In the latter half of 1997, Tiger Electronics released a new handheld gaming system upon the world, called "game.com" or Com for short. The Com quickly gained a group of diehard followers who created one of the strongest Internet fanbases ever for a gaming system. Unfortunately, things grew quiet for the Com in early 1998, and the fans worried that the system might fade into obscurity. Tiger then announced the forthcoming "game.com pocketpro", a revamped Com to be released in the fall of 1998. Fans rejoiced at the news, and the time for the relaunch has arrived. The game.com pocketpro is here!

As promised, the pocketpro offers up a veritable catalog of improvements over the "ClassiCom". The most obvious change is the size - the pocketpro is almost half the length and width of its predecessor. At first glance, these reduced dimensions make it appear that the system is thicker, and upon closer inspection there does appear to be a one-eight to one-quarter inch increase in depth. The compact design is extremely well done, and its obvious that these alterations were well-planned and executed remarkably well.

The smaller size necessitated the shrinking of the buttons and control pad layout, but that does not pose a problem. The pocketpro fits well even in my brutish hands, so I imagine it'll sit in the hands of the younger users securely. The A-D buttons no longer reside in narrow depressions, but are actually raised somewhat, as well as sitting upon an outwardly curved surface. The control pad is likewise raised more so than the ClassiCom design. While smaller and grouped closer together, having these controls raised helps to set them apart by aiding the tactile impressions.

The gripping surface of the pocketpro (the black areas of the black and gray system) isn't smooth to the touch as with the ClassiCom, but instead has the texture of a very fine grade of sandpaper painted upon it. This oh-so-slightly rough surface makes for an excellent grip, along with adding a visual element (the coarseness creates a sparkle on the black surface). The surfaces of the control buttons are smooth in contrast to this gripping surface, which helps distinguish the edges of the controls when playing. The silver-gray surface of the pocketpro is somewhat more light and metallic looking than the ClassiCom, but I'm unsure if this might be due to the older system suffering normal wear-n-tear and having dulled from exposure to sunlight.

One of the most unique features of the ClassiCom was the ability to have two cartridges plugged into the system at once. This feature is the only real loss in the shrinking down to the pocketpro. The solitary cartridge port is now on the (upper) left side of the system. The slot itself is better designed, with a long depression along the edge of the insertion point that helps my stubby fingers remove the cartridge. The Volume and Contrast controls have switched places with the cartridge port, now being located on the upper-right corner of the system. These two controls are a tad smaller and more recessed, which should make accidental adjustments less frequent. The Menu and Pause buttons have been moved upwards, grouped with the On/Off button. The Sound button has been removed, presumably for lack of need - simply turn the Volume control all the way down if you wish to mute the system. The two remaining buttons (and On/Off) are somewhat more raised (and smaller) than the ClassiCom's.

Now for the backlit screen... the most anticipated feature of the pocketpro. I must say that this feature didn't turn out as I'd assumed it would be, but I'm far from disappointed. My notion was that the backlight would be vibrant enough to improve visual quality even in moderately lit rooms, but such is not the case. The backlit feature is best suited for playing in areas of near- to total darkness, and it does that task very well. The backlight feature provides equal, if not superior, visual quality in darkness than compared to playing in ambient light. The feature is toggled on/off by the Light button on the face (middle-bottom) of the system, and indicated by a small light situated just above the system's speaker.

There does appear to be a very small decrease in screen size on the pocketpro, but in my playtesting the difference is negligible. The touchscreen seems to remain unchanged. The stylus, however, has undergone both a revamp and relocation. Instead of being located on the front of the system, the stylus now hides away in a narrow slot on the backside of the pocketpro. The tension that holds the stylus in place is increased, so losing the touchpen should now be a more unlikely event. The stylus itself is now shorter and narrower, almost rectangular in shape, in contrast to the very rounded stylus of the ClassiCom.

All the original software capabilities of the Com are present, with apparently no changes made to the "brain" of the system. The selections of Phonebook, Calendar, Calculator, High Score, and Solitaire function exactly as the ClassiCom. Unfortunately, no improvements to the nigh-worthless Calendar are apparent. The Cartridge selection no longer offers a choice between two titles, obviously - clicking on it fires up the cartridge just like a ClassiCom with only 1 cart inserted.

Of minor concern to the consumer, but of greater import to the retailers, is the improved packaging of the pocketpro. As you may recall, the ClassiCom shipped in a awkward cardboard box that wasn't sealed. According to my sources, retailers didn't care for this packaging since it made displaying the product difficult, as well as causing a higher probability of theft. The pocketpro is shipped in a sealed laminate "pocket" like many other Tiger products, and incorporates a hanger so the package can be displayed on a J-hook. As far as retailers are concerned, the packaging itself is probably one of the most attractive reasons for carrying the item. Indirectly, this should translate into greater exposure for the pocketpro, which is a boon for all Com supporters.

Well, what are you waiting on? The game.com pocketpro improves on the ClassiCom in almost every way imaginable. You're simply not going to find a better value for your entertainment dollar. Go find a pocketpro now - you won't be let down, trust me on that. My friends, after a lengthy wait... The Com is back!

ADDENDUM: Something definitely worth mentioning in the ClassiCom vs gcpp comparison, and something I'd obviously forgot to include during the initial announcement of this review, is the absense of a pack-in title with the pocketpro. Some of us agvtg-c regulars had speculated that Lights Out would remain the bundled game, or that the GigaPets Deluxe cartridge would take its place. Looks like we were all wrong :) While the lack of a bundled title means very little to me, as well as my personal impression that it won't affect sales in and of itself, it does leave me wondering about the poor, discarded Lights Out game. Will it be re-released in its own package for sale, or will it become the first rare cartridge for the Com? I hope Tiger will release it seperately, preferably at a $10-$15 pricepoint.