Exapunks: TEC Redshift Player

The year is 1992. Eyeing the surging video game market, electronics giant TEC rushes to develop the Redshift, a microdisc-based gaming handheld. Underpowered even before it was released, and with a gimmicky 3D mode that gave users headaches when used for longer than a few minutes, the Redshift was widely panned and became an expensive flop. But the story doesn’t end there. Now, in 1997, the Redshift is a popular hackable device, easy to find in bargain bins and at garage sales. The Redshift homebrew scene begins to grow as hackers swap tips and trade increasingly clever homebrew games that push the hardware to its limits. All of this is of absolutely no benefit to TEC, who never made another game console again.