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===2000s=== ====Game Boy Advance==== The Game Boy Advance was a major upgrade to the Game Boy lineIn 2001, Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance ('''GBA''' or '''AGB'''), which added two shoulder buttons, a larger screen, and more computing power than the Game Boy Color. The design was revised two years later when the Game Boy Advance SP (GBA SP), a more compact version, was released. The SP featured a "clamshell" design (folding open and closed, like a briefcase), as well as a frontlit color display and rechargeable battery. Despite the smaller form factor, the screen remained the same size as that of the original. In 2005, the Game Boy Micro was released. This revision sacrificed screen size and backwards compatibility with previous Game Boys for a dramatic reduction in total size and a brighter backlit screen. A new SP model with a backlit screen was released in some regions around the same time. Along with the Nintendo GameCube, the GBA also introduced the concept of "connectivity": using a handheld system as a console controller. A handful of games use this feature, most notably ''Animal Crossing'', ''Pac-Man Vs.'', ''Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles'', ''The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures'', ''The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker'', and ''Sonic Adventure 2: Battle''. As of December 31, 2007, the GBA, GBA SP, and the Game Boy Micro combined have sold 80.72 million units worldwide. ====Game Park 32==== The original GP32 was released in 2001 by the South Korean company Game Park a few months after the launch of the Game Boy Advance. It featured a 32-bit CPU, 133 MHz processor, MP3 and Divx player, and e-book reader. SmartMedia cards were used for storage, and could hold up to 128mb of anything downloaded through a USB cable from a PC. The GP32 was redesigned in 2003. A front-lit screen was added and the new version was called GP32 FLU (Front Light Unit). In summer 2004, another redesign, the GP32 BLU, was made, and added a backlit screen. This version of the handheld was planned for release outside South Korea; in Europe, and it was released for example in Spain (VirginPlay was the distributor). While not a commercial success on a level with mainstream handhelds (only 30,000 units were sold), it ended up being used mainly as a platform for user-made applications and emulators of other systems, being popular with developers and more technically-adept users. ====N-Gage==== Nokia released the N-Gage in 2003. It was designed as a combination MP3 player, cellphone, PDA, radio, and gaming device. The system received much criticism alleging defects in its physical design and layout, including its vertically-oriented screen and requirement of removing the battery to change game cartridges. The most well known of these was "sidetalking", or the act of placing the phone speaker and receiver on an edge of the device instead of one of the flat sides, causing the user to appear as if they are speaking into a taco. The N-Gage QD was later released to address the design flaws of the original. However, certain features available in the original N-Gage, including MP3 playback, FM radio reception, and USB connectivity were removed. Second generation of N-Gage launched on April 3, 2008 in the form of a service for selected Nokia Smartphones. ====Tapwave Zodiac==== Tapwave released the Zodiac. It was designed to be a PDA-handheld game console hybrid. It supported photos, movies, music, Internet, and documents. The Zodiac used a special version Palm OS 5, 5.2T, that supported the special gaming buttons and graphics chip. Two versions were available, Zodiac 1 and 2, differing in memory and looks. The Zodiac line ended in July 2005 when Tapwave declared bankruptcy. ====Nintendo DS==== The Nintendo DS has two screens (the lower of which is a touchscreen), a microphone and Wi-Fi connectivity. The Nintendo DSi adds two cameras (one outside, one inside) to the original design, and replaces the Game Boy Advance slot with an SD/SDHC card slot.The Nintendo DS was released in November 2004. Among its new features were the incorporation of two screens, a touchscreen, wireless connectivity, and a microphone port. As with the Game Boy Advance SP, the DS features a clamshell design, with the two screens aligned vertically on either side of the hinge. The DS's lower screen is touch sensitive, designed to be pressed with a stylus, a user's finger or a special "thumb pad" (a small plastic pad attached to the console's wrist strap, which can be affixed to the thumb to simulate an analog stick). More traditional controls include four face buttons, two shoulder buttons, a D-pad, and "Start" and "Select" buttons. The console also features online capabilities via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and ad-hoc wireless networking for multiplayer games with up to sixteen players. It is backwards-compatible with all Game Boy Advance games, but not with games designed for the Game Boy or Game Boy Color. In January 2006, Nintendo revealed an updated version of the DS: the Nintendo DS Lite (released on March 2, 2006 in Japan) with an updated, smaller form factor (42% smaller and 21% lighter than the original Nintendo DS), a cleaner design, longer battery life, and brighter, higher-quality displays, with adjustable brightness. It is also able to connect wirelessly with Nintendo's Wii console. In October 2008, Nintendo announced the Nintendo DSi, with larger, 3.25 inch screens and two integrated cameras. It will have an SD card storage slot in place of the Game Boy Advance slot, plus internal flash memory for storing downloaded games. It was released on November 1, 2008 in Japan, and was released in North America April 5 2009 and April 3 2009 in Europe. As of March 31 2009, the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Lite and Nintendo DSi combined have sold 101.78 million units worldwide. ====PlayStation Portable==== The PlayStation Portable can play music, movies, games, view pictures and browse the web wirelessly.The PlayStation Portable (officially abbreviated PSP) is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Development of the console was first announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on May 11, 2004 at a Sony press conference before E3 2004. The system was released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in the PAL region on September 1, 2005. The PlayStation Portable is the first handheld video game console to use an optical disc format, Universal Media Disc (UMD), as its primary storage medium. Other distinguishing features of the console include its large viewing screen, multi-media capabilities, and connectivity with the PlayStation 3, other PSPs, and the Internet. ====Gizmondo==== The GizmondoTiger's Gizmondo came out in the UK during March 2005 and it was released in the U.S. during October 2005. It is designed to play music, movies, and games, have a camera for taking and storing photos, and have GPS functions. It also has Internet capabilities. It has a phone for sending text and multimedia messages. Email was promised at launch, but was never released before Gizmondo, and ultimately Tiger Telematics', downfall in early 2006. Users obtained a second service pack, unreleased, hoping to find such functionality. However, Service Pack B did not activate the e-mail functionality. ====Dingoo==== The Dingoo A320The Dingoo A320 is a micro-sized gaming handheld that supports open game development. It also supports music, radio, emulators (8 bit and 16 bit) and video playing capabilities with its own interface much alike the PSP. There is also an on board radio and recording program. There are currently two colors available—white and black. Dingoo has announced that a Pink version will be released soon. ====Apple iPhone / iPod Touch==== iPod touchIn 2008 Apple released an SDK allowing individuals and game companies to develop software for the popular iPhone and iPod Touch hand-held devices. With an installed base of over 50 million units sold and over 20,000 games listed for sale on Apple iTunes App Store, the device has become a de-facto game console of its own. Mainstream game franchises, such as Madden, NHL, Command and Conquer, Call of Duty, Prince of Persia, Mirror's Edge, Tom Clancy's HAWX, Need for Speed, Sims, SimCity, Doom, Wolfenstein, Star Wars, Prey, Rage, Quake, Duke Nukem, Rock Band, Dance Dance Revolution, Driver, Ace Combat, Grand Theft Auto, FIFA, Assassin's Creed, Spore, Earthworm Jim, and NBA Live, have come or are soon coming to the platform. The sole physical input method for the device is a capacitive touch screen over a screen with 320 by 480 pixels. The original iPod Touch did not have a speaker, but since then all iPhones and iPod Touches have built-in speakers as well as the headphone jack. The iPhone also features a built-in microphone. The devices also have a proprietary "docking port", which has recently been opened up to SDK development with version 3.0 of the operating system SDK. ====Zune HD==== Zune HDThe Zune HD is a portable media player that is a de facto game console like the Apple iPhone / iPod Touch released on September 15, 2009 in 16 and 32 GB capacities. It utilizes a touch-screen interface and the accelerometer for its game controller. The Zune HD utilizes the Nvidia Tegra APX 2600 chip allowing it to play games which includes Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition, Vans Sk8: Pool Service, Checkers, Sudoku, Space Battle 2, Lucky Lanes Bowling, Goo Splat, Chess, Shell Game... of the Future, Hexic and Audiosurf(TM) Tilt. Indie titles written with XNA are also available from multiple sources.
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