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: feedback@theycreateworlds.com
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/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love
Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
