Digiking ZL-720

Digiking ZL-720
Type Handheld
Hardware VT03
Manufacturer Toycenter
Brand Digiking


A handheld console by Guangzhou Toycenter Toy Firm under their Digiking brand. Based on VT03 or some derivative of it. The packaging claims a "dual core CPU", which I think technically the VT168 and others do have, but if it has one of those inside it's not really utilising it.

There are two models, ZL-720 and ZL-720A - the 720 can only be powered by 3x AAA batteries, whereas the 720A can be powered by either AAAs or a lithium battery, chargeable through (probably) MiniUSB.

The version I have is a 266 in 1, but there may be variants with different game counts (especially considering that the side of the box says "220 in 1").

Box

Console

This is a 720, but it still has all the cutouts in the case for lithium battery contacts and the charging port, they're just empty.

It has a TV out, but for some reason all the VT03 games are horrendously miscoloured when using it - they're fine on the LCD screen, and regular FC games are fine on the TV.

Built-in games

Seems to repeat after 106. The menu is in both Chinese & English and plays a rendition of some music which I assume is from the TV show "Where are we going, Dad?" judging by its appearance in games based on the show.

  1. Where Dad Going (Adventure Island 2/3? hack)
  2. Panda Dush (VT03) (Nice Code)
  3. XBall (VT03) (Cube Technology)
  4. Santa Claus (VT03) (Nice Code - but it's the version with new music usually seen on Waixing consoles)
  5. Luck Ball (VT03) - seems to be a VT03 hack of Nintendo's Pinball, or else a close clone
  6. Under Ground (VT03) - Dig Dug hack by Cube Technology
  7. Contra 1
  8. Rush n Attack

...Mostly standard FC games after this, no more VT03 - although there are a handful of hacks, and a few less common choices inc Rainbow Islands, quite a good selection really. A strange thing is that many of the FC games have their fonts replaced with one standard (and quite ugly) one, not sure why this was done; possibly to aid readability on smaller-screened consoles? (but not this one - its screen is fairly nice)