Pixter Explained

Pixter was among the first portable handheld touch screen drawing toys for children invented by Rehco, LLC and marketed by Fisher Price from 2000 through 2007. Pixter was pre-programmed with fun content and repeatable play. Pixter also could accept cartridge-based games and other activities. Pixter was originally marketed successfully with a black-and-white display but later was upgraded to a color display.

Inspired by the Apple Newton, the Pixter line has become something of an obscurity, with little information left on the internet about the history of it, sales records, original pricing, release dates, etc. It also included licensed content from Nickelodeon, Disney, Cartoon Network, BBC, etc.

The Pixter remains, as of 2017, the second to last console Mattel has released, after the HyperScan, but the Pixter is Fisher Price's first and only handheld game system.

Gameplay

The original Pixter had a black and white LCD display. Its touch-sensitive LCD screen was activated by a drawing stylus. It used 4 AA batteries.

Models

Pixter (2000-2002)

The original Pixter came in several colors, but otherwise they are the same unit.[1]

Pixter Plus (2002)

Similar to the original Pixter, except with a "Plus" subcategory of 10 additional activities in the Pixter's main menu and 20 times more storage space than the original Pixter unit.[4] It also has a flexible screen light.[5]

Pixter 2.0 (2003)

Played the same cartridges as the original, but included digital drawing and quick-paint tools, as well as a wireless link. The wireless link could be used to send messages and pictures between other Pixter 2.0's. It used 4 AA batteries.[6]

Pixter Color (2003-2005)

Pixter Color is similar to the original Pixter, but with 128 colors and double the screen resolution. It used newer cartridges that could not be used with the original Pixter. With the use of an adapter, Pixter Color could play original Pixter titles. It used 4 AA batteries. The main menu of the system contains 2 unique music tracks, but outside of games or the home menu music is not implemented.[7]

The system uses a custom built LH75411 system, with a 70 MHz ARM7TDMI CPU, and 32 Kilobytes of SRAM, working as Random Access Memory and storage for one picture at a time in local memory.[8]

Pocket Pixter (2004-2006)

The Pocket Pixters were key-chain sized dedicated consoles that included a drawing program centered around a theme and a built-in game. They used three Button Cell (LR44) batteries.[9]

Editions

Pixter Multi-media system (2005)

The Pixter Multi-Media System reportedly had 100 creative tools, games, and activities-built in, including a touch screen with stylus and had streaming video capabilities. There were also exclusive cartridges available for the system. It used 4 AA batteries.[14]

Games/media released

Pixter, 2.0, Plus

Color

Multimedia system

TitleReleased
The Best of Dora with Cartoon Creator Software[18]
The Best of Monster Jam World Finals 4 with Video Creator Software[19]
The Best of SpongeBob SquarePants with Cartoon Creator Software[20]
The Best of Winter X Games with Video Creator Software[21]
Walking with Dinosaurs with Scene Creator Software[22]
Winx Club with Scene Creator Software[23]
Yu-Gi-Oh (potentially lost media)2005

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Green Pixter™. service.mattel.com. Mattel, Inc.. 7 January 2018.
  2. Web site: Purple Pixter™. service.mattel.com. Mattel, Inc.. 7 January 2018. 1.
  3. Web site: Pixter. Mattel, Inc.. 7 January 2018. 1.
  4. Web site: Pixter plus. 19 November 2009.
  5. Web site: Liam. Pixter Plus 73678. electronictoy.pro. 7 January 2018. December 2017.
  6. Web site: Pixter 2.0. service.mattel.com. Mattel, Inc.. 7 January 2018. 3.
  7. Web site: Pixter® Color. service.mattel.com. Mattel, Inc.. 7 January 2018.
  8. Web site: Pixter - eLinux.org . 2023-08-08 . elinux.org.
  9. Web site: POCKET Pixter® Fashion. service.mattel.com. Mattel, Inc.. 7 January 2018. 2.
  10. Web site: POCKET Pixter® Pets. service.mattel.com. Mattel, Inc.. 7 January 2018. 2.
  11. Web site: POCKET Pixter® Sports. service.mattel.com. Mattel, Inc.. 7 January 2018. 2.
  12. Web site: POCKET Pixter® Dino. service.mattel.com. Mattel, Inc.. 7 January 2018. 2.
  13. Web site: POCKET Pixter® Hearts. service.mattel.com. Mattel, Inc.. 7 January 2018. 2.
  14. Web site: Multi-Media Pixter (Silver). service.mattel.com. Mattel, Inc.. 7 January 2018. 1.
  15. Web site: Mattel and Fisher-Price Customer Center.
  16. Web site: Color Pixter Scooby-Doo Software. m.service.mattel.com. Mattel, Inc.. 7 January 2018.
  17. Web site: Color Pixter® Software Mucha Lucha. m.service.mattel.com. Mattel, Inc.. 7 January 2018.
  18. Web site: Fisher Price - Video Pixter - Dora the Explorer Software. eBay. 2019-01-26.
  19. Web site: Pixter video software 'Monster Jam World Finals 4' for Pixter Multi-Media System. eBay. 2019-01-26.
  20. Web site: Pixter MultiMedia System The Best of SpongeBob SquarePants Video Software - New 27084279030. eBay. 2019-01-26.
  21. Web site: NEW Video Pixter Winter X-Games H9817 Software Fisher Price 2005 FREE SHIPPING! 27084282948. eBay. 2019-01-26.
  22. Web site: PIXTER Game Software BBC Walking with Dinosaurs Video Creator NEW. eBay. 2019-01-26.
  23. Web site: PIXTER Game Software Winx Club Video Creator NEW. eBay. 2019-01-26.