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Subject: Hand Held Games
Hi
Does anyone remember any little hand held games from the 80's. I had a game that took those flat round batteries. It was a small screen and it was a building that was on fire. The ambulance arrived and you controlled the little ambulance men trying to catch the people jumping from the building. Sounds a bit mad, I know, but I loved it and would love to get my hands on another one.
Sparked off some great conversation about these hand held games, but no-one yet has come up with the one I had. It was a little small flat screen that could fit in your pocket.
Loved the Merlin picture by the way. Brought back many memories. Used to have one.
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
That was a Nintendo Game and Watch, or a clone of one. They are very cool.
The particular one you are talking about sounds like Fire. Was this it? http://www.ggdb.com/GGDB/Details.asp?VID=5785&Cat=All.Handheld.GameWatch
I actually still collect these things. You can find them on Ebay. Nintendo also has the Game and Watch series for the Gameboy.
My collection is here. Just click on the pic in the second row.
http://www.krakboi.com/arcades/handheldsconsoles.htm
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
When I was a kid I had one of those "Classic Football" handheld games by Mattell that just had the little green lines on the black screen and you could only run back and forth and kick I think. This past Christmas while I was shopping for my kids (well, they're 14 and 17) I noticed the games were on the market again so just for "old times sake" I bought one. As soon as I started playing it, my kids were looking over my shoulder and wanted to know WHAT that thing was. Both of them who have every game system known to man, let me know just how stupid, sad and ridiculous that "ancient" game was.
I played for awhile, set it down and went about my business when I heard the little "blip, blip, blip" from the game. I followed the noise to my youngest son's room and when he saw that he was busted, he gave, an "Ugh, this game is sooooooo stupid" and tossed it aside.
It's been two months since I've seen my "stupid" little game! I guess they figured out that you can play it with the sound off!!
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
Anyone remember the PacMan game and watch.It had the time and plus you can play it as well.Those were the good old days. :D
Howard
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
I had some of those "hand-held" games, but they took C and D size batteries. I had:
Space Invaders
Galaxian
Pac-Man
and a few others that were really dorky and primitive. I don't even remember what they were called. The Pac-Man was the best, because the screen was actually more complex than the arcade version. Maybe it just seemed more complex 'coz it was smaller.
Then my sister's fiance got obsessed with the Pac-Man. He was probably the world-hand-held Pac-Man champ. He'd smoke a J or two, insert his rechargable batteries and set up all night....
By the time Gameboy and whatnot came around, I had no interest in video games. In fact, I lost interest in video games when I was fifteen, just when they were starting to get good!
Then again, when I went back to college, the guy down the hall from me had "Doom" on his computer. I got so hooked on that, I think I brought down his grade point average hogging his machine. He'd be saying, "OK, I gotta write a paper, scram." I'd say "Just gimme 5 more minutes, Marc, five more minutes, I can get outta this level..." Oh, it was horrible.
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
We had all of these. Football, baseball, I think basketball. My favorite, however, was a game like PacMan called Epochman. I used to play that nonstop. ;)
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
Quoting:
The Pac-Man was the best, because the screen was actually more complex than the arcade version. Maybe it just seemed more complex 'coz it was smaller.
End Quote
Was this the one that was a miniature stand-up arcade game? The controlers were these small little knobs that broke easily. I picked one up at a second hand shop about a year ago.
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
Quoting:
Was this the one that was a miniature stand-up arcade game? The controlers were these small little knobs that broke easily. I picked one up at a second hand shop about a year ago.
End Quote
It wasn't the miniature version, this one was flat, and you controlled it with buttons. It was basically the same layout, but there was something different about the maze, like it was a little more complex.
I never had the sports games because I didn't like sports, but we did have an ancient skiing game with our Odyssey system. You basically tried not to slam into trees, and that was about it!
I remember way back in 1981, there was a kid who had one of those state of the art digital watches, including a Space Invaders-type game. I think you used the time reset button to move, and the calendar reset button to fire. Pretty lame because you could hardly see the damn thing, and you got a cramp in your finger trying to use the buttons. But it was 1981, the point was, "a digital watch with a video game? Kewl!" At that time digital watches themselves were still something of a novelty.
8)
The video arcade at our local shopping mall the next town over wouldn't let kids under 17 in during school hours. One time we had a teacher conference day, which meant no classes, so I was over at the mall. I went into the arcade, and the security guard came over and he's all "What are you doing here, didn't you see that sign?" And I'm all "A-ha! It's teacher conference day in North Andover, there IS no school! I've got you there!" But he chucked me out anyway. No fair.
>:(
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
Epochman was pretty small. Small enough to fit in your pocket. I can't remember exactly, but it was white, and had an lcd screen.
The one you are speaking of was made by Coleco, and was designed to look like the arcade cabinet. Check ebay for "Coleco Pac-Man." You will find that these things are pretty valuable today.
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
Epochman
http://users2.ev1.net/~rik1138/Epoch/Epoch-EpochMan.jpg
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
I had a bowling game.
It was your basic 80's handheld deal. It was pretty big though, nearly a foot long and about 7 inches wide.
Basically it had little lights that respresents the ball and you would press some buttons to guide it down the lane (although it never really mattered). I remember it took a ton of AA batteries.
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
I had that one too! Coleco Bowlatronic. It was a monster.
http://users2.ev1.net/~rik1138/Coleco/Bowl.htm
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
Hey Krak,you have a Donkey Kong hand held game picture? ;D
I used to own one 15,16 years ago. :D
Howard
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
My favorite was Coleco's Electronic Quarterback. I went through so many 9 volt batteries with that thing...
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
Quoting:
I actually still collect these things. My collection is here. End Quote
Nice collection! I remember playing with some of them. But I don't see a Merlin in your collection?
http://www.skybuilders.com/users/Bob/images/Merlin.jpg
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
I had a Merlin as child, and found a Super Merlin at a flea market a while back. I sold off quite a few of my handhelds when I started collecting arcade machines. I wish I had room to keep everything :(
Howard. I do have a pic of one. Is it the one pictured here on the left?
http://www.krakboi.com/arcades/tabletops1.JPG
They also had smaller ones that you could put in your pocket . I have those too. Do you remember what yours looked like?
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
I have hand held versions of the following games:
Yahtzee
Battleship
Connect Four
Hangman
A couple of them are almost as tiny as a credit card.
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
Quoting:
I had a Merlin as child, and found a Super Merlin at a flea market a while back. I sold off quite a few of my handhelds when I started collecting arcade machines. I wish I had room to keep everything :(
Howard. I do have a pic of one. Is it the one pictured here on the left?
http://www.krakboi.com/arcades/tabletops1.JPG
They also had smaller ones that you could put in your pocket . I have those too. Do you remember what yours looked like?
End Quote
I'm not sure.Would you happen to have Popeye by any chance? smaller version.. ???
Howard
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
I have about half of the consoles/handhelds that you do, krakboi. I would have acquired more, but I seem to have run out of money. lol.
I made a retro console/handheld Excel quiz for Gamestation.co.uk a while ago. If anyone fancies a go, it's right here. There are 45 consoles / handhelds / old computers to identify. Good luck.
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
I remember there was a Donkey Kong Jr. hand held game from the early 1980's.Anyone remember? ;D
Howard
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
Quoting:
I made a retro console/handheld Excel quiz for Gamestation.co.uk a while ago. If anyone fancies a go, it's right here. There are 45 consoles / handhelds / old computers to identify. Good luck.
End Quote
Cool quiz! What part of England are you from? When I was traveling through London, I went to a car boot sale near the airport. There was a lot of vintage video game stuff there.
Most (maybe all) of my vintage stuff has come from flea markets here.
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
I'm from Manchester, a good few hours drive from London. I get a few things from flea markets, (or car-boot sales as they're called around here,) but the majority of my collection was from the second-hand shops, and from GameStation.
I've managed to get LOADS of things from GameStation, including such gems as a gameboy printer, NeoGeo pocket color, Sega Saturn disks from £1. It's ace. I'm on the waiting list to get a Lynx from them too.
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
I remember I had gauntlet and a few others. Very cheesy but cool at the time.
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
Found a game that sounds alot like the one you talk abbout but is is by "Coleco" called "Electronic Quarterback". Got it in the 80' for our boys. And can you believe we but batteries in it and it still works. This one takes a 9 volt battery.
Also found a "Merlin" which also still works. The big boy (dad) is playing it now. Does anyone have the game Odessey. It was the first TV game that came out? :-*
Quoting:
When I was a kid I had one of those "Classic Football" handheld games by Mattell that just had the little green lines on the black screen and you could only run back and forth and kick I think. This past Christmas while I was shopping for my kids (well, they're 14 and 17) I noticed the games were on the market again so just for "old times sake" I bought one. As soon as I started playing it, my kids were looking over my shoulder and wanted to know WHAT that thing was. Both of them who have every game system known to man, let me know just how stupid, sad and ridiculous that "ancient" game was.
I played for awhile, set it down and went about my business when I heard the little "blip, blip, blip" from the game. I followed the noise to my youngest son's room and when he saw that he was busted, he gave, an "Ugh, this game is sooooooo stupid" and tossed it aside.
It's been two months since I've seen my "stupid" little game! I guess they figured out that you can play it with the sound off!!
End Quote
Subject: Re: Hand Held Games
DIGITAL DERBY AND DIGITAL DAREDEVIL BY TOMY WERE COOL ALSO THE 80S HANDHELP TOMY POCKET GAMES DIDN'T USE BATTERIES AND PROVIDED ENDLESS HOURS OF FUN. SIMON SUCKED-AND MERLIN WAS TOO HARD...THE TABLETOP GAMES SUCKED THE BATTERIES DOWN AND BY FAR THE FOOTBALL GAMES KICKED BUTT AS SO DID BLIP! TOTALLY NEITHER ANALOG OR DIGITAL BUT STILL HELD MY ATTENTION..BLIP! WAS A REALLY FUN GAME MADE BY TOMY.
THE NINTENDO GAMES FROM THE 80'S WERE COOL FOR THE TIME AMAZING I HAVE 2 I HAVE STILL IN THE BOX AND THE $$ FOR THESE COULD REACH $900+!!