Video Game consoles & handhelds

Any talk of Japanese video games is not complete without mentioning the various forms by which they play them on.

Ever since the Family Computer emerged in the middle of the ‘80s, the Japanese video gaming industry hasn’t been the same. A slew of popular consoles emerged that really had the video gaming world playing like crazy.

Other companies like Nintendo continued the trend of one-upping each other as they released then-powerful game machines like the Nintendo 64. Out to prove that they have the capability to enter the Japanese video game market, electronic giant SONY came up with the Playstation, probably the most popular gaming console to usher the new age of Japanese video gaming. In-between the battle for Japanese video game console supremacy, SEGA slipped-in the Dreamcast gaming console. Much like the Playstation, the Dreamcast uses CDs, instead of cartridges, for their games.

The year 2000 and was welcomed with next-generation gaming consoles vying for the Japanese market, with Sony launching the Playstation 2 or PS2, and newcomer X-box trying to squeeze in the Japanese market. The selling point of both consoles was that it wasn’t just for gaming, but it can be a total entertainment unit, as both can play Digital Video Discs or DVD movies as well. Nintendo also released a new gaming console called the Game Cube, but unlike the last two mentioned, its sole purpose was to play video games. The graphics of all consoles simply blew away every video gaming fan, Japanese or otherwise, as it showcased almost life-like motions and videos on its games, as well as crisp and well-developed sound effects or audio. More surprises are in-store in the future as the Playstation 3, X-box 360 and Nintendo Revolution are all set to capture the Japanese video gaming world.

But of course, it’s not all gaming consoles in the land of the rising sun, as Japanese video games are also carried around by means of portable video game units. From the early Game and Watch hand held games to the Nintendo Game Boy series and the most recent Playstation Portable (or PSP by Sony), it is safe to say that Japanese video games are always meant to be played anywhere, anytime and any place.