The Pro 200 - The 90's "As Seen on TV" Handheld (TeeVee Games)

[@FunkyStudios]

Man the Soulja Game has major competition

[@jim61051]

Honestly, this video doesn't do this device justice. As a millennial growing up in a working-class family who couldn't afford a Game boy color until after it was no longer popular, this device was amazing. It was an insane value for just $20 and I put hundreds of hours into it and thoroughly enjoyed it. A lot of my friends had this device as well and really appreciated it. This video really doesn't do it justice as it filled a huge market for all the kids that wanted to play video games but couldn't afford something nicer.

[@TeeVeeGames]

Fair enough. You’re not the first one to tell me that they enjoyed the device. One friend told me she was not a fan of the polygon-graphic, 3D games that were flooding the market at the time, turning to this for a return to the simplistic, sprite-based gaming she had grown-up with. And, yes, this serves quite nicely as a handheld diversion without the investment required for a portable game system (where even one cartridge for it would oftentimes cost more than this device.) But in my defense, I came down a little hard on the Pro 200 because of how it was marketed. I get that the commercial’s priority, first-and-foremost, was to raise awareness of this device by making outlandish claims. (And for their part, it worked, considering we’re still talking about it some 25-30 years later.) However, I took issue with the outlandish claims of being able to literally replace your game cartridge collection as well as the “number of games” it claims to possess. Divorced from its commercial, it’s a fun, albeit simple, handheld game. I didn’t discuss the actual commercial as much since I covered it in my “Misguided Gamer Marketing” video. A link for that video is in the description.

[@jim61051]

Yes, I agree that the marketing was a joke, but the device still served a huge audience and was a great value for just $20. Like you said pokemon Red version or any other game for that matter would cost double the price of the device alone, just for one game, not to mention the hardware. So this served well for many, many children who couldn't afford a Game boy. And as a kid, we're not looking at the marketing material, we just pick our two or three games on it that we like and play the heck out of them.

[@Cool-Spot]

I remember as a kid they sold little lcd games for $1 each that had games like the pro 200 had just individually. And this was the early 2000s.

[@adamm.1367]

I think my 90's kid self would have loved one of these tbh. It's hard to believe now with how far video games have progressed, but those simple Tiger handheld games were outrageously popular at the time despite their crappy quality graphics and gameplay. This product feels no different coming from that era.

[@ChristinaMaterna]

110% me growing up!!!

[@scottydu81]

My grandpa got me this for Christmas one year (or a knockoff much like it). It wasn’t the greatest but I did end up playing the Lights Out game when I got bored. He was a good Grandpa.

[@manlystranger4973]

I bought purple translucent plastic version of this system around this time from Avon for $8.00 through a co-worker who sidelined as an Avon lady. I gave it to my eight year old nephew, who flew into a frenzy of joy when he opened the package and thanked me about a hundred times that day. It was a great value and even I enjoyed the Tetris versions.

[@DeLorean4]

I had a clone of this device which was even worse. It had the same loud intro music that even my kid-self found obnoxiously loud. Every time I turned it on, I had my finger ready on the volume key. It got me through so many road trips as a kid. It didn't have that brick-breaker game; I would have loved to have had it. I also didn't have that weird boxing one. I was in a single income family of 5, so there was no way us kids would ever have a game console or a GameBoy.

[@greatusername1668]

Same here, being poor has its own benefits :D the tank game had huge tank as boss

[@foxglove9]

One feature they neglected to mention is the batteries in that thing lasted FOREVER. I wouldn't be surprised if someone dug out a box from 2001 with that in it and the batteries were still good (assuming they didn't leak.)

[@TeeVeeGames]

The calculator battery needed replacing (not even dead, just weak), but those double A's lasted through several hours of filming and playing. No lie. They last.

[@larrylaffer3246]

Considering it's the polar opposite of something like the SEGA Game Gear which took like 8 AA's, had an "advanced for its time" 8-Bit Color LCD screen, and even backlighting; That's no real shocker.

[@williamroberts5716]

I had a couple of these. When the batteries are near death they would turn on in the middle of the night and play "Little Brown Jug" (or whatever it is) and I'd have to rummage for the unit in the dark to pull the batteries.

[@Rebel_Railroad_Productions]

The Pro200 seems like the kind of thing that preyed mostly on elderly folks, whom by the way probably wouldn't know very much at all about video games. The ad for this thing seems to support that.

[@rorz999]

Definitely, this is the exact kind of thing my grandma would have bought me, bless her soul

[@subtledemisefox]

​@@rorz999I did have a grandparent buy me one of these. It did the job when I was constantly "grounded" from all our real game consoles, until eventually this got taken away from me too. Yeah I didn't have a very good childhood.

[@ct1660]

One thing worth noting is the rom itself has seen many revisions, including the more common “generic” units that were ubiquitous throughout the 90s and 2000s. I have a Pro Jr and a generic 138-in-1 unit that have an identical ROM but displays “256” and “138 in 1” respectively. The Jr variant had 2 ROM revisions. Hoping to get my hands on the 2 revised rom models to go along with the original rom (256, 788 and 9999-in-1). Hoping to do a video someday which would include the Pro Jr, Pro 200, Pro 600 and the generic variants (also MGA marketed their own brick game, about to find out what rom they have, as well as Westminster which i suspect uses the same rom as my early Pro Jr). I believe Bai Bian was the manufacturer, as they are the manufacturer of the Super Mouse branded units. In their Alibaba page, they also allow custom orders like custom packaging and the design of the unit. It also offers rom variants. They still manufacture Brick Game units to this day.

[@DashedVirusXIII]

Where exactly can I get these kinds of systems online? What do i even have to look up to fine them?

[@Mysda_]

I have a Lee Cooper game console with exactly the games that are here. Same graphics with squares. But it works with tiny tiny cartridges to choose the games. The screen also flips up. I believe it was a company gift to employees.

[@trolatrolatrola]

I once saw a boy from my school exchange his gameboy for one of these. I couldn't believe my eyes.

[@TeeVeeGames]

That's like trading filet mignon for a gas station cheeseburger.

[@gamereactz]

Yeah but it had 200 games!? I only had tetris...

[@fenrir8497]

Worst deal in history

[@AdmiralBison]

Incredible and unsurprisingly how far tech has come. Even today's cheapest retro handheld knock offs are light years advanced running *thousands* of actual console and arcade games of the 90's

[@amazingbutno5303]

I found a modern version of this a while back with some of the same games and very similar UI. Some things never change

[@ct1660]

I recently got my hands on a late revision of the “Pro 200” sold as the “Pro 200 Rainbow” under “Rocketech”. Unlike the original Pro 200, it has a later rom which is more or less identical to my Super Mouse “Multi-Game” unit. I also have 2 generic versions with a lower pitched version of the early Pro 200 music, but otherwise near identical rom. One is branded as 2001 Mega Calculator Game: 668 in 1 (shows GAME 668 in the title screen), and the other as 9999 in 1 Game Calculator (shows GAME 2000). These 3 examples use the scoreboard for the calculator. I also have two Super Mouse brick game/calculator combo units in the more familiar slate form factor.

[@TeeVeeGames]

One of the most interesting things I've learned by making this was how many variations of this device there were.

[@danics7217]

Wow i was just doing my investigation on this topic since im a nostalgia slave lol. So glad to find your comments to enlighten me a bit more on the variations and such. I ordered myself the oldest version with only 3 direction buttons, a 6638 in 1 one and the one on this vid but i didn't know about the custom orders (wish i did before lol).

[@randomwrestlingarchive3937]

My grandmother got me this for Christmas. I kinda knew what it would be. You can still find these units at places like Five Below today with pretty much the same games.

[@TeeVeeGames]

I know I say this a lot but, "sorry for the inconsistent VO audio". I have a new audio recorder that I'm still figuring out.

[@Stintendo]

I had one of these for when i spent weekends at my Grandpas. Loved the racing and tetris games on it.

[@IrisGalaxis]

In the Famiclone regions (namely, ex-Yugoslavia) this device was known as "the Tetris". They were usually oblong, not foldable and didn't have the calculator, but had the same screen and games. Their official name was "Brick Game xxx in 1" where xxx could be 46, 99, 500, 999, 9999999 etc. I actually even saw a brand new one the other day being sold. Its bottom was shaped like a playstation controller but the screen was the exact same.

[@Bodu90]

Same in Romania, and the price was around 5$ at that time.

[@ct1660]

I now have all 4 models: the original Pro200, ProJr, Pro Color 200+, and the Pro 200 Rainbow (with another variant being 600 instead of 200)

[@nappeywappey]

Here in Mexico everyone had one of these but in a different form factor, it also retailed for like two dollars. It was advertised as "9999 in 1 brick game".

[@MultiDudeman]

I had one as a kid, it was disappointing, my parents bought it for me for either christmas or birthday when i asked for a gameboy... but i did play this thing a fair amount until i finally upgraded later.

[@TranceMissionAerie]

I've got one in working condition. Used to be a whiz at game M, a Tetris-like brick game. I remember when it was deep in a cabinet and running low on batteries, static electricity would make it randomly play "Ten Little Indians." Sometimes it startled me. :) Thanks for this post! I recently got it out again, out of sheer boredom!

[@mikez.6309]

I had a 256-in-1 but not the advertised version. (I remember the ad of course). My version was differently designed. It was purple see thru, NO calculator, and on clearance at KMart for 99¢. Same screen style, same games, the game control buttons were the same. Kinda shaped like the old LCD TMNT Konami green handheld. Dont remember what i did with it.

[@MajinWamu]

For some reason my grandma had a lot of these "As Seen On TV" products, this included. I used to have a device just like this, it was gold and one of those long oriented models. I enjoyed it a lot, since I could only play my gameboy on weekends. I think it was identical to this, just more comfortable and didn't have a calculator.

[@WaefreBeorn]

I grew up pre-2008 housing crisis in this device while being the we have Game Boy at home experience was quite clearly a gaming console that allowed me to use one or two batteries

[@zenbmonk1016]

I don't have mine from childhood anymore, but I found one again years back at a second hand store for 2$. My uncle gave me, my sister and cousin's pro jr's a couple years after it's release. My mom absolutely hated how noisy it was when we started it up & playing the games. I have one simply just for the nostalgic factor.

[@ztothepunk]

I had one of these. Don't know how I got it. Was just in my house one day. It wasn't completely useless at the time not having my own gameboy but the idea of replacing snes games with it was hilariously ridiculous

[@wes773105333]

I had quite a few different versions of this growing up. I had two exactly like this but without the calculator, some that were a ps1 controller with a flip up screen, and one that was a flat upright rectangle. I mainly picked these up from dollar stores or flea markets around the year 2000. These were cool for long car trips because the batteries lasted longer than Gameboy. Obviously, we used Gameboys when we could, but sometimes these simple games get the job done. I remember taking dead batteries that wouldn't power the Gameboy and getting an hour or more out of them in these devices. Of all the designs i prefer the ps1 controller design.

[@elphive42]

I found one of these at one point with a flat blue case sold at a gift shop somewhere. Found it fascinating - though they were never particularly good, it helped me figure out how LCD panels worked when I was experimenting with it. As a kid, I loved collecting these cheap pocket gadgets for a while (until I ruined the appearance of several when messing with an electric engraving tool, and got rid of a good chunk of my collection).

[@AlessandroCussino]

A friend of mine have the same console. I played it a couple of times back in 2008/9. I finded it fun, but nothing more. I used to have a similar console back in the 90s. Nowadays i use an App that simulate one of those consoles, just to play something nostalgic from time to time.

[@MotownBatman]

THATS RIGHT! Your Grandma Too, Might have one of these under a Stack of Old TvGuides under the End Table! Besides, Grandpa's 5 Gard Texas Hold 'em Game Usually has a Dead Battery.

[@mrblonde609]

These things were absolutely common in Germany and Europe in the 90s. There were like dozens of these, different models and designs, but the hardware was always almost identical. Even the intro music in this video from the Pro 200 is identical to the things i have played on in Germany as a kid. My theory is: This was just china tech that could be licensed from every country and you put your own branding or name on it. A bit like these dirt cheap record players you can get for a low price nowadays.

[@Frustratedartist2]

There was one of those at my grandfather's house. I've played it every time I was at his house, for many years, all the way to the PS3 era. Those chiptunes are classic for me. RIP grandpa 🥲

[@DGNG-dd3to]

I had this when I was younger. Fell for the scam. This was such a joke!!!!!

[@paulshumilin]

What's so "scam" about this? Fun system to pass time on the shitter

[@Donyourmom]

@@paulshumilinit wouldn’t be too bad if they haven’t advertised it replacing your home/handheld console.

[@Arbiter_of91]

I used to have one of these but it wasn’t this it was a tiny red cube with the same screen but with a kid on a skateboard and it was called the rocket pocket arcade or something like that. But the games were exactly the same (there was also no calculator). By the way hey teevee games you migh remember me from the NPL VGC

[@TeeVeeGames]

Hey, it's that one guy! Yes, I always see you in the chat. Aldo has another game suggestion poll on Twitter. But it's interesting to know that they used this software inside other housing. If it's the one I'm seeing (keychain) I think I've seen them on phamacy endcaps and other discount locations. It might actually be better in a smaller package.

[@nickmojica6661]

OMG I've been trying to remember this device for the longest and this video just popped up on my homepage. Thank you!

[@DarkNekoStudio]

I had that console back in the days (1999) had a lot of fun with it actually!:)

[@collectthemall]

I had Brick Games as a kid. At first it was only Tetris but after couple of years this 999 in 1 versions came.

[@MysticVeil]

Omg I stole one of those things back in the late 90s. My friend/enemy was moving out that night and we stopped talking to each other because we got into a fight. My mom was arguing with me to take out the garbage so I went outside to take it out. When I got outside I saw his moms car packed with boxes in the back seat and rite on top of one of the boxes was one of those 2000 game handheld things. I immediately took it and went rite into the back seat of my dads car which was parked right next to his moms car. I had almost zero time to check it out because him and his mom came rite out of the house to leave. I ducked down further into the bottom of the back seat. I could hear him say “where is it mom I put it rite here” I was panicking and that thing started making noises so I clutched it closer to my body and fumbled around to turn it off. I was so scared because he was literally right next to me and didn’t hear anything. They got in their car and drove off and I never seen dude again but man that thing sucked lol

[@AlistairBrugsch]

I got a brand new one of these this christmas as a dumb stocking-filler type present for my youngest son this Christmas. It doesn't have the calculator and it's in a case shaped like a PSP but the screen and internals are exactly the same. Oh and it's branded as an official licenced Tetris product! Crazy right?! At least the piezo speaker in it is so quiet at max volume that the annoying music can never actually be heard. By the way, my son (7) loves it and plays it when we're out and about (but not any of the "tetris" games because they all suck (which they do because despite being licenced, still don't have actual straight up tetris, but the bewilderment inducing variants)😢

[@brandontechnerd]

I'm still waiting for the video where you build a brick game using soldering iron and duct tape. I would live to buy and try that

[@AimanProducti]

Great video! Found one at a goodwill the other day…is it possible for you to scan the Manuel with the list of games? I’d like to have it while selecting the games.

[@TeeVeeGames]

Thanks! And yes, here you go: drive.google.com/file/d/1t9C_BkIaX6LXB5x4BzZ288D_mnXEjXB9/view?usp=drive_link

[@AimanProducti]

Thanks so much man! You’re awesome!

[@nataliemoraes2033]

Lots of these games were on t89 calculator. I miss those days

[@the.littlest.toaster]

I had multiple game boys but wanted this for some reason even had a bunch of tiger hand helds idk i loved crappy tech and still do

[@AdmiralSloth]

How does this thing seem to be so convenient yet inconvenient at the same exact time? The calculator is like a blessing and a curse. Sure! Having one is cool. But.. do you really need one in your pocket at all times? lol.

[@xanderfox6962]

Had one of these as a kid. I grow up poor so it wasn't bad but preferred the bigger real games still but it was for for like 5 to 10mins

[@stringercorrales6627]

I can’t wait to get in trouble for pirating those games from the dark web.

[@spookfella]

I had one with similar games but the console was in the form of a playstation 1. I seriously thought it was a mini ps1 until i started playing lmao

[@seanmcbay]

I remember kinda wanting this even though I knew it wouldn't be very good or compare to a Game Boy.

[@Alpha-vb3to]

I remember similar being pretty common on brazil, remember as kid having Apollo 188 (the most common model in brazil without the calculator). Every kid has one of these, i remember kids playing while school trying to get the highest scores, actually pretty fun. And the device never getted marketed here i think, there almost no misconceptions, i don't remember anyone being fooled.

[@abarahona]

This video made me recall the generic "Ashten Products" from the same era.

[@MrMegaManFan]

That same tune playing every single time you play a game would eventually drive me bats**t.

[@paquimex]

could this be the common ancestor of 1000-1 brick games?

[@PCGxt-c4g]

The Handheld For the Poor. It was Common on brazil for $12 in the 90's Today's days it is $4 (in 2023)

[@wadedevinney9681]

I won't tolerate any Perfect Pancake slander

[@TweeterMan287]

Thank you algorithm for showing me this!

[@ChristinaMaterna]

I had this and absolutely loved and hated it. Loved the game, hated it didn't really have a save!

[@renakunisaki]

I was really wondering how a calculator would work on that screen. This is certainly one solution.

[@roflBeck]

I had one just like this, and later I received another one that had a different casing but the same software. They weren't great, the music was annoying (I remember it though lol). The games weren't great, but some were ok like the tetromino and breakout games.

[@smugshrug]

i _forgot_ i had one of these until i saw this video. i played the racing game a lot.

The Protech 200 gaming system is all what i need

[@MOSESI]

I had one of these. My buddy and I got a 2 pack, and one of them had a dead button

[@patino851]

There is no way that thing is replacig street fighter 2 Turbo

[@Bort_86]

Hahaha, while I didn’t have exactly the same device I had one that was almost identical, and I could not imagine that something like that was an „as seen on TV“-product :D

[@twitchster77]

My grandma got me something similar to this for christmas once. The worst part of it, is I had to pretend to be excited for it.

[@andrewguerra9343]

I bet all the Pro 200’s that didn’t sell wind up getting buried in the desert along with the Atari 2600 E.T. cartridges

[@EmberwolfXR]

I had ☝️ of those well several..when they became Ubiquitous

[@kennypoulsen6639]

You totally miss the mark then claming a mirror next to your tv game isn't having 2 games. I for example, always bring a mirror, then going on vacation to get a free extra vacation for the price of 1. It's called using you brain man...

[@TeeVeeGames]

You're right. I'm going to invest heavily in mirrors and live like a king!

[@Chann3lsurf3r825]

This thing looks like a 90s attempt at a PopStation

[@WinduhzVista]

3:38 I saw what you did there…

[@TotalDec]

I played with it as a kid.

[@PakiNewsNetwork]

The only realistic review.

[@AndroidFerret]

And I was falling for the ad as kid

[@Tacom4ster]

I had a later model without the calculator

[@jamespaz322]

Had this!

[@MT-fl1eb]

Awesome review thanks

[@FUGP72]

I just see someone who wasn't cool enough to wear his baseball cap backwards.

[@bobtruck1594]

This beats my Ultra64 by miles!

[@CharlesSneed-c3l]

I had this.

[@snoozy04]

I rather use my imagination.

[@terryechoes3192]

I had one and I thought it was garbage.

[@Al_Gore_Rhythmn]

Yeah, like imma throw my 60 dollar n67 game cart in the trash

[@t.vampiro4800]

Wow it's worse than I imagined! 😂

[@ABCEasyas--]

What’s real reality?

[@Meerkat000]

I had this. I hated it.

[@thezenitsufan1249]

Calling this thing a video game is like saying those tiger handheld games are. You just don't do that

[@LiEnby]

no snake level 1 and snake level 2 are definitely seperate games

[@kevinstrade2752]

Lol I have one of these.

[@NemeanLion-]

Looks like calculator is the best game.

[@PCGxt-c4g]

That's just a Brick Game

[@andrewguerra9343]

Worse than Action 52!

[@TeeVeeGames]

Toss up for me. The games on Pro200 all technically work.

[@TCperry]

Jesus loves you!

[@dcpunisher4781]

Oh MAN, I remember being so Excited for things like this when I saw the commercials at around 10 years old. But thankfully I had a Gameboy and my friends had Gamegear and such. I wanted this and I wanted the Atari Jaguar at one point in time. My mother never got me the Jaguar...and I'm grateful because I would have hated now in hindsight for my mom to waste her money on crap like that. I had a great childhood and most of the crap I wanted as a kid but never got would not have served me well anyway. Feel bad for all the Gen Z kids out there today. My Gen knew what bathroom we belong to.

[@AllegedAbuseHer]

I would have been so mad if I spent a month’s worth of my $5/ week allowance on this like I had planned to do. Luckily I didn’t have a credit card to order this from the TV.

[@give_me_my_nick_back]

look, it was at least something for people who could not afford any better... Not even mentioning that Gameboy was only ever sold in at most dozen but more likely 10 or so countries worldwide. There was lots of places where to buy gameboy you would need to get it from a store selling imported electronics for some crazy high price and with games nowhere to be found... The only time I'd ever see a gameboy would be in some kids magazines with ngage and psp being the first real handhelds you could just buy in any store. I remember playing a lot of racing game on one of the classic brick games that worked pretty much the same as this redesign