It's 2021 and Nintendo is still making Game & Watch systems. Last year, the company unveiled a limited-edition Game & Watch handheld to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., and The Legend of Zelda will receive a similar treatment when a special Zelda-themed system arrives later this year. Each handheld comes packed with a few hits from the early days of each franchise, along with some fun extras like a digital clock, and even some classic Game & Watch games.
These new systems allow Nintendo to kill two birds with one stone: Paying tribute to the company's legendary library of games, while also keeping the Game & Watch — one of the pioneers of handheld gaming — in the public consciousness. When considering how well the Super Mario Game & Watch sold, and assuming the Zelda handheld puts up similar numbers, it wouldn't be shocking if there were a few more on the way. Nintendo is hardly lacking in fondly remembered retro titles, many of which would work well as standalone Game & Watch units.
Donkey Kong
This is an easy one. As one of the most well-known video games of all time, the original Donkey Kong would be the perfect series to get its own Game & Watch system. This 1981 classic marked the first time players were introduced to iconic characters like Mario and Donkey Kong, both of whom would go on to be some of the biggest names in gaming.
Metroid
Despite Metroid and its sequel, The Return of Samus, both receiving far superior remakes in Zero Mission and Samus Returns, respectively, the original releases still have charm. A Game & Watch handheld that includes the original versions of the first two Metroid games would be a great way to celebrate the origins of this franchise. Considering this year marks the 35th anniversary of the series, bringing back classic Metroid and The Return of Samus would be perfect for a Game & Watch system.
Punch-Out!!
Punch-Out!! hasn't had a new entry since 2009, and that's a shame. Fortunately, the franchise hasn't been completely forgotten, as series protagonist Little Mac currently represents the franchise in the Super Smash Bros. games. That said, the games themselves haven't seen much love in more than a decade, so a Game & Watch handheld proudly featuring the iconic boxing game might be a good way for Nintendo to do just that.
Kid Icarus
The Kid Icarus games' 21-year hiatus was broken with 2012's Kid Icarus: Uprising, but the series has since retired to dormancy yet again despite, the newfound popularity of characters such as Pit and Palutena. The original game and its sequel, Of Myths and Monsters, are fondly remembered as solid 2D platformers. Having both games available on a single, dedicated system would be a welcome way for the series to break its long-standing silence and new fans could give it a try.
Mario Bros.
Mario Bros. shouldn't be confused with Super Mario Bros., as the latter has seen all manners of sequels, spin-offs, and the like. The former has received relatively little attention outside of previously being included as a packed-in extra with the Super Mario Advance series of Super Mario Bros. re-releases.
Despite not being as popular as the Super Mario Bros. games, the original Mario Bros. still deserves recognition for introducing some of the most iconic Mario elements like pipes, the POW block, enemies like the Koopa Troopa, and of course, Mario's brother Luigi.
Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda will release on November 12, 2021.