Let’s talk about Game & Watch, Nintendo’s first major international hit, which launched in 1980. That same year, the company released a mechanical puzzle called Ten Billion Barrel. It was a symbol of Nintendo’s past, while G&W, a small electronic device containing a single game and a clock, hinted at the future. These products were both designed by Gunpei Yokoi.
In the sixties, the legendary inventor had been the catalyst as Nintendo pivoted from playing cards to toys. Ultra Hand, an extending arm, was followed by an array of whacky creations. How was G&W born? You may know the story of Yokoi, travelling by train, observing a salaryman killing time with a pocket calculator. This was the inspiration for a discreet device that could entertain someone with nothing to do. But did you know that Yokoi pitched the idea to Hiroshi Yamauchi, then President of Nintendo, while driving him across town in a cadillac? I’ll let the man himself take it from here:
As for how the Game & Watch actually came to be, that’s a funny story. I’ve always loved cars, and at that time, I owned a used import car, one with the steering wheel on the left side. Back then, the President of Nintendo used a cadillac as the company vehicle. One day his chauffeur got sick with a cold and couldn’t come in. The President had a meeting at the Osaka Plaza Hotel that day, but there wasn’t anyone who knew how to drive a car with a left-side steering wheel… except me. So the personnel department head came over to me and said, “I’m very sorry to ask this, Yokoi, but would you mind being the President’s driver just for today?”
Yokoi recalls that Yamauchi was not especially enthusiastic about his idea. Despite this, it was discussed with the President of Sharp at the meeting. Sharp had a huge supply of LCD screens and the rest is history. If you would like to read more from Yokoi on G&W, please see the excellent translated essay at shmuplations.
Could you turn down this man? Yokoi was put to work and designed the minimalist masterpiece Ball (1980). As someone who enjoys juggling, I find this game captivating. Game A features two balls and is, in effect, a tutorial. Game B is the complete experience, featuring three balls, and is fun to this day. I have the reissue (2010), which is faithful to the original:
Differences include the ability to mute the device and the use of another battery model. Also, the dark border at the screen’s edge no longer conceals wiring.
Ball was followed by Flagman, Vermin, Fire and Judge, which made up the Silver series of 1980. The Gold series of 1981 concluded with Lion. This looks like a UK advertisement based on three clues — can you spot all three?
Several titles moved over a million units so Yamauchi demanded more. In June 1981, the Wide Screen series launched with Parachute. The new screens would be 30% larger, accommodating more detailed visuals and enabling new possibilities for game design. Here is Parachute:
Learning about the process that Yokoi and his team embarked upon when making these games is fascinating. I will hand over to Satoru Iwata for this part:
Iwata I heard that the test models were bigger than the actual systems and had lights. What was one like?
Yamamoto First, we took the materials that Kano-san had drawn up and put them on film in a darkroom.
Iwata In a darkroom? (laughs)
Yamamoto Yes. We made a reverse image of the original.
Izushi Then we used a jigsaw to cut acrylic plastic that was about five millimeters thick to match the pattern on the film and placed it onto a circuit board perfectly matching it in size.
Yamamoto Then we lined up grain of wheat bulbs at holes we had cut out.
Iwata Grain of wheat bulbs like used for plastic models? It truly is like craftwork!
Yamamoto It really was. And we had to be careful the light didn’t bleed where it shouldn’t.
Kano We applied smoked acrylic so you could only see the graphics where the lamps were.
If you are interested in reading more about the design of G&W, please see the full Iwata Asks interview.
Octopus, drawn by Makoto Kano, is an iconic design, its sense of dread offset by a touch of humour. Where could these games go from here? To Yamauchi, the answer was obvious — two screens are better than one, for business and fun.
Yokoi was not so sure. He racked his brains to justify a second screen. Oil Panic (1982), the first Multi Screen G&W, was the result. I had not played this game across two screens until recently, when I cracked open Game & Watch Collection for DS. It’s tricky. There’s something about performing different actions on each screen (collecting oil/passing it to a coworker) that makes this a challenge. The DS port is brilliant and really looks the part.
The collection also has Green House (1982), which is more straightforward. I think that’s because you are doing the same thing on both screens (spraying insecticide), which you can spam. Oil Panic is more precise and the asymmetrical gameplay makes it engrossing, even now. Finally, there is Donkey Kong, which, in my opinion, isn’t as good as the other games. Still, it introduced the cross-shaped D-pad and sold millions, so its significance is indisputable.
In 1983, the Table Top series debuted, followed by the Panorama series later that year. In 1984, the Micro Vs. System launched. For a complete chronology, check out this Game & Watch list. If you have a G&W, old or new, photos are welcome!
I would be remiss if I failed to mention Game & Watch Gallery (Game Boy Gallery in Japan and Australia). Back in the nineties I had the first installment, released only in Europe and Australia. It was fun but I’ve long since given away the cart, as there are better entries to play nowadays. That early attempt feels like a prototype. There is only one version of each G&W title and the gameplay is not as slick as it could be. Even the presentation is a little awkward.
The sequels are very well executed. The ‘classic’ titles are ported as accurately as the hardware allows. Then, there are the ‘modern’ versions, which are among the best remakes in gaming history. I play 1 and 2 on Game Boy Pocket or Super Game Boy. The third game is the pinnacle, with responsive controls, hypnotic music, and an art style perfectly suited to the limited colour palette of the Game Boy Color. The remake of Egg deserves a special mention. Once you rack up a thousand points on hard mode, it is pure twitch gameplay at its finest.
There is a Game Boy Advance entry too. Here is everything you need to know about Game & Watch ports and remakes. I leave you with Manhole starring Yoshi.
