Epoch Game Pocket Computer
Encyclopedia
The Epoch Game Pocket Computer is a handheld game console
released by Epoch in Japan
in 1984. It was one of the very few truly handheld systems to be released in the early 1980s, preceding the Game Boy
by 5 years. The Game Pocket Computer used an LCD screen with a 75 × 64 resolution, and could produce graphics at about the same level as early Atari 2600
games. The system was a failure in Japan, and as a result, only 5 games were made for it. A puzzle game and a paint program were built into the system. It was powered by 4 AA batteries, and screen's brightness could be adjusted by the user. Possibly due to its failure in Japan, the Game Pocket Computer was never released in North America
. The unit is extremely rare, and units on eBay
can go for hundreds of dollars, when and if they turn up. Except for their moderately successful Cassette Vision
, Epoch had no other released systems.
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
released by Epoch in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1984. It was one of the very few truly handheld systems to be released in the early 1980s, preceding the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
by 5 years. The Game Pocket Computer used an LCD screen with a 75 × 64 resolution, and could produce graphics at about the same level as early Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
games. The system was a failure in Japan, and as a result, only 5 games were made for it. A puzzle game and a paint program were built into the system. It was powered by 4 AA batteries, and screen's brightness could be adjusted by the user. Possibly due to its failure in Japan, the Game Pocket Computer was never released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The unit is extremely rare, and units on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
can go for hundreds of dollars, when and if they turn up. Except for their moderately successful Cassette Vision
Epoch Cassette Vision
The was a video game console made by Epoch and released in Japan on July 30, 1981.Despite the name, the console used cartridges, not cassettes, and it has the distinction of being the first successful programmable console video game system to be made in Japan. The system retailed for 13,500 yen,...
, Epoch had no other released systems.