About
Running a clock on a handheld gaming device sounds like a minor feature, but Nintendo built 35 hidden animated sequences into the Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. timepiece, which means the thing sitting on a desk is never quite the same object twice. Mario wanders, swings, stumbles, and reacts across a backlit full-color LCD screen that would have been unimaginable on the original Game & Watch hardware from 1980. The effect is closer to a small diorama than a clock.
The Nintendo Game & Watch handheld game is compact enough to slip into a coat pocket and carries three complete games: the original Super Mario Bros., the notoriously demanding Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and a Mario-themed version of Ball that predates both. That range is wider than it sounds. The Lost Levels alone could occupy an afternoon, and the eight-hour battery life on the built-in lithium-ion cell means it will last through most of one. USB-C charging keeps it in the same cable ecosystem as everything else on a modern desk.
The physical controls follow the Widescreen Game & Watch proportions, with a D-pad and a small cluster of buttons that recall the original layout without slavishly recreating it. There is no kickstand, which keeps the profile flat and honest. The device was released as a limited edition in November 2020, and the production run has ended, which changes how it reads now. It has moved from product to artifact without becoming precious about it.
This is for someone who wants the games, keeps the clock running on a shelf, and appreciates that Nintendo occasionally makes things that hold their interest past the first hour.
