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The first Legend of Zelda is about to turn 40, and as someone who owns many of the best retro consoles, new and old, I've got plenty of ways to revisit Hyrule. Gatekeepers will tell you that the only real way to play is on a NES, and purists will suggest even getting hold of a Nintendo Famicom Disc System to play the original. Yet, while I do have that add-on sitting pretty under Ninty's Japanese console, I keep finding myself using the Game and Watch from five years ago.
This isn't my first rodeo speaking about the Zelda Game and Watch remake from 2021 on the internet. It probably also won't be my last since it's almost everything I'd want from a Game Boy Classic Edition. However, bringing back up what could be the best retro handheld for playing Link's first outing ahead of the 40th anniversary feels right, especially since it might eventually vanish online.
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I'll admit, I'm not too happy that the Zelda Game and Watch now costs just under $70. Yes, it's still cheaper than some Switch 2 games, but it's a harder pitch since you can play the first Legend of Zelda, Adventure of Link, and Link's Awakening as part of the Online Expansion Pack. If you've just subscribed to gain access to the new Virtual Boy collection, forking out for a handheld just for those games may feel dumb as a box of Octoroks, but it is still my way to play out of the two.
For starters, the Game and Watch is probably one of the most travel-friendly handhelds out there. The original was designed before the Game Boy and its massive, clunky rivals were a thing, and it was arguably a better portable in terms of pocketability. This thing is going to slide into even the smallest pockets, making it a fantastic way to play some of Ninty's adventures, no matter where you are.
The Zelda Game and Watch, specifically, is a pretty accurate tribute to the '80s handhelds, but it borrows the best elements from various versions. For instance, rather than featuring the same dual-screen design as the OG Zelda portable that later inspired the Nintendo DS, it sticks with the slimmer rectangle design of the very first "Ball" version. It then adds back in the iconic d-pad and two rubber buttons alongside some utility toggles like game, time, pause, start, and reset without adding any bulk, culminating in a really tidy 2.36-inch package.
It very much looks like an '80s relic at a glance, but upon pushing that right side power button, you're in for a surprising visual treat. The 320 x 240 LCD screen on the Zelda Game and Watch is superb, given that it originally retailed for $49.99 / £44.99, providing vibrant, bright pixels while still looking sharp despite its resolution. Sticking with 2.36 inches really gives the portable a helping hand in this regard, but it's still a solid screen that dodges the tropes of light bleed and ghosting tied to many cheaper handhelds.
Aesthetically, the Zelda Game and Watch is pretty spectacular, too. It somehow manages to hit all the right notes in honoring Nintendo's first handheld, but little touches like the glowing Triforce logo around back really make me feel fuzzy inside. I also highly appreciate that it manages to squeeze USB-C charging and a 525 mAh battery into a 0.5 inch shell, especially since it can last over a year on a single charge while in standby.
Before I get too mushy about this Zelda handheld, I do have gripes with its approach. For starters, I feel like it could have included a few more games, as three adventures feels a little stingy. You are at least getting two NES classics and what many consider to be the greatest Game Boy game of all in Link's Awakening, but I'd have personally paid slightly more than the original MSRP for extras like A Link to the Past or even Oracle of Seasons/Ages.
Of course, the reason for the limited game selection is the fact that it's rocking just 4MB flash storage, which feels bizarre in an age where the best gaming handhelds have more than 250,000 times more space. But choosing specific components is likely why we got the portable at a cheap price point in the first place, and if Nintendo really wanted to aim higher in terms of specs, it would have probably just released a Game Boy Mini.
The rest of my bugbears with the Game and Watch are pretty minor. I'm still not sure how I feel about the authentic rubber A and B buttons, but I would have probably preferred them to match the NES/Famicom controller. Given its name and included cardboard stand, it's also pretty silly that it's missing alarm clock functionality, but that aside, this handheld is one of my favorite ways to play the first Legend of Zelda, even if I do have a million other versions at my disposal.
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