You all know by now that this year is the 35th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros., the game that kicked off the entire Super Mario series. Now, Mario the character technically existed a good 4 years before this so really, it is his 39th anniversary but I’m not here to talk semantics. Instead, I want to talk about the Super Mario Bros. Anniversary Game & Watch, a new entry in the Game & Watch series that exists to celebrate the series birthday in a unique way. But is this little device worth the price or is it a glorified collector’s item? Well… it’s a bit of both, but that’s not a bad thing.
It is very much designed for collectors. In terms of value, the games on here do not build up to the £40/$XX price tag, especially when Super Mario Bros. is free on the Nintendo Switch Online app. So, the main reason to buy this would either be to display it, or if you really want to play Super Mario Bros. 1 and 2 on the go (and don’t own a 3DS or any of the other ways to have portable Super Mario Bros.). So, if this is the case, why do I still thank that this is worth the asking price? That’s because, it’s not really the games you buy this for. It’s the experience.
The Game & Watch line is before my time and I wasn’t the target audience. Infamously, the original series of Game & Watch titles were designed to keep Japanese business men occupied while on the commute, without having to deal with the negative stigma of playing a video game. It was professional, compact and offered both the ability to game and act as a watch (hence the name). Yet the Game & Watch’s I did have as a child didn’t really reflect this at all. I had the Zelda and Donkey Kong line of Game & Watch’s which were these chunky, clam shell, things that were about the size of a Nintendo DS. They were more like the video games I was used to, but didn’t quite fit in your pocket.
The Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch isn’t like that. It has a sleek design and is easy to carry around. Having it in my pocket and busting it out for quick bouts of Super Mario Bros. or even check the time is a novelty, but one that makes me feel like I am finally using the Game & Watch for its intended purpose. This is an experience that I don’t feel I can get anywhere else.
It’s clear the developers knew this was the experience to aim for when making this. While the games themselves aren’t the same as Game & Watch’s of old, being ROMs on emulators as opposed to LCD images flicking on and off on a screen, they’ve been adapted to support this quick, on the go, style of play. Each of the games has been modified to have quick saving and stage selects so progress never feels like its been lost. It even saves the hard mode version of the game after you unlock, which I think is a first. There is even a cheat to make the game easier like infinite life mode. It’s clearly not just a ROM slapped onto an emulator with only the necessary changes made, like another one of Mario’s anniversary titles. The team behind this were dedicated.
Nowhere is that clearer than with the small details. The watch part of this device has lots of hidden secrets to uncover depending on the type of day and button presses, including an adorable video showing how to draw Mario. There is brand new artwork created in the modern Mario art style, but with the classic colours and even the colours of the Game & Watch itself match the original Famicom’s controllers to really drive in that sense of nostalgia.
Of all of Mario’s 35th Anniversary offerings, this might be my favourite and the one that feels like an actual celebration of the original title. Odd that it’s on a Game & Watch for sure, but that just brings its own charms with it. It’s more odd that I think this might be my favourite way to play the original Super Mario Bros. game now. I know this won’t just sit on my shelf but will be something I pop out from time-to-time to have a little Mario session during my down-time. That experience alone gives it value.
I understand if this is still a hard sell for some of you reading this. Not everyone thinks like I do and will get the same enjoyment out of the novelty of it all. But if you are like me and live for these types of experience, no matter how small, then I would recommend giving it a try. Even if it is the millionth time you’ve actually played the game that started it all.
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The SMB Game & Watch is not for me personally, but it is a nice thing and I can see why appeals to other people.
Speaking of anniversaries, like you mentioned earlier this year is Mario’s (the character) 39 anniverary which makes next year his 40th. Among a few other things, I expect to see a trailer of the upcoming Mario movie, should be interesting at the very least.