Portable video games have been ubiquitous for much longer than you think – starting in the 1980’s with the popular Nintendo Game & Watch series that used early LCD technology. But not until the iPhone did gaming become something everyone – from kids to moms to CEOs – could do. With the release of Sony’s latest handheld, the PS Vita, we decided to look back at all of the “game changers” we have seen throughout the years.
Here is an assortment of machines that Let It Flow readers should keep in their collection for a multitude of reasons:
The Nostalgia Award: Nintendo Game Boy
When this machine was released in 1989, Nintendo had already achieved its first round of dominance in the video game industry, and successfully did the same in the portable gaming market. Though a little bulky by today’s standards and featuring only a non-backlit, black and white LCD screen, the original Game Boy captured the fun and magic of a home system and put it in the pocket of millions of people. This system also has seen the longest production run of any machine, producing size, color and screen variants over 14 years, as well as spawning the DS and 3DS. www.nintendo.com
The Gutsy Award: Sony PS Vita
We know the PS Vita is brand new, but we put it on the list because only Sony would release something that is aimed for hardcore enthusiasts who know how essential actual buttons are for real gaming. While many people seem content with touch screens, the Vita does remind you how much a tactile response adds so much to a video game experience, and this machine also offers bells and whistles including two analog sticks, a 5” touchsceeen, a trackpad backplate, WiFi and 3G capabilities, and graphics that look almost as good as current home systems. We can’t vouch for its future success, but do marvel at its quality and potential. us.playstation.com/psvita
The Obscurity Award: The Turbo Express
As one of the most underappreciated game systems ever released, the TurboGrafx 16, should have been the successor to the Nintendo NES (as it was in Japan). Yet around the world, the more appealing Sega Genesis and the eventual release of the Super NES eclipsed NEC’s system, basically because of poor marketing. The TurboExpress took the console and made it portable, and was the first machine to do so (the Sega Nomad did the same for the Genesis years later), and could also double as a portable TV with its optional tuner. But the price – actually the same as the PS Vita today – was simply too expensive back in 1990. www.nec.com
The Last Breath Award: Atari Lynx
Atari was the original king of gaming. If you were able to formulate sentences in the early 1980’s you either had or played an Atari 2600 before abandoning it for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The Lynx should have been the king of handhelds in 1989, as it was the first to sport a color screen and laid the groundwork for machines like the Nintendo DS, PSP and PS Vita. But it was far bigger than the Game Boy (released earlier that same year), had terrible battery life, and lacked third-party games. The failure of this system was truly the beginning of the end for this once great company. www.atari.com
The All Around Award: iPod Touch
The iPhone can’t make this list because it is a phone, not an entertainment machine. But its less capable bother, the iPod Touch, embodies where a big chunk of portable gaming systems have gone and will go in the future – casual, quick, and touchscreen capable. We still think that physical buttons are essential for good gaming, but as the graphics and responsiveness of these types of devices continues to advance, you can be sure that button-less, multi-purpose machines will outnumber hardcore PS Vita type, home system inspired handhelds. And, let’s be honest, this may already have happened. www.apple.com/ipodtouch
View Comments
Loading ...
