Nintendo is a company that loves to innovate - the Wii and Nintendo DS are prime examples of this desire. However, the Game Boy Advance SP is proof that the Japanese veteran is also wise enough to pillage from the past when it makes sense; the clamshell design was borrowed from its '80s Game & Watch LCD range, and helped keep the unit compact while providing protection for the screen.
The recent rumours regarding Nintendo NX have us thinking that Nintendo is once again raiding its archives for ideas. A portable system with its own screen that features detachable controllers? If that sounds familiar to you, then you probably owned a Game & Watch Micro Vs. system when you were younger.
Released in 1984, this range included three games: Boxing, Donkey Kong 3 and Donkey Kong Hockey. The gimmick was that two people could play the game at the same time, with small joypads being housed inside the unit. These were connected by short leads and could be used as "traditional" controllers.
Previous Game & Watch handhelds had largely been focused on solo play, which made the Micro Vs. range quite unique for the time. However, with only three titles ever made, it would seem that it didn't find the same commercial success as other Game & Watch variants - a possible warning sign for Nintendo?
Comments 39
I still can't believe they are not putting "Ice Hockey" on the NES Classic Mini hockey rant off
Never seen this before!
@Shiryu I can't believe they chose Tecmo Bowl to represent the entire Sports genre on the NES Mini. Ice Hockey is at least their game (and it's a standout title, although I would've personally gone for NES Open if I had to pick just one).
there was also a hockey game in that range, if i recall. or maybe the one i had was a fake. no, i'm sure it was hockey and real nintendo. someone stole it. hmf. btw, the detachable controllers make sense but not like in the above. look at the gamepad for the wii u. the two ends on the left and the right can be their own wand/wiimote controller if they detached.
Don't care about the rumours. Just stoked about the Bowie reference!
That Vs micro also looks like a SNES joypad, ironically. 😊
@World "Castlevania" is in there so Konami is on board.... why not "Blades of Steel"? Heck, why not "Double Dribble"? And where is "Pro Wrestling"!? As much as I love those 30 games on the box, it is also the system's biggest weakness: No expansion beyond them.
Folks I know you would listen to me but the rumors are true the NX is Handled but its not going to use Nvidia Tegra tech. The system is 7x more powerful than the vita. The vita is already a powerful system but nx graphics capabilities are amazing.
The nx specs :
Quad-core ARM Cortex-A73- 2.8GHz
GPU - PowerVR GX6250 (7x powerful than vita)
Display : 5.2” 1080p
RAM : 6 GB RAM
ppi - 700
I saw what you did there @Damo
@Shiryu Oh yeah, Blades of Steel is a gem. And it's weird because I would've thought there was some nostalgia cred attached to it.
Also would've been nice to see at least one Kunio sports game. Who could say no to Super Dodgeball and/or Nintendo World Cup!
@World Indeed! And there are so many awesome Kunio games, inlcuing the Ice Hockey one that was never released in the west (but localization was almost complete). As I said, so much wasted potential this November... oh well, at least I pray for a SNES mini in the horizon. One loaded with Nintendo, Capcom, Konami, SquareEnix goodies inside.
I had DK Hockey, it was as awesome as any other Game & Watch title
@samuelvictor No stealing involved, this entire piece came out of me trying to convince Tom to use the Micro VS as the lead image in a piece on the NX rumours. I then decided that it was good enough for a piece of its own
@Henmii Me neither. Granted, I wasn't even born in '84 so there's that. It's very interesting-looking, indeed.
@Shiryu what is the systems biggest weakness?
Ugh........ I just ignore the rumors.
Some designs are meant to stay in the past.
Well they are at their best when they go back and take inspiration from their Game & Watch line, so I'm totally fine with this news.
@NESlover85 The inability to expand it beyond the initial 30 games. x(
I always wanted one of the Micro Vs. System G&Ws, I thought they were a great idea.
@Shiryu Of the ones I've played, the hockey one is my favorite overall. I have it for my famiclone, and it's the game that everyone mostly wants to play. I want to say it's because it's a little faster-paced than the Soccer game, but less chaotic than Dodgeball, but really it's because we're all just Canadian.
A SNES Mini would be glorious, if only to offset the RIDICULOUS collector premiums that come with trying to play that era physically...
@World I have a feeling if the NES mini sells well (PS: it will!) Nintendo might consider it. At least, I would if I had anything to say about it.
Canadian, uh? Portugal here, but I guess we can agree that the best Hockey game of all time it's the GameCube version of "NHL Hitz", right?
@World
Punch out is on there too.
@Agent721 Wow yeah, I honestly forgot! Okay there are twice as many sports games as I thought, and arguably one of the best (and popular) examples. Not AS dire of a situation.
@Shiryu Yeah, I think you might have something there. (Actually that's how I roped my brother-in-law into Kunio's world of hockey. He saw it and was like "hey, this is NHL Hitz except primitive")
@Shiryu That would have been really nice! Regardless I am still really excited for it. Even though I still have most of the games on the original carts and on virtual console...I am still excited!
@therealgamer your joking right?
5 dollars says Nintendo's new system has 2gb or 3 gb of ram. Nintendo always been skimpy on ram and storage space...
I think the controllers will be modular. Attach for portable mode, like the sides/handles of the screen; detach for home console docking (where proper controllers will be used). But who knows.
@Shiryu: I definitely understand the love for Ice Hockey (1 skinny and 3 bigs FTW!), but Tecmo Bowl with Bo Jackson . . c'mon those are some epic memories!
@NESlover85 Same here.
@bluedogrulez TOUCHDOWN! BO JACKON!
ahem, the version of "Tecmo Bowl" we got on Virtual console has no real players, I think it will be that version. Ah neat, I play 2 heavies and 2 mediums.
@therealgamer are we talking about the tablet or the handheld
NX is 3 form factors...
@therealgamer Tell us more. Lol
...or maybe this could be like how VR turned out. It was a complete failure in the past, but is now making a comeback. Maybe just like the Game & Watch Micro Vs./NX.
"It's all just a little bit of history repeating. . . ."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzLT6_TQmq8
I had the Hockey Game & Watch. That thing was really cool. I forget where I last saw it. I think I might still have the box too, though in terrible condition. Cool to see one of those vs. systems again.
OOOH now they finally have my attention!
@Shiryu: oh, that's so horrid! I just played a season on my gameboy advance and loved seeing the names from back when. Gameplay still stellar. But now I'm with you on Ice Hockey over generic Tecmo.
How much longer can Nintendo keep the lid on this thing?
Sounds more like the Vectrex to me.
@bluedogrulez Whats really frustrating is I have no clue whom to reach about this. "Ice Hockey" is a stellar 2 player game, it would had added incredible value to the whole package.
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