Game.com

Last updated

Game.com
Tiger Game Com Logo.png
Tiger-Game-Com-FL.jpg
The original Game.com system
Manufacturer Tiger Electronics [1]
Type Handheld game console
Generation Fifth [2]
Release dateGame.com
September 12, 1997 (US)
Late 1997 (UK)
Game.com Pocket Pro
May/June 1999 (US)
Lifespan1997–2000
Introductory price$69.95 (original model)
$29.99 (Pocket Pro)
Discontinued2000 [3]
Units soldFewer than 300,000
Media ROM cartridge
CPU Sharp SM8521 @ 10 MHz
Display200 x 160px 4 bit greyscale
SoundTwo 4-bit waveform generators, noise generator, 8-bit PCM channel
InputTouchscreen
ConnectivityCompete.com serial cable, 14.4 kbit/s modem
Power4 × AA batteries or optional AC adapter (original model)
2 x AA batteries (Pocket Pro)

The Game.com [lower-alpha 1] is a fifth-generation handheld game console released by Tiger Electronics on September 12, 1997. [4] A smaller version, the Game.com Pocket Pro, was released in mid-1999. The first version of the Game.com can be connected to a 14.4 kbit/s modem for Internet connectivity, [5] hence its name referencing the top level domain .com. [6] It was the first video game console to include a touchscreen and the first handheld console to include Internet connectivity.

Contents

History

Tiger Electronics had previously introduced its R-Zone game console in 1995 – as a competitor to Nintendo's Virtual Boy – but the system was a failure. Prior to the R-Zone, Tiger had also manufactured handheld games consisting of LCD screens with imprinted graphics. [7] [8]

Original version

The back of the original Game.com console Tiger-Game-Com-BR.jpg
The back of the original Game.com console

By February 1997, Tiger was planning to release a new game console as a direct competitor to Nintendo's Game Boy. [9] Prior to its release, Tiger Electronics stated that the Game.com would "change the gaming world as we know it," while a spokesperson stated that it would be "one of this summer's hits." [10] The Game.com, the only new game console of the year, was on display at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in May 1997, with sales expected to begin in July. [11] Dennis Lynch of the Chicago Tribune considered the Game.com to be the "most interesting hand-held device" on display at E3, describing it as a "sort of Game Boy for adults". [12]

The Game.com was released in the United States on September 12, 1997, with a retail price of $69.95, [13] [14] while an Internet-access cartridge was scheduled for release in October. [15] [16] Lights Out was included with the console as a pack-in game and Solitaire was built into the handheld itself. [5] [17] The console's release marked Tiger's largest product launch ever. Tiger also launched a website for the system at the domain "game.com". [18] The Game.com was marketed with a television commercial in which a spokesperson insults gamers who ask questions about the console, while stating that it "plays more games than you idiots have brain cells"; [8] [19] GamesRadar stated that the advertisement "probably didn't help matters much". [8] By the end of 1997, the console had been released in the United Kingdom, at a retail price of £79.99. [20]

The Game.com came in a black-and-white color, [21] and featured a design similar to Sega's Game Gear console. [10] [14] The screen is larger than the Game Boy's and has higher resolution. [14] [22] The Game.com included a phone directory, a calculator, and a calendar, [13] [6] and had an older target audience with its PDA features. Tiger designed the console's features to be simple and cheap. [16] The device was powered by four AA batteries, [15] and an optional AC adapter was also available. [6] One of the major peripherals that Tiger produced for the system was the compete.com serial cable, [5] allowing players to connect their consoles to play multiplayer games. [23] The console includes two game cartridge slots. [5] In addition to reducing the need to swap out cartridges, this enabled Game.com games to include online elements, since both a game cartridge and the modem cartridge could be inserted at the same time. [17]

The Game.com was the first video game console to feature a touchscreen and also the first handheld video game console to have Internet connectivity. [24] The Game.com's black-and-white [15] monochrome touchscreen measures approximately one and a half inches by two inches, and is divided into square zones that are imprinted onto the screen itself, to aid players in determining where to apply the stylus. [6] The touchscreen lacks a backlight. [17] The Game.com was also the first handheld gaming console to have internal memory, which is used to save information such as high scores and contact information. [17]

As 1998 opened, the Game.com was considered the only remaining viable competitor for the Game Boy, and Tiger planned to emphasize the Game.com's internet capabilities in marketing, as well as release new games based on major films and Giga Pets. [25]

Game.com Pocket Pro

Because of poor sales with the original Game.com, Tiger developed an updated version known as the Game.com Pocket Pro. [21] [26] [27] The console was shown at the American International Toy Fair in February 1999, [28] and was later shown along with several future games at E3 in May 1999. [29] The Game.com Pocket Pro had been released by June 1999, [30] with a retail price of $29.99. [30] [21] The new console was available in five different colors: green, orange, pink, purple, and teal. [30] [21]

Although it lacked color like its predecessor, [21] [27] the Pocket Pro was reduced in size to be equivalent to the Game Boy Pocket. [21] The screen size was also reduced, and the new console featured only one cartridge slot. [5] Unlike the original Game.com, the Pocket Pro required only two AA batteries. [30] [31] The Game.com Pocket Pro included a phone directory, a calendar and a calculator, but lacked Internet capabilities. [26] [32]

The Game.com Pocket Pro's primary competitor was the Game Boy Color. [8] Despite several games based on popular franchises, the Game.com console line failed to sell in large numbers, [8] [33] and was discontinued in 2000 because of poor sales. [3] The Game.com was a commercial failure, [34] with less than 300,000 units sold, although the idea of a touchscreen would later be used successfully in the Nintendo DS, released in 2004. [35] [36] [37]

Internet features

Game.com modem GameComWebstuff.jpg
Game.com modem

Accessing the Internet required the use of an Internet cartridge and a dial-up modem, neither of which were included with the console. [38] [39] Email messages could be read and sent on the Game.com using the Internet cartridge, [38] [39] [35] and the Game.com supported text-only web browsing through Internet service providers. Email messages could not be saved to the Game.com's internal memory. [17] In addition to a Game.com-branded 14.4 kbit/s modem, Tiger also offered an Internet service provider through Delphi that was made to work specifically with the Game.com. [5] [39]

Tiger subsequently released the Web Link cartridge, allowing players to connect their system to a desktop computer. Using the Web Link cartridge, players could upload their high scores to the Game.com website for a chance to be listed on a webpage featuring the top high scores. [5] None of the console's games made use of the Internet feature. [3]

Technical specifications

Dimensions (L x W x D)Original: 190 by 108 by 19 millimetres (7.48 in × 4.25 in × 0.75 in) / Pocket Pro: 140 by 86 by 28 millimetres (5.5 in × 3.4 in × 1.1 in)
Processor chipSharp SM8521 8-Bit CPU; 10 MHz clock speed [40]
Display resolution200 x 160, [17] Original: 3.5 in. / Pocket Pro: 2.8 in.
Touchscreen12 x 10 grid-based touchscreen
Color systemBlack and White, with 4 gray levels [17]
AudioMonaural. Total of four audio channels: two 4-bit waveform generators (each with its own frequency, volume control and waveform data), one noise generator, and one direct 8-bit PCM output channel. [41]
Power source4 AA batteries [17] (Pocket Pro: 2 AA batteries) or AC adapter
PortsSerial Comm Port for the compete.com cable, internet cable and weblink cable;
3.5 mm Audio Out Jack for headphones; DC9 V in (AC Adapter); 2 cartridge slots (1 on the Pocket Pro)
ButtonsPower (On/Off);
Action (A, B, C, D); 3 Function (Menu, Sound, Pause); 1 Eight-way Directional Pad; Volume; Contrast; Reset (On system's underside)

Games

The Lights Out cartridge which came bundled with the console GameComLightsOutCart.jpg
The Lights Out cartridge which came bundled with the console

Several games were available for the Game.com at the time of its 1997 launch, [16] [15] in comparison to hundreds of games available for the Game Boy. [16] Tiger planned to have a dozen games available by the end of 1997, [16] [42] and hoped to have as many as 50 games available in 1998, with all of them to be produced or adapted internally by Tiger. [16] Some third parties expressed interest in developing for the system, but Tiger decided against signing any initially. [43] Tiger secured licenses for several popular game series, including Duke Nukem , Resident Evil , and Mortal Kombat Trilogy . [8] [33] [20] Game prices initially ranged between $19 and $29. [39] Cartridge size was in the 16 megabit range. [43]

At the time of the Pocket Pro's 1999 release, the Game.com library consisted primarily of games intended for an older audience. [44] Some games that were planned for release in 1999 would be exclusive to Game.com consoles. Game prices at that time ranged from $14 to $30. [21] Twenty games were ultimately released for the Game.com, [45] most of them developed internally by Tiger, [8] in addition to the built-in game Solitaire. [46]

  1. Solitaire (Built in)
  2. Batman & Robin
  3. Centipede
  4. Duke Nukem 3D
  5. Fighters Megamix
  6. Frogger
  7. Henry
  8. Indy 500
  9. Jeopardy!
  10. Lights Out (Pack in)
  11. The Lost World: Jurassic Park
  12. Monopoly
  13. Mortal Kombat Trilogy
  14. Quiz Wiz: Cyber Trivia
  15. Resident Evil 2
  16. Scrabble
  17. Sonic Jam
  18. Tiger Casino
  19. Wheel of Fortune
  20. Wheel of Fortune 2
  21. Williams Arcade Classics

Cancelled games

The following is a list of games that were announced in various forms or known to be in development for the console but were never released. [46]

  1. A Bug’s Life
  2. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
  3. Command & Conquer: Red Alert
  4. Deer Hunter
  5. Holyfield Champion Boxing (planned to include “Real Feel” force feedback in cart)
  6. Furbyland
  7. Giga Pets Deluxe
  8. Godzilla
  9. The Legend of the Lost Creator
  10. Madden 98
  11. Metal Gear Solid
  12. Mutoids
  13. Name That Tune
  14. Nascar Racing
  15. NBA Hangtime
  16. Shadow Madness
  17. Sonic 3D Blast
  18. Small Soldiers
  19. Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
  20. WCW Whiplash

Reception

At the time of the Game.com's launch in 1997, Chris Johnston of VideoGameSpot believed that the console would have difficulty competing against the Game Boy. Johnston also believed that text-based Internet and email would attract only limited appeal, stating that such features were outdated. Johnston concluded that the Game.com "is a decent system, but Nintendo is just way too powerful in the industry." [16] Chip and Jonathan Carter wrote that the console did not play action games as well as it did with other games, although they praised the console's various options and wrote, "Graphically, we'd have to say this has the potential to perform better than Game Boy. As for sound, Game.com delivers better than any other hand-held on the market." [15] A team of four Electronic Gaming Monthly editors gave the Game.com scores of 5.5, 4.5, 5.0, and 4.0. They were impressed by the PDA features and touchscreen, but commented that the games library had thus far failed to deliver on the Game.com's great potential. They elaborated that while the non-scrolling games, particularly Wheel of Fortune, were great fun and made good use of the touchscreen, the more conventional action games were disappointing and suffered from prominent screen blurring. [47]

Wisconsin State Journal stated that the Game.com offered "some serious" advantages over the Game Boy, including its touchscreen. It was also stated that in comparison to the Game Boy, the Game.com's 8-bit processor provided "marginal improvements" in the quality of speed and graphics. The newspaper noted that the Game.com had a "tiny, somewhat blurry screen." [38] The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote a negative review of the Game.com, particularly criticizing Internet connectivity issues. Also criticized was the system's lack of a backlit screen, as the use of exterior lighting could cause difficulty in viewing the screen, which was highly reflective. [39]

Steven L. Kent, writing for the Chicago Tribune, wrote that the console had an elegant design, as well as better sound and a higher-definition screen than the Game Boy: "Elegant design, however, has not translated into ideal game play. Though Tiger has produced fighting, racing and shooting games for Game.com, the games have noticeably slow frame rates. The racing game looks like a flickering silent picture show." [48] Cameron Davis of VideoGames.com wrote, "Sure, this is no Game Boy Color-killer, but the Game.Com was never meant to be. To deride it by comparing it with more powerful and established formats would be a bit unfair". Davis also wrote, "The touch screen is pretty sensitive, but it works well - you won't need more than a few seconds to get used to it." However, he criticized the screen's squared zones: "more often than not it proves distracting when you are playing games that don't require it." [6]

GamePro criticized the Pocket Pro's lack of screen color and its difficult controls, but considered its two best qualities to be its cheap price and a game library of titles exclusive to the console. [21] The Philadelphia Inquirer also criticized the Pocket Pro's lack of a color screen, as well as "frustrating" gameplay caused by the "unresponsive" controls, including the stylus. The newspaper stated that, "Even at $29.99, the pocket.pro is no bargain." [44]

Legacy

Brett Alan Weiss of the website AllGame wrote, "The Game.com, the little system that (almost) could, constantly amazes me with the strength and scope of its sound effects. [...] It's astounding what power comes out of such a tiny little speaker." [49] In 2004, Kent included the modem and "some PDA functionality" as the console's strengths, while listing its "Slow processor" and "lackluster library of games" as weaknesses. [50] In 2006, Engadget stated that "You can't fault Tiger Electronics for their ambition," but wrote that the Game.com "didn't do any one thing particularly well", criticizing its text-only Internet access and stating that its "disappointing games were made even worse" by the "outdated" screen. [51]

In 2009, PC World ranked the Game.com at number nine on its list of the 10 worst video game systems ever released, criticizing its Internet aspect, its game library, its low-resolution touchscreen, and its "Silly name that attempted to capitalize on Internet mania." However, PC World positively noted its "primitive" PDA features and its solitaire game, considered by the magazine to be the system's best game. [24] In 2011, Mikel Reparaz of GamesRadar ranked the Game.com at number 3 on a list of 7 failed handheld consoles, writing that while the Game.com had several licensed games, it "doesn't actually mean much when they all look like cruddy, poorly animated Game Boy ports." Raparaz also stated that the Game.com "looked dated even by Game Boy standards," noting that the Game Boy Pocket had a sharper display screen. Reparaz stated that the Game.com's continuation into 2000 was a "pretty significant achievement" considering its competition from the Game Boy Color. [8]

In 2013, Jeff Dunn of GamesRadar criticized the Game.com for its "blurry" and "imprecise" touchscreen, as well as its "limited and unwieldy" Internet and email interfaces. Dunn also criticized the "painful" Internet setup process, and stated that all of the console's available games were "ugly and horrible." Dunn noted, however, that the Game.com's Internet aspect was a "smart" feature. [7] In 2016, Motherboard stated that the Game.com was "perhaps one of the worst consoles of all time," due largely to its low screen quality. [19] In 2018, Nadia Oxford of USgamer noted the Game.com's "paper-thin" library of games and stated that the console "died in record time because it was poorly-made, to say the least." [52]

Notes

  1. ↑ Styled as "game.com", but pronounced "game com" rather than "game dot com". [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atari Lynx</span> Handheld game console

The Atari Lynx is a hybrid 8/16-bit fourth-generation hand-held game console released by Atari Corporation in September 1989 in North America and 1990 in Europe and Japan. It was the first handheld game console with a color liquid-crystal display. Powered by a 16 MHz 65C02 8-bit CPU and a custom 16-bit blitter, the Lynx was more advanced than Nintendo's monochrome Game Boy, released two months earlier. It also competed with Sega's Game Gear and NEC's TurboExpress, released the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game Boy Advance</span> Handheld game console by Nintendo

The Game Boy Advance (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2001, and in mainland China as iQue Game Boy Advance on June 8, 2004. The GBA is part of the sixth generation of video game consoles. The original model was followed in 2003 by the Game Boy Advance SP, a redesigned model with a frontlit screen and clamshell form factor. A newer revision of the SP with a backlit screen was released in 2005. A miniaturized redesign, the Game Boy Micro, was released in September 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game Boy Color</span> Handheld game console by Nintendo

The Game Boy Color is an 8-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on October 21, 1998 and to international markets that November. It is the successor to the Game Boy and is part of its product line. Critics like IGN consider it more akin to a hardware revision than a next generation product.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handheld game console</span> Portable self-contained video game console

A handheld game console, or simply handheld console, is a small, portable self-contained video game console with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are smaller than home video game consoles and contain the console, screen, speakers, and controls in one unit, allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neo Geo Pocket</span> Handheld game console released in 1998

The Neo Geo Pocket (NGP) is a monochrome handheld game console released by SNK. It was the company's first handheld system and is part of the Neo Geo family. It debuted in Japan in late 1998 but never saw a western release, being exclusive to Japan and Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game Gear</span> Handheld game console by Sega

The Game Gear is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990, in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and during 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily competed with Nintendo's Game Boy, the Atari Lynx, and NEC's TurboExpress. It shares much of its hardware with the Master System, and can play Master System games through the use of an adapter. Sega positioned the Game Gear, which had a full-color backlit screen with a landscape format, as a technologically superior handheld to the Game Boy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WonderSwan</span> Handheld game console

The WonderSwan is a handheld game console released in Japan by Bandai. It was developed by Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto Laboratory and Bandai, and was the last piece of hardware Yokoi developed before his death in 1997. Released in 1999 in the sixth generation of video game consoles, the WonderSwan and its two later models, the WonderSwan Color and SwanCrystal were officially supported until being discontinued by Bandai in 2003. During its lifespan, no variation of the WonderSwan was released outside of Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genesis Nomad</span> Handheld game console by Sega

The Genesis Nomad, also known as Sega Nomad, is a handheld game console manufactured by Sega and released in North America in October 1995. The Nomad is a portable variation of the Sega Genesis home video game console. It could also be used with a television set via a video port. It was based on the Mega Jet, a portable version of the home console designed for use on airline flights in Japan.

Tiger Electronics Ltd. was an independent American toy manufacturer best known for its handheld electronic games, the Furby, the Talkboy, Giga Pets, the 2-XL robot, and audio games such as Brain Warp and the Brain Shift. When it was an independent company, Tiger Electronics Inc., its headquarters were in Vernon Hills, Illinois. It has been a subsidiary of Hasbro since 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo DS</span> Handheld game console

The Nintendo DS is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tandem, a built-in microphone and support for wireless connectivity. Both screens are encompassed within a clamshell design similar to the Game Boy Advance SP. The Nintendo DS also features the ability for multiple DS consoles to directly interact with each other over Wi-Fi within a short range without the need to connect to an existing wireless network. Alternatively, they could interact online using the now-defunct Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. Its main competitor was Sony's PlayStation Portable during the seventh generation of video game consoles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TurboExpress</span> 1990 handheld game console by NEC

The TurboExpress is an 8-bit handheld game console by NEC Home Electronics, released in late 1990 in Japan and the United States, branded as the PC Engine GT in Japan and TurboExpress Handheld Entertainment System in the U.S. It is essentially a portable version of the TurboGrafx-16 home console that came two to three years earlier. Its launch price in Japan was ¥44,800 and $249.99 in the U.S.

The history of video game consoles, both home and handheld, had their origins in the 1970s. The concept of home consoles used to play games on a television set was founded by the 1972 Magnavox Odyssey, first conceived by Ralph H. Baer in 1966. Handheld consoles bore out from electro-mechanical games that had used mechanical controls and light-emitting diodes (LED) as visual indicators. Handheld electronic games had replaced the mechanical controls with electronic and digital components, and with the introduction of Liquid-crystal display (LCD) to create video-like screens with programmable pixels, systems like the Microvision and the Game & Watch became the first handheld video game consoles, and fully realized by the Game Boy system.

A dedicated console is a video game console that is limited to one or more built-in video game or games, and is not equipped for additional games that are distributed via ROM cartridges, discs, downloads or other digital media. Dedicated consoles were very popular in the first generation of video game consoles until they were gradually replaced by second-generation video game consoles that use ROM cartridges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game Boy</span> Handheld game console by Nintendo

The Game Boy is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same team that developed the Game & Watch series of handheld electronic games and several Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games: Satoru Okada, Gunpei Yokoi, and Nintendo Research & Development 1.

<i>The Lost World: Jurassic Park</i> (handheld game) 1997 video game

The Lost World: Jurassic Park is the title of several different video games released for handheld video game consoles in 1997. Four versions, each with their own gameplay variations, were developed and published by various companies for the Sega Game Gear, Nintendo's Game Boy, and Tiger Electronics' game.com and R-Zone consoles. Each version is based on the 1997 film of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R-Zone</span> Portable game console

The R-Zone is a portable game console developed and manufactured by Tiger Electronics. The R-Zone was shown at the American International Toy Fair in February 1995, and was released later that year. The R-Zone was panned by critics, and was also a commercial disaster, with its lifespan lasting only two years before being discontinued in 1997. Although the R-Zone was not designed to compete directly with any other handhelds, it marked Tiger Electronics' first multi-game entry into the portable electronic game market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo video game consoles</span> Overview of the various video game consoles released by Nintendo

The Japanese multinational consumer electronics company Nintendo has developed seven home video game consoles and multiple portable consoles for use with external media, as well as dedicated consoles and other hardware for their consoles. As of September 30, 2021, in addition to Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has sold over 863.07 million hardware units.

Nintendo 64 accessories are first-party Nintendo hardware—and third-party hardware, licensed and unlicensed. Nintendo's first-party accessories are mainly transformative system expansions: the 64DD Internet multimedia platform, with a floppy drive, video capture and editor, game building setup, web browser, and online service; the controller plus its own expansions for storage and rumble feedback; and the RAM-boosting Expansion Pak for big improvements in graphics and gameplay. Third-party accessories include the essential game developer tools built by SGI and SN Systems on Nintendo's behalf, an unlicensed SharkWire online service, and unlicensed cheaper counterparts to first-party items. In the fifth generation of video game consoles, the Nintendo 64 had a market lifespan from 1996 to 2002.

The Retroid Pocket 2 is an Android-based handheld video game console created in China by GoRetroid and released in September 2020. An emulation console, it is capable of playing games from various handheld and non-handheld systems, including all consoles up to the Dreamcast. It cannot play normal video game cartridges and is a ROM-only device, legal in China but a legal grey area in the United States, where it is often imported. It is the successor to the Retroid Pocket, and has emerged as a prominent handheld console for retrogaming alongside the Anbernic RG351. It is priced at US$84.99, however, an second version, the Retroid Pocket 2+, was released in early 2022, featuring a touchscreen, stronger CPU and RAM, and higher-quality buttons, at a slightly higher price point of US$99. An third version, the Retroid Pocket 2S, was released in mid 2023, featuring even stronger CPU and RAM. Critics praised its low price and build quality, but its outdated Android version, front end interface, low battery life, and offset analog sticks were noted as points of contention.

References

  1. ↑ "Computerworld". Computerworld: The Newsweekly of Information Systems Management. IDG Enterprise. 31 (51): 63. December 22, 1997. ISSN   0010-4841.
  2. ↑ Fox, Matt (2013). The Video Games Guide: 1,000+ Arcade, Console and Computer Games, 1962–2012 (2nd, illustrated ed.). McFarland. p. 355. ISBN   9781476600673.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Zigterman, Ben (December 16, 2013). "The 10 worst video game consoles of all time". bgr.com.
  4. ↑ Johnston, Chris (September 12, 1997). "Tiger's Game.com Pounces". GameSpot. Retrieved December 31, 2021. Article date is mislabeled as April 26, 2000; the correct date can be viewed by the article's headline on this page.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Beuscher, Dave. "Game.com Biography". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Davis, Cameron. "A Closer Look at the Game.com". VideoGames.com . pp. 1–4. Archived from the original on July 9, 2001. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  7. 1 2 Dunn, Jeff (July 15, 2013). "Chasing Phantoms - The history of failed consoles". GamesRadar. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Reparaz, Mikel (March 29, 2011). "The Top 7... failingest handhelds". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on September 2, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  9. ↑ Beck, Rachel (February 10, 1997). "New toys linked to movies". Battle Creek Enquirer. Associated Press. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  10. 1 2 "Playthings take their cues from movies, TV shows, auto racing". The Morning Call. March 6, 1997. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  11. ↑ Johnston, Chris (June 23, 1997). "Game.com Enters Portable Market". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 12, 1999. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  12. ↑ Lynch, Dennis (June 26, 1997). "Future market". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  13. 1 2 Simross, Lynn (August 12, 1997). "Play, Then Get Serious". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  14. 1 2 3 "Game-player plus". Philadelphia Daily News. August 21, 1997. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Carter, Chip; Carter, Jonathan (September 26, 1997). "Versatile Game.com Leapfrogs Game Boy". Arizona Republic. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Tanner, Mike (September 17, 1997). "Tiger Electronics Enters Handheld Killing Field". Wired. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "New Handheld Roars into Portable Market" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 94. Ziff Davis. May 1997. p. 19. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 31, 2020.
  18. ↑ Johnston, Chris (September 12, 1997). "Tiger's Game.com Pounces". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 13, 1999. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  19. 1 2 Smith, Ernie (August 25, 2016). "Tiger Electronics Took on the Game Boy with Devices as Powerful as Calculators". Motherboard. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  20. 1 2 "Tiger Shining Bright For Sega Titles". Saturn Power . United Kingdom. December 1997. p. 10. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Tiger Roars". GamePro . July 1999. p. 42. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  22. ↑ "First Hands-On Test of Game.com" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 96. Ziff Davis. July 1997. p. 20. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 28, 2018.
  23. ↑ Schneider, Peer (July 19, 1999). "Jeopardy (Game.com)". IGN. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  24. 1 2 Edwards, Benj (July 14, 2009). "The 10 Worst Video Game Systems of All Time". PC World . Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  25. ↑ "Power Play". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 106. Ziff Davis. May 1998. pp. 22–23.
  26. 1 2 "Tiger unleashes Game.com Pocket Pro" . Florida Today. July 14, 1999. Retrieved September 8, 2018– via Newspapers.com.
  27. 1 2 "Finally, a serious player prepares to go head-to-head with Game Boy" . The Journal News . July 8, 1999. Retrieved September 8, 2018– via Newspapers.com.
  28. ↑ Lockwood Tooher, Nora (February 14, 1999). "Hasbro celebrates". Providence Journal. Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2018– via NewsLibrary.
  29. ↑ Kennedy, Sam (May 24, 1999). "Tiger Shows New Game.com Lineup". GameSpot. Archived from the original on January 29, 2000. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  30. 1 2 3 4 O'Neal, Denise I. (June 11, 1999). "Toys hold kids' interest indoors". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2018– via NewsLibrary.
  31. ↑ "Game.com Pocket Pro user guide". Archive.org . Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  32. ↑ "Game.com, Bloody Roar get A ratings" . Tampa Bay Times. August 16, 1999. Retrieved September 8, 2018– via Newspapers.com.
  33. 1 2 "Tiger Electronics returns with new gaming hardware". Siliconera . September 11, 2007. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  34. ↑ Mulkerin, Tim (August 8, 2016). "13 video game consoles you've probably never heard of". Business Insider . Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  35. 1 2 Kohler, Chris (October 8, 2010). "Failure in My Pocket: Gaming's Tortured History of Handheld Convergence". Wired. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  36. ↑ Vore, Brian (December 23, 2011). "What The 3DS Circle Pad Add-On Shares With History's Silliest Portable Consoles". Game Informer . Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  37. ↑ Damien, McFerran (October 29, 2016). "How we got to the Switch: a brief history of Nintendo controllers". TechRadar . Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  38. 1 2 3 "Game Boy Has a Rival Now" . Wisconsin State Journal. September 26, 1997. Retrieved September 7, 2018– via Newspapers.com.
  39. 1 2 3 4 5 "Internet connection on Tiger's Game.com does not earn its stripes" . The Philadelphia Inquirer . December 25, 1997. Retrieved September 7, 2018– via Newspapers.com.
  40. ↑ "Tiger Game.com – RetroGaming At Cyberphreak.com" . Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  41. ↑ "SM8521 CONTENTS" (PDF). SHARP. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  42. ↑ "The Game.com". GamePro. December 1997. p. 57. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  43. 1 2 "Game.com: Will it Beat Game Boy?". Next Generation . No. 31. Imagine Media. July 1997. pp. 26–27.
  44. 1 2 "Portable video games that keep the peace" . The Philadelphia Inquirer. July 22, 1999. Retrieved September 14, 2018– via Newspapers.com.
  45. ↑ "Games for the Game.com". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014.
  46. 1 2 Cassidy. "Tiger Game.com (1997-2000)". badgamehalloffame.com. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  47. ↑ "EGM's Special Report: Which System Is Best?". 1998 Video Game Buyer's Guide. Ziff Davis. March 1998. p. 58.
  48. ↑ Kent, Steven L. (August 6, 1998). "Are You Game?". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  49. ↑ Weiss, Brett Alan. "Indy 500 - Review (Game.com)". AllGame . Archived from the original on November 15, 2014.
  50. ↑ Kent, Steven L. (January 31, 2004). "Nintendo's got game for newest challenge". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  51. ↑ Melanson, Donald (March 3, 2006). "A Brief History of Handheld Video Games". Engadget. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  52. ↑ Oxford, Nadia (August 1, 2018). "Once More, with Weirdness: 8 of the Strangest Ports in Video Game History". USgamer. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.