Mr. Game & Watch is a 2D character meant to serve as the mascot of the Game & Watch Gallery games and the Game & Watch handheld systems. Mr. Game & Watch is not a character from any of the Game & Watch titles, instead being created as a playable character for Super Smash Bros. Melee to represent the Game & Watch line. His appearance seems to be based on the generic people in Fire and Parachute.
History
Wario Land 4
In Wario Land 4, a character that is very similar to Mr. Game & Watch appears as the Item Shopkeeper. She is an alternate form of the Black Cat's (which is additionally Princess Shokora in her feline form) and serves as the shopkeeper of the Item Shop. She also appears as pictures on the walls of the level Hall of Hieroglyphs. A notable difference between Mr. Game & Watch and the Item Shopkeeper is that the shopkeeper has eyes.
Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros. Melee
- Main article: SmashWiki:Mr. Game & Watch (SSBM)
Mr. Game & Watch makes his character debut in Super Smash Bros. Melee as the final unlockable character. He can be unlocked by playing 1000 Melee matches, beating Classic or Adventure mode with every other character, or by clearing Target Test with every other character. Afterward, the player must defeat Mr. Game & Watch on Flat Zone to unlock him. In All-Star mode, the Mr. Game and Watch team is always the final enemy stage. Here, the player must beat twenty-five Mr. Game & Watches.
Mr. Game & Watch is unique in that his movements are individual frames like with a Game & Watch game. All of his "voice" clips (including screams, taunts, and other such noises) are also sounds heard during various Game & Watch titles. Mr. Game & Watch is portrayed as one of the lightest characters in the game thanks to his flat appearance, heavier than only Pichu and tied with Jigglypuff, which makes him easier to KO, and his attacks, while powerful, are slow. However, his movement attributes including dash, walk, fall, fast-fall speeds, traction, and gravity are identical to Mario's.
All of Mr. Game & Watch's moves also reference the various Game & Watch units. His neutral special is Chef, which tosses food from a frying pan. His down special is Oil Panic, which absorbs projectiles in a bucket that can be dumped onto opponents to deal a combined damage total. His up special is Fire, which springs him into the air with a trampoline. His side special is Judge, which has Mr. Game & Watch swing a hammer, its effects based on the number he holds up. His standard attack is based on Greenhouse, and his dash attack has him wearing the helmet from Helmet. For his strong attacks, Mr. Game & Watch's forward strong attack is the chair from Lion, his down strong move has him flip a manhole cover from Manhole, and his up strong attack is the flag from Flagman. His neutral aerial is the parachute from Parachute, his forward aerial is a package from Mario Bros., his back aerial is a turtle from Turtle Bridge, his up aerial is based on Spitball Sparky, and his down aerial is a key from Donkey Kong Jr.. His side smash is the torch from Fire Attack, his up smash has him wearing the helmet from Octopus, and his down smash is the hammers from Vermin. All four of his grab animations have him juggling the character like in Ball. His taunt has him ring a bell, based on the alarm feature of Game & Watch units.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
- Main article: SmashWiki:Mr. Game & Watch (SSBB)
Mr. Game & Watch returns in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, as an unlockable character. He can be unlocked by playing 250 Brawl matches, clearing Target Smash!! with 30 characters on any difficulty, or having him join the party in The Subspace Emissary; with either of the former methods, he must be defeated on Flat Zone 2 to be unlocked. While he has been made heavier, he is still he second lightest character in the game (now only heavier than Jigglypuff and tied with Squirtle).
In terms of his moveset, his neutral aerial has been replaced with the fishbowl from Tropical Fish, as the parachute is now a part of his up special move. His Final Smash is Octopus, which transforms Mr. Game & Watch into the giant octopus from the Game & Watch unit Octopus.
The Subspace Emissary
In the Subspace Emissary from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mr. Game & Watch clones made from Shadow Bugs are in direct command of the Halberd. In addition, according to the Shadow Bugs' trophy information, his body produces Shadow Bugs — a substance that is used to form members of the Subspace Army, which can be endlessly extracted from him. He doesn't revolt against the Subspace Army at first, as he is unaware of the concept of good and evil. After Meta Knight gets back the Halberd, he takes control. Snake knocks out all the Mr. Game & Watches out of an open window and into the Halberd's bridge, where they melt into Shadow Bugs that merge into Duon, except for the real one. Following the foe's defeat, a Mr. Game & Watch's trophy is left behind. Fox McCloud attempts to shoot it but Princess Peach revives it and gives Mr. Game & Watch her Parasol. Mr. Game & Watch fiddles with it, then walks around with it in Game & Watch quartams, making Peach giggle. He then joins the party helping the rest throughout the game.
Mr. Game & Watch is the only major character to not have a snapshot.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
Mr. Game & Watch reappears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U as an unlockable character. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, he can be unlocked by playing 90 Smash matches or by clearing Classic mode 10 times, and must be defeated on Flat Zone 2. In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, he can be unlocked by either playing 80 Smash matches or by clearing Classic mode on Intensity 2.0 or higher with five characters, and must then be defeated on Flat Zone X .His inclusion in the game was briefly hinted at in Pac-Man's reveal trailer, where at the end of the video, the screen compares the debut years between him, Pac-Man, Mario and Donkey Kong. His debut year is technically incorrect, because Mr. Game & Watch did not exist as a character until Super Smash Bros. Melee, and his Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy description considers his debut to be 2002's Game & Watch Gallery. Despite being hinted at in the trailer, he wasn't officially confirmed to be in the game until its release, and was not officially revealed until afterward.
His appearance has been altered a bit, which includes having a smaller nose, and more rounded hands, as well as being smaller in size. While moveset is unchanged from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, there are minor differences in his looks when performing certain moves. He is also given a new down taunt in which he sits down and sighs, based on Mario Bros.
In terms of customizations, Mr. Game & Watch is the only fighter who can be equipped with the Torch, Watch Battery, and Microchip equipment.
Game & Watch Gallery 4
Mr. Game & Watch, along with Mario, hosts the Gift Mode in the Gallery Corner. This is his only speaking role.
WarioWare series
Mr. Game & Watch makes cameos on the menus of WarioWare: Twisted! and in the 'Games' icon in the character selection screen in WarioWare: Touched! Several audiences in The Invent-Off stage cutscenes from WarioWare: Smooth Moves resemble Mr. Game & Watch people. Finally, he also appears in the microgames that are based on the Game & Watch games.
Donkey Kong Country Returns
In Donkey Kong Country Returns and its Nintendo 3DS remake, Mr. Game & Watch makes a cameo appearance in the background of Foggy Fumes. He is seen hammering a pipe.
Profiles and statistics
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Trophies
| Name | Image | Game / Moves | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. Game & Watch (Classic) | Game & Watch 1980 |
First appearing in 1980, the Game & Watch series is the father of all portable liquid crystal games. The main character is simple and monochrome but has a timeless individuality. There are 39 different games in the series and they've sold over 43 million units worldwide. Pictured at left is the particularly popular Fire model. | |
| Mr. Game & Watch (Adventure) | B: Chef Smash B: Judgment |
A resident of a totally flat world, Mr. Game & Watch's frame-by-frame movement is distinctive. His image is known far and wide and respected by gamers everywhere. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, he hurls sausages with his Chef technique. The random strength of his Judgment is determined by the number displayed; food appears on lucky 7. | |
| Mr. Game & Watch (All-Star) | Up & B: Fire Down & B: Oil Panic |
A man of great stature in the world of Nintendo characters, Mr. Game & Watch is a comparatively light fellow and doesn't feature many powerful attacks. When he's in danger of falling, Fire calls out a rescue brigade to send him skyward once more. He can also catch missile weapons with Oil Panic; once he's caught three, he can dump the bucket on his foes. |
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Trophies
| Name | Image | Game | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. Game & Watch | 
|
GB Game & Watch Gallery | The monochrome hero of the Game & Watch series, a fellow who oozes personality. First appearing in 1980, the series were the original portable game systems. The first games in the series were quite simple, but as time passed, technology evolved. The multiscreen series featured game play on dual screens. As the name states, the games also kept time. |
| Octopus | 
|
Wii Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Mr. Game & Watch's Final Smash. He turns into the huge cephalopod that made its debut in the Game & Watch game Octopus. Of course, you can damage enemies by running into them, but you can do more damage by pressing the attack button to extend four arms and launch foes. In the original Octopus game, you had to avoid the octopus while salvaging treasure from the sea. |
Snake's codec
- Snake: Otacon, there's a guy walking around in here...and he's only got two dimensions!
- Otacon: That's Mr. Game & Watch. He comes from a world where everything is flat. Game & Watch was a series of portable games released by Nintendo in 1980. They were powered by large-scale integrated circuits and only had mono-chrome LCD displays, so characters kinda looked like the numbers on a calculator. The guy you're looking at now, Mr. Game & Watch, was a character who appeared in these games.
- Snake: This is making my head hurt.
- Otacon: Well, um... He's... I mean... Look, just start fighting him, and I'm sure everything will make sense.
- Snake: ...
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
Trophies
| Name | 3DS Image | Wii U Image | Appears in | NTSC-U Description | PAL Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. Game & Watch | 
|
|
G&W Game & Watch (04/1980) | Game & Watch was first released in 1980, making the series the father of the Game Boy and Nintendo DS. Or maybe an older sibling? Anyway...in Smash Bros., Mr. Game & Watch uses distinct retro moves to damage his foes. However, he's only two dimensional, so he's pretty easy to send flying. | Game & Watch was a series of handheld video games that started in 1980, before even the Game Boy. In this game, you can play as the guy who starred in them, moving about in his quirky, oh-so-retro little way. He can string together some pretty powerful attacks but, unfortunately, being 2D makes him very easy to launch. |
| Mr. Game & Watch (Alt.) | 
|
|
G&W Game & Watch (04/1980) | Mr. Game & Watch's Oil Panic special catches shots and turns them into oil. After catching three, the bucket will be full and you'll be able to throw oil all over your enemies. Some shots, like Samus's fully powered Charge Shot, will fill the bucket in one go! Throwing the oil you get from a shot like that can KO your foes in a flash! | |
| Octopus | N/A | 
|
The Game & Watch title Octopus featured a hero collecting treasure while avoiding a bothersome giant octopus's tentacles. Activate Mr. Game & Watch's Final Smash to transform into that octopus! Ram into opponents, and use the attack button to extend the tentacles. The only thing you can't do is change the direction you're facing. | ||
Blue indicates exclusive to the Wii U version.
Palutena's Guidance
- Pit: Hey, it's a Shadow Bug!
- Palutena: No, that's just Mr. Game & Watch.
- Viridi: Watch out for number nine. Pit.
- Pit: Uh, what are you talking about?
- Palutena: Mr. Game & Watch's Judge attack displays random numbers. And when it displays "9," the attack is devastating.
- Viridi: Getting hit with a nine will knock out any fighter with a single strike, no matter who it is. When his back is against the wall, Mr. Game & Watch might try his luck with a Judge attack.
- Pit: Leaving victory up to luck doesn't seem like the best strategy.
- Palutena: Well, luck is part of every victory.
- Viridi: So you'd better watch yourself, Pit.
Appearances
| Title | Description | Release Date | System/Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Smash Bros. Melee | Unlockable Playable Character | 2001 | Gamecube |
| Game & Watch Gallery 4 | Cameo appearance in Gift Mode of Gallery Corner | 2002 | Game Boy Advance |
| WarioWare: Twisted! | Cameo in Menus | 2004 | Game Boy Advance |
| WarioWare: Touched! | Cameo in Menus | 2004 / 2005 | Nintendo DS |
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Unlockable Playable Character | 2008 | Wii |
| Donkey Kong Country Returns | Cameo | 2010 | Wii |
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS | Unlockable Playable Character | 2014 | Nintendo 3DS |
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Unlockable Playable Character | 2014 | Wii U |
Names in other languages
Trivia
- Although he generally has a 2D appearance, Mr. Game & Watch's model is actually a 3D model flattened to give the impression that he is a 2D character.
- Mr. Game & Watch is the only character in Super Smash Bros. Melee whose All-Star trophy does not display him in an alternate coloration. Additionally, that trophy isn't affected by the background lighting, which is shown with most trophies.
- When turned into metal by a Metal Box, Mr. Game & Watch will still make beeping noises when attacking, moving around, or taking damage. This is likely because he has no voice effects. He also appears more 3-D when metal.
- In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, however, Mr. Game & Watch will make clanking noises while moving in metal form.
- While Mr. Game & Watch keeps his silver outline in his Metal form in Super Smash Bros. Melee, his outline becomes black in Metal form in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
- Mr. Game & Watch is one of only two fighters who isn't actually a specific video game character. The other is R.O.B., who isn't even a video game character at all.
- Mr. Game & Watch is the only character is Super Smash Bros. Brawl who doesn't have a snapshot in the Subspace Emissary.
| Game & Watch games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Super Mario franchise | Donkey Kong (1982, MS) • Mario Bros. (1983, MS) • Mario's Cement Factory (1983, TT/NWS) • Mario's Bombs Away (1983, PS) • Donkey Kong Hockey (1984, MVS) • Super Mario Bros. (1986, CrS | 1987, Sp | 1988, NWS) • Mario the Juggler (1991, NWS) • Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. (2020, CoS) | |
| Donkey Kong franchise | Donkey Kong (1982, MS) • Donkey Kong Jr. (1982, NWS | 1983, TT & PS) • Donkey Kong II (1983, MS) • Donkey Kong 3 (1984, MVS) • Donkey Kong Circus (1984, PS) • Donkey Kong Hockey (1984, MVS) | |
| Miscellaneous | Green House (1982, MS) | |
| MS: Multi Screen • TT: Table Top • PS: Panorama Screen • NWS: New Wide Screen • MVS: Micro VS. System • CrS: Crystal Screen • Sp: Special • CoS: Color Screen | ||