I was browsing at my local Wal-Mart earlier today (Thursday, 2/16/06) and decided to see what kind of cool LCD-type of handheld games they sold. I came upon the Techo Source brand of "Mini LCD Game" that strongly remind me of the McDonald's LCD-type of mini handheld games from a couple years back. And get this, all the Techno Source "Mini LCD Games" are a mere $1.00 USD. I saw all the different mini LCD-type of games that was offered and got two of them:
1st one was none other than "Space Intruder" shmup handheld...plays like Space Invaders but is even smaller than it's bigger "Keychain" sibiling of the same name that's also available from Techno Source. This mini shmup handheld doesn't have a scoring system but the CPU does keep track of what the player has destroyed.
2nd one was a simple racing game but with no scoring system. Reminds me of the cool holographic version of the Black & White LCD-type Daytona USA handheld racing game (except that one had built-in gear shifter) from Tiger Electronics back in the mid-1990's.
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
Cute mini shmup handheld at USA Wal-Marts...only $1 USD!
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PC Engine Fan X!
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PC Engine Fan X!
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Updated: 2/17/06--internal inspection of Mini Space Intruder
Upon checking out the internal components that make up this cool "Mini 'Space Intruder' LCD Game" from Techno Source, (by simply removing four slotted screws) this little kawaii (Japanese word for "cute") LCD game is a high-tech LCD game with a single layer PCB with an interesting way of presenting the "black & white" LCD-type of graphics.
There are a series of copper contacts that are responsible for displaying the LCD graphical info. The LCD screen is comprised of several layers with a cool solder-less contact bar (when pressed against the series of copper contacts on the single layer PCB, the LCD screen is fully functional upon being powered up).
On the LCD screen itself, there are forty-five seperate graphical picture elements that make up the entire visuals of the "Space Intruder" game. That is common for a shmup handheld LCD-type of game. (Would have even more picture elements if the LCD screen was a tad bit bigger and presented in true Tate mode instead of horizontal screen mode as it is presented right now.)
I also noticed that on the single layer PCB, there's a electrical contact marked "Reset" but there isn't a push button to actually reset the game (but one could've been implemented into the game quite easily -- but it's there for completeness).
Even the "On/Off" switch is consider extravagant for such a little LCD type game...it comprises of several components to actually power up the entire game. Insteresting power-up switch setup indeed. ^_~
Two springs are used to power the thin simple speaker (like those thin-type speakers found in the early 1980's electronic tabletop Vacuum Florescent Display {or VFD in short} type of games).
A single 1.5v button cell battery AG3 (or LR41 type) powers the Techno Source lineup of "Mini LCD Games".
I have reason to believe that McDonald's & Sega contracted it's limited edition promotional McDonald's Kid's Happy Meals of six different mini LCD-type handheld electronic games (to Techno Source of Hong Kong in 2004) since the the LCD screens & overall outward appearance of the ABS plastic shells that comprise the handheld games is very strikingly similar to the latter produced "Mini LCD Game" from Techno Source.
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
There are a series of copper contacts that are responsible for displaying the LCD graphical info. The LCD screen is comprised of several layers with a cool solder-less contact bar (when pressed against the series of copper contacts on the single layer PCB, the LCD screen is fully functional upon being powered up).
On the LCD screen itself, there are forty-five seperate graphical picture elements that make up the entire visuals of the "Space Intruder" game. That is common for a shmup handheld LCD-type of game. (Would have even more picture elements if the LCD screen was a tad bit bigger and presented in true Tate mode instead of horizontal screen mode as it is presented right now.)
I also noticed that on the single layer PCB, there's a electrical contact marked "Reset" but there isn't a push button to actually reset the game (but one could've been implemented into the game quite easily -- but it's there for completeness).
Even the "On/Off" switch is consider extravagant for such a little LCD type game...it comprises of several components to actually power up the entire game. Insteresting power-up switch setup indeed. ^_~
Two springs are used to power the thin simple speaker (like those thin-type speakers found in the early 1980's electronic tabletop Vacuum Florescent Display {or VFD in short} type of games).
A single 1.5v button cell battery AG3 (or LR41 type) powers the Techno Source lineup of "Mini LCD Games".
I have reason to believe that McDonald's & Sega contracted it's limited edition promotional McDonald's Kid's Happy Meals of six different mini LCD-type handheld electronic games (to Techno Source of Hong Kong in 2004) since the the LCD screens & overall outward appearance of the ABS plastic shells that comprise the handheld games is very strikingly similar to the latter produced "Mini LCD Game" from Techno Source.
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
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PC Engine Fan X!
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Updated 2-17-06 with more new info on Mini Space Intruder...
The above subject title says it all...
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~