Few people have heard of it, yet many consider John Blankenbaker's KENBAK-1 to be the first commercial personal computer.
FC Mobile II: Wireless Portable NES Gaming
By James Grahame
Hyperkin has been churning out inexpensive NES clones for years, but it seems like they're running out of new ways to repackage the same tired old concept. The FC Mobile II is a compact handheld console with 2.5" LCD screen and composite video out. It ships with two wireless controllers and a wireless light gun, allowing it to function as a TV-based retroconsole as well as a portable.
The machine itself is cute as a button. However, it loses it's appeal the moment you slap a gigantic vintage NES cartridge into its back end. The weight and balance of this thing is utterly atrocious; the ergonomic equivalent of gluing a paperback novel to the top of a Game Boy Micro.
A second issue is the light gun. We haven't had a chance to put it through its paces, but I'm almost certain it won't work with LCD or plasma screens. The original relied on scan line timing on a CRT, and I suspect this model is exactly the same. So expect to break out the fuzzy old 13" RCA TV from your youth if you're craving a drunken round of duck hunt.
This might well be FC Mobile's last dip into the NES goldmine. Nintendo emulation has been done to death for the past decade, and no amount of wireless tomfoolery is going to reinvigorate the market. The FC Mobile II can be yours for $59.99 sometime in May, 2009. Available in washing machine white or paper shredder black.
FC Mobile 2: The best portable NES gets a 1up [technabob]
