Game & Watch
| |
| Game & Watch | |
| Designer | Nintendo R&D1 Nintendo PTD |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Nintendo |
| CPU | Sharp SM series |
| Graphics | liquid crystal display |
| Memory | From 1.2KB to 64KB RAM |
| Media | On-board ROM |
| Released | 1980-2021 |
| Added to Museum | See the Game & Watch category |
The Game & Watch series of games comprised the first handheld video game console line by Nintendo. Each device contains a single game that is played on a simple liquid crystal display screen.
Development
Gunpei Yokoi conceived of the idea for simple handheld games using a liquid crystal display after watching a man on a bullet train push buttons on an LCD calculator. The result was the Game & Watch series. They became a hit in Japan and North America, leading to Game & Watch consoles being released over the course of eleven years from 1980 to 1991, plus a short revival from 2020 to 2021.
Models
The Game & Watch games were released in several variations:
Silver: The original five Game & Watch games were released in 1980. They had a silver case and a standard, single, LCD screen.
Gold: The games that were released with the standard, single, LCD screen in 1981 had a gold case to differentiate them from the original games.
Wide Screen: After the first two iterations, games began being produced with a single, wide-screen LCD.
Multi Screen: More complex games were designed using a multi-screen system, consisting of a clamshell design, with gameplay that takes place simultaneously on two LCD screens.
New Wide Screen: The wide-screen releases that began in 1983 were branded as New Wide Screen to differentiate them from the original wide-screen games.
Table Top: Four tabletop Game & Watch games were released in 1983 that resembled miniature arcade machines.
Panorama: The panorama games were handheld devices that used a color LCD and contained a mirror that allowed the screen to be visible in bright light.
Super Color: In 1984, the Super Color line was released. These games had different colored LCD panels to represent the characters on the screen.
Micro Vs.: Three Micro Vs. games were released in 1984. These games had two tiny controllers attached to the unit to allow for two-player gaming.
Crystal Screen: The Crystal Screen series was released in 1986. They had a translucent shell, which allowed viewing through the play area.
Color Screen: For the Game & Watch revival in 2020 and 2021, LCD screens with then-current technology provided full-color displays for the emulated Game Boy and Nintendo Entertainment System games contained within.
Unauthorized Soviet clones
Beginning in 1984, factories in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics began producing unauthorized clones of Game & Watch consoles that were released under the Elektronika brand name.
The clones used the 4-bit KB1013VK1-2 microprocessor, which was a Soviet clone of the Sharp SM series of microprocessors used in the Game & Watch systems.
Game & Watch games
| Title | Release | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ball | 1980 | Released in a standard screen format with a Silver case in 1980. Remade as part of Game Boy Gallery for Game Boy in 1995. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 2 for Game Boy Color in 1998. Remade as a digital release through DSiWare for Nintendo DSi in 2009. Re-released as a platinum reward for Club Nintendo members in Japan in 2010. |
| Flagman | 1980 | Released in a standard screen format with a Silver case in 1980. Remade as part of Game Boy Gallery for Game Boy in 1995. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 3 for Game Boy Color in 1999. Remade as a digital release through DSiWare for Nintendo DSi in 2009. |
| Vermin | 1980 | Released in a standard screen format with a Silver case in 1980. Remade as part of Game Boy Gallery for Game Boy in 1995. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 2 for Game Boy Color in 1998. Remade as a digital release through DSiWare for Nintendo DSi in 2009. |
| Fire | 1980 | Released in a standard screen format with a Silver case in 1980. Released in Wide Screen format in 1981. Remade as part of Game Boy Gallery for Game Boy in 1995. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery for Game Boy in 1997. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 2 for Game Boy Color in 1998. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 3 for Game Boy Color in 1999. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. Remade as a digital release through DSiWare for Nintendo DSi in 2009. |
| Judge | 1980 | Released in a standard screen format with a Silver case in 1980. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 3 for Game Boy Color in 1999. Remade as a digital release through DSiWare for Nintendo DSi in 2009. |
| Manhole | 1981 | Released in a standard screen format with a Gold case in 1981. Released in New Wide Screen format in 1983. Remade as part of Game Boy Gallery for Game Boy in 1995. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery for Game Boy in 1997. Remade for Game Boy Advance e-Reader in 2002. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. |
| Helmet | 1981 | Released in a standard screen format with a Gold case in 1981. Released in Wide Screen format in 1981. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 2 for Game Boy Color in 1998. Remade as a digital release through DSiWare for Nintendo DSi in 2009. |
| Lion | 1981 | Released in a standard screen format with a Gold case in 1981. Released in Wide Screen format in 1981. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 3 for Game Boy Color in 1999. |
| Parachute | 1981 | Released in Wide Screen format in 1981. Released as part of the Nintendo Mini Classics miniature LCD game line in 1998. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 2 for Game Boy Color in 1998. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. Remade for Game & Watch Collection 2 Nintendo DS in 2008. |
| Octopus | 1981 | Released in Wide Screen format in 1981. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery for Game Boy in 1997. Released as part of the Nintendo Mini Classics miniature LCD game line in 1999. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. Remade for Game & Watch Collection 2 Nintendo DS in 2008. |
| Popeye | 1981 | Released in Wide Screen format in 1981. Released in Table Top format in 1983. Released in Panorama format in 1983. |
| Chef | 1981 | Released in Wide Screen format in 1981. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 2 for Game Boy Color in 1998. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. Remade for Game & Watch Collection 2 Nintendo DS in 2008. Remade as a digital release through DSiWare for Nintendo DSi in 2009. |
| Mickey Mouse | 1981 | Released in Wide Screen format in 1981. Also released without the Disney license as Egg. |
| Egg | 1981 | Release of Mickey Mouse without the Disney license. Released in Wide Screen format in 1981. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 3 for Game Boy Color in 1999. |
| Turtle Bridge | 1982 | Released in Wide Screen format in 1982. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 3 for Game Boy Color in 1999. |
| Fire Attack | 1982 | Released in Wide Screen format in 1982. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. |
| Snoopy Tennis | 1982 | Released in Wide Screen format in 1982. Released as part of the Nintendo Mini Classics miniature LCD game line in 1998. |
| Oil Panic | 1982 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1982. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery for Game Boy in 1997. Released as part of the Nintendo Mini Classics miniature LCD game line in 1998. Remade as part of Game & Watch Collection for Nintendo DS in 2006. |
| Donkey Kong | 1982 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1982. Released as part of the Nintendo Mini Classics miniature LCD game line in 1998. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 2 for Game Boy Color in 1998. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. Remade as part of Game & Watch Collection for Nintendo DS in 2006. |
| Donkey Kong Jr. | 1982 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1982. Released in Wide Screen format in 1982. Released in Table Top format in 1983. Released in Panorama format in 1983. Released as part of the Nintendo Mini Classics miniature LCD game line in 1998. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 3 for Game Boy Color in 1999. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. Remade as a digital release through DSiWare for Nintendo DSi in 2009. |
| Mickey & Donald | 1982 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1982. |
| Green House | 1982 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1982. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 3 for Game Boy Color in 1999. Remade as part of Game & Watch Collection for Nintendo DS in 2006. |
| Donkey Kong II | 1983 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1983. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 3 for Game Boy Color in 1999. |
| Mario Bros. | 1983 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1983. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 3 for Game Boy Color in 1999. |
| Mario's Cement Factory | 1983 | Released in Table Top format in 1983. Released as part of the Nintendo Mini Classics miniature LCD game line in 1998. Remade as part of Game Boy Gallery for Game Boy in 1995. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. Remade as a digital release through DSiWare for Nintendo DSi in 2009. |
| Snoopy (video game) | 1983 | Released in Table Top format in 1983. Released in Panorama format in 1983. |
| Rain Shower | 1983 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1983. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. |
| Lifeboat | 1983 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1983. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. |
| Mario's Bombs Away | 1983 | Released in Panorama format in 1983. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. |
| Pinball | 1983 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1983. |
| Spitball Sparky | 1984 | Released in Super Color format in 1984. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 3 for Game Boy Color in 1999. |
| Crab Grab | 1984 | Released in Super Color format in 1984. |
| Boxing | 1984 | Also known as Punch-Out. Released in Micro VS. format in 1984. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. |
| Donkey Kong 3 | 1984 | Released in Micro VS. format in 1984. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. |
| Mickey Mouse | 1984 | Also released without the Disney license. as Donkey Kong Circus. Released in Panorama format in 1984. |
| Donkey Kong Circus | 1984 | Release of Mickey Mouse without the Disney license. Released in Panorama format in 1984. |
| Donkey Kong Hockey | 1984 | Released in Micro VS. format in 1984. |
| Black Jack | 1985 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1985. |
| Tropical Fish | 1985 | Released in New Wide Screen format in 1984. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. |
| Squish | 1986 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1986. |
| Super Mario Bros. | 1986 | Released in Crystal Screen format in 1986. A Diskun version was given to F-1 Grand Prix contest winners in Japan in 1987. Released in Wide Screen format in 1988. |
| Climber | 1986 | Released in Crystal Screen format in 1986. Released in New Wide Screen format in 1988. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. |
| Balloon Fight | 1986 | Released in Crystal Screen format in 1986. Released in New Wide Screen in 1988. |
| Bomb Sweeper | 1987 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1987. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. |
| Safebuster | 1988 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1988. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. |
| Gold Cliff | 1988 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1988. |
| Zelda | 1989 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1988. Released as part of the Nintendo Mini Classics miniature LCD game line in 1998. Remade as part of Game & Watch Gallery 4 for Game Boy Advance in 2002. |
| Zelda | 1989 | Released in Multi Screen format in 1989. Released as part of the Nintendo Mini Classics miniature LCD game line in 1998. |
| Mario the Juggler | 1991 | Remake of Ball with a Mario theme. Released in New Wide Screen in 1991 |
| Super Mario Bros. | 2020 | Includes Super Mario Bros., The Lost Levels, and a remake of Ball. Released in Color Screen format in 2020. |
| The Legend of Zelda | 2021 | Includes The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II, Link's Awakening, and a remake of Vermin. Released in Color Screen format in 2021. |
