Editing Handheld game console (section)

=== Beginnings ===
The late 1980s and early 1990s saw the beginnings of the modern-day handheld game console industry, after the demise of the Microvision. As [[backlit]] LCD game consoles with color graphics consume a lot of power, they were not battery-friendly like the non-backlit original Game Boy whose monochrome graphics allowed longer battery life. By this point, [[rechargeable battery]] technology had not yet matured and so the more advanced game consoles of the time such as the [[Sega Game Gear]] and [[Atari Lynx]] did not have nearly as much success as the Game Boy.

Even though third-party rechargeable batteries were available for the battery-hungry alternatives to the Game Boy, these batteries employed a [[Nickel-cadmium battery|nickel-cadmium]] process and had to be completely discharged before being recharged to ensure maximum efficiency; lead-acid batteries could be used with automobile circuit limiters (cigarette lighter plug devices); but the batteries had mediocre portability. The later [[Nickel-metal hydride battery|NiMH]] batteries, which do not share this requirement for maximum efficiency, were not released until the late 1990s, years after the Game Gear, Atari Lynx, and original Game Boy had been discontinued. During the time when technologically superior handhelds had strict technical limitations, batteries had a very low [[ampere hour|mAh]] rating since batteries with heavy power density were not yet available.

Modern game systems such as the [[Nintendo DS]] and [[PlayStation Portable]] have rechargeable [[Lithium-ion battery|Lithium-Ion]] batteries with proprietary shapes. Other seventh-generation consoles, such as the [[GP2X]], use standard [[Alkaline battery|alkaline batteries]]. Because the mAh rating of alkaline batteries has increased since the 1990s, the power needed for handhelds like the GP2X may be supplied by relatively few batteries.

==== Game Boy ====
[[File:Game-Boy-Original.jpg|right|thumb|130px|The original Game Boy]]
{{Main|Game Boy}}
[[Nintendo]] released the Game Boy on April 21, 1989 (September 1990 for the UK). The design team headed by [[Gunpei Yokoi]] had also been responsible for the [[Game & Watch]] system, as well as the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] games ''[[Metroid]]'' and ''[[Kid Icarus]]''. The Game Boy came under scrutiny by Nintendo president [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]], saying that the monochrome screen was too small, and the processing power was inadequate. The design team had felt that low initial cost and battery economy were more important concerns, and when compared to the Microvision, the Game Boy was a huge leap forward.

Yokoi recognized that the Game Boy needed a [[Killer application|killer app]]—at least one game that would define the console, and persuade customers to buy it. In June 1988, [[Minoru Arakawa]], then-CEO of Nintendo of America saw a demonstration of the game ''[[Tetris]]'' at a trade show. Nintendo purchased the rights for the game, and packaged it with the Game Boy system as a [[Glossary of video game terms#Launch title|launch title]]. It was almost an immediate hit. By the end of the year more than a million units were sold in the US.<ref name="GBsales1989">{{cite web |url=http://firstarkansasnews.net/2011/01/game-boy-nintendo-dominates-the-portable-market/ |title=Game Boy — Nintendo dominates the portable market |access-date=April 28, 2011 |date=January 22, 2011 |publisher=First Arkansas News |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123202930/http://firstarkansasnews.net/2011/01/game-boy-nintendo-dominates-the-portable-market/ |archive-date=January 23, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> As of March 31, 2005, the Game Boy and [[Game Boy Color]] combined to sell over 118 million units worldwide.<ref name="nintendoannualreport2005">{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.com/corp/report/NintendoAnnualReport2005.pdf |title=05 Annual Report |access-date=March 22, 2008  |date=March 31, 2006 |publisher=Nintendo Co., Ltd. |page=65 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051215033905/https://www.nintendo.com/corp/report/NintendoAnnualReport2005.pdf |archive-date=December 15, 2005 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="GBsales">{{cite web|url=http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/game_consoles/source/7.htm |title=Game Boy |access-date=March 22, 2008 |work=A Brief History of Game Console Warfare |publisher=[[BusinessWeek]] |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070509094404/http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/game_consoles/source/7.htm |archive-date=May 9, 2007 }}</ref>{{clear}}

==== Atari Lynx ====
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{{Main|Atari Lynx}}
In 1987, [[Epyx]] created the Handy Game; a device that would become the Atari Lynx in 1989. It is the first color handheld console ever made, as well as the first with a [[backlight|backlit]] screen. It also features networking support with up to 17 other players, and advanced hardware that allows the zooming and scaling of sprites. The Lynx can also be turned upside down to accommodate [[Left-handedness|left-handed]] players. However, all these features came at a very high price point, which drove consumers to seek cheaper alternatives. The Lynx is also very unwieldy, consumes batteries very quickly, and lacked the third-party support enjoyed by its competitors. Due to its high price, short battery life, production shortages, a dearth of compelling games, and Nintendo's aggressive marketing campaign, and despite a redesign in 1991, the Lynx became a [[List of commercial failures in video gaming|commercial failure]]. Despite this, companies like Telegames helped to keep the system alive long past its commercial relevance, and when new owner Hasbro released the rights to develop for the public domain, independent developers like Songbird have managed to release new commercial games for the system every year until 2004's ''Winter Games''.{{clear}}

==== TurboExpress ====
[[File:NEC-TurboExpress-Upright-FL.jpg|thumb|150px|TurboExpress handheld]]
{{Main|TurboExpress}}
The TurboExpress is a portable version of the TurboGrafx, released in 1990 for $249.99. Its Japanese equivalent is the [[TurboExpress|PC Engine GT]].

It is the most advanced handheld of its time and can play all the [[TurboGrafx-16]]'s games (which are on a small, credit-card sized media called [[HuCard]]s). It has a 66&nbsp;mm (2.6 in.) screen, the same as the original Game Boy, but in a much higher resolution, and can display 64 [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] at once, 16 per scanline, in 512 colors. Although the hardware can only handle 481 simultaneous colors. It has 8&nbsp;kilobytes of [[Random-access memory|RAM]]. The Turbo runs the HuC6820 [[Central processing unit|CPU]] at 1.79 or 7.16&nbsp;[[Hertz|MHz]].

The optional "TurboVision" TV tuner includes RCA audio/video input, allowing users to use TurboExpress as a video monitor. The "TurboLink" allowed two-player play. ''Falcon'', a flight simulator, included a "head-to-head" dogfight mode that can only be accessed via TurboLink. However, very few TG-16 games offered co-op play modes especially designed with the TurboExpress in mind.{{clear}}

==== Bitcorp Gamate ====
[[File:Gamate.jpg|200px|left|thumb|Gamate and game cards]]
{{Main|Gamate}}
The Bitcorp Gamate is one of the first handheld game systems created in response to the Nintendo Game Boy. It was released in Asia in 1990 and distributed worldwide by 1991.

Like the Sega Game Gear, it was horizontal in orientation and like the Game Boy, required 4 AA batteries. Unlike many later Game Boy clones, its internal components were professionally assembled (no "glop-top" chips). Unfortunately the system's fatal flaw is its screen. Even by the standards of the day, its screen is rather difficult to use, suffering from similar [[Image persistence|ghosting]] problems that were common complaints with the first generation Game Boys. Likely because of this fact sales were quite poor, and Bitcorp closed by 1992. However, new games continued to be published for the Asian market, possibly as late as 1994. The total number of games released for the system remains unknown.

Gamate games were designed for stereo sound, but the console is only equipped with a mono speaker. {{clear}}

==== Game Gear ====
[[File:Game-Gear-Handheld.jpg|thumb|Game Gear]]
{{Main|Game Gear}}

The Game Gear is the third color handheld console, after the Lynx and the TurboExpress; produced by Sega. Released in Japan in 1990 and in North America and Europe in 1991, it is based on the [[Master System]], which gave Sega the ability to quickly create Game Gear games from its large library of games for the Master System. While never reaching the level of success enjoyed by Nintendo, the Game Gear proved to be a fairly durable competitor, lasting longer than any other Game Boy rivals.

While the Game Gear is most frequently seen in black or navy blue, it was also released in a variety of additional colors: red, light blue, yellow, clear, and violet. All of these variations were released in small quantities and frequently only in the Asian market.

Following Sega's success with the Game Gear, they began development on a successor during the early 1990s, which was intended to feature a [[touchscreen]] interface, many years before the [[Nintendo DS]]. However, such a technology was very expensive at the time, and the handheld itself was estimated to have cost around $289 were it to be released. Sega eventually chose to shelve the idea and instead release the [[Genesis Nomad]], a handheld version of the [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]], as the successor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://retro.ign.com/articles/974/974695p7.html|title=IGN Presents the History of SEGA|page=7|website=IGN|author=Travis Fahs|date=April 21, 2009|access-date=April 27, 2011}}</ref>{{clear}}

==== Watara Supervision ====
[[File:Watara-Supervision-Tilted.jpg|thumb|left|The Watara Supervision with tilting screen]]
{{Main|Watara Supervision}}
The Watara Supervision was released in 1992 in an attempt to compete with the Nintendo Game Boy. The first model was designed very much like a Game Boy, but it is grey in color and has a slightly larger screen. The second model was made with a hinge across the center and can be bent slightly to provide greater comfort for the user. While the system did enjoy a modest degree of success, it never impacted the sales of Nintendo or Sega. The Supervision was redesigned a final time as "The Magnum". Released in limited quantities it was roughly equivalent to the [[Game Boy Pocket]]. It was available in three colors: yellow, green and grey. Watara designed many of the games themselves, but did receive some third party support, most notably from [[Thin Chen Enterprise|Sachen]].

A TV adapter was available in both PAL and NTSC formats that could transfer the Supervision's black-and-white palette to 4 colors, similar in some regards to the Super Game Boy from Nintendo.{{clear}}

==== Hartung Game Master ====
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Hgm front-1-.jpg|right|thumb|Hartung Gamemaster]] -->
{{Main|Game Master (console)}}
The Hartung Game Master is an obscure handheld released at an unknown point in the early 1990s. Its graphics fidelity was much lower than most of its contemporaries, displaying just 64x64 pixels. It was available in black, white, and purple, and was frequently rebranded by its distributors, such as Delplay, Videojet and Systema.

The exact number of games released is not known, but is likely around 20. The system most frequently turns up in Europe and Australia.{{clear}}