Legacy & History
Released in 1990 to compete with the Game Boy. It offered full color and backlit gaming, but its bulk and 6-battery appetite limited its portability.
Cultural Impact
It forced Nintendo to eventually adopt color (GBC) and backlighting (GBA SP), though it took them years to do so efficiently. It proved there was a market for "premium" handheld experiences.
Modern Legacy
The Game Gear's TV Tuner accessory was a precursor to the multimedia capabilities of modern smartphones and handhelds.
Under the Hood
Hardware-wise, the Game Gear is almost identical to the Master System, just with a lower resolution screen and a larger color palette (4096 colors). This allowed for easy ports, but the backlit fluorescent screen consumed 6 AA batteries in just 3-5 hours.
CPUZilog Z80 (8-bit)
MEMORY8 KB RAM
DISPLAY160 x 144 (Color)
AUDIOSN76489 PSG
Defining Titles
Sonic the Hedgehog Triple TroublePlatformer • 1994
Shinobi II: The Silent FuryAction • 1992
Defenders of OasisRPG • 1992
Tails AdventureAction-Adventure • 1995
ColumnsPuzzle • 1990
Best Selling Title
Sonic the Hedgehog