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Yesterday, Nintendo pulled the lid off the hardware and it looks like it just tried to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Zelda franchise: the Game & Watch system that includes two NES rounds, as well as Link’s Awakening on the Game Boy and a Vermin special.
Oddly enough, Nintendo didn’t include the original Zelda Game & Watch title, which hit store shelves in 1989 — the same year the Game Boy was released. The game used the multi-screen layout that would later inspire the Nintendo DS, with LCD action across two screens. The majority of the gameplay took place on the lower screen, with Link fighting monsters in a dungeon, while the top screen was split into inventory information and another small gameplay window. The game was later re-released as a much smaller key version.
While Nintendo used the same design as the Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch For this 2021 model, we’re a bit disappointed that it didn’t include Zelda Game & Watch and simply gave players the option to switch between the two screens. This would have been a happy compromise, although we personally would have loved to see the original dual-screen design copied for this recent version. There’s just something about those scalloped systems that are oddly comforting.
However, when you consider that the aforementioned Super Mario Game & Watch also didn’t include an LCD version (originally released in 1986 as part of the “New Wide Screen” collection), we probably shouldn’t be too shocked that Nintendo ignored the Zelda.
On the topic of anniversaries, do you know who will turn 35 this year? Metroid, which would have made a really cool “modern” game and watch – especially since, unlike Zelda and Super Mario, there is no “original” Game & Watch version. Do you think Nintendo will continue to release these devices, and will they continue to buy them? Please let us know with the comment below.
© Nintendo Life © Nintendo Life © Nintendo Life © Nintendo Life
Thanks to Ashley Day for inspiring this piece!
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