Also, a look at single-game systems such as Game & Watch. In part two, a look at the more recent history, indeed right up to modern game systems.

So, now, onwards!

And We’ve Advanced – Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP

As the world saw more and more powerful home consoles like the PS, XBox and Gamecube, Nintendo (relatively) quietly released the Game Boy Advance. More and more Pokémons were shown (let me show you them), the world was dominated by the little machine that wouldn’t stop.

The GBA’s 32-bit power eclipsed previous machines; it was basically a SNES-level machine (although that was 16-bit console) in pocket-sized form. It included Mode 7 style graphics and could even do some other limited 3d. A couple of years later, the clam-shell style GBA SP (Special) hit the streets with a sorely needed backlit screen. It also opted to forgo the wallet-draining power source of AA alkalines and included a built-in lithium-ion battery-pack, and much to the annoyance of some, a built in headphone jack.

Not only did a new breed of game become available, but both the GBA and SP could play the entire previous generation of Game Boy games. A boon to the popularity and strength in Nintendo’s dominance of the portable market. It also featured connectivity, with the right cable, to the Gamecube, in such games as Animal Crossing, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. All-in-all, it was the system to beat, especially with the continuing force of Pokémon driving sales higher and higher.

At the same time as the DS Lite release, Nintendo slipped in the Game Boy Micro. Essentially a sized-down GBA, it really takes the moniker “micro” to heart. With size comes a cost, though. This incarnation does not play classic Game Boy or Game Boy Color carts.

Picard says, “N-Gage!”

In 2003, Nokia released everyone’s favorite whipping boy, the N-Gage. It was an all-in-one phone-pda-gaming-mp3-player machine that had the right idea, but a fairly poor execution. I mean, who made the brilliant decision that removing the battery pack to change cartridges would be a good idea? And, does anyone remember “sidetalking”? I mean, who wants to be caught talking into a taco? Thankfully, however belatedly, Nokia fixed these issues in their updated N-Gage QD, six months later. But, it wasn’t enough to capture the hearts of dedicated gamers, nor casual mobile phone users. Nokia shortly dropped the line.

Modern History – Nintendo DS, Sony PSP

Then, the new boy hit town. Nintendo dropped the DS bomb on the world in 2004, starting in North America, just in time for the holiday shopping bonanza before Christmas. Two screens, top and bottom, touch-screen with stylus, a mic, and WiFi were on the table, now. In a similar move to the GBA, they followed up with the DS Lite in 2006. Decreasing the size of the unit, increasing the brightness and battery life.

Brain Age-type games have brought the DS into the hands of many non-gamers, too. This is an incredible change from the “for kids” attitude that many people have had towards portable game systems in the past. Nintendo does seem to be strategically moving away from the toy-based view of games and game-systems, and judging by the amount of retail space dedicated to Touch Generations games and 3rd party software in the same style, I think the amount of success is quite apparent.

But Sony wasn’t going to lie complacently in the battle for finger twitching. No, they fired a salvo now know as the PSP, the Playstation Portable. Featuring the largest screen on any portable to date, the PSP with it’s 16:9-aspect display dominates in graphics horsepower. Not only does it play games via it’s UMD disks, but movies as well. Not to diminish the quality of the media, I, and it seems many others, have never really dug watching movies in such small view-screen. But, that’s not all the PSP can do. With it’s built-in WiFi, you can web surf and watch TV using LocationFree, and play MP3s off of a Memory Stick Duo.

While second-fiddle to the DS, the PSP has, in it’s own right, been a striking success. With titles like Lumines, LocoRoco, and plenty of well-established Playstation franchise-based games like We Love Katamari Damacy, Metal Gear Acid and SOCOM, it is hard to ignore it’s popularity today. Indeed, just this year Monster Hunter Portable 2nd (Monster Hunter Freedom 2 outside of Japan) skyrocketed the PSP into the stratosphere of gaming, already selling more than 2 million copies since it’s release in February 2007.

As there haven’t been any significant hardware updates for the PSP, we have yet to see where it will take us into the future. Indeed, being second place, these days, doesn’t seem to be such a bad deal.

Casual Games Everywhere – Cellphone Games

But, what else is there? Oh, yes, the large raft of games for cellphones. It’s impossible to ignore the quickly growing selection of casual games on the ubiquitous cellphone. Why spend $200 on a dedicated games machine when you can carry that Tetris game you loved to play in elementary school in your phone, just in case you get a little bored on the subway and don’t feel like reading a book or newspaper. No one will think it strange to have your cellphone in your pocket when you head into the bathroom, but with a DS in tow? That’s just weird.

Seriously, though, the major strides in graphics power on every day mobiles are getting larger and larger every year. True, the N-Gage was really a cellphone, but it was so targeted to gamers, who scorned the machine, that the mainstream audience largely ignored it.

With constant connectivity, it’s hard to imagine something like checking auction-house prices or sending a quick text to a guild mate by SMS. Me, I look forward the day when I can check on my MMO (whatever game it is then) characters remotely.

And So We Travel …

Well, it’s been a lengthy journey. Almost 30 years of portable gaming has been had, and I can’t imagine what the world would have been like without having a pocket electronic game along for a boring road-trip. I know, I know, I’ve skipped over many points here, but, I did want to stick to the really most major events in our collective gaming history. But, please, fill the rest of us in on what I missed.

This little trip wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless resources of Wikipedia, where many of the facts and figures were derived from. Thanks go to all the incredibly detailed contributors of the on-line encyclopedia.

ch-ch-check-it-out.

UPDATE: confirmed!

[Aeropause, 1up and Shacknews]