8 Handheld Consoles That Competed With Nintendo and How Each One Fared

5. Game.com (1997) - Tiger Electronics' Ambitious Misfire

Tiger Electronics' Game.com represented one of the most ambitious attempts to revolutionize handheld gaming, featuring internet connectivity, email capabilities, and PDA functions years before smartphones made such features commonplace. Released in 1997, the Game.com was positioned as more than just a gaming device – it was marketed as a portable communication and entertainment hub that could connect to the internet via a built-in modem. The system featured a touchscreen interface, stylus input, and the ability to download games and content directly from Tiger's servers, concepts that were revolutionary for their time but poorly executed due to technological limitations. The Game.com's internet features were severely hampered by slow connection speeds, expensive access fees, and limited content availability. The gaming experience itself was equally problematic, with a low-resolution black and white screen that made detailed graphics impossible and sluggish performance that frustrated players accustomed to more responsive systems. Tiger's game library consisted primarily of simplified versions of popular arcade titles like "Mortal Kombat," "Resident Evil 2," and "Sonic Jam," but these ports were so heavily compromised that they bore little resemblance to their source material. The system's most notable feature was its ability to play compressed audio files, making it one of the first handheld devices to function as a digital music player. However, this multimedia approach meant that the Game.com excelled at nothing while attempting everything. The device was discontinued in 2000 after selling fewer than 300,000 units, but its vision of connected, multimedia handheld gaming would prove prescient, anticipating features that would become standard in smartphones and modern gaming devices years later.