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01
Radio Shack Astro Thunder
A tabletop VFD (Vacuum Fluorescent Display) game released in the 1980s, branded by Tandy/Radio Shack.
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02
Entex Stargate
Based on the arcade game Stargate (aka Defender II), this was part of Entex's series of high-quality licensed games.
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03
Epoch Missile Invader
A Japanese handheld game similar to Space Invaders, made by Epoch in the late '70s.
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04
Entex PacMan2
A lesser-known Pac-Man variant from Entex, not officially licensed by Namco, but clearly inspired.
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05
Entex Turtles
Based on Konami's arcade game Turtles (1981), with dual-joystick gameplay on a tabletop unit.
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06
Entex Super Cobra
A faithful tabletop adaptation of Konami's arcade shooter Super Cobra (1981).
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07
Bandai Electronics Flight Time
Handheld flight simulator game with LED indicators and score tracking. Released in the early '80s.
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08
Parker Brothers Bank Shot
A unique octagonal electronic billiards game with bright red buttons and a very small screen.
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09
Entex Arcade Defender
A table-style adaptation of the legendary arcade game Defender, by Williams.
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10
Gakken Invader 2000
A visually striking red tabletop Space Invaders-style game released by Gakken in Japan.
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11
Hungry Monster
Tandy's Pac-Man inspired tabletop game
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12
Frogger
The iconic yellow tabletop Frogger from Coleco
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13
Caveman
Another Tandy game, with side-scrolling dinosaur action
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14
Galaga X6
By Epoch, this is a classic mini-version of the arcade shooter.
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15
Cosmic 2000: Fire Away
Also from Tandy, a Space Invaders-style vertical shooter
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16
Hungry Pac II
From Actronics, another Pac-Man clone with a flashy LED maze
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17
Astro Wars
Grandstand's VFD-based vertical shooter
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18
Alien Chase
A vertical shooter from Tandy featuring starships and explosions
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19
Crazy Climber
By Bandai, based on the arcade classic where you scale skyscrapers.
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20
Munchman
Grandstand's take on Pac-Man with that unmistakable yellow case
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21
Ms. Pac-Man
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22
Cosmic Combat
Space Invaders–style vertical shooter with glowing blue display
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23
Dracula
Spooky vampire action game with red graphics and coffin-style design
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24
Championship Electronic Golf
Handheld golf simulation with a simple green LCD layout
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25
Galaxian
Vertical space shooter with classic 3-button control and radar grid
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26
TRON
Disney sci-fi tie-in with glowing light cycle sequences
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27
Split Second
3D electronic game with multiple light-based reflex challenges
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28
Epoch-Man (Pocket Size)
Retro maze game + digital watch/calendar hybrid
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29
Space Attack
Arcade-inspired invader defense with missile control and red crank
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30
Auto Race
Minimalist racing sim using sliders to navigate virtual speed lanes
30 Hand-Held Electronic Toys from the 80s That Lit Up Our Lives (Literally)
I still remember the day my aunt got me the Donkey Kong mini arcade machine for my birthday. It looked - and sounded - absolutely nothing like the real arcade game, but I loved it like it was made of gold. It didn't even have a real screen! It was just some backlit lights in the shape of Mario, Donkey Kong, and pixel-ish barrels that blinked in sequence so you could pretend to climb platforms. And it was everything.
For a while, I collected as many handheld games as I could get my hands on. Tiger Electronics, Game & Watch, cheap knockoffs - if it beeped and fit in a backpack, I wanted it. Until one day, when I turned 13 and decided I was "too old" for video games. I gave all of them away.
What a fool I was.
Let's revisit the glory days of glitchy, clunky, low-battery handhelds that taught us patience, timing, and how to play Tetris on a screen the size of a matchbox.
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