Rarely known Nintendo Devices – When you hear the name Nintendo, what comes to mind? Nintendo Switch? Pokemon? Super Mario? That’s not wrong, because it’s all Nintendo’s property. Nintendo itself is a giant Japanese company engaged in games and consoles, which was founded 132 years ago, precisely in 1889.
The company was originally engaged in Hanafuda card games, before venturing into the world of video games in 1975, with its first game, EVR Race. Nintendo’s long journey in the home entertainment industry has made fans consider Nintendo not only a legend but also a legacy.
Out of Nintendo’s vast range of devices, be it home consoles or handheld consoles, some of them are hardly known. Some were even left abandoned less than eight months after their launch and were considered failed products.
In this article, Gamedaim will discuss a list of 5 Nintendo Devices that People Rarely Know About. Here is the list.
5 Nintendo Devices People Don’t Know About
1. Color TV Game
The first little-known Nintendo device is the Color TV Game. It was developed by Nintendo R&D2 and Mitsubishi Electronics as Nintendo’s entry to the first generation of video game devices. The Color TV Game was a single-game console, meaning that one console contained only one game title.
First launched in 1977, Color TV Game featured 5 console variations with 5 different game titles on each console. Variations of this console were Color TV Game 6 in 1977, Color TV Game 15 in 1978, Color TV Racing 112 in 1978, Color TV Block Kuzushi in 1979, and Computer TV Game in 1980 as the final entry for this console series.
At the start of the Computer TV Game launch, Nintendo secured a license from Magnavox to clone its own Pong console. Meanwhile, Magnavox, which at that time dominated the market and competed with ATARI, had its own version of the Pong game console called Magnavox Odyssey.
2. Game & Watch
The next little-known Nintendo device is the Game & Watch. Nintendo’s first handheld and breakthrough success were first launched in 1980, 3 years before the launch of the Nintendo Famicom or SNES, and 9 years before the Nintendo GameBoy. In the same vein as Color TV Game, Game & Watch is also a console with single games or one specific game title for each device.
Game & Watch was a handheld designed by Gunpei Yokoi, and was a brilliant breakthrough as there were no handhelds at the time. The device has 60 different variations with different game contents for each variation. Two of the most popular titles are Donkey Kong 3 and Super Mario Bros..
3. Virtual Boy
The next rarely known Nintendo device is the Nintendo Virtual Boy. The device that is touted as the initiator of today’s popular Virtual Reality or VR technology was actually a failed product created by Gunpei Yokoi in 1995. Virtual Boy is the only Nintendo tabletop console with a short production life, only 8 months after its initial launch, then left abandoned.
Virtual Boy had a red-black monochrome look that made every game seem horror. Also, the console is too big to be called a VR device and still requires a cable to connect to the joystick. The failure of Virtual Boy itself was due to the factor of Nintendo, which at that time was still focused on the launch of Nintendo 64, and the launch seemed rushed.
Gunpei Yokoi, the designer of the Nintendo Virtual Boy, also feels that the Virtual Boy was launched before the device was considered perfect. Because of this failure, the Nintendo Virtual Boy eventually earned the categories of “Most failed console” as well as “Console with the shortest production life” in video game history.
4. Pocket Pikachu
The 4th rarely known Nintendo device is the Pocket Pikachu. This handheld device, launched in 1998, is very small and is played in the same way as Tamagotchi. Players must take care of Pikachu and keep a close eye on the yellow mouse’s condition.
Pocket Pikachu has a pixel-style screen display with monochrome colors in the style of the 1989 Nintendo GameBoy. Then a year later, it launched its latest version, Pocket Pikachu 2 GS.
Pocket Pikachu 2 GS is also a rarely known Nintendo device due to its limited circulation in North America. Unlike the first Pocket Pikachu, Pocket Pikachu 2 GS was launched with a color screen. Another difference is that this device does not require players to take care of the Pikachu.
In addition, Pocket Pikachu 2 GS is also equipped with a Pedometer, dingdong machine, alarm, gift, and card game features. The device also comes with a game currency that can be redeemed for items for Pokemon Gold-Silver and Pokemon Crystal games.
Panasonic Q
The last in the list of little-known Nintendo Devices is the Panasonic Q. The Panasonic Q is a Hybrid version of the Nintendo GameCube that supports DVD, Audio CD, MP3, and also CD features launched in 2001. The launch of this console was based on the fact that the Nintendo GameCube itself had limited features as a video game console and was not as multifunctional as its competitors, the PS2 and Xbox.
The Panasonic Q was only launched in Japan, and as a low-demand console, it only sold approximately 100,000 units.
That was a list of 5 Nintendo Devices rarely known about. If you’d like to add more, do so in the comments section.
