Tapwave Gets Duke Nukem, Genesis Classics

Thanks to BusinessWire for hosting the press release announcing pre-order availability and new software for the Tapwave Zodiac handheld, following advance news of the Palm-compatible's specs a couple of weeks back. But newly announced as "...coming in January 2004 is 'Duke Nukem Mobile,' which will open a new chapter of Duke's Universe for the mobile-minded gamer", and Tapwave have also hooked up with Sega, so that "several classic Sega Genesis titles will also be available for the Zodiac console in the months ahead." Forbes has an enthusiastic preview of the Zodiac, noting "Bluetooth wireless connectivity" and "its gorgeous screen display" as positives, although quibbling with the "convoluted interface" for Palm software.

saturation?

[Neppy]

Just how many new handhelds can the market handle? I don't see how this can succeed with 2 other companies (Sony, Nokia) also entering the market, and one competitior (Nintendo) already entrenched.

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:saturation?

[twalk]

Don't view this as a game machine. View it as a high-end Palm that also is the best for playing games.

In that view, $399 for a hi-res+ screen and 128M is pretty cheap. I know of several people interested in buying it, and they have no interest at all in playing games on it.

Duke?

[Yorrike]

Are we really going to see Duke Nukem or will it be out "when it's done"?

That aside, the Zodiac looks like one mean piece of machinery. Pity I can't afford one at the moment.

Re:Duke?

[cbirdsong64]

*insert obligatory Duke Nukem Forever joke*

Forbes???

[Acidic_Diarrhea]

Forbes likes it? Well well well, that's great! I mean, the people at Forbes always know good hardware and good software when they see it. After all, they are one of the most respected names in the video game magazine publishers...

HEY! Wait a minute...

Queen of the Ports

[acxr is wasted]

If nothing else, it's going to inject some new life into a product niche that until very recently had just started to look boring and short on new ideas.

Man, if that isn't the understatement of the century, I don't know what is. In context, he's referring specifically to the Palm platform, but I think the same can be said about handheld gaming. While several of the games coming out for this system are remakes, the GBA is the Queen of the Ports.

The business mags like it!

[superultra]

I think the Tapwave looks a heck of a lot more promising than the N-Gage. That said, the only people who've reviewed it are business magazines. They love it. Maybe there's a market there, who knows, but if Tapwave is going for the gaming market they need to start showing up at these game shows to win some people over.

I mean Sony's really showing them up with the PSP. I can't wait to get it so it can mow my lawn during the day, cook lobster during the night. Oh yeah, and maybe play games! Sweet!

possibilities

[UltimaL337Star]

"Dude, are you playing duke nukem?" "Yea I'm playing duke nukem, IN MY PANTS!"

Perhaps this is the one!

[old-lady-whispering-]

First lets dispell the typical myth about gamming being mainly the interest of teenage boys. The GBA and SP have played well to that myth, infact it appears to be common sense that Nintendo owns the teenage mobile game market. Everyone though knows that the bulk of gamers are not in highschool and many are even college graduates. That being said the Zodiac is set to dominate the +18 mobile gamming crowd. I am part of that demographic and this device looks very exciting. I will wait for a reputable review before I buy though. The Zodiac appeals to almost all of my wish list for a mobile gamming platform. So if there are no significant snags that come with the Zodiac then they have my $400 or so dollars. The specs read like a mobile gamer's wet dream:

Memory:
Zodiac1 = 32MB*
Zodiac2 = 128MB*
* 12MB reserved for system use.

Processor:
Motorola(R) i.MX1(TM) ARM9 processor (200 MHz)

Graphics Accelerator:
ATI(R) Imageon(TM) W4200 graphics accelerator (with 8MB dedicated SDRAM).

Display:
3.8 inch transflective display
480 x 320 (half VGA), 16-bit color backlit display (65,536 colors)
Portrait and landscape display capabilities
Digitizer for enhanced interactive game play, navigation and text input.

Sound:
Yamaha(R) audio component and stereo speakers
Standard 3.5mm stereo headphone plug
Earbud-style headphones included
Support for select third-party portable speakers

Vibration:
Supports silent notification and interactive game play.

Controls:
Variable pressure analog controller (joystick)
2 triggers, 4 programmable action buttons, 1 special function button,
1 home button, 1 power button, and 1 Bluetooth button.

Expandability:
Dual expansion slots for MultiMediaCards, Secure Digital (SD) cards
and SDIO cards, including digital cameras and more.*
Zodiac Connector for additional peripherals.
* Slot #1: supports MultiMediaCards, Secure Digital Cards (SD).
Slot #2: supports MultiMediaCards, Secure Digital Cards (SD), and
SDIO cards.

Wireless
Connectivity:

Built-in Bluetooth radio with dedicated activation button.
Ideal for multiplayer wireless gaming, sharing information and connectivity to other compatible Bluetooth enabled devices.

PC Desktop
Connectivity:

USB Cable
USB Cradle (sold separately)

Cover:
Protective Flip Cover

Wrist Strap:
Convenient strap

Battery:
High-capacity Rechargeable Lithium Batteries - 1540 mAh

Power Supply:
AC Adapter / Battery Charger (120 volt AC, 60 Hz)
International connectivity kit (sold separately)

Size/Weight
5.6" (143mm) x 3.1" (79mm) x .55" (14mm) / 6.3 ounces

Color
Zodiac1 - Slate Gray
Zodiac2 - Charcoal Gray

Re:Perhaps this is the one!

[Anonymous Coward]

This just in: Not everyone is a geek like you.

The GBA is < $100, and has *hundreds* of games available.

The Zodiac is out in one month, and has almost *zero* 3rd-party support. And it's *way* more than $100. Hell, the N-Gage is lined up to do better than this piece...

Mac? Linux?

[wolrahnaes]

The Forbes article states that it will be Windows only, but according to Tapwave's site, it uses a modified Palm Desktop. All that is added are a few simple extensions (likely for getting MP3s in to it)

Why do those extensions totally break compatiblity with other OSes? Since the games are on SD cards (and likely using SD DRM), all that the desktop needs to be used for are the PIM functions, which should work fine with any palm. iSync can hotsync over bluetooth with any current palm model.

Is this just i

Not a bad idea

[Steve525]

I missed the orginal slashdot article, so I'm going to take the opportunity to make some comments here. I've long thought that a product like this would be a good idea, and I've made posts before stating such. For those who think of this as an expensive GBA competitor, you should instead think of it as a PDA that can play games (and MP3s).

Consider PC's either before soundblasters. (Or you could make a similar arguement pre-3DFX). Before soundblasters came out PC's seemed like a silly place to play game