Game.comIn 1997, toy
manufacturer Tiger Electronics (later known for "Furbies")
introduced a handheld video game system intended to topple
Nintendo's dominant Game Boy that had had a stranglehold on the
market for eight years. The new system's name was game.com.
The game.com system features a square LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)
screen measuring 2.25 inches. Like the Game Boy, its monochrome
screen is not backlit and cannot be played in dim lighting
conditions. The handheld has a joypad positioned to the left side of
the screen and four action buttons on the right. It operates on 4 AA
batteries.
The game.com screen is touch-sensitive. Players can select menu
options by touching designated sections of the screen. Several games
require players to use the touch screen as a type of controller, so
each game.com was packaged with its own stylus pen specifically for
touch screen applications.
There are two ports for game cartridges on the right side of the
game.com system. Two cartridges can be inserted into their slots at
the same time to accommodate easy switching between games.
The game.com link cable allows two players to compete head-to-head
in designated games like Fighters Megamix and Sonic Jam.
The built-in software applications that the game.com system includes
are a four-function calculator which also acts as a calendar, an
easy access address book and a solitaire game that utilizes the
touch screen feature. All high scores from solitaire are saved into
the game.com memory.
The game.com system brings synthesized speech into the realm of
handheld gameplay. Vocal instructions are often used as
introductions to games. Correctly following commands is necessary
for the completion of games specifically designed for this feature.
Each game.com system can also access the Internet. Through the use
of the Internet Cartridge for $19.95, Game.com can be linked to an
external modem and can connect to any ISP (Internet Service
Provider) that provides text-only browsing. Tiger sells its own
14.4bps modem for $49.00. It even has a specially tailored ISP
called the Delphi Commercial Service available to Game.com users.
The game.com system is also capable of receiving and sending
electronic mail.
Tiger later released the Web Link cartridge for $19.95. Web Link
allows players to link their game.com system to a home PC and access
the game.com website. Once there, they can upload their high scores
and compete for a place on the World Records page.
The game.com system retails for $69.95. A puzzle cartridge called
Lights Out is included as the pack-in game. Games for the game.com
system are priced between $19.95 and $29.95.
In September 1998, Tiger released a smaller version of its system
named the game.com pocketpro. It features a slightly smaller screen,
more streamlined casing and a single cartridge port. It contains all
of the standard game.com features and retails for $49.95.
The best games for the game.com system are Lights Out, Fighters
Megamix, Wheel of Fortune and Indy 500.
— Dave Beuscher
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