Before the Game Boy, handheld gaming was dominated by LCD electronic devices, most famously the Game & Watch line. Each device was dedicated to playing a single game in the crudest way imaginable — all possible object locations were fixed in place and would light up in turn to simulate movement. Beneath the screen was a static, painted background for added color and detail. Basically, it was like playing a game on a digital watch.
The advent of powerful portables with swappable cartridges should have made all those old machines obsolete. A few companies must have missed that memo, because LCD games continued to be produced throughout the 90s. Leading the pack was Tiger Electronics, which made a killing by taking popular home console licenses and churning out the most archaic-looking sh*t and slapping a $10 price tag on it.
SuperMega233 found the above Tiger commercial and uploaded it to YouTube. The main focus is on the “adaptation” of Mega Man 2 — most of the Robot Masters share the same base body, and for some reason, Bubble Man had a beak. The announcer, who I swear is the same guy in almost every other 90s commercial, then tries to sell you on Tiger versions of After Burner, Altered Beast, Shinobi, and Super Sprint. But the clincher is the pre-teen snot in the leather jacket, doing Michael Jackson spins in what appears to be the filthiest back alley in Sesame Street. If only I could be as hip and cool as him!
I had a drawer full of these thing. Because I was a stupid kid.
Tiger Electronics Mega Man 2 Commercial [YouTube via Protodude’s Rockman Corner]
