Handheld electronic games started pouring their way into pockets in the late 80s. By the 90s, they were in every other home. Alongside the more mainstream handhelds – like the Game Boy or Atari Lynx – snuck in a pervasive, chunky ‘competitor’. If you came from a household with less expendable income, you may have been especially likely to be gifted with this primitive gaming slab. Behold, the somewhat ambiguously titled ‘Brick Game’.
Commonly advertising anywhere from 1 – 9999 unique games, these handhelds were most often full of simple Tetris clones, with relatively minor differences, racing games with relatively minor differences, or if you were lucky, perhaps a combination of games! Such as basic shooters, racing games and Tetris clones with… relatively minor differences. But in the minds of many older relatives, not yet indoctrinated to the world of gaming, they were buying you that brand new, cutting-edge Nintendo device (or even a SEGA)!
Where did Brick Games come from?
The original Brick Game first popped up in China in 1989, approximately around the same time as the Game Boy’s release. It was originally devised to be a straightforward Tetris clone, but over time, more and more varieties started to manifest. Despite extensive digging, the original manufacturer of these devices is somewhat difficult to pin down. However, Million Star Corporation and E-Star were two prominent early producers who contributed to Brick Game’s global takeover.
If you owned a Brick Game, now gathering dust in a long forgotten location, chances are it’s Chinese. However, a significant amount of these devices were also manufactured in Russia. One of the key differences that set them apart (though not foolproof), is that the Russian versions usually require three batteries, as opposed to the two required by Chinese models.
Simple features
As far as Australia goes, Brick Games were most often sold at your local market at an appealingly low cost, or at discount/dollar stores. The Reject Shop stocked a variety of Brick Games for several years, most prominently around the turn of the millenium. These fairly sizeable handhelds featured a simple 10 x 20 grid screen, with no backlighting.
The consoles often featured music, generally one or more imitations of classic folk songs. The screeching sounds that came out of their speakers made the bleeps and bloops on your PC Speaker at home sound like spectacular symphonies. Luckily you could usually turn the sound off if required – or you were stealthily playing past your bedtime.
By the late 90s, much more sophisticated Brick Game clones had appeared, such as ProTech’s Pro200. It was a foldable unit, featuring an in-built calculator, and a dedicated gamepad on the lower half. This gave the handheld the appearance of being more advanced, and even ergonomic! Although it may seem like a fairly logical feature, the inclusion of a calculator is quite a rare inclusion on Brick Game varieties, even now.
Game varieties
The majority of games found on any given Brick Game, even considering its many varieties, were more than likely crude clones of arcade staples. For example, Frogger, Snake, and Pong all had their counterparts on many a Brick Game handheld. But let’s be honest; Snake II wore out enough early Nokia keypads to prove that simple, monochrome games can sometimes be the most addictive. Usually the most common changes between the ‘hundreds’ of games included were minor shifts in speed or difficulty, or slight differences in the position of the tiles.
Despite the expectation of Brick Games to be brimming full of clones of clones, some rarer units featured wildly different games. If you only had one of the more basic models, there were more than you might expect! Some of the more elusive editions included mazes, bowling, sokoban, rhythm games, or even a fighting game!
An ongoing legacy…
Many of us remember stowing away our Brick Games in backpacks for long car rides, straining to see them in the dark, or getting oddly addicted to topping our scores on school holidays. They’re pervasive for a reason – Tetris is one of the most popular games of all time, after all!
Brick Games can still be purchased today – for as little as $1! Whether they fill you with echoes of dismay, giggles, or fond nostalgia, the staying power of such a relatively simple gaming device has to be admired.
