Game & Watch

Game & Watch
Designer	Nintendo R&D1 Nintendo PTD
Manufacturer	Nintendo
CPU	Sharp SM-5A
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.

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 2 for Game Boy Color in 1998. 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.
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'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.
Lifeboat	1983	Released in Multi Screen format in 1983.
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.
Boxing	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.
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.
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.
Safebuster	1988	Released in Multi Screen format in 1988.
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.
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 a full color format in 2020.
The Legend of Zelda	2020	Includes The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II, Link's Awakening, and a remake of Vermin. Released in a full color format in 2021.