Joystiq

Nintendo designers on Game & Watch's history

JC Fletcher — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST

In honor of the new Game & Watch Ball reward available through Club Nintendo, the company released a translated Iwata Asks interview about Nintendo's first experiments with handheld games. The designers and engineers describe just how early the technology was -- it was based on calculator chips, and the games were all designed around the same limits imposed on calculators' numerical displays.

"So if a chip can calculate eight digits," explained Takehiro Izushi, "that's 7 segments [each number is built from 7 segments] times 8 digits for a total of 56 segments. And there's the decimal point and symbols like the minus sign. We made the Game & Watch: Ball game using a chip that could display 72 segments." And 28 of those went into the score/time display!

Elsewhere in the interview, the developers share early concept art for the devices (like the image above) and detail the process of making a new version of the Ball handheld for Club Nintendo.

Nintendo designers on Game & Watch's history originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Game & Watch: Ball now available as Club Nintendo reward

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:00:00 EST

Do you possess enough Club Nintendo coins to purchase a small, uninhabited tropical island? Why not spend your fake currency on this, instead: The promotional program's latest reward is a reproduction of Game and Watch: Ball, in which you play a juggler who's tasked with keeping a number of always hastening circles suspended in the air. We guess the plural nature of your profession's materials would make the title Balls more appropriate, but ... no. No, we won't be doing that.

The game (and Watch) will run you 1,200 coins. Also added to the list of rewards is a reversible carrying bag for whatever model of DS you're currently toting around, which costs 250 coins. We guess you could put other things in there, too. Like Game and Watch: Ball! That, ladies and gentlemen, is called synergy.

Game & Watch: Ball now available as Club Nintendo reward originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NintendoWare Weekly: Mega Man 4, Bang Attack, Game & Watch

JC Fletcher — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:37:00 EST

The Wii's Mega Man arsenal has grown once again, adding Mega Man 4 to the collection of games that can be chosen from a menu and loaded up -- you know, like weapons on Mega Man's arm, except acquired through commerce and not robot murder. They'd be very different games if you had access to a charge card instead of a Charge Shot.

Speaking of growing collections, DSiWare is now home to three more downloadable Game & Watch simulators, putting us all well on the way to understanding Mr. Game & Watch's attacks in Super Smash Bros. (Hint: You'll want to use the sausages.) See all the available downloads after the break.

Continue reading NintendoWare Weekly: Mega Man 4, Bang Attack, Game & Watch

NintendoWare Weekly: Mega Man 4, Bang Attack, Game & Watch originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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European Nintendo downloads: Blaster Master, Zombie Panic in Wonderland, Game & Watch

JC Fletcher — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:45:00 EST

This week's releases largely belong to DSiWare, at least in terms of volume. Three Game & Watch simulators are joined by a downloadable version of The Price is Right, the surprise hit Faceez and Alphabounce, a Breakout clone with ... RPG elements?

But in terms of quality, the Wii has the advantage, with both the NES version of Blaster Master and Akaoni Studio's WiiWare shooting game Zombie Panic in Wonderland, which combines fairy tale characters and firing guns at zombies. The complete list of releases for the week follows:

Blaster Master (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
Zombie Panic in Wonderland (WiiWare, 1-2 players, 1000 Wii Points)
Learning with the PooYoos - Episode 2 (WiiWare, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
Game & Watch: Helmet (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Game & Watch: Manhole (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Game & Watch: Vermin (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Faceez (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
The Price is Right (DSiWare, 1-4 players, 800 DSi Points)
Alphabounce (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)

European Nintendo downloads: Blaster Master, Zombie Panic in Wonderland, Game & Watch originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video tour of Game & Watch Collection 2

David Hinkle — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:50:00 EST

Want to nab yourself Game & Watch Collection 2 from Club Nintendo, but a bit apprehensive about dropping 800 of your hard-earned Coins? We get it -- in this try-before-you-buy modern world we live in, it's tough to take a leap of faith. Thankfully, some of the internet's bravest have uploaded videos of the second collection, one of which you can find past the break.

[Via Go Nintendo]

Continue reading Video tour of Game & Watch Collection 2

Video tour of Game & Watch Collection 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NintendoWare Weekly: Mr. Driller, Game and Watch, Fishie Fishie

JC Fletcher — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EST

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the DSiWare service launch, and Nintendo is observing the occasion by putting interesting content on the service! Every week should be some kind of milestone. And speaking of annual observances, there's a Neo Geo game on Virtual Console.

Gallery: Mr. Driller: Drill Till You Drop (DSiWare)

Continue reading NintendoWare Weekly: Mr. Driller, Game and Watch, Fishie Fishie

NintendoWare Weekly: Mr. Driller, Game and Watch, Fishie Fishie originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Game & Watch & Ultra Hand & Mario posters available from Club Nintendo

JC Fletcher — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:51:00 EST

Nintendo has added the next round of rewards to its North American Club Nintendo store, for those of you eager to burn off your fake money. The WiiWare game Grill-Off with Ultra Hand is now available for real, priced at just 80 Coins. If you prefer to spend way more Coins, the second volume of Nintendo's Game & Watch Collection for DS is now available -- for 800 Coins, 200 more than the price of the original.

Finally, a set of three Mario posters has been added to the shop for 350 Coins. They're okay ... for something that isn't a free video game.

Game & Watch & Ultra Hand & Mario posters available from Club Nintendo originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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European Nintendo downloads: Ogre Battle 64, Diner Dash, Art of Balance

JC Fletcher — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:25:00 EST

The latest Hanabi Festival has deposited another high-quality import into the European Wii Shop: Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber. Should you be less enthused by strategy and more into reflexes, you can get your fight on in Fatal Fury Special, also available on Virtual Console this week.

On DSiWare, you're treated to a trio of Game & Watch games from Nintendo, along with yet another GTA-type game.

Ogre Battle 64 (Nintendo 64, 1 player, 1,200 Wii Points)
Fatal Fury Special (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)
Art of Balance (WiiWare, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Diner Dash (WiiWare, 1-8 players, 1,000 Wii Points)
Game & Watch: Chef (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 Wii Points)
Game & Watch: Judge (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 Wii Points)
Game & Watch: Mario's Cement Factory (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 Wii Points)
Super Yum Yum: Puzzle Adventures (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points)
Gangstar 2: Kings of LA (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)

European Nintendo downloads: Ogre Battle 64, Diner Dash, Art of Balance originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NintendoWare Weekly: Cave Story, Game & Watch

JC Fletcher — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:32:00 EST

You know what you're downloading on Wii today without having to look at the full list. In fact, we'll save you some time: Cave Story is the full list. In what we still regard as a pleasant surprise, Nicalis's remake is actually, for real, being released today! The only thing better than actually getting to play Cave Story today would be getting to download it for free -- which you just might be able to do, if you follow @nicalis on Twitter and take part in the dev's daily giveaway.

DSiWare is also home to pleasant surprises today, in the form of three DSiWare versions of Game & Watch minigames.

Gallery: Cave Story (WiiWare)

Continue reading NintendoWare Weekly: Cave Story, Game & Watch

NintendoWare Weekly: Cave Story, Game & Watch originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Club Nintendo goodies: Ultrahand, Game and Watch Collection 2

JC Fletcher — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:45:00 EST

The best part of buying Nintendo games is ~~playing the actual Nintendo games you just bought~~ collecting coins for Club Nintendo! At yesterday's Nintendo Media Summit, the publisher announced two new items: the DS Game and Watch Collection 2 and Grill-Off with Ultrahand for Wii.

Game and Watch Collection 2 is a cartridge with classic and updated versions of Parachute and Octopus, released to Japan's Club Nintendo in 2008. Ultrahand is a WiiWare game about using a classic Nintendo toy to grill meat (really), released for just 50 points in Japan late last year. No information about release dates or cost have been released here yet.

New Club Nintendo goodies: Ultrahand, Game and Watch Collection 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Club Nintendo Japan sending Game & Watches as Platinum gifts

JC Fletcher — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST

The Game & Watch Collection is a popular catalog item for Club Nintendo, but this year's gift for Japanese gamers who reach Platinum status takes the Game & Watch nostalgia even further. It's a real Game & Watch.

Nintendo is producing a new run of the classic handheld Ball, specifically to give away to Club Nintendo members who accrued 400 points or more in the last year. It's a replica of the original, with a Club Nintendo logo added. Like the other Platinum awards, this doesn't cost any points (so Platinum members can still buy Wii de Ultrahand), and will be sent out to everyone who qualifies.

As usual, gold members get a calendar.

[Via Andriasang]

Club Nintendo Japan sending Game & Watches as Platinum gifts originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch the DSiWare Game & Watch games

JC Fletcher — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:45:00 EST

Nintendo has videos of the DSiWare releases of Game & Watch games on its DSiWare site. Famitsu also has screens. In both cases, though, there aren't really any surprises. The presentation is pretty straightforward: an authentic recreation of the game on the top screen, and a logo on the bottom screen.

That's perfectly fine with us, because the games look like they're supposed to. Even though no announcement has been made about a North American release, we much prefer this delivery method for Game & Watch games over the Club Nintendo method. It's cheaper to just buy a DSi and then grab these for two bucks each than to buy a bunch of other stuff and then use points from those purchases.

Watch the DSiWare Game & Watch games originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Game & Watch & DSiWare

David Hinkle — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:15:00 EST

If you've been having a tough time accruing enough coins in Club Nintendo to get your very own copy of Game & Watch Collection for DS, know that Nintendo is planning to parcel out nine different Game & Watch classics to DSiWare in Japan. Kotaku reports that Nintendo will be offering each individual game for a very reasonable 200 DSi Points over the summer, meaning you can have your own piece of gaming history on the go for a measly $2.

There's no word on these escaping Japan, but considering that a majority of the content offered on DSiWare there has made its way over here, it's likely only a matter of time.

Game & Watch & DSiWare originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Game & Watch collection coming to the US?

David Hinkle — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:56:00 EST

Filed under: News, Imports

Remember that awesome Game & Watch collection the Japanese Club Nintendo folks got? Well, it might be making its way to the States, as a listing for the game has popped up on the ESRB site. Of course, we're incredibly excited.

Aside from Exclamation Warriors and Tingle's Balloon Fight, the Game & Watch collection is our most wanted Club Nintendo goodie. So, we hope this happens sooner rather than later.

[Via Siliconera]

Game & Watch collection coming to the US? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A brief history of Club Nintendo Awesomeness

Chris Greenhough — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:18:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff, Features, Accessories

By now, you've no doubt heard: Nintendo is rolling out Club Nintendo in the U.S. by the end of 2008. Wahey! Yeah, we know that Japan (generally speaking) gets the most excellent items when compared to elsewhere, but listen here, bub: it's free stuff. We're not about to complain, and nor should you (if you want to feel sorry for somebody, Australia's Club Nintendo scheme has gone AWOL, and check out South Africa's piss-poor Stars Catalogue).

Anyway, as these are happy times for North Americans, we thought we'd reflect on some of the bestest Club Nintendo gifts and trinkets from both Japan and Europe to date -- some of which could end up in the U.S.! Hit the gray button to start DS Fanboy's whirlwind Club Nintendo Tour of Wonders!

NEXT >>

A brief history of Club Nintendo Awesomeness originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You can take it with you: Nintendo handheld retrospective

Alisha Karabinus — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Features

Tomorrow is the big day -- Nintendo's E3 2008 media briefing. Will there be a new DS? A new handheld altogether? A new array of DS Lite colors instead? Nearly anything is possible, and while we wait, bouncing up and down on our toes and struggling to remember to breathe through the excitement, it's a good time to look back at the history of Nintendo's handhelds. From the extensive Game & Watch collection to a few portables you may have forgotten, Nintendo has a rich and storied handheld history, and it's one we celebrate every day -- just not like this.


		Step forward into the past

You can take it with you: Nintendo handheld retrospective originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DS Daily: Can we get some Club Nintendo love?

David Hinkle — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: DS Daily

With our recent feature on Nintendo's original handheld games, we've been thinking a lot about them lately. Mainly, we just want that sweet collection that Club Nintendo hooked people up with in Japan.

What about you all? Want to play some of the Game & Watch games on the DS, or do you want a different Club Nintendo goodie, like that Exclamation Warriors game? Did you import any? Could care less?

DS Daily: Can we get some Club Nintendo love? originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An exhaustive look at Game & Watch

Ross Miller — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Nintendo DS, Galleries

It's time to take a look back at Nintendo's first foray into handheld gaming, nine years before Game Boy (and three years before Famicon/NES). Researchers at DS Fanboy have compiled an exhaustive rertrospective on the Game & Watch, in addition to interviewing two dedicated collectors. As is commonly written, know your roots.

Gallery: Game & Watch: A Retrospective

An exhaustive look at Game & Watch originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Collecting & Obsessing: Game & Watch

Chris Greenhough — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews, Features

Throughout the 1980s, Nintendo's Game & Watch series of handhelds provided the soundtrack to innumerable school playgrounds across the globe. A pre-Game Boy attempt to capture the portable games market, Game & Watch titles were relatively cheap but sturdily built toys which came with a single game and, as the name suggests, a watch. For the best part of eleven years, Nintendo kept manufacturing these forerunners to its other handheld devices, only for the Game Boy and Tetris to emerge in 1989 and squash the whole enterprise flat.

Nevertheless, the spirit of Game & Watch lives on through the hundreds of individuals who collect the games. For this one-off piece, DS Fanboy decided to interview two hardcore collectors in a bid to understand their love of Nintendo's first portable phenomenon.

Both 35-year-old Michael Panayiotakis (founder of Mike's Nintendo Game & Watch forum and the author of a quite superb FAQ on the subject) and 38-year-old Andy Cole possess the kind of retrolicious Game & Watch collections that we would maim (and possibly kill) for. To find out what they love about this charming series, why they collect Game & Watch, and why they dedicate so much time and money to their hobby, hit the break for our full interview. Once you've done that, don't forget to browse our gallery for a pictorial history of the Game & Watch phenomenon!

Continue reading Collecting & Obsessing: Game & Watch

Collecting & Obsessing: Game & Watch originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do want: complete Game & Watch collection

Chris Greenhough — Sat, 17 May 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff

If you're currently sitting on $4,000 worth of spare change, we have a purchase to recommend to you. A UK-based collector has just placed ~~his~~ the entire collection of 59 Game & Watch handhelds on eBay, along with the rare so-called "60th" model.

$4,000 is a big outlay, and not all of these are boxed, but complete collections of anything don't come along every day -- especially complete collections of something as desirable as Game & Watch handhelds.

[Via GameSniped]

Do want: complete Game & Watch collection originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 May 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In-depth walkthrough of DS TV reveals Game & Watch inclusion

David Hinkle — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:10:00 EST

Filed under: News, Video, Screens

We knew just about how many people in Japan were going wild for this thing, but now you can count us among those who want one. Although we would have no use for it outside of one feature. The DS TV Tuner, it turns out, also includes some classic gaming action, bundling in the retro Nintendo title Game & Watch Fire.

We've placed a video of a version of Game & Watch Fire in action past the break, so be sure to give it a gander.

Continue reading In-depth walkthrough of DS TV reveals Game & Watch inclusion

In-depth walkthrough of DS TV reveals Game & Watch inclusion originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Promotional Consideration: Multi Screen

Eric Caoili — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Promotional Consideration

Promotional Consideration is a weekly feature about the Nintendo DS advertisements you usually flip past, change the channel on, or just tune out.

Gunpei Yokoi, the same engineer who would eventually go on to father the Game Boy and Metroid, was riding home one evening on a bullet train when he spotted a bored businessman randomly pressing buttons on an LCD calculator to entertain himself. Believing that commuters would enjoy passing the time with handheld video games, Yokoi soon developed a set of portable gaming systems which also doubled as watches/alarms -- the Game & Watch.

This week, we'll take a look at several ads for the fourth Game & Watch series, the Multi Screen, whose clamshell case and vertically stacked screens would later serve as inspiration for the Nintendo DS's design.

Continue reading Promotional Consideration: Multi Screen

Promotional Consideration: Multi Screen originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 16 Sep 2007 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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