GAME AND WATCH: THE PATENT OF A HANDHELD LEGEND
Before the Nintendo Switch and even before the Game Boy, there was Game & Watch — the unassuming little handheld that quietly changed gaming forever. If you're a fan of retro tech or gaming history, the story we have been telling, the Game & Watch is nothing short of iconic. This addition to the Tee story via Patent Iconography certainly keeps those memories alive.
A Simple Idea Born on a Train
The origin of Game & Watch is as charming as the device itself. In 1979, Nintendo game designer Gunpei Yokoi was riding a train in Japan when he noticed a bored businessman fiddling with a pocket calculator to pass the time. That moment sparked an idea: what if you could play a simple game on a small, portable screen?
The result was the Game & Watch — a series of handheld devices, each containing one game and a digital clock (hence the name). It was sleek, affordable, and incredibly fun.
The 1980 Launch: Ball Gets the Party Started
The very first Game & Watch title, simply called Ball, launched in April 1980. Players juggled balls using a simple LCD display and left/right buttons. Compared to today’s standards, it was basic — but for the time, it was revolutionary.
The device was pocket-sized, featured a clock/alarm (a novelty then), and used LCD technology — more commonly found in calculators at the time. It was one of the first electronic toys to blur the line between gadgets and games.
A Worldwide Hit
Over the next decade, Nintendo released 59 different Game & Watch models across several series, including:
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Silver & Gold Series
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Wide Screen
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Multi Screen (introduced in 1982 with Donkey Kong)
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Tabletop
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New Wide Screen
The Multi Screen series was especially important — these clamshell-style devices featured two LCD screens and were the direct inspiration for the Nintendo DS decades later.
Some of the most popular titles included:
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Donkey Kong (1982)
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Mario Bros.
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Zelda
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Octopus
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Parachute
These weren’t just simple games — they were foundational. Donkey Kong’s Game & Watch debut in 1982 introduced the D-pad, an invention still used in gaming consoles today.
Global Appeal and Collectability
Game & Watch wasn’t just a Japanese success — it quickly spread across North America and Europe, often found in toy shops, department stores, and school backpacks. They were perfect for car trips, lunch breaks, and playground bragging rights.
By the time production ended in 1991, over 43 million units had been sold worldwide.
Today, Game & Watch devices are highly collectable, with rare models fetching hundreds — sometimes thousands — of pounds. For many, they represent a simpler era of gaming: no downloads, no microtransactions, just pick-up-and-play fun.
Modern Comeback
In 2020, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., Nintendo released a limited edition Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros., complete with a colour LCD screen and multiple games. A year later, they followed up with a Zelda edition. These modern tributes honoured the original design while giving fans a nostalgia trip and a reminder of Nintendo’s innovative spirit.
Legacy of Game & Watch
Game & Watch may look primitive today, but its influence on handheld gaming is enormous:
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It inspired the Game Boy, DS, and Switch
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Introduced key design elements like the D-pad
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Helped make Nintendo a household name around the world
Above all, it showed that great ideas often come in small packages — and sometimes, those ideas are born on a commuter train.
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