Game & Watch Zelda for DSi

Nintendo fans have been waiting long for a possible "Virtual Handheld" on the DSi. Now finally the Game & Watch games make the start with 200 points cost per game. Nine games were already announced and the Game & Watch Zelda game probably is going to follow.

It was part of the multi-screen series and orientates itself at Zelda II - The Adventure of Link. You're fighting from a side perspective against Moblins and Stalfos in eight dungeons on the lower screen and a dragon boss monster on the upper screen, when you reach the final room of a dungeon. You can beat the boss using a tomahawk item (which never appeared in the main series) and free Princess Zelda as a soon as you collect all eight Triforce shards. Storywise it's assumed to take place between both NES games.


And probably Game&Watch games on the DSiWare service are not the end. Makes sense to start with Game&Watch, since the muti-screen Game&Watch games (like Zelda) were an inspiration for the DS and the best possible way to market those games is releasing them now without any competition from GameBoy games. Nintendo fans waited quite a while for downloadable classic games on the DSi, so the Game&Watch right now is quite an attraction. But I assume, GameBoy(Color) games for 500 points will follow. And at some point maybe even GameBoy Advance games for 800 points, since the DSi doesn't have a GBA slot anymore. And there's a lot of Zelda stuff on those systems.

Sources:
Blog article
Nintendo of Japan
Nintendo Life

This is really nice.

But now I need a DSi. I only have a DS lite.

Darn.

Aren't Game & Watch games those really awful pre-Gameboy handheld type deals? Why would anybody be interested?

Originally Posted by Mandrag

Aren't Game & Watch games those really awful pre-Gameboy handheld type deals? Why would anybody be interested?

yes they are.

maybe because their zelda collecters.

Originally Posted by Mandrag

Aren't Game & Watch games those really awful pre-Gameboy handheld type deals? Why would anybody be interested?

Yes, why would anyone be interested in retro-games? Or why would anyone be interested in Nintendo's history? And why would anyone want to buy nicely remade LCD classic games, that only cost $2? Nintendo should stop offering classic games on their download services right now. I mean, why would anyone be interested in aweful monochrome GameBoy games?

Originally Posted by TourianTourist

Yes, why would anyone be interested in retro-games? Or why would anyone be interested in Nintendo's history? And why would anyone want to buy nicely remade LCD classic games, that only cost $2? Nintendo should stop offering classic games on their download services right now. I mean, why would anyone be interested in aweful monochrome GameBoy games?

Dude, you crossed a line. Don't you dare compare that to Gameboy.

Originally Posted by Mandrag

Dude, you crossed a line. Don't you dare compare that to Gameboy.

Dude, I was crossing no line at all. I was making a point. Obviously you like GameBoy games, I certainly do, but someone else could come and say "why should anyone want to download that monochrome crab?" Much like you asked why anyone would anyone be interested in classic LCD games. Just because you don't like Game&Watch games or can't understand, why anyone would be curios about them, doesn't mean, there are no people who do and Nintendo shouldn't release it.

Of course those games are very limited and don't have anything big to offer, but they are nicely remade, only cost 2 dollars and everyone who is interested in retro-gaming should be curios about those.

Also, this is the first step for a Virtual Handheld. GameBoy games probably will follow, which is good news.

I'll admit I'm excited at the prospect of Virtual Handheld, but I took the news as if you were excited for the game in particular.
I'm fine with people wanting to see what that game is about, but to be excited by it alone I could never understand.

Originally Posted by Mandrag

I'll admit I'm excited at the prospect of Virtual Handheld, but I took the news as if you were excited for the game in particular.

No, actually I have the "Nintendo Mini Classic" version of the game and I already know, what I get here. But for people, who never played it, it could be interesting. Especially since it is so cheap. And the big news is indeed more or less, that Nintendo is finally releasing classic games on the DSi.

Originally Posted by Mandrag

Aren't Game & Watch games those really awful pre-Gameboy handheld type deals? Why would anybody be interested?

These games go back to a time when games were simple, and were more of something to pass a little time rather than a life style. Or something like that.

Now i just need a DSi

Gameplay:
Play as Link, Starting on the bottom screen. After killing all enemies, make your way to the top screen to kill Aquamentis without even thinking twice.

I joined club Nintendo trying to rack up the points for the DS game and watch collection, then I find out from wikipedia that the Zelda ones aren't on it.

Being able to finally get it is exciting. I really don't care if other people aren't interested. To each his own

I have a DS lite, if I had a DSi I would snap them up since I am collecting all the zelda games (except the cdi ones lol but will probably get round to them). I would definitley not upgrade my DS lite just for those though, but I will upgrade my DS soon hopefully.

Originally Posted by Mandrag

Aren't Game & Watch games those really awful pre-Gameboy handheld type deals? Why would anybody be interested?

To be quite honest, I've never played any of the Game & Watch games, but those LCD games weren't that bad back in the day (you wouldn't believe how many Tiger Electronics Handheld games I had as a kid before I even got my first GB. The only two that come clearly to mind are Batman the Animated Series, & Spider-man). Back in the day it honestly made you felt like you were holding an arcade game in your hand (and we kids would spend our allowences on just batteries! This was when we had imagination that the black blots were really great games).

But in the long run, why would you want these mini-games? Well for nostalgia for one. And even that, they make great mini-games if you only have time to play for a little while. Didn't Wario Ware make a game where it was just a bunch of 15 second mini-games? Same thing. Plus you could say the same thing about some of the other DSi dowloads (like the Mario Clock & Calculator)

-BGS

why not just buy game&Watch collection on ebay or actually get it from nintendo as a prize? No?

Well I think its a pretty cool idea, when you stuck on a game you escape to another game that takes from a classic to keep you occupied while waiting for your docter in a room full of seriously ill people. Its nice to have something fun to do for a little while.

Originally Posted by aw9000

why not just buy game&Watch collection on ebay or actually get it from nintendo as a prize? No?

The Zelda Game & Watch game was only part of the Game & Watch Gallery 4 for the GameBoy Advance. There you have to unlock it and it of course doesn't support dual screen and looks pretty bad.

Plus, Game & Watch games on the DSi will only cost $2. I mean, that's a coke... So, I would spend my Club Nintendo points on something harder to get.

Originally Posted by BigGoronSword

To be quite honest, I've never played any of the Game & Watch games, but those LCD games weren't that bad back in the day (you wouldn't believe how many Tiger Electronics Handheld games I had as a kid before I even got my first GB. The only two that come clearly to mind are Batman the Animated Series, & Spider-man). Back in the day it honestly made you felt like you were holding an arcade game in your hand (and we kids would spend our allowences on just batteries! This was when we had imagination that the black blots were really great games).

But in the long run, why would you want these mini-games? Well for nostalgia for one. And even that, they make great mini-games if you only have time to play for a little while. Didn't Wario Ware make a game where it was just a bunch of 15 second mini-games? Same thing. Plus you could say the same thing about some of the other DSi dowloads (like the Mario Clock & Calculator)

-BGS

I played a bunch of Tiger Electronics handhelds as a child, myself, and never once failed to feel completely cheated by the experience.

I need to get a DSi now, I want the Game and Watch Zelda.