The Handheld Museum: A tribute to the early history of handheld gaming

Aug 30, 2008

Coleco Head to Head Footall (1980, LED, 9 Volt, Model# 2140)
US Patent #4,249,734
Invented by: Eric Bromley (according to the patent)
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Also licensed to Sears as Team Play Football. At least five different variations are known for this game. They all have the same body style, but have differences in colors (sometimes on buttons) or locations of words. There's is a sixth type in a different body, but this is technically soccer (US soccer), it's just the European release, thus it's called football (last picture).

** Personally, I never liked this game. I didn't like "sharing" the game. Looking back, it seems counter-intuitive to have kids share control of a single unit, but that is what technology gave us then. Two units, connected by a 10-inch cable would have been better (with quick release, as we know the cable would have been brokenmany times over). I wonder if that was ever tested durig design...?

Credit: Drew McBee/Tech Republic