Nintendo Game and Watch

The Nintendo Game & Watch are the most common type of handheld game, and by far the most popular and collectable of all retro handheld games. Using LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screens to display simple yet effective characters they provided fantastic gameplay and were owned by just about every eighties child (and I'm sure some adults as well!).

The Game & Watch was invented by one of Nintendo's greatest designers, Gunpei Yokoi. Gunpei Yokoi was also the Mastermind behind the Nintendo Gameboy - the Worlds biggest selling console, and is credited with working alongside Shigeru Miyamoto on the original Donkey Kong game, as well as heading the team that wrote Metroid for the NES.

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The first Game & Watch made was Ball, released on 28th April 1980. Between this date and October 1991 there were fifty-nine games released in total, with a few variations on some games, depending on where they were released. It is rumoured there was another Game & Watch produced, Tetris, which never got released as Nintendo thought it may affect sales of the Gameboy, which came with Tetris included.

There is also a Special Edition Game & Watch - Model YM-901-S Super Mario Brothers. There was a limited number of these games made, and they were given to winners of the F-1 Grand Prix Tournament in Japan. The game itself comes in a presentation case with a letter from Nintendo which thanks the owner for participating in the competition and congratulates them on winning the prize. A complete example of one of these is probably one of the most collectable retro items you could own!

Each Game & Watch is usually placed in one of ten different categories. These categories are as follows:

Silver: The first Game and Watches, released in 1980 and usually the hardest to find. There are five models in total, and they have a silver fascia, hence their name.

Gold: Released during 1981, there were three models made. Identical to the Silver series, except the gold fascia, they are again quite hard to get hold of in good condition.

Widescreen: As the name suggests these had Wider Screens than their predecessors. With slightly more complex gameplay to earlier models, there were ten released in 1981/1982.

Multiscreen: These Game and Watch opened out and had two screens, often with simultaneous action on both to tax the player. Fifteen were made between 1982 and 1989 and these are the most common Game and Watch.

New Widescreen: Identical in design to the Widescreen models, except they had coloured fascias instead of Gold or Black. Released between 1982 and 1991 there were eight made, with the later ones being much harder to find.

Tabletop: There were four tabletop games released in 1983. Not strictly 'handheld' games, as they are much larger, require AA batteries and are usually played on a flat surface (or table). The first Game and Watches to have Colour LCD displays, and possibly the most sought after.

Panorama: These are the most impressive designed Game and Watch in my opinion. Like the Tabletop games they are designed to be played on a surface. They use Panorama technology and mirrors to catch the light and make the display appear much bigger than it is. There were six released between 1983 and 1984.

Super Color: The smallest category, with only two of these released in 1984. They are much longer and thinner than other Game and Watches with colour backgrounds behind the LCD display.

Micro Vs: There were three of these released in 1984 and as the name implies they are all two player games. They had two familiar control-cross pads attached to cables which 'wound up' inside the pad when not in use. A clever idea, but too fiddly in my opinion.

Crystal: The last of the ten categories, all three came out in 1986. They had clear LCD displays, which means you could see through them. These are definitely the rarest Game and Watches, even though they all had a New Widescreen equivalent released in March 1988.

Mini: Released after the Game & Watch had stopped being made, basically keyring versions of some of the more popular models, with some new one's thrown in.

Well that's a potted history of the Nintendo Game & Watch. Hopefully you'll find one or two we have for sale!

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