How has handheld gaming changed in the past decades? Technology has taken this gaming niche from the black and white graphics of yesterday to the world of HD and 3D. Take a look at some of the most notable gaming units.
Game Boy (1989)
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Selling over 100 million units, according to PC World, the Game Boy is the classic of all handheld gaming systems. Despite a fuzzier picture than its competitors, at the time, its low price point ($109) and exceptional game lineup allowed it to stand out for years.
Sega Game Gear (1990)
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The Game Gear was probably the biggest challenger to the Game Boy, while, of course, it did not necessarily succeed. A nice selection of games gave it some favorability for some gamers, as well as its color screen.
Neo-Geo Pocket/Pocket Color (1998-99)
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The expensive home system made a portable showing in the late 1990s, first releasing in black and white. A year later it added a color offering, though it never caught much attention from gamers.
Game Boy Color (1998)
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It took nine years for Game Boy lovers to get a major change – and it came with a widely-accepted color screen. Backward compatibility and better technical capabilities allowed Nintendo to continue dominating the handheld marketing scene for years.
Game Boy Advance/Advance Sp/Micro(2001/2003/2005)
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A slew of Game Boy Advance products came in the early millennium, which added some unique features to the mix. Significant was the Game Boy Advance SP, which added a front-lit screen for easy gaming.
Nintendo DS/DS Lite (2004/2005)
Via Flickr by Mike Rowehl
Nintendo made another big change in its lineup with the DS and DS Lite. Par for the course in the company’s history, gamers loved the games that became available on the device.
Add in built-in WiFi and a thinner version of the DS, and it’s easy to see why the DS models became a hit.
PlayStation Portable (2004)
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A handheld product was only natural for the PlayStation brand, due to the success of its home console product. It was poised for success with its superior graphics and networking features.
It didn’t turn out that way. Instead, the DS outsold the PSP by approximately 2:1, according to PC World. There have also been several updates to the PSP with the PSP-2000, the PSP-3000, and the PSP Go.
Wii U (2012)
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The latest handheld gaming system is Nintendo’s Wii U GamePad, which blends traditional and handheld gaming into one.
The Wii U system functions with the Wii. The 6.2-inch, 16:9 LCD touch-screen GamePad can stand alone, offer a new perspective while gaming on a TV, and even function as a motion-activated controller.
This affordable offering from Nintendo is also fully HD compatible. With 3D images and impressive compatibility, the Wii U is poised to surpass its competition in the handheld and console gaming market.
Overall, the evolution of handheld gaming units has seen an incredibly transformation. At the moment, it seems like the latest major offering (Wii U) will mirror the first (Game Boy) in the superiority of Nintendo’s contributions.
Author Bio: Shaun Chatman is a freelance writer by night and a gym trainer in the day. Happily married and father of two gregarious kids, Shaun lives in Dunedin, FL, and spends his free time playing with his kids, watching or playing sports, or helping people to find more information on anything tech related from cloud hosting to smart gadgets.
These wonderful tech gadgets sure have come a long way. It’s somewhat mind blowing the interactive element of the newer handhelds. Thanks for the fun article!
Personally I think the WII U is taking a step in the wrong direction. Is this really a concept that Nintendo wants to stick with for the next 5,6, maybe 7 years. Looks like a gimmick if you ask me.
I was born in ’89 and the gameboy was my first handheld and my last one – i really loved my gameboy. I cant remember when i used it the last time – i should search it and start gaming on it again. Gameboy was a fantastic invention