Handheld electronic game

Last updated
Coleco Electronic Quarterback (1978) Coleco Electronic Quarterback.jpg
Coleco Electronic Quarterback (1978)

Handheld electronic games are interactive electronic games, often miniaturized versions of video games, that are played on portable handheld devices, known as handheld game consoles, whose controls, display and speakers are all part of a single unit. Rather than a general-purpose screen made up of a grid of small pixels, they usually have custom displays designed to play one game. This simplicity means they can be made as small as a smartwatch, and sometimes are. The visual output of these games can range from a few small light bulbs or LED lights to calculator-like alphanumerical screens; later these were mostly displaced by liquid crystal and vacuum fluorescent display screens with detailed images and in the case of VFD games, color. Handhelds' popularity was at its peak from the late 1970s into the early 1990s before declining. They are the precursors to the handheld game console.

Contents

History

A variant of Pac-Man by the Japanese toy company Tomy from 1981. It was sold as Puck Man in Japan, the original Japanese name of the game. TOMY LSI PACMAN handheld electronic game.jpg
A variant of Pac-Man by the Japanese toy company Tomy from 1981. It was sold as Puck Man in Japan, the original Japanese name of the game.

Early handheld games used simple mechanisms to interact with players, often limited to illuminated buttons and sound effects. Early handheld games include Mattel Auto Race (1976) and Mattel Electronic Football (1977), [1] which have simple red-LED displays; gameplay involves pressing buttons to move a car or quarterback icon (represented by a bright dot) to avoid obstacles (represented by less bright dots).

In 1978 the Milton Bradley Company entered the handheld market with Simon , a simple color-and-sound-matching game. Simon had no dedicated display, but featured four colored, lighted buttons; the original version was large enough to be used as a tabletop game or a handheld; later versions became increasingly smaller. The same year, Parker Brothers also released Merlin , a more sophisticated handheld which could play six different games using an array of 11 buttons with integrated LEDs. Despite their relative simplicity, each of these early games was highly successful.

The initial success of Mattel and Parker Brothers' entries spawned a wave of similar handheld devices which were released through the early 1980s. Notable among these were a series of popular 2-player "head-to-head" games from Coleco. Other games were miniaturized versions of popular arcade video games.

In 1979, Gunpei Yokoi, traveling on a bullet train, saw a bored businessman playing with an LCD calculator by pressing the buttons. Yokoi then thought of an idea for a watch that doubled as a miniature game machine for killing time, a game watch. [2] Starting in 1980, Nintendo began to release a series of electronic games designed by Yokoi called the Game & Watch games. [3] Taking advantage of the technology used in the credit-card-sized calculators that had appeared on the market, Yokoi designed the series of LCD-based games to include a digital time display in the corner of the screen. [4] For later, more complicated Game & Watch games, Yokoi invented a cross shaped directional pad or "D-pad" for control of on-screen characters. [5] Yokoi also included his directional pad on the Famicom game console's controllers, and the cross-shaped thumb controller soon became standard on game console controllers and ubiquitous across the video game industry as a replacement for the joystick.[ citation needed ]

During the 1980s, LCDs became inexpensive and largely replaced LED displays in handheld games. The use of custom images in LCD and VFD games allows for greater detail and eliminates the blocky, pixelated look of console screens, but not without drawbacks. All graphics are fixed in place, requiring every possible location and state of game objects to be preset—often visible when resetting a game—with no overlap. The illusion of movement is created by sequentially flashing objects between their possible states. Backgrounds for these games are static drawings, layered behind the "moving" graphics, which are transparent when not in use. Due to these limitations, the gameplay of early LCD games was often even cruder than that of their LED predecessors.

Some of the more well-known handheld games of the LCD era are the Game & Watch series by Nintendo and the games by Tiger Electronics, and many titles from other companies were also popular, especially conversions of arcade games. New games are still being made, but most are based on relatively simple card and board games.

Bandai LCD Solarpower

A Bandai LCD Solarpower Bandai LCD Solarpower.jpg
A Bandai LCD Solarpower

In 1982, the Bandai LCD Solarpower series were the first solar-powered gaming devices. Some of its games, such as the horror-themed game Terror House, featured two LCD panels, one stacked on the other, for an early 3D effect. [6] In 1983, Takara Tomy's Tomytronic 3D series simulated 3D by having two LED panels that were lit by external light through a window on top of the device, making it the first dedicated home video 3D hardware. [7]

The LCD Solarpower series are handheld electronic games powered by solar energy made by Bandai in 1982. The games in the Double Panel series feature two LCD panels [8] stacked on top of each other. This allows these games to progress in 2 stages for more variation in game play.

Games

It comprises the following games:

First series:

Invaders of the Mummy's Tomb (謎のピラミッド, Nazo no Pyramid), ref. 16265 and 16813 for the re-release
Escape from the Devil's Doom (天国と地獄, Tengoku to Jigoku), ref. 16264
Sub Attack (激戦Uボート, Gekisen U-Boat) / (Sub Patrol in UK), ref. 16280
Break Out (大脱走, Daidassou), ref. 16282
Shark Island (恐怖の無人島, Kyofu no Mujintou), ref. 16281
Nazo No Chinbotsusen (謎の沈没船, Nazo no Chinbotsusen), ref. 16288, released in Japan only

Second series (Double Panel):

Amazone (秘境アマゾン, Hikyo Amazon), ref. 16815
Terror House (悪霊の館, Akuryo no Yakata), ref. 16814
Frankenstein (ミスターフランケン, Mr. Franken), ref. 16817
Airport Panic (エアポートパニック, Airport Panic), ref. 16818

Other handheld games were built as flipcases and had two or even three LCDs with different foreground and background scenes, offering some variety in the gameplay.

Handhelds today

Brick Game Brick Game.png
Brick Game

Despite the increasing sophistication of handheld consoles such as the Nintendo Switch, dedicated handhelds continue to find a niche. Among technophilic gamer subcultures like Akiba-kei, unique control schemes like that of the 2008 Tuttuki Bako have been proven salable due to novelty, but dedicated handhelds such as this are uncommon. Adult fads such as blackjack, poker, and Sudoku also spawn dozens of original and knockoff handheld games.

The Chinese/Russian Brick Game, popular in the early 1990s, includes games using a 10 × 20 block grid as a crude, low resolution dot matrix screen. Such devices often have many variations of Tetris and sometimes even other kinds of games like racing, Breakout or even shoot 'em up, such as those resembling Galaga or Battle City , where one block projects blocks at the "enemy" blocks. The most advanced of these designs usually have 26 distinct games sorted in alphabetical letters and feature multi-channel sound, voice synthesis or digital sounds samples, and internal CMOS memory which can save the current game progress and high scores when the system is turned off. Many of these handhelds with a dozen such games are marketed as having hundreds or even thousands of games (e.g. "9999 in 1"), though the vast majority are just different speed and difficulty settings. The most basic can now be sold as low as $1.

At the lowest end of handheld game sophistication, there is also the "avoid/catch the falling objects" game. These games are controlled with 2 movement buttons, and sport a screen with a column of player positions, and rows of projectiles to animate towards the player. The player and projectiles could be any picture, from tanks dodging missiles to a dog catching sausages.

See also

Related Research Articles

<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 players to carry them and play them at any time or place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microvision</span> First handheld game console that used interchangeable ROM cartridges

The Microvision is the first handheld game console that used interchangeable cartridges and in that sense is reprogrammable. It was released by the Milton Bradley Company in November 1979 for a retail price of $49.99, equivalent to $212.00 in 2023.

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

The Virtual Boy is a 32-bit tabletop portable video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. Released in 1995, it was marketed as the first console capable of displaying stereoscopic 3D graphics. The player uses the console like a head-mounted display, placing the head against the eyepiece to see a red monochrome display. The games use a parallax effect to create the illusion of depth. Sales failed to meet targets, and Nintendo ceased distribution and game development in 1996, having released only 22 games for the system.

<i>Super Mario Land</i> 1989 video game

Super Mario Land is a 1989 platform game developed and published by Nintendo as a launch game for its Game Boy handheld game console. It is the first Mario platform game to have been released for a handheld console. In gameplay similar to that of the 1985 Super Mario Bros., but resized for the smaller device's screen, the player advances Mario to the end of 12 levels by moving to the right and jumping across platforms to avoid enemies and pitfalls. Unlike the other Mario games, Super Mario Land is set in Sarasaland, a new environment depicted in line art, and Mario pursues the debuting Princess Daisy. The game has two Gradius-style shooter levels.

<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">Gunpei Yokoi</span> Japanese video game designer (1941–1997)

Gunpei Yokoi, sometimes transliterated as Gumpei Yokoi, was a Japanese toy maker and video game designer. As a long-time Nintendo employee, he was best known as creator of the Game & Watch handheld system, inventor of the cross-shaped Control Pad, the original designer of the Game Boy, and producer of a few long-running and critically acclaimed video game franchises such as Metroid and Kid Icarus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Game & Watch</span> Fictional character and representation of the Game & Watch

Mr. Game & Watch is a 2D generic stick figure-styled silhouette character, created by Nintendo as an amalgamation of various characters that appeared in the Game & Watch handheld consoles. He was created by Gunpei Yokoi, with an intention of representing the Game & Watch collection, as the consoles had no main mascot, rather characters designed for the minigames. He debuted in Ball from Game & Watch. Mr. Game & Watch has appeared as a cameo in several other Nintendo games, such as Donkey Kong Country Returns, WarioWare: Touched!, Rhythm Heaven Fever and Super Mario Odyssey.

The history of video game consoles, both home and handheld, began in the 1970s. The first console that played games on a television set was the 1972 Magnavox Odyssey, first conceived by Ralph H. Baer in 1966. Handheld consoles originated from electro-mechanical games that 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D-pad</span> Input device for a video game controller

A D-pad is a flat, typically thumb-operated, directional control. D-pads are found on nearly all modern gamepads, handheld game consoles, and audiovisual device remote controls. Because they operate using four internal push-buttons, the vast majority of D-pads provide discrete, rather than continuous, directional options—typically limited to up, down, left, and right, and sometimes offering intermediate diagonals by means of two-button combinations.

<i>Marios Cement Factory</i> 1983 LCD game

Mario's Cement Factory is a 1983 LCD game developed and published by Nintendo under their Game & Watch series. It follows earlier Mario games, like the arcade and Game & Watch versions of Donkey Kong. Players control Mario as he navigates elevators and funnels cement through a factory, while trying to prevent the cement from crushing his fellow workers. Two versions of the game were released — a Table Top unit and a handheld game akin to most other Game & Watch titles. Development was headed by Nintendo R&D1, led by engineer Gunpei Yokoi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic game</span> Game that employs electronics to create an interactive system with which a player can play

An electronic game is a game that uses electronics to create an interactive system with which a player can play. Video games are the most common form today, and for this reason the two terms are often used interchangeably. There are other common forms of electronic games, including handheld electronic games, standalone arcade game systems, and exclusively non-visual products.

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 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">Nintendo Research & Development 1</span> Japanese video game developer

Nintendo Research & Development No. 1 Department was a division of Nintendo, and is its oldest development team. Its creation coincided with Nintendo's entry into the video game industry, and the original R&D1 was headed by Gunpei Yokoi. The developer has created several notable Nintendo series such as Metroid, Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong.

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

The Game Boy is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo, launched in the Japanese home market on April 21, 1989, followed by North America and Europe later that year. Following the success of the Game & Watch single-game handhelds, Nintendo developed the Game Boy to be more like a portable console, with interchangeable cartridges. The concept proved highly successful and the Game Boy became a cultural icon of the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Nintendo</span>

The history of Nintendo is from 1889 to the present, starting as a playing-card company to eventually becoming a multinational video game conglomerate. It has always remained headquartered in Kyoto, Japan.

<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>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo Research & Engineering</span> Former hardware development department by Nintendo

Nintendo Research & Engineering Department, commonly abbreviated as Nintendo RED, was a Japanese hardware development department responsible for developing all of Nintendo's major handheld game consoles, and its associated peripherals, from its inception in 1996 all the way to 2012, when it was disbanded. The department was under Nintendo's manufacturing division, and was led by Satoru Okada. The department was created in 1996 following Nintendo Research & Development 1's (R&D1) general manager and Game & Watch and Game Boy creator, Gunpei Yokoi's departure from Nintendo. Most of the department's team originate from R&D1's hardware engineers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game & Watch</span> Series of handheld electronic games by Nintendo

The Game & Watch is a line of handheld electronic games created by Nintendo. Released from 1980 to 1991, these devices were the brainchild of designer Gunpei Yokoi. Their name reflects their dual functionality: a single game paired with a digital clock on an LCD screen. Starting in 1981, models also included an alarm. In North America, the games were originally released through Mego Corporation as the Time-Out series; this line, consisting of Ball, Vermin, and Fire, was discontinued later that year, with Nintendo of America subsequently distributing the series themselves under their original titles.

<i>Ball</i> (Game & Watch) 1980 LCD game

Ball is a Game & Watch game released as a part of the Silver series on April 28, 1980. It was the first Game & Watch game released, and has been released a number of times over the years in a number of ways. Multiple games and accessories feature Ball as an Easter egg, including the Game Boy Camera and Kanji Sonomama DS Rakubiki Jiten. It also frequently appeared in the Game & Watch Gallery series, which both compiles Game & Watch games and remakes them with Mario characters. It was also released for the DSi on the DSi Shop as an individual game along with several other Game & Watch games.

References

  1. DP Interviews. Digitpress.com. Retrieved on 2013-09-27.
  2. "The Escapist: Searching for Gunpei Yokoi". Archived from the original on 2014-02-13. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  3. Pollack, Andrew (1997-10-09). "Gunpei Yokoi, Chief Designer Of Game Boy, Is Dead at 56". The New York Times.
  4. Sheff, David (1999). Game Over: Press Start to Continue. GamePress. p. 28. ISBN   978-0-9669617-0-6.
  5. Buchanan, Levi (2008-09-08). "From Janitor to Superstar Gunpei Yokoi, inventor of the Game Boy, would have been 67 this week". IGN. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  6. The top ten retro gaming secrets (page 3) Archived 2012-01-23 at the Wayback Machine , PC Pro
  7. The top ten retro gaming secrets (page 1) Archived 2012-01-15 at the Wayback Machine , PC Pro
  8. two LCD panels