Smallball! Handheld Sports Games of the 1970s and 1980s

They were incredibly rudimentary...and eternally lovable. Herewith, a tribute.

By  |  Monday, March 30, 2009 at 12:34 am

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Electronic Baseball Game

Toy for Playing Baseball Game

Patent filed July 21st, 1980

The early 1980s were a strange transitional period for games. At the same time that an array of companies were inventing electronic baseball games, a couple of Japanese designed filed to patent this handheld–one that was entirely mechanical (everything was done with dials and gears) but conceptually similar to its digital rivals. I’m not sure if the game was ever manufactured.

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