Before the Game Boy. Before the Famicom. Before Mario made his side-scrolling debut — there was Game & Watch,
Compact. Minimal. Addictive. Nintendo’s Game & Watch series didn’t just define handheld gaming — it invented it. And somewhere between its quirky simplicity and iconic design, I found myself hooked.
This is the story of how I started collecting them, why they’ve earned a permanent place in my retro setup, and why I believe they’re among the most timeless pieces of gaming history ever made.
🕰 A Quick Hit of History
In 1980, Nintendo engineer Gunpei Yokoi was riding a bullet train when he noticed a fellow passenger fiddling with an LCD calculator to kill time.
From that moment of boredom was born a new form of entertainment — a pocket-sized game console with a digital watch built in. The Game & Watch was simple, stylish, and ridiculously ahead of its time.
From 1980 to 1991, Nintendo released 60+ models across various series:
- Silver / Gold Series – The originals
- Wide Screen Series – Bigger screens and iconic characters
- Multi Screen Series – Predecessor to the DS layout
- Panorama / Crystal / Tabletop – Experimental and rare
Each device had a single game, hardcoded into its system. And yet, these titles — from Octopus to Zelda — were so tight and clever, they held their own without the need for updates, DLCs, or save slots.
| Model | Series | Release Date | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ball | Silver | 1980-04-28 | Common |
| Flagman | Silver | 1980-06-05 | Uncommon |
| Vermin | Silver | 1980-07-10 | Common |
| Fire | Silver | 1980-07-31 | Common |
| Judge | Silver | 1980-10-04 | Rare |
| Manhole | Gold | 1981-01-27 | Uncommon |
| Helmet | Gold | 1981-02-21 | Uncommon |
| Lion | Gold | 1981-04-27 | Rare |
| Parachute | Wide Screen | 1981-06-19 | Uncommon |
| Octopus | Wide Screen | 1981-07-16 | Uncommon |
| Popeye | Wide Screen | 1981-08-05 | Uncommon |
| Chef | Wide Screen | 1981-09-08 | Uncommon |
| Mickey Mouse | Wide Screen | 1981-10-09 | Rare |
| Egg | Wide Screen | 1981-10-09 | Rare |
| Fire (Wide Screen) | Wide Screen | 1981-12-04 | Uncommon |
| Turtle Bridge | Wide Screen | 1982-02-01 | Rare |
| Snoopy Tennis | Wide Screen | 1982-04-28 | Uncommon |
| Donkey Kong Jr. (WS) | Wide Screen | 1982-10-26 | Uncommon |
| Mario’s Cement Factory (WS) | Wide Screen | 1983-06-16 | Uncommon |
| Lifeboat | Wide Screen | 1983-10-25 | Uncommon |
| Spitball Sparky | Wide Screen | 1984-02-07 | Uncommon |
| Crab Grab | Wide Screen | 1984-07-18 | Uncommon |
| Super Mario Bros. | New Wide Screen | 1988-06-24 | Common |
| Climber | New Wide Screen | 1988-07-08 | Uncommon |
| Balloon Fight | New Wide Screen | 1988-10-07 | Uncommon |
| Safebuster | New Wide Screen | 1988-11-08 | Uncommon |
| Gold Cliff | New Wide Screen | 1988-12-19 | Uncommon |
| Zelda (NWS) | New Wide Screen | 1989-08-26 | Uncommon |
| Oil Panic | Multi Screen | 1982-05-28 | Rare |
| Donkey Kong | Multi Screen | 1982-06-03 | Common |
| Mickey & Donald | Multi Screen | 1982-11-12 | Uncommon |
| Green House | Multi Screen | 1982-12-06 | Uncommon |
| Donkey Kong II | Multi Screen | 1983-03-07 | Common |
| Mario Bros. | Multi Screen | 1983-03-14 | Common |
| Rain Shower | Multi Screen | 1983-08-17 | Uncommon |
| Lifeboat (MS) | Multi Screen | 1983-10-25 | Uncommon |
| Pinball | Multi Screen | 1983-12-05 | Uncommon |
| Blackjack | Multi Screen | 1984-02-28 | Uncommon |
| Squish | Multi Screen | 1986-08-20 | Uncommon |
| Bomb Sweeper | Multi Screen | 1987-06-15 | Rare |
| Safebuster (MS) | Multi Screen | 1988-11-08 | Uncommon |
| Zelda | Multi Screen | 1989-08-26 | Rare |
| Donkey Kong (TT) | Tabletop | 1983-04-28 | Uncommon |
| Mario’s Cement Factory (TT) | Tabletop | 1983-05-10 | Uncommon |
| Snoopy (TT) | Tabletop | 1983-06-03 | Uncommon |
| Popeye (TT) | Tabletop | 1983-08-04 | Uncommon |
| Snoopy (Panorama) | Panorama | 1983-08-01 | Uncommon |
| Popeye (Panorama) | Panorama | 1983-08-05 | Rare |
| Donkey Kong Circus | Panorama | 1984-09-01 | Uncommon |
| Mario’s Bombs Away | Panorama | 1983-11-10 | Rare |
| Super Mario Bros. (CS) | Crystal Screen | 1986-06-25 | Uncommon |
| Climber (CS) | Crystal Screen | 1986-07-04 | Uncommon |
| Balloon Fight (CS) | Crystal Screen | 1986-07-19 | Uncommon |
| Boxing | Micro Vs | 1984-07-31 | Uncommon |
| Donkey Kong 3 | Micro Vs | 1984-08-20 | Uncommon |
| Donkey Kong Hockey | Micro Vs | 1984-11-30 | Uncommon |
| YM-901-S (Super Mario F-1) | Promo | 1987-08-19 | Ultra Rare |
| Nintendo Mini Classics (reissues) | Reissue | 1998+ | Uncommon |
Why I Started Collecting
I didn’t grow up with Game & Watch. I came in through the Famicom and later Game Boy, like many others. But as I started diving deeper into Japan’s rich gaming history, one thing became clear: Game & Watch was the spark.
These weren’t just handheld games — they were design artifacts. Early examples of:
- Minimalism in UI
- Portable play
- Timeless gameplay loops
- Iconic Nintendo art and characters
And as a systems thinker, I couldn’t help but admire how much gameplay Nintendo squeezed into such tight hardware. There are no firmware updates here — just elegance in limitation.
📦 My Growing Collection
I now own over 30 Game & Watch units, sourced almost entirely from Sendico. Why Japan? Because that’s where the quality is. Most of my units arrived boxed, some even with original foams and manuals. A few are worn and weathered — and I love them all the same.
Here are a few highlights:
Silver Series:
- Ball (1980) – The original. Simple juggling, beautifully symmetrical.
- Vermin – Smash moles with dual hammers. Mine’s a bit rough, but historic.
- Judge – One of Nintendo’s early competitive games. A two-player reflex test.
Gold Series:
- Lion – A forgotten classic with charming character animations.
- Manhole – Timing-based chaos with four points of failure. Addictive and underrated.
Wide Screen Series:
- Octopus – Tense treasure grabs vs. tentacles. The sound effects still hold up.
- Parachute, Fire, Snoopy Tennis, Mickey Mouse – Each one uniquely brilliant.
- Turtle Bridge – Mine’s boxed. Timing perfection.
- Chef – Frantic food flipping. So simple, so fun.
Multi Screen Series:
- Donkey Kong II – Dual-screen brilliance. One of the most engaging mechanics.
- Mario Bros., Green House, Zelda, Bomb Sweeper – Complex, layered, iconic.
Rare Finds:
- Panorama Series: Popeye – Transparent flip-up design. Still turns heads.
- YM0901 Super Mario Bros Grand Prix F-1 – My rarest piece to date.
💴 Cost me ¥83,500 — worth every yen.
What Makes Them Timeless
Despite being 40+ years old, Game & Watch units still shine because:
- They’re built to last — many still work perfectly after decades.
- The gameplay is immediate and satisfying.
- The design language — from shells to fonts — is pure Nintendo magic.
- They fit perfectly in your palm or display shelf — and in today’s world of digital excess, their simplicity is refreshing.
More than anything, they’re a window into Nintendo’s early genius — proof that good ideas don’t need colour, polygons, or save states.
Why I Source from Japan (and You Should Too)
Most of my collection was found through Sendico, which lets you:
- Buy from Yahoo Auctions Japan, Rakuten, and Mercari
- Bid on boxed units and rare variants not listed internationally
- Consolidate and ship them safely to Australia (or wherever you live)
🎁 Want to get started?
Use my referral link to get ¥1,500 off your first order:
https://sendico.com/referral/ctrlaltthink
🏁 Final Thoughts
Every Game & Watch I collect feels like a tiny time machine — a pocket-sized reminder of Nintendo’s creative roots, and a lesson in designing with intention.
They might not have Wi-Fi. But they’ll never need a software update, and they’ll never ask you to create a user account. They just work. And sometimes, that’s exactly what makes them perfect.
Rethink. Reboot. Repeat.
— Chris Freeman
