Quick, what was the first Nintendo handheld game console done?
If you said "Game Boy" ... guess what, but not quite. For nearly a decade before Nintendo launched the iconic gray beast, it was making the Game & Watch, a collection of portable devices, each dedicated to playing just one or two simple games, and occasionally doubling as a clock.
Pounding that nostalgia button in a way that few other companies can, Nintendo announced this morning that the Game & Watch will make a modernized, but limited edition, return.
Released as part of Super Mario Bros. 35th anniversary celebration, it is entirely Mario themed and, aptly named, "Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros."
As with the original Game & Watch lineup, it appears that this is meant to be quite limited in the number of different titles it can play. On the official product page, Nintendo mentions Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2: The Lost Levels (or simply 'Super Mario Bros. 2', as it was known in Japan) and a remake with Mario skin Ball, the first Game & Watch title released in April 1980. So three games in all ... but given what we've seen happen with previous devices like this, I wouldn't be surprised if fans open it up and run it a lot more. Suddenly.
A lot has changed in forty (!) Years, so Nintendo is introducing some updates in this Game & Watch that probably look like they are given today. It has a color LCD, for example, while the original displays were black and white and you'll be able to charge it via USB-C, instead of having to burn a stack of button batteries. Nintendo says it should last around 8 hours per charge.
When you're not playing one of the included games, this thing turns into a little portable clock (hence the "& Watch" part of its name), with 35 different Mario-themed scenes in all. If Nintendo does that clock function right, I can see these things gaining a permanent place on many people's desks.
Although Nintendo points out that it will be a "limited" run, they haven't said exactly how many of these they will make ... and although the pre-order details are "coming", they aren't getting any more specific than that. They to do let's say it will ship on November 13th with an MSRP of $ 50 ... but beyond that, if you're worried about getting one of these, you'll want to keep your eyes peeled for more details.
