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Video Game Gazette |
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| Nintendo Game and Watch Archive | |
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Portable video games have been around almost as long as consoles. The first systems, like WACO Tic Tac Toe and Mattels Handhelds, used large LEDs instead of proper screens. In the early 80's companies began to use LCDs in gaming systems. This allowed the display of graphics rather than balls of light. Nintendo produced a range of portable systems called Game and Watch. Like most other portable systems of the time, they did not feature screens that consisted of an array of small pixels. Rather, the screens consisted of 'sprites' that could be turned on or off. Unfortunately, the sprites could not overlap, nor could they be moved around the screen. To create the illusion of movement, several sprites of the same character were placed at various places on the screen and were turned on and off in sequence. The fact that the sprites were built into the screen prevented the systems from playing more than one game. Thus, Nintendo produced a wide range of systems. They were beautifully designed, with classic cases and graphics. Also, the LCD screens consume very little power and can run on a set of batteries for a long time. |
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