The Legend of Zelda Game & Watch is out now and is full of a decent amount of games and extra features that old school Zelda fans will definitely want to check out. In this showcase, we’re going to tell you about what’s included, how it looks and feels and if it’s worth picking up. Let’s get to it.
Look & Feel
If you picked up the Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch in 2020, you should pretty much know what to expect here in terms of look and feel. The system seems to be a re-purposed version of the Mario unit with some slight changes to give it more of a “Zelda” look. In terms of functionality, things remain the same. The buttons and d-pad mostly feel good, and it’s pretty easy to change between the games, clock and timer. The device has a USB C port on the right side for charging and features a small speaker on the left.
Included Games
The Zelda Game & Watch comes pre-packaged with four games - The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and a modified version of Game & Watch Vermin. Additionally, Nintendo has added a few extra goodies here with the included clock and timer functions. The games themselves look and feel pretty good. I guess my only complaint is that the system does feel a little bit cramped given the size and the close proximity of the buttons. It’s fine in small bursts, but might prove a little bit uncomfortable for longer play sessions.
All of the mainline games in the package feature a suspend save feature, meaning that when you back out of the game to either return to the clock or another game, your progress will be saved right then and there. When you open up the game again, you will pick up where you left off. This was also included in the 2020 Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch.
Just to touch on Vermin, this is a very simple game but it can make for a bit of mindless fun. Here, you take control of Link as he pounds enemies back into the ground before they can surface. All you have to do is either go to the left or right and position yourself accordingly. This isn’t super deep, but it could be fun to challenge your friends to high score contests.
There are a handful of different language options here, which is definitely a nice touch. For the original Legend of Zelda and Zelda II, you can play the game in Japanese or English. Link’s Awakening offers English, Japanese, French and German. You can read more about regional differences between the games here.
Clock
Of course, outside of the games, the clock is one of the other main features of the Zelda Game & Watch. Unlike the Mario Game & Watch, you can actually take control of the action on screen this time. It’s simple to do, too. With the press of a button, you can gain control of Link. Screens change over the course of the day, so that might entice some people to come back and just check out what’s happening. It should be noted that you can ONLY play the current screen that is being shown. You can’t move on to different screens by trying to advance left, right, up or down.
Timer
I could see this mode being fun for some. Basically, using Zelda II as a base, you are tasked with taking out as many enemies as you can within a time limit. Honestly, it’s great to see Nintendo remind gamers (but more likely just themselves) that this game even exists. Again as with Vermin, I can see this mode being a fun way to challenge friends for high scores.
Gallery
Conclusion
The Legend of Zelda Game & Watch system is a neat little collectible. The games on offer here can keep you busy in short bursts or semi-long play throughs. It might not be ideal for longer play-throughs of the included games, but it’s super portable and really easy to pick up and play. It’s also one of the few places where you can officially play the OG Game Boy version of Link’s Awakening, which is awesome. If you have the extra cash, you should try to pick this thing up.
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