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{{short description|Handheld game console}}
{{Redirect|Gamecom|the headset brand|Plantronics Gamecom}}
{{distinguish|Gamercom|Gamescom}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| name = Game.com
| logo = [[File:Tiger Game Com Logo.png|250px]]
| image = Tiger-Game-Com-FL.jpg
| caption = The original Game.com system
| manufacturer = [[Tiger Electronics]]<ref name="ComputerWorld">{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mk-Px0RnXLQC&pg=PT26 |page=63 |title=Computerworld |journal=Computerworld: The Newsweekly of Information Systems Management |date=December 22, 1997 |volume=31 |number=51 |issn=0010-4841 |publisher=IDG Enterprise}}</ref>
| type = [[Handheld game console]]
| generation = [[Fifth generation of video game consoles|Fifth]]<ref name="FifthG">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LVc1QNGo_g0C&pg=PA355 |page=355 |title=The Video Games Guide: 1,000+ Arcade, Console and Computer Games, 1962–2012 |edition=2nd, illustrated |year=2013 |publisher=McFarland |last=Fox |first=Matt |isbn=9781476600673}}</ref>
| releasedate = '''Game.com'''<br />September 12, 1997 (US)<br />Late 1997 (UK)<br />'''Game.com Pocket Pro'''<br />May/June 1999 (US)
| lifespan = 1997–2000
| price = $69.95 (original model)<br />$29.99 (Pocket Pro)
| discontinued = 2000<ref name=bgr>{{cite news |url=https://bgr.com/2013/12/16/video-game-consoles-the-top-10-worst/ |work=bgr.com |title=The 10 worst video game consoles of all time |date=December 16, 2013 |last=Zigterman |first=Ben}}</ref>
| unitssold = Fewer than 300,000
| media = [[ROM cartridge]]
| power = 4 × [[AA battery|AA batteries]] or optional AC adapter (original model)<br /> 2 x AA batteries (Pocket Pro)
| cpu = Sharp SM8521
| connectivity = Compete.com [[serial cable]], 14.4 [[kbit/s]] [[modem]]
| CPUspeed = 10 MHz
| input = Touchscreen
| display = 200 x 160px 4 bit greyscale
| sound = Two 4-bit waveform generators, noise generator, 8-bit PCM channel
}}

The '''Game.com'''{{efn|Styled as "''game.com''", but pronounced "''game com''" rather than "''game dot com''".<ref name=bgr/>}} is a [[Fifth generation of video game consoles|fifth-generation]] [[handheld game console]] developed and released by [[Tiger Electronics]] on September 12, 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Johnston|first=Chris|date=September 12, 1997|title=Tiger's Game.com Pounces|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/tigers-gamecom-pounces/1100-2467650/|access-date=December 31, 2021|website=GameSpot}} Article date is mislabeled as April 26, 2000; the correct date can be viewed by the article's headline on [https://www.gamespot.com/profile/GSxxchris-johnstonxxGS/content/?page=29 this page].</ref> Designed as a multimedia device for older audiences, it aimed to combine gaming with early digital functions such as [[touchscreen]] input and limited Internet connectivity. The original model features a monochrome touchscreen, dual cartridge slots, and could be connected to a 14.4 [[kbit/s]] [[modem]] for access to e-mail and basic web functions via a proprietary interface.<ref name=AG>{{cite web|url= http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=32|title=Game.com Biography|last=Beuscher|first=Dave|publisher=[[AllGame]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114094410/http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=32|archive-date=November 14, 2014}}</ref> Its name is a reference to the [[.com]] top-level domain, reflecting its Internet-related features.<ref name=VG/> It was the first game console to include a touchscreen and the first handheld to offer Internet connectivity, positioning it as an early forerunner in multifunctional handheld gaming devices.

Despite its innovations, the system struggled commercially due to a small game library and technical limitations, prompting a redesign. The '''Game.com Pocket Pro''', a smaller version that lacked Internet capabilities, was released in mid-1999. Due to poor sales, the Game.com console line was discontinued in 2000, having sold less than 300,000 units.

==History==
[[Tiger Electronics]] had previously introduced its [[R-Zone]] game console in 1995 – as a competitor to [[Nintendo]]'s [[Virtual Boy]] – but the system was a failure. Prior to the R-Zone, Tiger had also manufactured [[Tiger Electronics#Standalone handhelds|handheld games]] consisting of [[LCD]] screens with imprinted graphics.<ref name=Dunn/><ref name=Rep/>

===Original version===
[[File:Tiger-Game-Com-BR.jpg|thumb|right|The back of the original Game.com console]]
By February 1997, Tiger was planning to release a new game console as a direct competitor to Nintendo's [[Game Boy]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Beck|first=Rachel|title=New toys linked to movies|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11700733/battle_creek_enquirer/|access-date=November 25, 2017|agency=Associated Press|work=Battle Creek Enquirer|date=February 10, 1997}}</ref> Prior to its release, Tiger Electronics stated that the Game.com would "change the gaming world as we know it," while a spokesperson stated that it would be "one of this summer's hits."<ref name=playthings>{{cite news|title=Playthings take their cues from movies, TV shows, auto racing|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11700467/the_morning_call/|access-date=November 25, 2017|work=The Morning Call|date=March 6, 1997}}</ref> The Game.com, the only new game console of the year, was on display at the [[Electronic Entertainment Expo]] (E3) in May 1997, with sales expected to begin in July.<ref>{{cite news |last=Johnston |first=Chris |title=Game.com Enters Portable Market |url=http://headline.gamespot.com:80/news/97_06/23_gamecom/index.html |work=GameSpot |date=June 23, 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991012143311/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_06/23_gamecom/index.html |archive-date=October 12, 1999 |access-date=October 9, 2023 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Dennis Lynch of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' considered the Game.com to be the "most interesting hand-held device" on display at E3, describing it as a "sort of Game Boy for adults".<ref>{{cite news|last=Lynch|first=Dennis|title=Future market|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11700548/chicago_tribune/|access-date=November 25, 2017|work=Chicago Tribune|date=June 26, 1997}}</ref>

The Game.com was released in the United States on September 12, 1997, with a retail price of $69.95,<ref name=LA/><ref name=Plus>{{cite news|title=Game-player plus|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11700580/philadelphia_daily_news/|access-date=November 25, 2017|work=Philadelphia Daily News|date=August 21, 1997}}</ref> while an Internet-access cartridge was scheduled for release in October.<ref name=sep25/><ref name=Tanner/> ''[[Lights Out (game)|Lights Out]]'' was included with the console as a [[pack-in game]] and [[Patience (game)|Solitaire]] was built into the handheld itself.<ref name=AG/><ref name=EGM94>{{cite magazine|date=May 1997|title=New Handheld Roars into Portable Market|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/2/27/EGM_US_094.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131211446/https://retrocdn.net/images/2/27/EGM_US_094.pdf |archive-date=2020-01-31 |url-status=live|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|issue=94|page=19}}</ref> The console's release marked Tiger's largest product launch ever. Tiger also launched a website for the system at the domain "game.com".<ref>{{cite news |last=Johnston |first=Chris |title=Tiger's Game.com Pounces |url=http://headline.gamespot.com:80/news/97_09/12_tiger/index.html |work=GameSpot |date=September 12, 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991013033504/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_09/12_tiger/index.html |archive-date=October 13, 1999 |access-date=October 9, 2023 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Game.com was marketed with a television commercial in which a spokesperson insults [[gamer]]s who ask questions about the console, while stating that it "plays more games than you idiots have brain cells";<ref name=Rep/><ref name=mother/> [[GamesRadar]] stated that the advertisement "probably didn't help matters much".<ref name=Rep/> By the end of 1997, the console had been released in the [[United Kingdom]], at a retail price of £79.99.<ref name=Sega>{{cite news |title=Tiger Shining Bright For Sega Titles |url=https://archive.org/stream/Saturn_Power_Issue_07_1997-12_Future_Publishing_GB#page/n9/mode/1up |work=[[Saturn Power]] |date=December 1997 |access-date=September 8, 2018|page=10|location=United Kingdom}}</ref>

The Game.com came in a black-and-white color,<ref name=Roars/> and featured a design similar to Sega's [[Game Gear]] console.<ref name=playthings/><ref name=Plus/> The screen is larger than the Game Boy's and has higher resolution.<ref name=Plus/><ref>{{cite magazine|date=July 1997|title=First Hands-On Test of Game.com|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/0/01/EGM_US_096.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828155033/https://retrocdn.net/images/0/01/EGM_US_096.pdf |archive-date=2018-08-28 |url-status=live|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|issue=96 |page=20}}</ref> The Game.com included a phone directory, a calculator, and a calendar,<ref name=LA>{{cite news|last=Simross|first=Lynn|title=Play, Then Get Serious |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11699807/the_los_angeles_times/|access-date=November 25, 2017|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 12, 1997}}</ref><ref name=VG/> and had an older target audience with its [[Personal digital assistant|PDA]] features. Tiger designed the console's features to be simple and cheap.<ref name=Tanner>{{cite magazine |last=Tanner |first=Mike |title=Tiger Electronics Enters Handheld Killing Field |url=https://www.wired.com/1997/09/tiger-electronics-enters-handheld-killing-field/ |magazine=Wired |date=September 17, 1997 |access-date=September 18, 2018}}</ref> The device was powered by four [[AA battery|AA batteries]],<ref name=sep25/> and an optional AC adapter was also available.<ref name=VG/> One of the major peripherals that Tiger produced for the system was the compete.com [[serial cable]],<ref name=AG/> allowing players to connect their consoles to play multiplayer games.<ref>{{cite web |last=Schneider |first=Peer |title=Jeopardy (Game.com) |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/1999/07/20/jeopardy-4 |website=IGN |access-date=September 14, 2018 |date=July 19, 1999}}</ref> The console includes two [[ROM cartridge|game cartridge]] slots.<ref name=AG/> In addition to reducing the need to swap out cartridges, this enabled Game.com games to include online elements, since both a game cartridge and the modem cartridge could be inserted at the same time.<ref name=EGM94/>

The Game.com was the first video game console to feature a [[touchscreen]] and also the first handheld video game console to have Internet connectivity.<ref name=PC/> The Game.com's black-and-white<ref name=sep25/> [[monochrome monitor|monochrome]] touchscreen measures approximately one and a half inches by two inches, and is divided into square zones that are imprinted onto the screen itself, to aid players in determining where to apply the [[Stylus (computing)|stylus]].<ref name=VG/> The touchscreen lacks a [[backlight]].<ref name=EGM94/> The Game.com was also the first handheld gaming console to have internal memory, which is used to save information such as high scores and contact information.<ref name=EGM94/>

As 1998 opened, the Game.com was considered the only remaining viable competitor for the Game Boy, and Tiger planned to emphasize the Game.com's internet capabilities in marketing, as well as release new games based on major films and [[Giga Pets]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Power Play |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=106 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=May 1998|pages=22–23}}</ref>

===Game.com Pocket Pro===
Because of poor sales with the original Game.com, Tiger developed an updated version known as the Game.com Pocket Pro.<ref name=Roars/><ref name=FT>{{cite news |title=Tiger unleashes Game.com Pocket Pro |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/175997159/ |work=Florida Today |date=July 14, 1999 |access-date=September 8, 2018|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=Journal/> The console was shown at the [[American International Toy Fair]] in February 1999,<ref>{{cite web |last=Lockwood Tooher |first=Nora |title=Hasbro celebrates |url=https://nl.newsbank.com/ |website=Providence Journal |access-date=September 14, 2018 |date=February 14, 1999 |url-access=subscription |via=NewsLibrary |archive-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604174101/http://nl.newsbank.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> and was later shown along with several future games at E3 in May 1999.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kennedy |first=Sam |title=Tiger Shows New Game.com Lineup |url=http://headline.gamespot.com:80/news/99_05/24_vg_tiger/index.html |work=GameSpot |date=May 24, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000129192914/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/99_05/24_vg_tiger/index.html |archive-date=January 29, 2000 |access-date=October 9, 2023 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Game.com Pocket Pro had been released by June 1999,<ref name=Sun>{{cite web |last=O'Neal |first=Denise I. |title=Toys hold kids' interest indoors |url=https://nl.newsbank.com/ |website=Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=September 14, 2018 |date=June 11, 1999 |url-access=subscription |via=NewsLibrary |archive-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604174101/http://nl.newsbank.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> with a retail price of $29.99.<ref name=Sun/><ref name=Roars/> The new console was available in five different colors: green, orange, pink, purple, and teal.<ref name=Sun/><ref name=Roars/>

Although it lacked color like its predecessor,<ref name=Roars/><ref name=Journal>{{cite news |title=Finally, a serious player prepares to go head-to-head with Game Boy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/163416313/ |work=[[The Journal News]] |date=July 8, 1999 |access-date=September 8, 2018|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription }}</ref> the Pocket Pro was reduced in size to be equivalent to the [[Game Boy Pocket]].<ref name="Roars">{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/stream/GamePro_Issue_120_July_1999#page/n45/mode/1up|title=Tiger Roars|date=July 1999|magazine=[[GamePro]]|access-date=September 8, 2018|page=42}}</ref> The screen size was also reduced, and the new console featured only one cartridge slot.<ref name=AG/> Unlike the original Game.com, the Pocket Pro required only two AA batteries.<ref name=Sun/><ref>{{cite web |title=Game.com Pocket Pro user guide |url=https://archive.org/details/tiger-gamecom-pocket-pro |website=[[Archive.org]] |access-date=September 14, 2018}}</ref> The Game.com Pocket Pro included a phone directory, a calendar and a calculator, but lacked Internet capabilities.<ref name=FT/><ref>{{cite news |title=Game.com, Bloody Roar get A ratings |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/328142141/ |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=August 16, 1999 |access-date=September 8, 2018|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The Game.com Pocket Pro's primary competitor was the [[Game Boy Color]].<ref name=Rep>{{cite news |last=Reparaz |first=Mikel |title=The Top 7... failingest handhelds |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-top-7-failingest-handhelds/3/ |work=GamesRadar |date=March 29, 2011 |access-date=October 9, 2023 |archive-date=September 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190902125103/https://www.gamesradar.com/the-top-7-failingest-handhelds/3/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Despite [[#Games|several games]] based on popular franchises, the Game.com console line failed to sell in large numbers,<ref name=Rep/><ref name=Sili>{{cite news |title=Tiger Electronics returns with new gaming hardware |url=https://www.siliconera.com/2007/09/11/tiger-electronics-returns-with-new-gaming-hardware/ |work=[[Siliconera]] |date=September 11, 2007 |access-date=September 18, 2018}}</ref> and was discontinued in 2000 because of poor sales.<ref name=bgr/> The Game.com was a commercial failure,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/14-video-game-consoles-youve-probably-never-heard-of-2016-8?r=US&IR=T/ |work=[[Business Insider]] |last=Mulkerin |first=Tim |title=13 video game consoles you've probably never heard of |date=August 8, 2016|access-date=September 7, 2018}}</ref> with less than 300,000 units sold, although the idea of a touchscreen would later be used successfully in the [[Nintendo DS]], released in 2004.<ref name=Wired/><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Vore|first=Brian|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/12/23/what-the-3ds-circle-pad-add-on-shares-with-history-39-s-silliest-portable-consoles.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919024803/https://www.gameinformer.com/index.php/b/features/archive/2011/12/23/what-the-3ds-circle-pad-add-on-shares-with-history-39-s-silliest-portable-consoles.aspx|url-status=live|archive-date=September 19, 2018|title=What The 3DS Circle Pad Add-On Shares With History's Silliest Portable Consoles|date=December 23, 2011|magazine=[[Game Informer]]|access-date=September 18, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Damien|first=McFerran|url=https://www.techradar.com/news/how-we-got-to-the-switch-a-brief-history-of-nintendo-controllers/2|title=How we got to the Switch: a brief history of Nintendo controllers|date=October 29, 2016|work=[[TechRadar]]|access-date=September 18, 2018}}</ref>

==Internet features==
[[Image:GameComWebstuff.jpg|right|thumb|Game.com modem]]
Accessing the Internet required the use of an Internet cartridge and a [[Dial-up Internet access|dial-up]] [[modem]], neither of which were included with the console.<ref name=Wis/><ref name=Phil/> [[Email]] messages could be read and sent on the Game.com using the Internet cartridge,<ref name=Wis/><ref name=Phil/><ref name=Wired>{{cite magazine |last=Kohler |first=Chris |title=Failure in My Pocket: Gaming's Tortured History of Handheld Convergence |url=https://www.wired.com/2010/10/handheld-convergence/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=September 7, 2018 |date=October 8, 2010}}</ref> and the Game.com supported text-only web browsing through [[Internet service provider]]s. Email messages could not be saved to the Game.com's internal memory.<ref name=EGM94/> In addition to a Game.com-branded 14.4 [[kbit/s]] modem, Tiger also offered an Internet service provider through [[Delphi (online service)|Delphi]] that was made to work specifically with the Game.com.<ref name=AG/><ref name=Phil/>

Tiger subsequently released the Web Link cartridge, allowing players to connect their system to a [[desktop computer]]. Using the Web Link cartridge, players could upload their high scores to the Game.com website for a chance to be listed on a webpage featuring the top high scores.<ref name=AG/> None of the console's games made use of the Internet feature.<ref name=bgr/>

==Technical specifications==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Dimensions (L x W x D)||Original: {{Convert|190|x|108|x|19|mm}} / Pocket Pro: {{Convert|140|x|86|x|28|mm}}
|-
| Processor chip||Sharp SM8521 8-Bit CPU; 10&nbsp;MHz clock speed<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tiger Game.com – RetroGaming At Cyberphreak.com|url=https://retrogame.cyberphreak.com/tiger-game-com/|access-date=2021-01-27|language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|Display resolution||200 x 160,<ref name=EGM94/> Original: 3.5 in. / Pocket Pro: 2.8 in.
|-
|Touchscreen
|12 x 10 grid-based touchscreen
|-
| Color system||Black and White, with 4 gray levels<ref name=EGM94/>
|-
|Audio||Monaural. Total of four audio channels: two 4-bit waveform generators (each with its own frequency, volume control and waveform data), one noise generator, and one direct 8-bit PCM output channel.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SM8521 CONTENTS |url=http://www.sharp.co.jp/ic/datasheet/micon/pdf/sm8521.pdf |access-date=14 March 2023 |website=SHARP}}</ref>
|-
| Power source||4 AA batteries<ref name=EGM94/> (Pocket Pro: 2 AA batteries) or AC adapter
|-
| Ports||Serial Comm Port for the compete.com cable, internet cable and weblink cable;<br>3.5&nbsp;mm Audio Out Jack for headphones; DC9 V in (AC Adapter); 2 cartridge slots (1 on the Pocket Pro)
|-
| Buttons||Power (On/Off);<br> Action (A, B, C, D); 3 Function (Menu, Sound, Pause); 1 Eight-way Directional Pad; Volume; Contrast; Reset (On system's underside)
|}

==Games==
[[Image:GameComLightsOutCart.jpg|right|thumb|The ''Lights Out'' cartridge which came bundled with the console]]
Several games were available for the Game.com at the time of its 1997 launch,<ref name=Tanner/><ref name=sep25>{{cite news|last1=Carter|first1=Chip |last2=Carter|first2=Jonathan|title=Versatile Game.com Leapfrogs Game Boy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11699904/arizona_republic/|access-date=November 25, 2017 |work=Arizona Republic|date=September 26, 1997}}</ref> in comparison to [[List of Game Boy games|hundreds of games]] available for the Game Boy.<ref name=Tanner/> Tiger planned to have a dozen games available by the end of 1997,<ref name=Tanner/><ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Game.com |url=https://archive.org/stream/GamePro_Issue_111_Volume_09_Number_12_1997-12_IDG_Publishing_US#page/n57/ |magazine=GamePro |date=December 1997 |access-date=September 8, 2018|page=57}}</ref> and hoped to have as many as 50 games available in 1998, with all of them to be produced or adapted internally by Tiger.<ref name=Tanner/> Some third parties expressed interest in developing for the system, but Tiger decided against signing any initially.<ref name=NGen31>{{cite magazine |title=Game.com: Will it Beat Game Boy? |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=31|publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=July 1997|pages=26–27 |url=https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_31/page/n26}}</ref> Tiger secured licenses for several popular game series, including ''[[Duke Nukem]]'', ''[[Resident Evil]]'', and ''[[Mortal Kombat Trilogy]]''.<ref name=Rep/><ref name=Sili/><ref name=Sega/> Game prices initially ranged between $19 and $29.<ref name=Phil/> Cartridge size was in the 16 [[megabit]] range.<ref name=NGen31/>

At the time of the Pocket Pro's 1999 release, the Game.com library consisted primarily of games intended for an older audience.<ref name=Peace/> Some games that were planned for release in 1999 would be exclusive to Game.com consoles. Game prices at that time ranged from $14 to $30.<ref name=Roars/> Twenty games were ultimately released for the Game.com,<ref name=games>{{cite web|url= http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=32&tab=games|title= Games for the Game.com|publisher=AllGame|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114111148/http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=32&tab=games|archive-date=November 14, 2014}}</ref> most of them developed internally by Tiger,<ref name=Rep/> in addition to the built-in game [[Solitaire (game)|Solitaire]].<ref name="Bad Games">{{cite web|last=Cassidy|date=|title=Tiger Game.com (1997-2000)|url=https://www.badgamehalloffame.com/tiger-game-com/|access-date=7 October 2020|website=|publisher=badgamehalloffame.com}}</ref>
{{collist|
*''[[Solitaire (game)|Solitaire]]'' (Built in)
*''[[Batman & Robin (video game)|Batman & Robin]]''
*''[[Centipede (1998 video game)|Centipede]]''
*''[[Duke Nukem 3D]]''
*''[[Fighters Megamix]]''
*''[[Frogger#Remakes and sequels|Frogger]]''
*''Henry''
*''[[Indy 500 (1995 video game)|Indy 500]]''
*''[[Merchandise based on Jeopardy!#Handhelds|Jeopardy!]]''
*''[[Lights Out (game)|Lights Out]]'' (Pack in)
*''[[The Lost World: Jurassic Park (handheld game)|The Lost World: Jurassic Park]]''
*''[[Monopoly video games|Monopoly]]''
*''[[Mortal Kombat Trilogy]]''
*''Quiz Wiz: Cyber Trivia''
*''[[Resident Evil 2]]''
*''Scrabble''
*''[[Sonic Jam]]''
*''Tiger Casino''
*''[[Wheel of Fortune video games#Handheld games|Wheel of Fortune]]''
*''[[Wheel of Fortune video games#Handheld games|Wheel of Fortune 2]]''
*''[[Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits|Williams Arcade Classics]]''
}}

===Cancelled games===
The following is a list of games that were announced in various forms or known to be in development for the console but were never released.<ref name="Bad Games"/>
{{collist|
*''[[A Bug's Life (video game)|A Bug’s Life]]''
*''[[Castlevania: Symphony of the Night]]''
*''[[Command & Conquer: Red Alert]]''
*''[[Deer Hunter (series)|Deer Hunter]]''
*''Holyfield Champion Boxing'' (planned to include “Real Feel” [[haptic technology|force feedback]] in cart)
*''[[Furby]]land ''
*''[[Giga Pet]]s Deluxe''
*''[[List of Godzilla games|Godzilla]]''
*''The Legend of the Lost Creator''
*''[[Madden 98]]''
*''[[Metal Gear Solid (1998 video game)|Metal Gear Solid]]''
*''Mutoids''
*''[[Name That Tune]]''
*''[[NASCAR]] Racing''
*''[[NBA Hangtime]]''
*''[[Shadow Madness]]''
*''[[Sonic 3D Blast]]''
*''[[Small Soldiers (video game)|Small Soldiers]]''
*''[[Turok: Dinosaur Hunter]]''
*''[[World Championship Wrestling|WCW]] Whiplash''
}}

==Reception==
At the time of the Game.com's launch in 1997, Chris Johnston of [[GameSpot|VideoGameSpot]] believed that the console would have difficulty competing against the Game Boy. Johnston also believed that text-based Internet and email would attract only limited appeal, stating that such features were outdated. Johnston concluded that the Game.com "is a decent system, but Nintendo is just way too powerful in the industry."<ref name=Tanner/> Chip and Jonathan Carter wrote that the console did not play action games as well as it did with other games, although they praised the console's various options and wrote, "Graphically, we'd have to say this has the potential to perform better than Game Boy. As for sound, Game.com delivers better than any other hand-held on the market."<ref name=sep25/> A team of four ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' editors gave the Game.com scores of 5.5, 4.5, 5.0, and 4.0. They were impressed by the PDA features and touchscreen, but commented that the games library had thus far failed to deliver on the Game.com's great potential. They elaborated that while the non-scrolling games, particularly ''Wheel of Fortune'', were great fun and made good use of the touchscreen, the more conventional action games were disappointing and suffered from prominent [[Motion blur|screen blurring]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=EGM's Special Report: Which System Is Best? |magazine=1998 Video Game Buyer's Guide |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=March 1998 |page=58}}</ref>

''[[Wisconsin State Journal]]'' stated that the Game.com offered "some serious" advantages over the Game Boy, including its touchscreen. It was also stated that in comparison to the Game Boy, the Game.com's 8-bit processor provided "marginal improvements" in the quality of speed and graphics. The newspaper noted that the Game.com had a "tiny, somewhat blurry screen."<ref name=Wis>{{cite news |title=Game Boy Has a Rival Now |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/401434953/ |work=Wisconsin State Journal |date=September 26, 1997 |access-date=September 7, 2018|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription }}</ref> ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'' wrote a negative review of the Game.com, particularly criticizing Internet connectivity issues. Also criticized was the system's lack of a backlit screen, as the use of exterior lighting could cause difficulty in viewing the screen, which was highly reflective.<ref name="Phil">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/177979339/|title=Internet connection on Tiger's Game.com does not earn its stripes|date=December 25, 1997|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|access-date=September 7, 2018|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Steven L. Kent, writing for the ''Chicago Tribune'', wrote that although the console had an elegant design, as well as better sound and a higher-definition screen than the Game Boy, these qualities "[have] not translated into ideal game play. Though Tiger has produced fighting, racing and shooting games for Game.com, the games have noticeably slow frame rates. The racing game looks like a flickering silent picture show."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/08/06/are-you-game-3/|title=Are You Game?|last=Kent|first=Steven L.|date=August 6, 1998|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=April 28, 2016}}</ref> Cameron Davis of [[GameSpot|VideoGames.com]] wrote, "Sure, this is no Game Boy Color-killer, but the Game.Com was never meant to be. To deride it by comparing it with more powerful and established formats would be a bit unfair". Davis also wrote, "The touch screen is pretty sensitive, but it works well - you won't need more than a few seconds to get used to it." However, he criticized the screen's squared zones: "more often than not it proves distracting when you are playing games that don't require it."<ref name=VG>{{cite web|last=Davis|first=Cameron|title=A Closer Look at the Game.com|url=http://www.videogames.com:80/features/universal/game_com/|website=[[GameSpot|VideoGames.com]]|access-date=May 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010709152443/http://www.videogames.com/features/universal/game_com/|archive-date=July 9, 2001|pages=1–4|url-status=dead}}</ref>

''GamePro'' criticized the Pocket Pro's lack of screen color and its difficult controls, but considered its two best qualities to be its cheap price and a game library of titles exclusive to the console.<ref name=Roars/> ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' also criticized the Pocket Pro's lack of a color screen, as well as "frustrating" gameplay caused by the "unresponsive" controls, including the stylus. The newspaper stated that, "Even at $29.99, the pocket.pro is no bargain."<ref name=Peace>{{cite news |title=Portable video games that keep the peace |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/179186025/ |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=July 22, 1999 |access-date=September 14, 2018|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Legacy===
Brett Alan Weiss of the website [[AllGame]] wrote, "The Game.com, the little system that (almost) could, constantly amazes me with the strength and scope of its sound effects. [...] It's astounding what power comes out of such a tiny little speaker."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=8006&tab=review|title=Indy 500 - Review (Game.com)|last=Weiss|first=Brett Alan|work=[[AllGame]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115040612/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=8006&tab=review|archive-date=November 15, 2014}}</ref> In 2004, Kent included the modem and "some PDA functionality" as the console's strengths, while listing its "Slow processor" and "lackluster library of games" as weaknesses.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/01/31/nintendos-got-game-for-newest-challenge/|title=Nintendo's got game for newest challenge|last=Kent|first=Steven L.|date=January 31, 2004|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=April 28, 2016}}</ref> In 2006, ''[[Engadget]]'' stated that "You can't fault Tiger Electronics for their ambition," but wrote that the Game.com "didn't do any one thing particularly well", criticizing its text-only Internet access and stating that its "disappointing games were made even worse" by the "outdated" screen.<ref>{{cite news |last=Melanson |first=Donald |title=A Brief History of Handheld Video Games |url=https://www.engadget.com/2006/03/03/a-brief-history-of-handheld-video-games/ |work=Engadget |date=March 3, 2006 |access-date=September 18, 2018}}</ref>

In 2009, ''[[PC World]]'' ranked the Game.com at number nine on its list of the 10 worst video game systems ever released, criticizing its Internet aspect, its game library, its low-resolution touchscreen, and its "Silly name that attempted to capitalize on Internet mania." However, ''PC World'' positively noted its "primitive" PDA features and its solitaire game, considered by the magazine to be the system's best game.<ref name=PC>{{cite web|last=Edwards|first=Benj|title=The 10 Worst Video Game Systems of All Time|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/168348/software-games/worst-game-consoles.html#slide3|access-date=November 25, 2017|work=[[PC World]]|date=July 14, 2009}}</ref> In 2011, Mikel Reparaz of GamesRadar ranked the Game.com at number 3 on a list of 7 failed handheld consoles, writing that while the Game.com had several licensed games, it "doesn't actually mean much when they all look like cruddy, poorly animated Game Boy [[Porting of video games|port]]s." Raparaz also stated that the Game.com "looked dated even by Game Boy standards," noting that the Game Boy Pocket had a sharper display screen. Reparaz stated that the Game.com's continuation into 2000 was a "pretty significant achievement" considering its competition from the Game Boy Color.<ref name=Rep/>

In 2013, Jeff Dunn of GamesRadar criticized the Game.com for its "blurry" and "imprecise" touchscreen, as well as its "limited and unwieldy" Internet and email [[User interface|interface]]s. Dunn also criticized the "painful" Internet setup process, and stated that all of the console's available games were "ugly and horrible." Dunn noted, however, that the Game.com's Internet aspect was a "smart" feature.<ref name=Dunn>{{cite news |last=Dunn |first=Jeff |title=Chasing Phantoms - The history of failed consoles |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/chasing-phantoms-history-failed-consoles/4/ |work=GamesRadar |date=July 15, 2013 |access-date=September 18, 2018}}</ref> In 2016, [[Motherboard (website)|Motherboard]] stated that the Game.com was "perhaps one of the worst consoles of all time," due largely to its low screen quality.<ref name=mother>{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Ernie|title=Tiger Electronics Took on the Game Boy with Devices as Powerful as Calculators|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/tiger-electronics-took-on-the-game-boy-with-devices-as-powerful-as-calculators/|access-date=November 25, 2017|work=Motherboard|date=August 25, 2016}}</ref> In 2018, Nadia Oxford of [[USgamer]] noted the Game.com's "paper-thin" library of games and stated that the console "died in record time because it was poorly-made, to say the least."<ref>{{cite news |last=Oxford |first=Nadia |title=Once More, with Weirdness: 8 of the Strangest Ports in Video Game History |url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/once-more-with-weirdness-8-of-the-strangest-ports-in-video-game-history |work=USgamer |date=August 1, 2018 |access-date=October 9, 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916130250/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/once-more-with-weirdness-8-of-the-strangest-ports-in-video-game-history |archive-date=September 16, 2018}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
{{commons category|Game.com}}
{{Portal|United States|Video games}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.game.com Game.com official website] (archive)
*[http://www.diskman.com/presents/gamecom/ The end of the game.com]

{{Fifth generation game consoles}}
{{Handheld game consoles}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Game.Com}}
[[Category:Products introduced in 1997]]
[[Category:Discontinued handheld game consoles]]
[[Category:Fifth-generation video game consoles]]
[[Category:Handheld game consoles]]
[[Category:Monochrome video game consoles]]
[[Category:1990s toys]]