[Review] Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda system — A polished trip down Nostalgia Lane

A 35th anniversary isn’t traditionally one of the bigger landmark events, at least compared to something like a 25th for 50th anniversary. That said, many Legend of Zelda fans were dismayed by the general lack of fanfare made for their favorite series turning 35 this year. We got both parts of the Age of Calamity DLC and the remake of Skyward Sword, but the Breath of the Wild sequel still eludes us, and the dream of a multi-game Legend of Zelda collection remains as such.

Luckily, Nintendo had one last treat for the fans: the Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda system. This nostalgia-laden handheld is a tribute to the pioneering era of the series, complete with pre-loaded versions of the original games, plus some Game & Watch mainstays, Zelda-fied. 

Currently, the device is available for $49.99 USD. Is it worth getting? Is it the polished tribute that the Zelda series deserves? That’s what we’re about to find out.

The Retro-Inspired Hardware

First things first, we have to admire the design of this little device. The Game & Watch is sturdy and matches the quality we expect from all Nintendo products (which is why the Joy-Con drift is still so aggravating). The Zelda-green shell is rich and eye-catching, and the brush-gold metal faceplate is a great touch that anyone who’s familiar with older consoles will appreciate. 

And as an added bonus, the Triforce emblem on the back of the device glows slightly when the power is on. It’s not something you’ll regularly see when you spend time with the console, but it’s a nice touch.

The buttons are standard fare for something inspired by cicra-1980s Nintendo. What I’m saying is that they work phenomenally well and match what longtime Zelda and Nintendo fans are accustomed to. 

My only gripe with the buttons is that the D-pad is a bit too smooth. My fingers would often start sliding off of it whenever I held down one direction for more than a few seconds. The fortunate thing is that with all of the games being Zelda games, you’ll rarely be stuck going in one direction for an extended period of time.

The Screen is the best physical component of the system, by far. It reminds me of those sharp and brilliant screens Nintendo used on the Game Boy Micro. The colors are vivid, there’s no lag, and none of the colors run or bleed. It’s a treat for the eyes, to be sure.

The Zelda Games: the Heart of the Device

The greatest features of the Game & Watch are, naturally, the three Zelda games included on it: The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, and Link’s Awakening. For this review, the problem I have with the games is that there isn’t much to say about them. They are three original Zelda games we all know and love, and they perform as well as we’d expect them to. If you really need a summary of each game, here they are: 

• The Legend of Zelda: It’s fun. You should play it.
• The Adventure of Link: It’s fun. You should play it.
• Link’s Awakening: It’s fun. You should play it.

You can suspend play of any game at any time with the press of a button, play a different game, and return to the previous one right where you left it. There are no true save states for any of the games, but I think we can overlook that. There is a time and a place to use save states, and while playing some classic games on a novel device built for nostalgia isn’t one of them. Also, the games will stay suspended even when the device is powered off. 

Also, an important side note is that you can play the English or Japanese versions of each game. Link’s Awakening has options for German and French as well.

The Added Game & Watch Fun

Though probably not the main reason most people will want this system, the Game & Watch-style minigames do add a lot of flair to the overall experience. They are also what make this Game & Watch an actual Game & Watch.

Timer

The goal in Timer is to get the high score by defeating as many enemies as possible. The game plays on a Zelda II-inspired map with Link and a collection of infinitely spawning enemies. Before you begin, you can set the timer to play for as little as one minute or as long as 10 minutes. There are also three different background stages to choose from: Forest, Ruins, and the Sanctuary where Zelda slept in the game.

Vermin 

This version of Vermin is reminiscent of the classic Game & Watch games, complete with basic black-and-white graphics. The only difference is that instead of playing as Mr. Game & Watch, you play as a simplified version of Link. He looks most similar to his Link’s Awakening incarnation. 

This game has two modes: Game A and Game B. The only difference between the two is the challenge they present. Game A is the normal mode, and Game B is the faster and more difficult setting.

The Clock

Ah, the part of the device that justifies the “Watch” in its name. At first glance, the Game & Watch’s clock looks like a simple visual element. The time is blended into the layout of various The Legend of Zelda-themed levels. But if you move the D-pad, you’ll take control of Link and be allowed to play around on the current screen. Once you let go of the controls for a couple of seconds, Link will resume moving on his own.

The Extra Touches in the System Settings

Maybe this is the “boring” side of the system, but the settings and options deserve some attention. They are the final details that help make the system feel complete.

• Brightness: Pressing the Pause/Set button brings up the menu for brightness, volume, and resetting the game. In this menu, you can pick between 10 different brightness settings, which is a lot for such a small device. 
• Volume: As with the brightness, you have 10 different volume settings. The speaker can get decently loud, but it does tend to make the system vibrate a lot at the highest volume. Typically, you’ll be better off leaving the volume at the mid-range.
• Toggle Auto Sleep: You can choose to have the system never turn off on its own, or you can set a three-minute timer. If you set the timer, the system will briefly display some official game art to signal that it’s about to go to sleep.

A Legendary Tribute and Return to Classic Form

There may have been no Switch collection with The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Ocarina of Time, but we can’t exactly say we got ripped off this year. We got updates, teasers, and a long-desired remake. And the Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda is one of the best ways to finish the celebration. You can’t go wrong with the games included, and the minigames offer their own charming dose of fun. And everything comes in a wonder green-and-gold package that will look great alongside any other Zelda collectibles you have. 

SCORE: 9/10