34 Handheld Gaming Wonders from The 1980's

Author image for John Summers
John Summers • Contributor
Sep 18, 2023 8:00 PM EDT

Remember when games used to look like this? When you can hold a game in your hand instead of a controller. When I was a kid, My uncle knew that whenever he came to visit, he better bring with him a new handheld game if he wanted to keep his "Best Uncle Ever" title. Those were simpler times when the thrill of a new game was magnified by its tangibility. Each beep and pixelated character had its own charm. The clamor of buttons being furiously pressed echoed the intensity of the game.

And let's not forget the sheer pride of showing it off to friends at school or the neighborhood. These handheld gems weren't just games; they were trophies, conversation starters, and a testament to an era of uncomplicated joy. Fast forward to today, and while technology has given us gaming marvels, there's a nostalgic corner of our hearts that will forever cherish the beauty of those handheld wonders.

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  • 01

    Chip N Dale: Rescue Rangers

    Rectangle - ELECTRONIC JUMP ↑ PICK Disney's CHIP DALE RESCUE RANGERS TIGERTM MAX. ON/ OFF SOUND SCORE START ACT 20 LO The Walt Disney Company. 700 FORWARD
    via MediocrityDave
  • 02

    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

    Telephony - GAME 0000 3333 000 OFF SOUND GAME ALL ON/ SELECT START CLEAR ΚΟΝΑΜΙ TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURIZES 1989 Mirage Studios
    via MediocrityDave
  • 03

    The Simpsons

    Rectangle - LEFT SIT SIT RIGHT THE SIMPSONS The Simpsons TM & © 1990 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. 000 SOUND SELECTION ON/OFF START/ACTION ACL
    via MediocrityDave
  • 04

    Bowling

    Product - ELECTRONIC BOWLINGS STRAIGHT RELEASE TIGER GATT OFF PLAYER START/ ACL ON LR CURVE
    via MediocrityDave
  • 05

    Radio Shack Football

    Communication Device - MODE LEFT Radio Shack FOOTBALL CLOOK RIGHT
    via MediocrityDave
  • 06

    UNO

    Portable electronic game - 07 NEW GAME UNO DRAW UNO iji PLAY HI SCORE SOUND RESET
    via MediocrityDave
  • 07

    Super Nario World Watch

    Communication Device - SUPER ATRIO VERLD www SUPER MARIO BROS. 5:016 THE MODE A SET 181
    via MediocrityDave
  • 08

    X-Men: Project X

    Gadget - ELECTRONIC MARVEL COMICS PICK X-MEN TIGER PROJE X ON 3.1 OFF SOUND PAUSE START ACL 00 JUMP MOVE
    via MediocrityDave
  • 09

    Kings of the Beach

    Portable electronic game - ELECTRONIC RANDY STOKLOS + KINGS BEACH PRO ESSIONAL BEACH VOLLEYL TOP TOURNAMENT TIGER OFF ON/ SOUND SELECT START ACL TM OF ELECTRONIC ARTS m SINJIN SMITH 00 SET BUMP JUMP/SPIKE/BLOCK
    via MediocrityDave
  • 10

    Sonic the Hedgehog

    Portable electronic game - ELECTRONIC SONIC HEDGEHOG SEGA JUMP UP DOWN TIGER TM SONIC ON/ OFF SOUND PAUSE START ACL Sonic The Hedgehog ⒸSEGA 1991 SUPER SONIC SPIN Aug 5, 2023, 3:27 PM
    via MediocrityDave
  • 11

    Mini Donkey Kong Jr

    Video game console - 55 3000 Nintendo GAME A GAME B TIME/JUMP
    via MediocrityDave
  • 12

    Pinball

    Product - FLIPPER PLAYER ELECTRONIC Pinball OFF 200 100 300 500 100 200 TIGER Q BALL START/ ACL ON FLIPPER LEVEL
    via MediocrityDave
  • 13

    Double Dragon

    Portable electronic game - DOUBLE DRAGON JUMP + SWAY OO 0000 TIGER OFF 40 ON/ STATUS START ACL 0% 1988 Tradewest Inc. Licensed from Technos Japan. 00 PUNCH/PICK KICK
    via MediocrityDave
  • 14

    The Little Mermaid

    Product - FELLILLE ELECTRONIC O UP/JUMP DOWN DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID TIGER MAXCE ON OFF SOUND SCORE START ACL The Walt Disney Company. 1000 00€ SWIM PICK/ATTACK
    via MediocrityDave
  • 15

    Bartman: Avenger of Evil

    Product - *)) LEFT THROW GRAB BARTMAN™ AVENGER OF EVIL The Simpsons and Bartman" TM &e 1990 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Al rights reserved RIGHT 111 1000 CCC zoom in SOUND SELECT ON/OFF START/JUMP ACL close
    via MediocrityDave
  • 16

    Frogger

    Input device - ON/OFF FROGGER MAX SOUND DO O 00 300000 5. 0
    via Tomas Gomez
  • 17

    Batman! on a Watch!

    Publication - J BATMAN LCD VIDEO GAME WATCH WITH ALARM ELECTRONIC • 5 STAGES OF PLAY • FULL FUNCTION WATCH WITH ALARM • 12/24 HOUR TIME MODE SELECT • SOUND ON/OFF CONTROL MODEL NO. 27-103 FOR AGES AND ABOVE TIGER BATMAN 00000000 WHICH TIGERET ELECTRONICS dous twos;
    via Tomas Gomez
  • 18

    Aladdin

    Rectangle - ELECTRONIC Beap Aladdin TIGER MAX OFF SOUND SCORE START ON/ The Walt Disney Company ACL PICK/CARPET LAMP
    via Tomas Gomez
  • 19

    (another) Pinball

    Portable electronic game - START PINBALL TO W 20101 // MODE GAME SELECT
    via Tomas Gomez
  • 20

    Star Wars

    Portable electronic game - STAR WARS. START/TIME FIRE MODE Original ALARM DATE LEFT SIGHT
    via Tomas Gomez
  • 21

    Rabbit Farm

    Rectangle - 2 CASIO CG-130A 0020 SCORE XX GAME OVER RABBIT FARM 100 o LEFT START/ON P ATTACK RIGHT
    via Tomas Gomez
  • 22

    WrestleMania

    Gadget - ME WRESTLE AGL SELECT UP WRESTLE ANIA DOWN
    via Tomas Gomez
  • 23

    Miracle Baseball

    Gadget - BATTER SIDE. BUDU ELECTRONICS LCD MIRACLE BASEBALL MED CHANGEA SCO THE SEE CAW Litt. MI FOWLE 44 OFF
    via Tomas Gomez
  • 24

    Donkey Kong Jr.

    Rectangle - GAME & WATCH CONTROL DONKEY KONG JR. Nintendo 5:29 1000 GAME A GAME B TIME ALAAM ALL JUMP
    via Tomas Gomez
  • 25

    Q*bert

    Rectangle - HR Qabert TM 259 1983 MYLSTAR ELECTRONICS INC. NELSONIC MODE MIN. START
    via Tomas Gomez
  • 26

    Pulsar

    Watch - Pulsar ALARM CHRONO GAME ASET ST-W GAME T SET POINTS MODE CH SET LAP RESET SELECT_START-STOP
    via Tomas Gomez
  • 27

    Super Arcade Pinball

    Portable electronic game - ELECTRONIC FLIPPER PLAYER Electronichandhelds 001 SUPER ARCADE PNB 100 Ⓒ 200 300 ✪ 500 100 1 ON OFF SOUND BALL START TIGER 1994 TIGER ELECTRONICE INC 100 500 20% FLIPPER LEVEL
    via Tomas Gomez
  • 28

    Donkey Kong II

    Rectangle - @ GAME WATCH DONKEY KONG IT CONTROLLER Nintendo 01010¹ JUMP
    via Tomas Gomez
  • 29

    Classic Football

    Product - CLASSIC FOOTBALL ST SC ON K OFF SOUND PRO 1 OFF PRO 2 MATTEL
    via Tomas Gomez
  • 30

    OIL PANIC

    Portable electronic game - GAME & WATCH OIL PANIC m LEFT CAS Nintendo GAME A se je GAME B TIME RIGHT
    via Joe Haupt
  • 31

    THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS

    Rectangle - THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS REMCO START 53 GAME A-B $2 TRAP THE GHOST $1
    via Joe Haupt
  • 32

    CAVEMAN

    Office equipment - CAVEMAN 10 POINTS A 30 POINTS 50 PONTS TANDA JAMAS MEAN GER
    via Joe Haupt
  • 33

    ASTRO COMMAND

    Output device - UPTHESE Epoch ELECTRONIC GAME ASTRO COMMAND CONTROLLER ON SELECT START BOMB MODE MISSILE FIRE
    via Joe Haupt
  • 34

    LITTLE PROFESSOR

    Rectangle - 7 4 8 9 TI 1976 5 6 X 2 3 DU SET O GO "LITTLE PROFESSOR
    via Joe Haupt

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Tags

retro gaming nostalgia Videogames handheld 80s video games 1980s
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