Nintendo Game & Watch The Legend of Zelda HXBSMAAAB

I purchased this as a Christmas present for my father, since I remembered he enjoyed Zelda 1 and 2 back when I was a kid. Often when I get him tech-related gifts he never gets much use out of them, since anything that requires connection to a TV or a computer can be just a bit much. This one is very self-contained, quick to set up, and simple to use. The games look great and clear on this little screen, the controls are pleasantly similar to the original NES pad, and everything runs smoothly and quickly. The clock function is quite cute, and the stand built into the packaging is a nice touch.Two complaints: I do wish it had come with more of a paper manual explaining the menus and clarifying how saving works, but navigating the system is pretty intuitive and the ... MoreI purchased this as a Christmas present for my father, since I remembered he enjoyed Zelda 1 and 2 back when I was a kid. Often when I get him tech-related gifts he never gets much use out of them, since anything that requires connection to a TV or a computer can be just a bit much. This one is very self-contained, quick to set up, and simple to use. The games look great and clear on this little screen, the controls are pleasantly similar to the original NES pad, and everything runs smoothly and quickly. The clock function is quite cute, and the stand built into the packaging is a nice touch.Two complaints: I do wish it had come with more of a paper manual explaining the menus and clarifying how saving works, but navigating the system is pretty intuitive and the game remembers your place every time you turn it off or switch games. and secondly, it should have come with a wall plug and a much longer charging cable... the tiny cable is too short to keep it plugged in while playing or even when sitting on its stand as a clock. Thankfully it's USB-C so if you have a modern Android phone you can just use your phone charger.Overall though it's an extremely cute and sleek device, the screen and controls are just right, and setup and navigation are easy, and the games themselves are timeless, so it's very easy to recommend this.

The games all seem to run perfectly. Which probably isn't a surprising feat nowadays. Here are my brief thoughts on the games:Zelda 1 - The original. Solid for sure, but it may feel dated if you've never played it.Zelda 2 - A challenging dungeon sidescroller. The combat is precise, and enemies are tough. But as you really sink into it you'll find it's worthy of the Zelda name.Link's Awakening - This game is probably the easiest to get into. It plays like Zelda 1 but with a lot of QoL improvements, lots more music, and a stronger narrative... As you're a castaway on a mysterious island and need to escape.Vermin - is also good, although I've noticed I spent the least amount of time playing it.LA and Vermin look the best on the screen as the sprites are bigger. ... MoreThe games all seem to run perfectly. Which probably isn't a surprising feat nowadays. Here are my brief thoughts on the games:Zelda 1 - The original. Solid for sure, but it may feel dated if you've never played it.Zelda 2 - A challenging dungeon sidescroller. The combat is precise, and enemies are tough. But as you really sink into it you'll find it's worthy of the Zelda name.Link's Awakening - This game is probably the easiest to get into. It plays like Zelda 1 but with a lot of QoL improvements, lots more music, and a stronger narrative... As you're a castaway on a mysterious island and need to escape.Vermin - is also good, although I've noticed I spent the least amount of time playing it.LA and Vermin look the best on the screen as the sprites are bigger. Zelda 1 and 2 feels tiny by comparison. The Sound comes from a mono speaker on the left side. It's clear and can be pretty loud if you want it to.Something I like is how the saving works. with a button you can go to the game selection and the system auto saves your state from wherever you were. Making it a lot more convenient to stop if you need to.The best new thing about it I would say is the timer, as it doubles as a sort of mini game where you defeat enemies as Zelda II Link. It seems to be a different engine from the NES game, as tricks I would use to defeat enemies like the armored knights didn't work. After the timer ends calm music plays for a few minutes before resetting. So it's pretty ambient as far as timers go.The clock does what you'd expect and is pretty neat as well. As link slowly goes through abridged areas of the first game each hour.All in all this device is designed pretty well for quick bursts of play between breaks or when you have time to kill. If you've never played these Zelda games, I would say that this is a great place to learn what made the series memorable in the first place.

Absolutely love this little gadget. I grew up playing the original Zelda.mmand it remains my favorite in the series.The buttons are nice and Nintendo NES like. Don't let the small screen fool you. It's super bright and clear. I have terrible vision and I still have no issues seeing this.In case you didn't know, ZELDA 2 from the Nes and an old game and watch Zelda game are also included.The insert box has art on it and the back of the system has a triforce that lights up when turned on. A must have for all Zelda fans.