- The Chairman
Gunpei’s Voyage: 1 –
Updated: Feb 7
The Bell Tolls for Thee…
Greetings Leaguelettes!
It is I: The never released master robot, villain: ChairMan!
Neat, but not quite…
Anyway, despite the fact that we’re in the throws of Console Mega-Wars Month; I’ve decided to come before you today with a little something that veers from the norm.
And I do mean little.
Ball-in-a-cup!
This, my friends; is the Game & Watch. A little hand held device that serves as both…well… a game, and a watch!
Brain child of Nintendo engineering master Gunpei Yokoi, the Game & Watch had come about as a result of a fated train ride in 1979. While on his merry way via Shinkansen (Or bullet train), Mr. Yokoi had observed a businessman playing boredly on his calculator.
What better way, Yokoi thought; to literally kill time than to have a little game built in amongst a time keeping device?
In April, a year later– the Game & Watch was born.
Versions & Features
This handy-dandy little device came in one of 59 flavors, each with game modes A and B available. Normally, these modes would offer little more than a change in difficulty, with a few exceptions.
It should also be noted that while a 60th Game & Watch game was produced, it was only given away as a contest award and is therefore considered fairly rare.
Aside from it’s primary gaming functions, the Game & Watch was also equipped with a standard clock or an alarm, and in some cases both.
The Man, The Myth, The Mallet?
You see, every Game & Watch game followed this large-nosed, funny little man on his various day-to-day adventures as…a ball catcher… or a chef.
Well, I’m sure that while some of you may not recognize the handheld I’ve showcased today– there is no doubt in my mind you know the gentleman shown above.
Mr. Game & Watch as he’s known by, was Nintendo’s way of paying homage to their past by including him as a fighter in the vastly popular franchise: Super Smash Brothers.
In the end, while this may not be a console per-say; I felt like it would be madness not to include it in our pre-crash conglomerate of gaming glory.
What do you folks think? Was the Game & Watch revolutionary?
Do you feel it deserves a place in fame for the good it did Nintendo? Or is it a marred scar on the face of the gaming world?
Let us know what you think~
We’re adjourned.
#Gaming #Nintendo #GameDesign #ConsoleMegaWarsMonth #GameampWatch #Games #Consoles #Hardware #TheChairman #TheHBCL