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Sega and Nintendo are about to do battle once more - on the portable platform.

Both companies have decided to bring out new and vastly superior systems compared with their old ones.

Nintendo is to release a new version of its GameBoy, and Sega's Nomad system is similar to the Gamegear but plays 16-bit Mega-Drive/Genesis games.

The Nomad was first introduced in November with limited distribution.

Sega claims the Nomad will have the same quality graphics and sound as the Mega-Drive/Genesis. It is fully mobile and television-adaptable for use as a standard Sega Genesis, meaning you can plug it into your television and play games on a big screen.

The new system has a suggested retail price of US$179.99. The Nomad already has a library of 500 games from the Mega-Drive/Genesis system, which is always expanding.

New games include Virtual Fighter Animation, Sonic Blast: the Ultimate 3D Adventure, and Vectorman 2.

Also, games such as the 6-Pak and Arcade Classics make for great on-the-road gaming. With multiple classic games packed on a single cartridge, gamers can access a full library of 16-bit favourites.

 The Nomad features a 31/4 full colour screen, six button control pad and uses six AA batteries for up to three continuous hours of play.

Nintendo's Game Boy Pocket brings a fresh, sleek look to portable units.

 It is the latest version of the original Game Boy, which has sold 48 million hardware systems and 218 million pieces of software world-wide since its introduction in 1989.

The new palm-sized, one-or-two player game system was launched in Japan last week. Available in the United States in September, Game Boy Pocket, dressed in a silver finish with grey buttons, will sell for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of US$59.95.

Game Boy Pocket features a new black-and-white liquid crystal display (LCD) screen providing crisper and clearer images, enabling several people to view game play at the same time.

It is 30 per cent smaller and half the weight of the original Game Boy and plays the entire library of more than 436 games.

'More than 19 million Game Boy units were sold in America over the past seven years, including more than one million Play It Loud colour units last year,' Peter Main, Nintendo of America's executive vice-president of sales and marketing, said.

  Game Boy Pocket has the same screen dimensions of the original, and with recent advances in LCD technology, makes for an extremely compact gaming unit. It is packaged in a transparent jewel case and operates on two AAA batteries, providing about 10 hours of game play.

There have been rumours floating in cyberspace about a Colour Game Boy that runs on the same specs. The British company Advance RISC Machines (ARM) has refused to comment on Nintendo's top secret Project Atlantis.

All that is known is that the chip being designed by ARM would allow batteries to last up to 30 hours - which is quite hard to believe.

A look at the capabilities of the two systems would show that they both have their strong points. The good thing about Sega's Nomad is that it plays its Mega Drive/Genesis games, and can be hooked up to the television.

The Game Boy Pocket has the advantage of using fewer batteries for more time. Plus, the cost of the Game boy Pocket is less than a third of the price of the Nomad.

The early launch of the Nomad will probably give it a chance at establishing a market for itself, but the cost of the system will definitely affect sales.

CHEAT SHEET Game: Mortal Kombat II Platform: Saturn Cheat: When the story screen appears during the intro, press Down, Up, Left, Left, A, Right, Down, B, Y, C. There will not be any signal to confirm the code, but when you access the Main menu, you will find a new option called Switches. This will give you one hit kills, and easier ways of finding the hidden characters.

Game: The Raiden Project Platform: Playstation Cheat: For free play mode, go to the main menu and choose Adjust Settings. On the Settings Menu choose Miscellaneous, move to Credit Limit and press the Square, Circle, Triangle, and X button all at the same time and then let go. The credit limit will change to free play.



Sega and Nintendo in hand to hand combat