Misplaced Pages

Game & Watch

Ball, the first Game & Watch device
Also known as	Tricotronic (West Germany, Austria) Time-Out (North America)
Developer	Nintendo R&D1
Manufacturer	Nintendo
Type	Handheld electronic games
Generation	Second
Release date	April 28, 1980 (1980-04-28)
Discontinued	1991
Units sold	43.4 million
CPU	Sharp SM5xx
Memory	260 B RAM
Storage	1792 B ROM
Display	Segmented liquid-crystal display
Best-selling game	Donkey Kong (approx. 8 million units)
Successor	Game Boy

The Game & Watch (Japanese: ゲーム&ウオッチ, romanized: Gēmu & Uotchi) is a series of handheld electronic games developed by Nintendo. Designed by Gunpei Yokoi, the first game, Ball was released in 1980 and the original production run of the devices continued until 1991. The name Game & Watch reflects their dual functionality: a single game paired with a digital clock on a segmented liquid-crystal display (LCD) screen. The Game & Watch series proved a monumental success, selling a total of 43.4 million units globally, marking Nintendo’s first major worldwide success with a video game product.

Origin and design

The Game & Watch was the brainchild of designer Gunpei Yokoi, who had been head of Nintendo's Research & Development 1 division in the 1970s, designing physical toys and games until the 1973 oil crisis, after which the market waned. At the same time, the first arcade and home video game consoles had been developed in the United States, and Nintendo had quickly caught on to this wave in Japan.

While traveling on a Shinkansen (bullet train), Yokoi saw a bored businessman playing with an LCD calculator by pressing the buttons. Yokoi then thought of an idea for a watch that doubled as a miniature game machine for killing time. He pitched the idea to Nintendo's president, Hiroshi Yamauchi, when Yamauchi requested he drive him to a business meeting. Though Yamauchi had not said anything during the drive, the meeting he was at included the CEO of Sharp Corporation, who at the time was the world's biggest manufacturer of calculators, and the two discussed Yokoi's idea. Within the week, Yokoi was invited to a meeting between Nintendo and Sharp, giving him the go-ahead to develop a calculator sized game. The devices would be powered by a 4-bit CPU from Sharp’s SM5xx family, paired with 1,792 bytes of ROM, 65 bytes of RAM across four banks for data storage, and an LCD screen driver circuit.

The device would be called the Game & Watch, reflecting the dual functionality of the device: a single game paired with a digital clock (like a watch) on an LCD screen. The first game was called Ball, and would become one of Nintendo's first major video game hits. After the success of Ball, multiple variations of the Game & Play device were developed and released between 1980 and 1991. Starting in 1981, models also included an alarm, making the device more useful as a watch.

To bring the iconic console game Donkey Kong to the Game & Watch in 1982, Yokoi invented the now-iconic D-pad. This flat directional control pad addressed the challenge of portability by keeping the controls flush with the console's body, in contrast to the joystick controls used on the console. The design was patented and later earned a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award.

Over the next decade, several different models were manufactured, including some with two screens and a clamshell design (the Multi Screen Series) that was said to inspire the later Game Boy Advance SP, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS handhelds.

Series

Over the initial eleven year life span of the Game & Watch line, 60 different games were produced for sale. Titles available in Game & Watch form vary from Mickey Mouse to Balloon Fight, and included Nintendo staples such as The Legend of Zelda, and Mario Bros. These games came in eleven different series, each with a different form-factor:

• Silver (1980)

The first version of the Game & Watch.

• Gold (1981)

The Gold series was similar to the previous version.

• Wide Screen (1981–1982)

The Wide Screen was similar to the last two versions.

• Vertical Multi Screen (1982–1989)

The Vertical Multi Screen version was the inspiration for the DS.

• Horizontal Multi Screen (1983)

The Horizontal Multi Screen was like the Vertical Multiscreen but horizontal.

• New Wide Screen (1982–1991)

The New Wide Screen series was a updated version of the Wide Screen series.

• Tabletop (1983)

The Tabletop series was made to compete with Coleco.

• Panorama (1983–1984)
• Super Color (1984)

The Super Color series was made entirely out of color but it was still LCD.

• Micro vs. System (1984)

The Micro vs. System series had 2 player games.

• Crystal Screen (1986)

The Crystal Screen series were NES ports of 3 games: Super Mario Bros., Climber and Balloon Fight. There was also one "prize" game that was built but never sold. It was a yellow-cased version of Super Mario Bros. that came in a plastic box modeled after the Disk-kun character Nintendo used to advertise their Famicom Disk System. The prize game was given to winners of Nintendo's F-1 Grand Prix tournament. As only 10,000 units were produced and it was never available for retail sale, the yellow version is considered rare.

The Game & Watch series sold 14 million units worldwide during its first year of release by 1981. The Game & Watch version of Donkey Kong released in 1982 sold 8 million units. Mario the Juggler, released in 1991, was the last game created in the Game & Watch series.

Game A and Game B

Most of the titles have a "GAME A" and a "GAME B" button. Game B is generally a faster, more difficult version of Game A, although exceptions do exist:

• In Squish, Game B is radically different from Game A—the player must touch aliens to eliminate them as opposed to avoiding moving walls.
• In Flagman, Game B is a mode where the player has to press the right button within a certain amount of time, not memorize patterns.
• In Judge, Boxing, Donkey Kong 3, and Donkey Kong Hockey, Game B is a two-player version of Game A.
• In Climber, Balloon Fight, and Super Mario Bros., there is no Game B button.

In most cases, both Game A and Game B would increase in speed and/or difficulty as the player progressed, with Game B starting at the level that Game A would reach at 200 points.

Sales

The Game & Watch series proved a monumental success, selling a total of 43.4 million units worldwide, including 12.87 million units in Japan and 30.53 million units overseas. This marked Nintendo’s first major worldwide success with a Nintendo video game product.

North America licensing

In North America, the games were initially launched through Mego Corporation as the Time-Out series which included Ball (renamed Toss-Up), Flagman, Vermin (renamed Exterminator), and Fire (retitled Fireman Fireman). This partnership ended within a year, and Nintendo of America began distributing the series under their original titles.

Re-releases

The Game & Watch games were renewed between 1995 and 2002 with the Game & Watch Gallery series, five Game & Watch collections released for the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance. They feature the original ports, as well as new, modernized versions starring the Mario series cast.

From 1998 onward, a number of third-party distributors have been licensed to re-release smaller LCD versions of ten separate Game & Watch games which together compose the Nintendo Mini Classics series.

In 2001, Nintendo released Manhole-e bundled with its Nintendo e-Reader systems. Although an entire line of Game & Watch e-Reader cards were planned, they were never released.

Between July 2006 and March 2010, Nintendo produced two Game & Watch Collection cartridges for the Nintendo DS to be released exclusively for Club Nintendo members. The first cartridge featured three games from the Game & Watch Multi Screen series: Oil Panic, Donkey Kong, and Green House. The second compilation, Game & Watch Collection 2, contained Parachute, Octopus, and a new dual-screen game with Parachute on the top screen and Octopus on the bottom. Both cartridges are now available to the general public.

Between July 2009 and April 2010 Nintendo released nine separate Game & Watch ports for DSiWare including remakes of Ball (called Game & Watch: Ball), Flagman (called Game & Watch: Flagman), Manhole (called Game & Watch: Manhole), and Mario's Cement Factory (called Game & Watch: Mario's Cement Factory) among others.

In March 2010, Takara Tomy released officially licensed Game & Watch-styled keychains, based on the Wide Screen series editions of Octopus, Parachute, and Chef. They do not actually run the games, instead just display a demo screen. While the game cannot be played, the speed at which the demo runs can be adjusted. The batteries are recharged with solar panels on the unit.

Ball was rereleased exclusively via Club Nintendo, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Game & Watch, with the Club Nintendo logo on the back. Unlike the original release, this version includes a mute switch. For members of the Japanese Club Nintendo, it was shipped in April 2010 to Platinum members. For members of the North American Club Nintendo, it was available for 1200 coins from February 2011. For members of the European Club Nintendo, it was available for 7500 stars from November 2011.

In 2020, Nintendo published a limited run Game & Watch system named Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. as part of their Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary celebrations. This system contained the full NES versions of Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, along with a variant of Ball with Mario's head (or Luigi's head, with a cheat code) replacing the original character's head. The included release of The Lost Levels went by its original Japanese title, Super Mario Bros. 2, in all regions. It was released on November 13. Unlike the classic Game & Watch consoles that used disposable batteries, the console instead has a built-in rechargeable battery that charges by a USB-C cable.

In 2021, Nintendo published a similar new Game & Watch system, Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda, which was released in celebration of that franchise's 35th anniversary. This system contained four games: The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, and a variant of Vermin with Link replacing the original character's head. It was released on November 12.

Legacy

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Game & Watch" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The Game & Watch made handheld video game consoles vastly popular. Many toy companies followed in the footsteps of Game & Watch, such as Tiger Electronics and their Star Wars themed games. Elektronika released a line of Game & Watch clones in the Soviet Union, the IM-02.

Nintendo's Game & Watch units were eventually superseded by the original Game Boy. Each Game & Watch was only able to play one game, due to the use of a segmented LCD display being pre-printed with an overlay. The speed and responsiveness of the games was also limited by the time it took the LCD to change state. The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) controllers were based on the controls in Game & Watch, and Game & Watch Multi Screen version became the model on which the Nintendo DS was based.

The Game & Watch Gallery series recreates the Game & Watch games in video game form, with modes that imitate the LCD displays and modes that modernise the graphics and include Mario characters. Game & Watch games have also been released through DSiWare.

In the DS release Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat?, the player can unlock both A and B versions of the game Chef if they use the timer function.

Nintendo Land for the Wii U has a mini-game named Octopus Dance that is based on the Game & Watch game Octopus.

Game & Wario for the Wii U, a play-on-words of the Game & Watch, heavily references the Game & Watch line, including the ability to play a virtual Game & Watch version of Pyoro, called Bird.

Mr. Game & Watch

The Game & Watch brand is represented in Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series with the character Mr. Game & Watch. First appearing in Super Smash Bros. Melee, the character was redefined and designed to match his presentation as a generic stick figure-styled silhouette in the Game & Watch devices: he moves with limited animation, he is purely two dimensional, his noises only consist of beeps, and his abilities correlate to the presentation in the Game & Watch games. Beyond Super Smash Bros., Mr. Game & Watch has also appeared in Game & Watch Gallery 4, wherein he is the manager of the "classic games" area alongside Mario. He also makes a cameo appearances in Donkey Kong Country Returns and Rhythm Heaven Fever.

In September 2015, Nintendo released a Mr. Game & Watch Amiibo collectible. The design also comes with three additional detachable alternatives of the character in different positions and moves. The Amiibo can be scanned into Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where it can be used to create a personal CPU that can train and fight using artificial intelligence. The Amiibo can also be used to unlock a cosmetic option for Super Mario Maker.

See also

• Electronika § Electronic toys (Soviet and Russian Game & Watch clones)
• History of Nintendo

Notes

1. Japanese: ゲーム＆ウォッチ

References

1. https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/interview/game_and_watch/vol1/index4.html
2. ^ Epstein, David (27 June 2019). "Chapter 9: Lateral Thinking with Withered Technology". Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. Pan Macmillan. p. 196. ISBN 978-1-5098-4351-0. The Donkey Kong Game & Watch was released in 1982 and alone sold eight million units.
3. ^ Alt, Matt (November 12, 2020). "How Gunpei Yokoi Reinvented Nintendo". Vice. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
4. "Searching for Gunpei Yokoi | The Rainmakers | The Escapist". v1.escapistmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2021-02-24. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
5. "SM - Sharp - WikiChip".
6. "MAME emulator source code". GitHub. Archived from the original on 2023-05-25. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
7. "Game & Watch (Franchise)". Giant Bomb. Archived from the original on 2021-01-27. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
8. cary (2013-05-16). "Digital game + digital clock = Game & Watch!". Recollections of Play. Archived from the original on 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
9. Cheeseman, Ian (2020-08-17). "Ranking Every Nintendo Handheld from Worst to Best". Game Rant. Archived from the original on 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
10. "Feature: The History of the Nintendo Game & Watch". Nintendo Life. 2010-02-24. Archived from the original on 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
11. McFerran, Damien (2016). "Game Boy". Videogames Hardware Handbook Vol 1. (2nd RE). pp. 157–163.
12. Goodall, Reece (2020-06-13). "Concept to Console: Game & Watch". TheBoar.org. Archived from the original on 2021-03-01. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
13. "Nintendo Wins Emmy For DS And Wii Engineering | Technology | Sky News". News.sky.com. 2008-01-09. Archived from the original on 2012-07-11. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
14. Magrino, Tom (2008-01-08). "CES '08: Nintendo wins second Emmy – News at GameSpot". Gamespot.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-02. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
15. "Feature: How Nintendo's Game & Watch Took "Withered Technology" And Turned It Into A Million-Seller". Nintendo Life. 2020-09-08. Archived from the original on 2020-10-17. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
16. ^ "Super Mario Bros. YM-901". 2009-01-02. Archived from the original on 2011-03-09. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
17. "Nintendo Super Mario Bros Promo". Archived from the original on 2021-01-15. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
18. "昔(1970年代）のテレビゲームは何台売れた？" [How many old (1970s) video games sold?]. Classic Videogame Station Odyssey (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2014-01-09. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
19. "Obscure Pixels – Nintendo Game&Watch". Archived from the original on 2018-11-30. Retrieved 2009-07-11.
20. "gw / squish". Archived from the original on 2009-06-25. Retrieved 2009-07-11.
21. van Spanje, Martin. "#026: Judge – a Nintendo Game & Watch collection". Archived from the original on 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2009-07-11.
22. "gw / climber". Archived from the original on 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2009-07-11.
23. "gw / balloon fight". Archived from the original on 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2009-07-11.
24. "gw / super mario bros". Archived from the original on 2009-09-08. Retrieved 2009-07-11.
25. "Nintendo Super Mario Bros Promo". Archived from the original on 2021-01-15. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
26. "Iwata Asks: Game & Watch: 4. Absorbed in Development". Nintendo of America. Archived from the original on May 18, 2011. Retrieved 2013-06-23.
27. "Wii.com – Iwata Asks: Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary". Us.wii.com. Archived from the original on 2011-12-31. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
28. Salvador, Phil. "Is This the First Nintendo Commercial?". Video Game History Foundation. Archived from the original on 27 June 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
29. "Game & Watch Collection: Manhole Release Information for e-Reader". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2013-12-27. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
30. "Game & Watch: Ball Release Information for DS". GameFAQs. 2010-04-19. Archived from the original on 2016-09-18. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
31. "Game & Watch: Manhole Release Information for DS". GameFAQs. 2010-04-05. Archived from the original on 2016-09-18. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
32. "Game & Watch: Mario's Cement Factory Release Information for DS". GameFAQs. 2010-03-22. Archived from the original on 2016-09-18. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
33. "GAME&WATCH". Nintendo.co.jp. 2009-07-10. Archived from the original on 2017-11-24. Retrieved 2009-07-11.
34. "Retro Games Immortalised as Solar-Powered Miniature "Game & Watch" by Takara Tomy". Gigazine. January 18, 2010. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
35. "Game & Watch". Iwata Asks. Nintendo. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
36. Spencer (November 18, 2009). "Platinum Club Nintendo Members Get Game & Watch". Siliconera. Curse. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
37. McWhertor, Michael (November 18, 2009). "Club Nintendo Offers Members Actual Game & Watch Prize". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
38. Winterhalter, Ryan (February 11, 2011). "Club Nintendo offering Game & Watch replica". gamesradar. Future. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
39. "Game & Watch: Ball". North American Club Nintendo. Nintendo. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
40. Newton, James (28 November 2011). "Game & Watch Gifts Added to European Club Nintendo". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
41. "Game & Watch: Ball". European Club Nintendo. Nintendo Europe. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
42. "The official home of the Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. system". gameandwatch.nintendo.com. Archived from the original on 2020-10-25. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
43. Burton, Jared (2020-10-16). "'80s and '90s kids might remember the Game & Watch handheld systems—now Nintendo's bringing 'em back, Mario-style". Our Community Now. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
44. McFerran, Damien (June 15, 2021). "There's A Zelda Game & Watch Coming This Christmas". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
45. Richter, Darmon (3 May 2023). "How A Nintendo Game & Watch Bootleg Enraptured A Generation Of Russian Kids". Time Extension. Hookshot Media. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
46. "Personal Trainer: Cooking – Cheats". Archived from the original on 2020-10-28. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
47. Hanson, Ben (November 7, 2012). "F-Zero, Yoshi, And Octopus Dance Gameplay Videos In Nintendo Land". Game Informer. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012.
48. "Street Fighter® Icon Ryu Joins the Roster of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U". Business Wire. 2015-06-14. Archived from the original on 2020-10-27. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
49. Sahdev, Ishaan (2015-06-14). "Ryu, Roy, Duck Hunt, And Mewtwo Amiibo Figurines Announced". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2021-02-24. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
50. "Mr. Game and Watch – Nintendo Amiibo Wiki Guide". IGN. 2015-09-29. Archived from the original on 2020-10-26. Retrieved 2020-10-25.

External links

• GAME&WATCH at Nintendo official website (Japanese)

v t e Dedicated consoles
Home	Original APF TV Fun series Coleco Telstar series Arcade Marksman Color TV-Game Plug It In & Play TV Games N-Joypad Video Pinball Retro Atari Flashback series Atari Joystick Controller TV Video Game System C64 Direct-to-TV NES Classic Edition PlayStation Classic Sega Genesis Mini Super NES Classic Edition TurboGrafx-16 Mini
Handheld	Bemani Pocket Coleco Sonic Game & Watch VG Pocket Max Pokémon Pikachu Tomytronic 3D
Arcade	Stunt Cycle Super Famicom Box
List

• Products introduced in 1980
• Dedicated consoles
• Game & Watch
• Handheld electronic games
• Monochrome video game consoles
• Nintendo franchises
• Nintendo hardware
• Video game franchises
• 1980s toys
• Video game franchises introduced in 1980