The Tiger Game.com was ahead of its time - released in 1997, it was the first handheld gaming console with a touchscreen and internet connectivity. Unfortunately, it flopped spectacularly, and its dial-up internet service (through Delphi) shut down decades ago. For 26 years, this revolutionary feature has been completely unusable.
Until now.
This feature has always fascinated me. I came of age in a time of laptops and cell phones, so being able to browse from my couch has never been novel. But in 1997 gamers for the first time could (with a long enough serial cable) browse away from their big beige computers for only $70. This seems like a big deal, and I wanted to experience it for myself. Now you can too!
The ChallengeI found a Game.com in my collection (I adore retro handhelds - they are full of so much electronic ingenuity!) and wondered: could I resurrect its internet browser? The hardware was there - a serial port, a text-based browser cartridge, and an on-screen keyboard. But the service it connected to was long gone.
The Game.com Internet cartridge was designed to connect to Delphi, a legendary internet service provider that starting in the 80s pioneered the online encyclopedia and online message boards. While the forums live on, the internet service is kaput.
Even if it still existed, I don't have the Game.commodem accessory. The modem for the Game.com is not built into the device, so it cannot connect to the internet on its own. The modem is rare (in my experience, much rarer than the internet cartridge itself) and I personally have never encountered one for sale.
However, modern software and a USB connection is more than capable of emulating this 14.4 kbit/s brick! We just need an adapter and a bit of software.
How it WorksDemo video:
Hardware Setup: The Game.com connects via its proprietary serial cable, through a DB25 gender changer, to a USB-to-serial adapter plugged into my PC.
Modem Emulation: I reverse-engineered the Game.com's dial-up protocol by monitoring its AT commands. When it "dials, " my Python script responds with CONNECT 9600 - just like its modem from 1997 would.
The Gateway: Once connected, the gateway:
- Fetches modern websites (Hacker News, Reddit, Wikipedia, etc.)
- Strips HTML/CSS/JavaScript down to plain text
- Wraps text to 30 characters for the tiny screen
- Extracts and numbers links for navigation
- Handles BBS-style pagination (5 items per page)
The Experience: Users navigate using numbered menus. Type "1" to browse Hacker News, "2" for Reddit, or "3" to enter any URL. Use N/P to paginate, and follow numbered links to browse deeper.
Technical HurdlesCharacter Echo: The Game.com expected every typed character to be echoed back - standard for serial terminals but not obvious at first. Text appeared on my laptop but not the screen until I implemented proper echo.
Text Wrapping: Python's textwrap added hanging indents that made text unreadable. I had to disable subsequent_indent and convert all \n to \r\n for proper serial line breaks.
Link Navigation: Without clickable links, I implemented a numbered system where extracted links are displayed as a menu.
Setting it UpWhat You'll NeedHardware:
- Tiger Game.com handheld console (original 1997 model with dual cartridge slots). Sadly the later Pocket Pro version has no internet capabilities.
- Game.com Link Cable (the serial cable that came with the internet cartridge with a DB25 pinout). Sadly as far as I'm aware there are no substitutes - try to find this bundled with the Internet cartridge.
- RS232 to USB adapter (I used a PL2303-based adapter, be sure to find a null-modem cable)
- DB25 gender changer (if your cables don't match up. Example)
- A computer running Linux, macOS, or Windows
Software:
- Python 3.7 or newer
- The gateway script from GitHub
This is the trickiest part - you need to create a serial connection chain:
Plug the Game.com Link Cable into your Game.com's serial port. It's hidden under a plastic cover on top. Don't lose it! It's a slippery booger.
- Connect it to your gender changer (if needed to match connector types)
- Attach your RS232-to-USB adapter
- Plug the USB end into your computer
You should see a new serial device appear (like /dev/ttyUSB0 on Linux or COM3 on Windows).
You will need to install git, which is a tool for managing software that we will use to download our modem emulator code, if you don't have it already. Follow the directions for your computer's OS here. Alternatively, you can download and unzip the repository from my GitHub page by clicking the green "Code" button and then "Download Zip".Follow the installation directions for your computer's OS on Python.org if you don't have it already. Python is a scripting language which we will use to run a script that emulates a modem for the Game.com. pip is a package manager for Python. If it did not install with your Python distribution, follow the directions for your platform here.
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/kevinl95/Tiger-Game.com-Serial-to-HTTP-Gateway.git
cd Tiger-Game.com-Serial-to-HTTP-Gateway
# Install Python dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txtOpen browser.py and update the port to match your system:
gateway = GameComGateway(port='/dev/ttyUSB0', baudrate=9600)Finding your port:
- Linux: Run
ls /dev/ttyUSB*orls /dev/ttyACM* - macOS: Run
ls /dev/cu.usbserial* - Windows: Check Device Manager under "Ports (COM & LPT)"
Linux users:
You may need to add yourself to the dialout group:
sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER(Log out and back in for this to take effect)
Step 4: Start the Gatewaypython browser.pyYou should see:
Game.com Web Gateway running...
Waiting for connection...1. Insert the Internet cartridge into one of the Game.com's cartridge slots
2. Power on the Game.com
3. From the main menu, select the Internet cartridge
4. Go to "Modem Setup" 5. Set the baud rate to 9600
6. Tap "OK"
Step 6: Connect!1. In the Internet browser, select "Connect to Delphi"
2. When prompted for a phone number, enter anything (like `5555555555`). We don't actually use the phone number in the emulator. Back in the day, this would have been a local phone number you would use to reach your Delphi internet service.
3. Select "Connect". You should see a "Waiting..." screen. The Game.com will send ATZ and ATDT commands to your computer. The gateway will respond with OK and CONNECT 9600.
You should see the main menu appear on your Game.com:
Use the on-screen keyboard (Press Ky on the bottom nav bar) to navigate:
- Type
1to see Hacker News headlines
- Type
2for Reddit r/technology
- Type
3to enter any URL (believe it or not, many text-only sites still exist! Try lite.cnn.com or your favorite from this list: https://greycoder.com/a-list-of-text-only-new-sites/) - Type a number to follow a link
- Type
NorPto paginate through webpages - Type
Mto return to the main menu
"Modem no response" on Game.com:
- Check all cable connections
- Verify the gateway script is running
- Make sure the serial port matches in
browser.py - Try unplugging and replugging in the USB adapter
Garbage characters on screen:
- Confirm baud rate is 9600 on both sides
- The gateway and Game.com must match exactly
Can't access certain websites:
- Some sites block scraping (the gateway retrieves the page on your computer and prepares it to be read on your Game.com) or require JavaScript
- Try simpler sites like Wikipedia first
- Check your computer's internet connection
The Game.com internet cartridge is no longer a brick! Collectors and enthusiasts can now experience what it was like to use the Game.com's namesake feature, perhaps for the first time like myself. The Game.com was a commercial failure, but its innovative features were just waiting for the right second life.
Now, in 2026, you can browse Hacker News on a 1997 gaming console. Because why not?
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