I was living in Japan at the time Nintendo’s Game & Watch units were hot. My friends had them, and I insisted that my dad get me a couple. I got them and they went everywhere with me: Show-and-Tell, grocery store, dinner table, bath room. I loved those things. And now some new reproductions cash in on the nostalgia I feel. Oh, and they add solar power.
Takara Tomy is remaking these bad boys for release in Japan in March of this year. They’re much like the originals, but smaller and less sleek looking. I mean, they’re really keychains, so you can’t expect too much. Nintendo oversaw and gave their blessing to these reproductions, which even sport a fake cut-in that looks like the kickstand that these units had. There’s also a battery cover (fake) that you won’t need due to the solar-powered feature they added. Parachute, Octopus and Chef are coming down the line soon.
These are priced at around $10 a piece. I’ll be in the area this Spring, so I’ll pick a couple up to check them out.
GAME&WATCH ミニソーラーキーホルダー [Gigazine]