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Product History of Nintendo Co. Ltd

It’s easy when you think of Nintendo just to think of the Wii, DS, Mario or Zelda, all of which really define what the company is today. The truth is they have a very long and varied history of products dated way back from when they made kids toys and playing cards, leading up to their first consoles in the late 1970′s.

This page is dedicated to looking in depth at Nintendo’s history, from their first entries in the home and handheld videogame markets. It is nowhere near completed and will be updated periodically with more of the companies past products in chronological order to a point where it be a comprehensive rescource showcasing all Nintendo’s past glory and failure up until the present day.

Part 1. Game & Watch

Game & Watch were Nintendo’s first entry into the handheld digital game market. They were originally released in the early 1980′s. The games involved very basic black and white visuals that were displayed on LCD screens. There were limited frames of animation but they still managed to capture the hearts of a new videogame audience.

'Ball' was the first Game & Watch made. It is also one of the most valuable.

Since the introduction of Game & Watch in the 1980′s, the games have become increasingly scarce and have generally increased in value. While some are a lot more common than others, as time goes on, they are becoming more difficult to find, especially in good condition.You may be surprised to know that collecting Game & Watch has become quite big business. Game collectors of course only look for mint, boxed versions of the console with the instructions and battery cover intact and these items that are in good condition can fetch hundreds and in some cases, thousands of $/Eur/£.

The 'Panorama' series of Game & Watch were intended for tabletop play and they were not as portable as previous units.

Below is an exhaustive list of each Game & Watch that was ever released in each territory. You can see which number release each console was, the model type, name, release date, territories of release and the approximate current value* (see footnote below).

* The price valuation figure is a very rough estimate and should not be used as an exact figure for the value of the consoles. Supply, demand and the condition of the Game & Watch will determine a value and price will largely vary from unit to unit. These estimates as of 20th May 2009. International transactions also fluctuate prices due to currency prices.

As far as collecting goes, it is usually the first product or number that is either the rarest or most valuable. With Game & Watch the second title ‘Flagman’ is actually rarer than the first – ‘Ball’ – and is worth more because of it. Sales of Flagman were low due to the title supposedly being boring! This explains its rarity.

The Multi-screen Zelda Game & Watch

Number 28 ‘Mario Bros.’  had an eastern European version that featured black surrounding plastic, rather than the usual red. The value would be higher than that stated of thi model.

Number 48 ‘Punch Out’ was the exact same game  as Number 46 ‘Boxing’. Nintendo simply rebranded it to help cash in on the sudden popularity of the NES game ‘punch Out!!’ in the west.

‘Donkey Kong Circus’ (Number 49) was released in Europe and North America. However, trying to find the U.S. version is much harder to find and you may well pay over the odds if you do see it. Also very difficult to find outside of Europe are the three ‘Crystal’ games – Super Mario Bros, Climber and Balloon Fight. These games are increasing steadily in price and were the only three of their kind in the entire series, they sold poorly, hence why they are rare. If you see one at a jumble sale, grab it! The same three games were re-released by Nintendo under the ‘New Wide’ type of Game & Watch two years later (Numbers 60, 61, 62).

A very valuable Crystal Game & Watch

Number 58 ‘Super Mario Bros.’ is otherwise known simply as ‘YM901′. This refers to the serial number of the console. It was never released for sale but was given away by NCL to 10,000 competition prize winners. It is considered the jewel in the crown for Game & Watch collectors.

Though YM901 is considered the pinnacle item for Game & Watch collectors, it is Number 63 ‘Tetris Jnr’ that is the rarest. In fact there have never even been any pictures of the machine released by Nintendo as it was pulled from production very late in development in order to not take away sales of the new Nintendo Gameboy and it’s killer launch app. If one ever leaks from outside Nintendo HQ and onto eBay, expect to sell your house to buy it!

The Elusive YM901 Game & Watch plays Super Mario Bros. like the Crystal version above.

Other points of interest:

• Fire was banned in Germany as the fact that the game involved burning bodies falling from buildings was not deemed suitable entertainment.
• Nintendo released a ‘mini-classics’ range of smaller keyring versions of many popular Game & Watch titles. They are generally very easy to find on eBay boxed as new.
• Expect to pay much higher prices than those above if you find a mint version of any Game & Watch. Those which have been well looked after, boxed with instructions, battery cover and leaflets with no wear and tear on the boxes fetch high prices. Collectors even look to see if the item comes with the original battery packaging! If you own any in that condition and are short of cash you might want to consider selling them!
• From 1987 to 1991 Nintendo also released 8 wristwatches based on the Game & Watch series. These are not particularly attractive to collectors and only fetch about $50 max.
• Number 17 ‘Egg’ was the first Game & Watch not to be released in Japan. It was however released in Australia, Europe and the U.S.
• Nintendo recently released two Game & Watch collections for the Nintendo DS. There were also ‘Game & Watch Gallery’ games for the original Gameboy.

One of the Game & Watch compilations for the Nintendo DS.

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Updates

1. [May 20th 2009] Part one – Game & Watch handheld LCD games. Produced between 1980 and 1991.