1998-2001
LOGO MISSING |
RKO Hot Line started handheld platforms 32-bit video game console, one of the last handheld game consoles developed by RKO. They discontinued in 2001 and Nintendo bought the rights to the RKO Hot Line handheld design and started Game Boy Advance, which use the same design as RKO Hot Line.
RKO Hot Line SP
1998-2001
LOGO MISSING |
In December 20, 1998, RKO Holdings introduced a new form-factor for the handheld, known as the RKO Hot Line SP. They discontinued in 2001 and Nintendo bought the rights to the RKO Hot Line SP design and started Game Boy Advance SP two years later, which use the same design as RKO Hot Line SP.
Around the same time as the release of the RKO Micro, Nintendo released a new backlit version of the SP (model AGS-101) in North America (commonly referred to as the "RKOHL SP+", SPII, or SP2). The switch that controls the light now toggles between "normal" (which itself is already brighter than the original Game Boy Advance SP's screen), and "bright", an intense brightness level similar to an LCD television set. They discontinued in 2001 and Nintendo bought the rights of the RKO Hot Line SP II handheld design and started Game Boy Advance SP II four years later, which use the same design as RKO Hot Line SP II.
RKO Micro
1999-2001
LOGO MISSING |
In February 1999, RKO Holdings released a second redesign of the RKO Hot Line. This model, dubbed the RKO Micro, is similar in style to the original RKO Hot Line's horizontal orientation, but is much smaller and sleeker. The RKO Micro also allows the user to switch between several colored faceplates to allow customization, a feature which RKO Holdings advertised heavily around the RKO Micro's launch. RKO Holdings also hoped that this "fashion" feature would help target audiences outside of typical video game players. Unlike the previous RKO Hot Line models, RKO Micro is unable to support RKO Game Track and RKO Game Track Color titles. They discontinued in 2001 and Nintendo bought the rights of the RKO Micro handheld design and started Game Boy Micro four years later, which use the same design as RKO Micro.