Game.com Handheld System Review

The game.com Unit

The game.com was a horizontal handheld unit (similar to the PSP) and what made it unique was that it had a 200x160 dot-matrix style touchscreen that was capable of 4 shades of gray. The screen also had a backlight, which you needed on most of the time. Now why a touchscreen? Most of the games utilized the pad and 4 buttons, but there were internal programs, like a calendar that you used the stylus for. Also, you needed the stylus for the Internet program, which was sold separately.

The Internet You Say

I said the Internet. You could buy the Internet program cartridge and serial link cable to access text based Internet and e-mail services (which Tiger also provided). All you needed was an external modem with a minimum speed of 14.4. Who needs the PSP Wi-fi when you can carry around an external modem, the cable, the game.com system, the Internet cartridge, and plug in to any phone jack? And what about the speeds of 14.4 and higher? Look out AOL.

The Games

The game.com didn’t have the library the Game Boy had, or the advertising. Sonic the Hedgehog had a game, as did the Resident Evil franchise. You could get movie licensed games like Batman and Robin and even a Formula One racer. And did I mention that built right into the system was Solitaire? I mean, that’s all you really need!

The Problem

Unfortunately, besides the lack of advertising, the game.com system was stocked in the wrong spot at retailers considering it was, at it’s heart, a handheld video game system. You could find the game.com in the toys department rather than in the electronics department and I think this hurt it’s sales. I doubt it would have dominated the handheld market like the Game Boy, but it could have had a loyal following.

Thompson’s Two Cents

The game.com is now a collector’s item since Hasbro stopped making games many, many years ago (I believe the life-span of the system was just over a year). Most of the games are now sought after because they were spin-offs of original franchises (like Resident Evil). I still play my game.com system from time to time and I can never get enough Solitaire.