Handheld consoles have been a significant part of the gaming industry for decades, offering portable gaming experiences that allow players to enjoy their favorite games on the go. These devices have evolved considerably over time, from simple LCD-based systems to sophisticated multimedia platforms.
This page will cover not the obscure commerical handheld consoles that many people may have forgotten about.
The Game.com (pronounced “game com”) was a handheld game console released by Tiger Electronics in 1997. It was designed to compete with other handheld gaming devices of its time, such as the Nintendo Game Boy and the Sega Game Gear. However, despite some innovative features, the Game.com ultimately struggled to gain traction in the market.
Tiger Game (dot) com Reverse Engineering
For more information about the Game.com check out this post.
The GP32 is a handheld gaming console developed by the South Korean company Game Park Holdings. It was released in November 2001. One of the notable features of the GP32 was its open architecture, which allowed independent developers to create and distribute their own games and applications for the platform without the need for official licensing or approval.
The GP32 was powered by a 133 MHz ARM 920T (32-bit RISC) processor and featured a 320x240 pixel LCD screen. It utilized SmartMedia cards for game storage, allowing users to easily swap out games and applications. The device also had built-in support for MP3 playback and electronic books, expanding its functionality beyond gaming.
Although the GP32 did not achieve the same level of commercial success as some of its competitors, such as the Nintendo Game Boy Advance, it gained a dedicated following among enthusiasts and indie developers due to its open nature and potential for homebrew development.
There were 28 commercial games released for the GP32, Wikipedia has a page listing them all: List of commercial GP32 games - Wikipedia
The GP2X is a handheld gaming console developed by the South Korean company GamePark Holdings. It was released in 2005 as the successor to the GP32. The GP2X was notable for its open architecture and support for homebrew software, much like its predecessor.
The GP2X ran on a Linux-based operating system, which provided a stable and customizable platform for developers
The Pokemon Mini was a low profile handheld games console developed by Nintendo’s System Development Division (SDD) in partnership with Jupiter Corporation and released in Japan on December 14th 2001.
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Pokemon Mini
For more information about the Pokemon Mini check out this post.
The Wonderswan is a classic video game console that was only ever released in Japan (on 4th March 1999).
Wonderswan Reverse Engineering
For more information about the Bandai Wonderswan check out this post.
The Atari Lynx is a handheld gaming console released by Atari Corporation in September 1989. One of the most significant features of the Atari Lynx was its color LCD screen compared to the Game Boy’s monochrome screen.
The Game Gear was a handheld gaming console that was released by SEGA in 1990, and was notable for its full-color backlit screen and library of classic SEGA games.
Sega Game Gear Reverse Engineering
For more information about the Sega Game Gear check out this post.
