We bought the Nintendo Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. so our reviewer could test it.
While Nintendo is arguably one of the most popular game companies right now, dominating the 2020 market with Switch sales, Nintendo’s origins are a little more modest, celebrated with Nintendo Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. – by unlocking the handheld. . It was in the 1980s that Nintendo established itself in the competitive video game market and solidified its understanding with the release of Game & Watch in 1980 and later Super Mario Brothers in 1985.
What better way to celebrate both of their birthdays than to combine both titles into an independent wombat combo celebrating their 40th and 35th birthdays? I have been testing the portable device for three weeks.
Design: retro and bold look
From the moment you pick up and open the box, the design exudes freshness and old world nostalgia. It’s a special version – and that’s how it feels. Recalling the retro vibe of 1980s Game & Watch classics, the purposefully styled black and gold packaging is a familiar and warm throwback.
Combined with the sleek and elegant design of the console itself, with its gold and red plastic casing, it is both beautiful and surprisingly robust for such a small device. We wish Nintendo hadn’t removed the classic default functionality that this Game & Watch lacks, unlike its collectible predecessors.
The screen itself is small, just over two inches in length, but the bright LCD screen makes it easy to see Mario or Luigi while playing. While the controls are a bit small, it’s not entirely unexpected for a Nintendo Game & Watch product.
Nintendo Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. delivered in a small package designed with love for the family atmosphere of Game & Watch. In addition to the maintenance package, it also includes a charging cable. Some longtime Nintendo fans may be inclined to keep the box for Game & Watch collectibles.
Installation Process: Get and Play
Nintendo Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. is a recovery and playback device. Just open the box and remove the console from the shipping box, press the power button on the right, click the time button to put the watch into the included watch mode and then you are ready to enjoy the super preloaded. Mario Bros. and ball games. Comes with a partial charge.
Gameplay: challenging but fun
Game and Watch: Super Mario Bros. comes preloaded with Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2 (aka The Lost Levels) and Ball, the main title of the Game & Watch series. There are also 35 hidden interactions which make even the default view mode enjoyable.
Just like in the original Super Mario Bros. release, playing on Game & Watch is challenging, but a welcome challenge, as it reflects the difficulty of the original title! With the single and multiplayer modes available, there is a lot to enjoy. Choose Mario or Luigi as you travel the world by crushing Gombak and Koop Troop along the way. I understand that it is possible to pause the game so that you never lose progress in an instant.
Ball Game is the only Game & Watch title included in the product. The balls bounce back and forth in the air as you juggle them to keep them from hitting the ground. Instead of the classic Ball character design, Mario’s head is placed on top of the figure. It’s a much simpler game and that’s fine, but this game loses its charm pretty quickly due to the repetitive gameplay.
Sound: Surprisingly loud and crisp
The included mono speaker is surprisingly loud and clear, emitting 8-bit chiptunes sounds. This is located on the left side of the device in the bay. Even though I thought my hands would get in the way and block the sound a little while playing, it didn’t.
There is some wobble in Game & Watch on hard barrels, but that only adds to the excitement as you run through the levels trying to beat the game.
Anyone looking to get Game & Watch should be aware that while bringing three classic titles to life in a fun and exciting way, Game & Watch adds nothing new to the Nintendo family. It will serve Nintendo fans and collectors for a long time to come, more than anything else.
Nintendo Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. vs. Nintendo Switch
It would be a disservice to compare the Nintendo Game & Watch to more complex consoles. Nintendo Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. The appeal of the Edition is that it’s a nostalgic, collectable and fun handheld that is a throwback to the old era of gaming. The black-and-gold box design, red-gold retro bezel, and even select titles unlock the long-lasting success of the Nintendo family.
Sure, we could compare the Nintendo Game & Watch to Nintendo’s current flagship, the Switch, the latest and greatest version of the PlayStation, the PlayStation 5, or the Xbox Series It’s not just meant to compete with these vastly more advanced consoles, but to complement Nintendo’s current capabilities and bring the joys of the classics to a whole new generation.
Final judgment
Nintendo Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. is a throwback to an older and simpler era of gaming, full of power and offering the challenge of the original Super Mario games and the original Game & Watch Ball, while being accessible to a new generation of gamers. While we wish Nintendo had added new titles who wouldn’t want more classic options when they’re so much fun, there’s no point in this product.