A History of Korean Gaming

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Original Korean Consoles

Console Publisher Based on Release Price Tag Notes Image "TV Tennis" Hanu Electronics - July 1976 W29,500 Pong console Otron TV Sports / Gamatic 7600 Olympus Electronics - November 1976 W29,500 Exported world wide;

Pong console with 4 play modes Otron TV Sports 7800 Olympus Electronics - 1977? W19,800 Pong console with a lightgun and 6 play modes Magicom Taegwang Electronics ? December 1983 W95,000 Allegedly using a 16-bit microprocessor; possibly Intellivision variant Zemmix (CPC-50) Daewoo MSX December 10th, 1985 W70,000 (W81,000 with joystick) Produced in pink, blue and white versions Zemmix V (CPC-51) Daewoo MSX December 1987 W96,000 Produced in red, white and black versions Zemmix Super V (CPC-61) Daewoo MSX2 1990 W135,000 Produced in white and black versions;

has ports for keyboard and floppy disk drive Zemmix Turbo (CPG-120) Daewoo MSX2+ October 1991 W148,000 Fast motion and pause hardware functions;

equalizer display for music;

came with a 30-in-1 game pack GP32 GamePark - November 23, 2001 ? also released in parts of Europe;

a blue-colored variant with a backlit screen was released later XGP GamePark - unreleased - first announced in 2005, but never released due to GamePark's bankruptcy XGP mini GamePark - unreleased - tiny-sized variant of the XGP;

first announced in 2005, but never released due to GamePark's bankruptcy XGP kids GamePark - unreleased - low-end alternative to the XGP;

first announced in 2006, but never released due to GamePark's bankruptcy GP2X F-100 GamePark Holdings - November 10th, 2005 ? test release in limited numbers (500);

proper release on May 12th, 2006 Dinkii Gambros - unreleased - first introduced in 2007;

shell identical to the Gamepark XGP kids GP2X F-200 GamePark Holdings GP2X November 5th, 2007 ? optimized version of the GP2X F-100;

touch screen Voca Master (GP2X F-300) GamePark Holdings GP2X January 2009 - sold as English language trainer Voca Master;

limited compatibility with previous GP2X models NXGP Gambros - unreleased - Sucessor to the also unreleased XGP GP2X Wiz GamePark Holdings GP2X F-300 April 30th, 2009 W198,000 - Caanoo GamePark Holdings GP2X Wiz August 16th, 2010 W198,000 Almost identical hardware specs but no software compatibility with the GP2X Wiz

Korean Licensed Consoles

Every console hardware known in Japan and the West was also readily available in Korea through imports (and the licensed ones were usually also imported much earlier), this page only lists those that were officially licensed to and/or published by a Korean company. In 2001, Sony opened their Korean division to release the PS2 on their own as the first foreign manufacturer, thus ultimately ending the age of licensed consoles in Korea (Nintendo hardware was still published through Daewon Culture Industry Inc. from 2002 to 2006, but those releases are left out for lack of interesting information).

Console Publisher Based on Release Price Tag Notes Image Sega Mark III Oacs Mark III November 1988 or March 1989 W115,000 - Gam*Boy Samsung Master System April 1989 W119,000 - Comboy Hyundai NES October 1989 W139,000 Compatible with the American NES Zemmix PC Shuttle (CPG-100) Daewoo PC Engine April 1990 W180,000 - Super Gam*Boy (SPC-200R) Samsung Mega Drive May 1990 W185,000 - Mini Comboy Hyundai Game Boy November 1990 W99,000 - Gam*Boy II / Aladdin Boy Samsung Master System II October 25th, 1991 W135,000 Produced in black and blue, Korean version of Alex Kidd integrated. Handy Gam*Boy (SPC-150) Samsung Game Gear January 1991 W198,000 - Super Comboy Hyundai SNES December 1992 ? - CD Aladdinboy Samsung Sega CD March 1993 W398,000 - Vistar (Supercom 16-bit) Haitai TurboGrafx-16 April 1993 W169,000 US card pinout;

some units shipped with "protection glasses" to prevent epilleptic strokes CD Aladdinboy II Samsung Sega CD II July 1993 W349,000 - Super Aladdin Boy II (SPC-201N) Samsung Mega Drive 2 1993 W154,000 - CD Vistar Haitai Turbo Duo unreleased (planned September 1993) around W200,000 planned Initially planned for a simultaneous release with the Vistar, but cancelled after several delays when Kŏbo took over Haitai's console department. Neo Geo Vic-A Neo Geo January 1994 W280,000 Plain repackaged import, only some machines had the additional label in Han'geul Jaguar Bulldog Software Jaguar October 1994 ? Plain import even without a new label 3DO Alive (GDO-101) Goldstar / LG 3DO November 1994 W399,000 Not 100% compatible with Panasonic models;

sold with "Alive" lettering on top later Super 32X Samsung Sega Super 32X January 18th, 1995 W199,000 - Saturn (SPC-ST) Samsung Sega Saturn October 20th, 1995 W550,000 - 3DO Alive II (GDO-203) LG 3DO December 20th, 1995 W299,000 - Comboy 64 Hyundai Nintendo 64 July 19th, 1997 W320,000 - NeoGeo Pocket Color Vic-A NeoGeo Pocket Color March 19th, 1999 ? Repackaged import;

advertised for simultaneous release with Japan Wonder Swan Color Young Toys Wonder Swan Color November 2001 W50,000 Repackaged import;

several bundles available