Retro handheld electronic games

Fengol

http://www.pica-pic.com/

I don't know who ever had or played with these handheld electronic games but they were before the Gameboy and I thought at the time they were pretty cool. Now there's a website emulating them.

Looking at them now with designer eyes, I think it's fairly incredible that they managed to get the illusion of animation and movement using fixed positions in the play area. It kind of makes me want to challenge myself to make a game where everything must be in a fixed position.

Design thoughts?

duncanbellsa

Ah good old Game n' Watch. I had the Donkey Kong one, man this brings back memories!

I suppose hand-held consoles couldn't match what their console/pc equivalents could do. Come to think of it, it's amazing that they got some of the same licenses of popular games.

I agree with you that it's rather interesting that the same mechanics are applied to each game. In most of them, you evade and then try "score". Come to think of it, most games almost follow that formula. Avoid the bad, get the good :D.

Fengol

Here's the Angry Video Game Nerd talking about a different brand Tiger Electronic Games; but essentially the game type of games.

retroFuture

For anyone interested in playing these games online, go here.

retroFuture

@duncanbellsa Although I agree that the handheld consoles of the time were indeed rather weak, consoles such as the Gameboy, whilst technically weak, can still provide an engaging experience. The Game & Watch / Tiger handhelds on the other hand are just plain obsolete, nothing but a novelty of their time with little to no engagement beyond the simplest repetitions.

duncanbellsa

@retrofuture Yeah you're definitely right. It's more figuring out a pattern as opposed to developing a skill...

sashabii

My dad still has his Time Out 'Fireman Fireman' game (minus a battery cover, but let's not go there...)

I grew up playing Super Mario Land on an original Gameboy and there was something to it that isn't necessarily there in New Super Mario Bros and them today. Like the fact that once you died you literally lost everything and had to start again, it added a bit of thrill and value to the game, you wouldn't just mess around in danger of losing a few levels.

I dunno, I miss that a bit :p