 13th 2007 11:47AM]

If you own a PSP, you could get the Sega Genesis Collection which has around 30 games including all the one's mentioned in this article. You might be able to get it cheaper now, but I think I payed about $30 for my copy which makes it a far better bargain. However on the downside the selection of games are way too similar like they have Sonic 1 & 2, Ecco 1 & 2, Golden Axe 1,2, & 3 ect ect.. Otherwise I think collection would still be a better deal for the money.

[Phoenixfury @ Nov 13th 2007 11:57AM]

I mistakingly said all of the games in this article are also in the Sega Genesis Collection. However being half awake and only a few sips of coffee in me, I realize this collection does not contain Sonic & Knuckles or Sonic 3. Hopefully Sega will come out with Sega Genesis Collection 2 with those games.. I could only hope!

[Oogle @ Nov 13th 2007 1:00PM]

Unfortunately, in Brazil, you would have to pay almost $700 to get a PSP + Sega Collection game. It's 6 times more money!! Believe me, $110 for this device it's pretty reasonable. You can hardly buy a single Wii game here with this much.

Besides, it includes Alex Kidd!! \o/

[L.Cyphre @ Nov 13th 2007 1:36PM]

Bah, for a mere double the price you can get a gp2x and access to thousands of emulated games... THAT'S what I call good nostalgia for the money.

[oddEvan @ Nov 13th 2007 11:53AM]

Sonic 3 and Knuckles > Sonic and Knuckles. If it doesn't have the lock-on, then it's not the whole game. I'm sorry, but this point is not debatable. ;)

[Sam @ Nov 13th 2007 12:02PM]

This would be cool if it was much less than $110. I would pay maybe $25 for it. Maybe.

[Gustavo @ Nov 13th 2007 12:19PM]

$25 would you pay in the US, where a DS costs $129. But, in Brazil, a Playstation3 costs $1700.00 and a simple Nintendo DS costs around $500.00. Believe me, $100 for a portable Genesis does the job in Latin America. Welcome to overtaxed countries.

[FK @ Nov 13th 2007 12:26PM]

Maybe they could blast process that price down by about 50%?

[Rjay @ Nov 13th 2007 12:28PM]

Sick, Altered Beast!

"Wiiise fwom your gwaaave." (thunder)

[Tiago @ Nov 13th 2007 12:39PM]

Woot! Brings back good memories...

[Andre @ Nov 13th 2007 12:43PM]

the complete list:

- Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
- Alien Storm
- Altered Beast
- Arrow Flash
- Columns III
- Crack Down
- Decap Attack
- Dr. Robotnik´s Mean Bean Machine
- Ecco
- Ecco Jr.
- E-SWAT: Cyber Police City Under Siege
- Flick
- Gain Ground
- Golden Axe
- Jewel Master
- Kid Chameleon
- Ristar
- Sonic and Knuckles
- Shadow Dancer – The Secret of Shinobi
- The Revenge of Shinobi

[Suzana @ Nov 13th 2007 12:45PM]

Gustavo is right, in a country like Brazil the price is great, the games are also great and being able to plug it into a television is even better. Third world countries also have their rights in good nostalgia!

[Grant @ Nov 13th 2007 12:51PM]

this would be awesome if it wasn't $110. But at that price its probably destined to fail

[rp @ Nov 13th 2007 1:24PM]

I still have my Nomad somewhere, but I lost the battery pack attachment. Not that I cry much at night over it since the thing ate 6 AAs in like 15 minutes. I'll always miss you, NHL '93!

[Niraj Sanghvi @ Nov 13th 2007 3:25PM]

I actually just busted out my Nomad a few weeks ago (also missing the battery pack, but an AC adapter for it was cheap). Hooked it up to my computer and I can't stop playing NBA Jam and Sonic and Knuckles. Talk about a nostalgia rush.

To anyone that's wondering, the Nomad was much better than the Game Gear because it could use the same cartridges as the Genesis, you could hook it up to a TV, and you could hookup another controller for multiplayer play. Essentially it was a portable Genesis in every sense.

[John P @ Nov 13th 2007 1:25PM]

It seems that those hailing from Brazil think this is a pretty good deal, so I would imagine it won't fail. I remember the nomad. Except that its battery life wasnt too great, it was a pretty nifty device. Great games, though. In fact, I had forgotten about these until now. Quick, to the virutal console for downloading action!

[GianVZ @ Nov 13th 2007 1:27PM]

It's R$ 110 (brazilian real), not US dollars.
Doing the conversion, it's around $ 60 dollars.

[Gustavo Yasuda @ Nov 13th 2007 1:57PM]

No.
It's R$199,00.
http://jogos.uol.com.br/ultnot/multi/2007/11/12/ult530u5578.jhtm

[Gilberto @ Nov 13th 2007 1:53PM]

In Brazil most of the new electronic products have the pieces imported and are assembled there (to avoid paying high importation taxes); but they are starting building things of their own, good to excellent quality (well, much better than China … no offense). As for the price, it is U$ 110,00 in dollars, not Brazilian money.

[Mark @ Nov 13th 2007 2:09PM]

Since when did Kid Chameleon become a classic of the system?!

[gt2378b @ Nov 13th 2007 4:11PM]

Hear hear, I never really cared for that game.

I guess it was just easy to license. When they do these "retro systems with games built in" they always seem to miss the oddball games I would want.

[bradfoje @ Nov 13th 2007 2:49PM]

Yeah... but does it blend?

[dave mayne @ Nov 15th 2007 2:44PM]

AWESOME :-)

[Joshewah @ Nov 13th 2007 4:38PM]

Terrible deal when you can get a used PSP for $135, mod it for free, and run Sega, SNES, NES, Gameboy, Gamboy Advance, Atari, etc... and also PSx games and of course PSP games directly from a Memory Stick Pro Duo... Yeah I'll take the PSP.

[Daniel @ Nov 13th 2007 6:02PM]

The point is that you can't do that in Brazil. Therefore, this game thing is actually a good deal.

[AdamBlue @ Nov 13th 2007 5:56PM]

I'm assunming you'd be doing that in Brazil?

[Paulo Souza @ Nov 13th 2007 9:33PM]

Just to clear things up, Mega-Drive = Sega Genesis and, Genesis and Master-System made a HUGE success in late 80's and 90's in Brazil. Here, these platforms are cult classics. Believe me, these things are being sold till today together with X360s and PS3s. So, if we have to pay 100 dollars here to play Halo 3, a portable with 30 classic games for the same price is very reasonable. And i will get one just for Alex Kidd :)