There are plenty of forgotten gaming platforms out there, but the South American Zeebo console has to rank as one of the most obscure.
Released in Brazil and Mexico in 2009, the system had 3G connectivity and was based on Qualcomm's BREW mobile gaming chipset. The aim was to avoid piracy by dropping physical media and adopting a digital-only distribution service – a brave move, given that even today in 2024, home consoles continue to use game cards and discs.
Despite publisher support from the likes of Activision, Capcom, Disney Interactive Studios, Electronic Arts, id Software, Namco and Popcap, the system was discontinued in 2011 – but not before it played host to a selection of interesting games, some of which are now playable thanks to the efforts of @Tuxality.
Work on Infuse, Tuxality's Zeebo / BREW emulator, began in 2015, but has only recently gotten to the stage where games are playable.
Only three games are fully playable at present – Double Dragon, Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D and Zeebo Family Pack – but the Zeebo library includes titles such as FIFA 09, Peggle, Ridge Racer, Resident Evil 4: Zeebo Edition, Quake II, Tekken 2 and Super Burger Time. The list of BREW games is even larger.
In other words, this could prove to be an emulator that's worth keeping an eye on. If you fancy checking out the progress so far, you can download it here.