Nintendo’s 1980s Game & Watch is back with Super Mario Bros.

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The Game & Watch of the 1980s is back, but the new edition doesn’t make everyone happy

For the 35th birthday of “Super Mario Bros.” Nintendo is phasing out a number of products that should make fans happy. The latest trick is called “Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros.” and leaves a somewhat ambivalent impression.

The cult game “Super Mario Bros.” It appeared 35 years ago, became a worldwide hit and made Nintendo’s speakers sound great. The rest is video game history. For the anniversary, Nintendo has now come up with something very unusual to shower this game with even more honor. To underline the uniqueness of this timeless video game, it was copied directly to its own small hardware, making the hearts of nostalgics in particular beat faster.

Game and what?

When there were still no smartphones and the first Game Boy was not yet there to perform its services, electronic games were consumed on a special LCD platform. In the 1980s, when a horde of children gathered around a schoolboy on the playground, photos of Panini were exchanged or a child was looked over his shoulder while playing with a Game & Watch device.

Game & Watch was a series of Nintendo’s LCD electronic games. The game was firmly integrated into the device and could not be replaced by another. And yes, a digital clock has also been integrated throughout. That was the really important thing then.

Three games and a clock

For the anniversary version, the exterior of the famous old school devices was used “Super Mario Bros.” to donate a new mobile home. This means that there are no black stick figures running around the screen, but a true “Super Mario Bros.” has been integrated into the color portable device. So: an old game in a visually old device, but which is technically very modern under the surface.

But there’s more: in addition to the cult title, the successor is also allowed “Super Mario Bros. 2”which at the time appeared only in Japan. By the way, we called the continuation “The lost levels” and may be consumed for the first time in the “Super Mario All-Stars” Super NES game collection.

Also, there is a special Super Mario version of the game “Ball”. This is a very simple but quite challenging juggling skill game that was one of the very first Nintendo games.

And since the Game & Watch series has also been used as a fantastic pocket watch, there is of course also a digital clock function which has been supplied with typical Super Mario animations and has one or the other cute Easter egg in warehouse.

Too small and too expensive

As sweet as this idea is and as much as you feel in your childhood, if you have big hands, you won’t have much fun with this device. The operation really becomes a cramp. Buttons B and A are too close to each other. In other words: our children’s hands, that is, the thumbs, have simply gotten bigger over the years. Jumping and navigating with precision in Super Mario with Mickey Mouse’s big hands is simply difficult and costs too much nerves.

About 70 francs costs this play equipment and let’s be honest: It’s just too much. Three retro games plus a clock function are not enough content to justify this high sum, i.e. to spend. And attention: the delivery includes a USB cable to charge the battery, but also in this case there is no power supply. After all, this notice is on the packaging.

Born for the showcase

Conclusion: In all honesty: you won’t spend more than a few hours actively with this device. Although “Super Mario Bros.” it’s timeless, playing on the device, which is too small, isn’t as fun as it should. The other two titles are no longer tied to the mini screen either.

“Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros.” is a device for collectors that quickly ends up in the window and thanks to the really stylish packaging attracts attention. This can also be a good gift for 80s kids and is sure to provide a surprise or two under the Christmas tree. The price for this piece of nostalgia is just too high.

“Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros.” is available in stores for around CHF 70 and is approved for ages 3 and up.