Game & Watch

The Game & Watch series was a line of approximately 59 handheld electronic games made by Nintendo and created by Gunpei Yokoi from 1980 to 1991. They each featured a single game that could be played on an LCD screen, in addition to a clock and an alarm. Some of the titles available in Game & Watch format were games varying from Mickey Mouse to Balloon Fight as well as several Nintendo staples such as Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda and Mario Bros.. For a more complete list, see List of Game & Watch games.

Overview

The Game & Watch consoles were small, handheld devices with simple button layouts. Most devices had one direction pad (D-pad) comprised of Up, Down, Left and Right buttons on the left hand side and usually one, sometimes two, buttons on the right. On the top right hand side of the machine are three buttons: Alarm, Time & Game (Though some models have an extra, fourth button, 'Game 2'). Different models were manufactured, with some consoles having two screens and a clam-shell design. One of the Game & Watch Galleries, Donkey Kong, closely resembles an orange Nintendo DS.

History

Nintendo's Game & Watch units were eventually superseded by handheld game systems such as Nintendo's now popular Game Boy. The disadvantage of the Game & Watch was that each unit was only able to play essentially one game, due to the LCD display being pre-printed with the images necessary for one game. Nintendo's Game Boy and other successors were able to play many different games (via interchangeable cartridges), as well as using a more flexible and sophisticated dot matrix display and offering higher sound quality.

Legacy

The Game & Watch made handhelds vastly popular. Many toy companies followed in the footsteps of Game & Watch, such as Tiger Electronics and their Star Wars themed games. In Russia Elektronika also made similar games.

Game & Watch games have become highly collectable, with collector websites such as Nintendo Thumbs appearing in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Nintendo Game & Watch series is one of the most popular handhelds available for collection.

Many collectors have also discovered that Nintendo Game & Watch was issued under different trademarks in different countries, resulting in different packaging. These have become rare and are also collectable.

Interestingly, before the Game & Watch Gallery series, the Mario Bros. Game & Watch game was the only Game & Watch game ported onto a different system. In this case, it had been unofficially ported over to the Commodore 64 system. Since the arcade Mario Bros. game had also been ported over to the same system, the similarily-titled Game & Watch version had to be rebranded as a sequel, entitled Mario Bros. II. ^*

Super Smash Bros. Melee

In 2001, the character that must be saved in Fire and Parachute was given an official name, Mr. Game & Watch, in the GameCube game Super Smash Bros. Melee. The Game & Watch system is also Mr. Game & Watch's special level (a fusion of Manhole, Helmet, and Oil Panic); the level is referred to in the game as Flat Zone, a location in the larger Superflat World.

Evolution

As mentioned before, many Game & Watch games utilized a multi-screen format. The legacy of this design lives on with the Nintendo DS system. Not only is the use of dual screens reminiscent of the Game & Watch games, so is the clamshell design.

The Game & Watch games got a renewal with the Game & Watch Gallery series of games for the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance. They feature the original ports, as well as new, modernized versions starring the Mario series cast. Most recently, however, a "Game & Watch Collection" cart for the Nintendo DS was put up on Nintendo's "Club Nintendo" website ^*. For 500 points, users of the Japan-only service can order such a product. The Collection includes three games, "Oil Panic", "Donkey Kong", and "Green House". All three were, appropriately, multi-screen Game & Watch games.

External links

Game and Watch Central
GameAndWatch.com – a fan site that has information on G&W units.
Unofficial Game & Watch FAQ
Pictures of Original advertisement Flyers for the Nintendo Game & Watch
^* A collection of Game & Watch games re-made in Flash, Java and Shockwave.
Game and Watch Emulators