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Game & Watch

Game & Watch

Also known as: ゲーム&ウオッチ, ゲームウォッチ

Nintendo's very first handheld consoles, dreamed up by Gunpei Yokoi: 60 games released from 1980 to 1991, recognisable by the model number on the back.

Second-hand shop display full of Game & Watch: boxed consoles (Ball, Lion, Helmet, Flagman) at the top, loose labelled consoles below.
A Game & Watch display in a Mandarake shop in Japan. Photo: paranoidnotandroid, CC BY 2.0.

In Japan right now

Game & Watch listings spotted this morning by the radar, not checked by hand. Photos by the sellers.

At a glance

Created by
Gunpei Yokoi, at Nintendo
First game
Ball, on 28 April 1980, at ¥5,800
Number of games
60, across 11 series
Last game
Mario the Juggler, in 1991

Their story

The idea came to Gunpei Yokoi, an engineer at Nintendo, on a train: he saw a businessman killing time by tapping away at his calculator. The first Game & Watch, Ball, came out on 28 April 1980: a game on a liquid crystal screen, with a clock and an alarm, hence the name.

Nintendo released 60 of them until 1991, including Donkey Kong, which in 1982 introduced the directional pad later found on every controller.

Why we fall for them

They are the ancestors of the Game Boy, and many Nintendo heroes took their first steps on them. And then there is that little beep… In Japan they are plentiful, often with their box, at gentler prices than in Europe.

The “ゲームウォッチ” trap

In Japan, “ゲームウォッチ” covers every handheld electronic game, including other brands. Search for “任天堂” (Nintendo) or the model number on the back instead. Before you fall for one, check the battery compartment, often corroded, and the screen, which can darken or stain over time.

Tips for dating an item

  1. Silver and Gold, 1980 and 1981A single small screen and a metallic front, like Ball (AC-01).
  2. Wide Screen, 1981 and 1982A wider screen, for example Octopus (OC-22).
  3. Multi Screen, from 1982 to 1989Two screens and a clamshell. Donkey Kong (DK-52) was the first game with the directional pad.
  4. New Wide Screen, Tabletop, Panorama, Super Color, Micro Vs. and Crystal ScreenLater or rarer series, from 1982 to 1991.
  5. The model number on the backTwo letters (often the game's initials) and a number: AC-01, DK-52, MW-56… It identifies the exact model.
  6. Modern reissuesBall (Club Nintendo, 2010), Super Mario Bros. (2020) and The Legend of Zelda (2021), with colour screens: these are not vintage pieces.

Things to collect

  • Consoles with box and manual
  • Loose consoles, tested or sold "as is"
  • Promotional editions never sold in shops
  • Boxes, manuals and pouches sold separately

Price guide

The price guide grows with every find: it will appear here once I have enough comparable listings.

Current finds

  • Game & Watch Popeye Panorama Screen, open, next to its illustrated box and papers.

    Game & Watch · 1983

    Game & Watch Popeye PG-92, colour Panorama Screen, boxed (1983)

    You lift the lid and, like magic, a small mirror projects a colour picture: that is how the 1983 Panorama Screen models work, and they are among the most sought after. This Popeye works, buttons and sound included, and its mirror is not scratched. It comes with its outer box, inner box and leaflets, but without the instructions. The box is barely rubbed at the corners. A display piece, at a display-piece price.

    Toy line
    Game & Watch
    Condition
    Very good condition, working, incomplete
    Listing price
    ¥68,000 · about €378
  • Game & Watch Squish Multi Screen with its illustrated box, polystyrene tray, instructions and leaflets.

    Game & Watch · 1986

    Game & Watch Squish MG-61, Multi Screen, boxed with instructions

    Squish is the little creature squeezing between closing walls: one of the less common Multi Screen games in the series. This one is complete, with its box, polystyrene tray, almost unused instructions and two leaflets. The seller is honest: the lower screen has yellowed in places, and it is sold “as is” even though it switches on. A lovely piece to complete a collection, less so if you want a perfect copy.

    Toy line
    Game & Watch
    Condition
    Used, lower screen yellowed, switches on, complete
    Listing price
    ¥53,500 · about €298
  • Auction endedTwo-screen Game & Watch Mario Bros, open, with the Pokka brand marking, photographed by the seller.

    Game & Watch · 1980s

    Game & Watch Mario Bros, the Pokka promotional edition

    My favourite of the week. Mario Bros (model MW-56) is the two-screen Game & Watch where Mario and Luigi keep a bottling plant running. But this one is special: it bears the name of Pokka, a Japanese drinks brand that gave it away in a promotional campaign. It was never sold in shops, and you come across it far less often than the standard model. Before you fall for it: it has scratches, and the seller has not tested it. Assume it might not switch on, and have a look at the battery compartment in the photos.

    Toy line
    Game & Watch
    Condition
    Scratches, not tested, completeness to check
    Listing price
    ¥20,000 · about €111

Guide updated on 26 September 2026.