The History of Handheld Games Part 1

TCW Podcast Episode 198 - The History of Handheld Games Part 1   Recorded in front of a live-streaming audience, we delve into the captivating history of handheld games, commencing with an unexpected origin—the pocket-sized calculator. The innovative strides made in pocket calculator technology paved the way for toy companies to venture into the realm of handheld electronic games, resulting in classics such as Mattel Football and Auto Race. As advancements and reduced production costs followed, favorites like Simon and Merlin emerged. However, the early games faced a common challenge—the limitations of display capabilities at an affordable price point. To overcome this hurdle, inventive technologies like nixie tubes, VFD displays, and LEDs were harnessed to deliver engaging gameplay experiences. Notably, the VFD display mini arcades left a lasting mark, offering some of the most captivating recreations of popular arcade titles. This is part 1 of a 3-part series, exploring the evolution of handheld gaming and revealing the creative solutions and technological milestones that have defined this interactive landscape.   How it's Made Vacuum Tubes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n4WVRKkmww Integrated Circuits Crash Course Computer Science: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-tKOHICqrI How Pocket Calculators Changed Electronics Forever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goB47Cgqxfs Nixie Tube Clock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yS5w98xmwI Nixie Tube Calculator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k49_PG5CUAk Eversharp Mechanical Pencil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPoL2Ny4NmA TCW 025 - Mattel Electronics?: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/mattel-electronics/ TCW 177 - The Intellivision Part 1: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-intellivision-part-1/ TCW 178 - The Intellivision Part 2: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-intellivision-part-2/ Mattel Football: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ5TVoVD5Ss Mattel Auto Race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l72CDVzrtiQ Touch Me Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV8y2oDzIeg Simon Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MOBW8f0CU0 Merlin Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZWlIm0jy30 Inside Tokyo's tiniest luxury apartment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ7Bu_SDJgM VFD Displays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkPSDOjhxwM In a Minute VFD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=tAss5GJRKrg Slot Cars Racetrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TlExU8j984 Slot Cars Racing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNg2g3oODH8 TonyTronic PacMan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX86fRdilGc Epoch Invader From Space Handheld: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed4atls32wU Entex Galaxian 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov9YiOw-lvA Entex Pac Man 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqnQzU0erno TCW 124 - The Visions of Coleco Part 1: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-visions-of-coleco-part-1/ TCW 125 - The Visions of Coleco Part 2: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-visions-of-coleco-part-2/ Coleco Mini Arcade Frogger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzOtMB-lU9c 8-Bit Guy - Mini Tabletop Arcade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iuo0njOI-qE Entex Adventure Vision: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYnCwNKaVAM Adventure Vision all 4 Games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUwS1PipKXQ Browser Gameplay of Adventure Vision: https://archive.org/details/adventurevision_library   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @tcwpodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book, published Dec 2019, is available at CRC Press and at major on-line retailers: http://bit.ly/TCWBOOK1   Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode -  Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode  Outro Music: RolemMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/