The portable gaming family tree

by Ross Miller { Jan 6th 2006 at 4:00PM }

In a style very reminiscent of Sock Master's Game Console Controller Family Tree (from which, the author admits, he draws inspiration), Daveynin has compiled a similar family tree for the history of the portable console. Starting with 1979's Microvision (sorry, Game-and-Watch, enthusiast, his tree only pertains to cartridge-based systems) and continuing all the through 2005, is pretty thorough and easy to read. Each console has been color-coded by region and arrows provide relational connections, and each image links to its respective Wikipedia entry. It's definitely worth a look.

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

JodyAnthony @ Jan 6th 2006 4:19PM

I think english might not be the author's native language..

but the chart is pretty nifty nonetheless. I really like the fact that clicking on the device brings up its wikipedia entry.

Meanwhile, that PC-Engine LT looks alot like the GBA:SP. I cant tell if it folds or not though.

Jeff @ Jan 6th 2006 4:38PM

This chart has to be one of the most nonsensical things I've ever seen. What in the heck is the relationship he's trying to imply between, for example, the Atari Lynx and the Bandai Wonderswan? (Or as he puts it - twice - "Wonderswam") How are they even remotely in the same "family"? For that matter, the Lynx has a lot more in common with the Game Gear than it does with the Game Boy (one of his criteria for linking various things appears to be "similarity", which is pretty arbitrary as it is, but there's no way the Lynx is more similar to the Game Boy - to which it's connected here - than to the Game Gear, to which it's not. Not directly, at least).

There is no way in hell SNK took any inspiration whatsoever from Tiger for the Neo Geo Pocket and nobody who's used both could say otherwise. Especially considering the NGP came out in *1996*, not 1998 as he has here.

Of course, he's also forgotten a few things, even if he is only doing cart-based systems. This, for one example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epoch_Game_Pocket_Computer

Or this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supervision_%28handheld_game_console%29

You know, I don't want to sound too mean or anything and I know not everybody's an expert, but it doesn't take much effort these days to get some better info than this guy seems to have, and if he's going to be sloppy enough to publicly post something like this and get it linked various places, I'm gonna call him on it.

JodyAnthony @ Jan 6th 2006 5:21PM

"if he's going to be sloppy enough to publicly post something like this and get it linked various places, I'm gonna call him on it."

Uh, it should be pointed out that neither of the links you posted work.

Chiablo @ Jan 6th 2006 5:45PM

Shouldn't the GP32 be the direct desendant of the GPX2? Also, all of the old Game and Watch style gaming systems are missing.

This is very much a mish-mash of nonsensical information.

Some Random Poster @ Jan 6th 2006 6:15PM

I question the logic he had tying some systems with the white arrows. Is he thinking cosmetic similarity?

Technical similarity. Am I mulling over this too much?

I've always thought that the first hand-held electronic games were made by Mattel with its Electronic sports (loved by Electronic Football 2) games series and Merlin. I guess the author was only considering removable media games...

MW @ Jan 6th 2006 10:17PM

The similarity in design between the Timetop Gameking 2 and the PSP is pretty crazy, though. I don't begin to think that the chart is comprehensive or gets all its relationships right, but man, the PSP looks just like that thing, but with a bigger screen. Or did Timetop rip off Sony and just get a jump on them by releasing a less powerful handheld?

Either way, somebody got ripped off.