Gunpei Yokoi was sitting on a Shinkansen bullet train when he saw something that changed everything. He watched a bored businessman fiddling aimlessly with a calculator, pressing buttons just to pass the time. It was a mundane moment. But for Yokoi, the legendary designer behind the Game Boy, it was the "Aha!" moment that birthed the Game & Watch.
He realized people didn't need a bulky console to be entertained; they just needed something that fit in a pocket and killed ten minutes of boredom. This wasn't just a toy. It was a revolution in portability.
Looking back, it’s wild how much these little silver and gold rectangles influenced what we play today. If you’ve ever used a D-pad—that cross-shaped directional button—you’re using technology that debuted on the Game & Watch version of Donkey Kong in 1982. Nintendo literally invented the modern controller layout because they needed a way to make a multi-screen game foldable.
The Weird, Wonderful History of Game & Watch
People often forget that Nintendo wasn't always a video game giant. In the late 70s, they were still finding their footing in electronic toys. The first Game & Watch title, Ball, released in 1980, was incredibly primitive. You just moved two arms to catch balls. That’s it.
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But it worked.
The charm of these devices lies in their limitations. Because they used LCD technology—the same stuff in your old digital watch—the "graphics" were actually pre-drawn segments on the screen. The processor just told which segments to turn black. This meant a character couldn't "move" smoothly; they snapped from one position to the next. It’s jerky, it’s weird, and it’s undeniably tactile.
The series eventually spanned 60 different models across several "series" like the Silver, Gold, Wide Screen, and the iconic Multi Screen. Those Multi Screen models, like Zelda and Donkey Kong, are the direct ancestors of the Nintendo DS. You can see the DNA. The hinge, the dual-screen layout, the portability—it all started here.
Why Collectors Are Obsessed
Go on eBay right now. A mint-condition Flagman or Judge can cost you a month’s rent. Why? Because these things were built to be used and thrown away. They were the disposable entertainment of the 80s. Finding one without "LCD bleed"—where the liquid crystal leaks and creates a giant black blob—is like finding a needle in a haystack.
Collectors differentiate between the "Pocketsize" and the later "Tabletop" or "Panorama" versions. The Panorama Screen ones are particularly cool; they used a mirror to reflect a color image because they couldn't fit a real color screen into a handheld yet. It was a hack. A brilliant, low-tech hack that felt like magic in 1983.
The Secret "Game A" and "Game B" Logic
Every Game & Watch has two modes. Usually, Game A is the standard difficulty, and Game B is the "I’ve had three espressos and want to suffer" mode.
In games like Manhole or Fire, the speed doesn't just increase; the patterns change. It’s a masterclass in game design. How do you make a game with only four possible movement positions challenging? You mess with the player's rhythm. You create "near-miss" scenarios where the LCD segments flicker just fast enough to trick your brain.
Honestly, modern games could learn a lot from this. There’s no DLC. No microtransactions. Just a high score and a clock. Oh, yeah—people actually used them as clocks. The "Watch" part of the name wasn't just marketing. Each unit had a little wire kickstand on the back so you could set it on your desk. It was the original "desk toy" for the 80s office worker.
The 35th and 40th Anniversary Revivals
Nintendo knows we’re suckers for nostalgia. In 2020 and 2021, they released the Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda anniversary editions. These aren't your grandpa's LCD screens. They use full-color backlit displays and can run actual NES ROMs.
But they kept the spirit.
They included the "Ball" game with Mario's face swapped in. They added "Easter eggs," like a digital clock that plays different animations depending on the time of day. If you leave the Zelda unit idle, Link will start exploring a dungeon on his own. It’s that "Nintendo Magic" people talk about—the little details that serve no purpose other than to make you smile.
Technical Nuances: Not All LCDs Are Equal
If you're looking to buy an original, you need to know about "Polarizing Filters." Over 40 years, the film over the LCD degrades. If you find a Game & Watch that looks faded, it’s usually not the electronics; it’s just the plastic film rotting.
A lot of hobbyists now "refurbish" these by peeling off the old silver backing and applying fresh polarizing sheets. It’s a delicate surgery. One wrong move and you crack the glass, ruining a 1981 Octopus forever.
There's also the issue of the "AC" (All Clear) button. On the back of every unit, there’s a tiny recessed button. If you change the batteries (usually LR43 or LR44 buttons cells) and the screen looks like a jumbled mess of every segment at once, you have to poke that AC button with a paperclip. It’s a ritual.
The Cultural Impact of Mr. Game & Watch
You might know the character from Super Smash Bros. He’s that 2D black silhouette who hits people with frying pans and hammers. That character is a composite of several different games.
- The hammer comes from Chef.
- The bell comes from Fire.
- The parachute is, well, from Parachute.
He’s a living museum of 80s hardware limitations. In Smash, he moves at a lower frame rate to mimic the snapping motion of the original LCDs. It’s a brilliant touch that keeps the history alive for kids who have never even seen a button cell battery.
Finding Value in the Modern Market
If you’re starting a collection, don't go for the rare stuff first. The "Gold" series is usually overpriced. Look for the "Wide Screen" versions like Snoopy Tennis or Turtle Bridge. They’re durable, the screens are larger, and they’re actually fun to play for more than five minutes.
Avoid anything with "corroded battery terminals." If a kid left batteries in a Game & Watch in 1985 and forgot about it, the acid has likely eaten through the motherboard by now. You can clean some of it with white vinegar and a Q-tip, but usually, if the green crust has reached the chips, it’s a paperweight.
Actionable Steps for the Aspiring Collector
- Check the serial number: On the back of original units, there's a serial number. If it’s missing or the sticker is peeled, the value drops by about 30%.
- The "Squeak" Test: Press the buttons. They shouldn't be mushy. The original rubber membranes should have a distinct, slightly tactile "pop." If they feel like wet cardboard, the internal pads are worn out.
- Screen Quality: Hold the device at an angle under a bright light. Look for "rainbowing" or dark patches in the center. This is "vinegar syndrome," a chemical breakdown of the film. It's fixable, but it's a project.
- Batteries: Only use high-quality silver oxide batteries. Cheap alkaline ones leak more easily and don't provide the steady voltage needed to keep the LCD segments dark and crisp.
The Game & Watch represents a specific era of "Lateral Thinking with Withered Technology." This was Gunpei Yokoi’s philosophy: don't use the newest, most expensive tech. Use cheap, well-understood tech in a way nobody else has thought of. That’s why these things still work, still look cool, and still command respect forty years later.
Whether you're hunting for an original 1980 Ball or just messing around with the Mario anniversary edition, you're holding a piece of history that saved Nintendo from bankruptcy and paved the way for everything from the Game Boy to the Switch. It's a clock, it's a game, and it's a masterpiece of industrial design.