Topic: Will Nintendo announce a Metroid Game & Watch?

There's been positive reception and buzz around both the Mario and Zelda versions of the Game & Watch, with the devices dropping at the holidays and making great stocking stuffers.

With the release and success of Metroid Dread, Nintendo has put a spotlight on 2D Metroid to an extent that has surprised and pleased many fans.

2022 will be the 35th anniversary of the original Metroid's release in North America. Metroid is not as much of a juggernaut as Mario and Zelda but is certainly iconic and deserving of a Game & Watch.

If a Metroid Game & Watch were announced, it would contain at the very least Metroid (NES), Metroid 2 (Game Boy), and a reworked Game & Watch game. The inclusion of Super Metroid is probably wishful thinking.

Given all the attention on Metroid with the series' revival and Metroid Prime 4 on the way, I'd say there's at least a 50-50 chance of a Metroid Game & Watch coming out next year. What do you think?

@CactusMan I could see them do a Donkey Kong one as a limited release through their website. Kinda like Game And Watch Ball.

I can definitely see a Kirby one happening. Donkey Kong with the NES and GB games would be pretty neat too.

But what I really want is something similar (unlikely to be “Game and Watch” branded though), but for Pokémon with all of the Gen I and II games on it. Even better if it comes with an NFC reader (and an amiibo card or figurine) that can be used to transfer Pokémon from the games over to a future Pokémon game on Switch (or directly to Pokémon HOME).

A metroid one could work if they combined it with kid Icarus. Being somewhat sister series with similar gameplay with releases that mirror each other.

Donkey Kong would work nicely too, that series has plenty of games.

Pokémon is a bit more wishful thinking, but imagine if they made a red one and a blue one. Make each one come with their respective first Gen game, plus pinball, puzzle league and/or TCG. Add trading via USB C or Bluetooth and it’ll be the hottest toy.

No... (I would like it though)

While I'd definitely be in the market for a Metroid Game & Watch - Metroid II: Return of Samus is ironically what roped me into the series (Thanks Club Nintendo) - I don't find it very likely. While Metroid is certainly in the spotlight thanks to Dread, I still feel that the series doesn't have the same imprint as Mario and Zelda. I'd love to eat my words though.

Darn it, now I want this. XD

The Game & Watch releases in my opinion is a step backwards. I mean we already were able to play Super Mario Bros, Lost Levels, Zelda 1, 2 and Link’s Awakening on 3DS via virtual console (Ok maybe Link’s Awakening release is alright since this is the first time the original black and white version got a re-release. Instead of offering Gamecube titles on current system, we keep getting the same games that we are paying for over and over that had numerous re-releases (The NES Mario and Zelda games had at least 5 re-releases on GBA, Wii, Wii U, 3DS and classic edition console not counting the Switch and G&W release). As for whether we will get a G&W of Metroid, probably not since this year is the series’ 35th anniversary but maybe Kirby for 2022. But seriously Nintendo, give us Gamecube games already!

The Game & Watches are commemorative products. They are made for retro collectors to be put on display and are not the most viable way to play these games. But I agree that Nintendo should make its back catalogue more readily available on the Switch.

Nintendo has tied its Game & Watch releases to legacy properties celebrating anniversaries. 2022 will be Kirby’s 30th anniversary, so its certainly possible that it could get a Game & Watch as well. 2021 is technically the 35th anniversary of Metroid, although according to Nintendo of America’s promotional material, the series began in 1987 with its North American release and thus 2022 could be an opportunity to mark the series in some way. The same is true for Kid Icarus, but I doubt Nintendo would give it the Game & Watch treatment.

I honestly think it will be Kirby or Punch out, and hear me out on this. Kirby was introduced to the Game boy in Kirby's Dream Land. And it was released in 1992 that is 30 years. If Nintendo is planning on making it as the 30th or 35th anniversary like Mario and Zelda. The best game to do so would be Kirby. And then you got the games for Kirby it would probably be Kirby's dream land 1 & 2 and then Kirby's dream adventure from the NES, then a random revamped Game and watch game. Now you got punch out. Punch out was released in 1987 (35 years) on the NES. If they were to do so they could put in Punch out, and Super Punch out for the NES and then they could put in Punch Out for the game and watch. Just throwing those out there. Otherwise I could see a possiblity on metrod on a game and watch but it would be the 36th anniversary

Edit. I feel like an idiot when I said nes for super punch out. I’m thinking of the arcade super punch out that was released around when the nes was a thing but… nope. They could try to have a snes game on there but it is a mini system so it probably won’t be able to hold it.

@Don I agree with @Nib0. It was made for retro purposes. Plus I Don't know if they would be able to put a GameCube Game in the tiny handheld. and also did you see them do a SNES game yet. The system is not ready for it yet.

I'd feel sorry for anybody who thinks 'Oh boy, the original Metroid' then tries to just pick it up and play it. I think Nintendo would see a lot of them going in for repair.

@Maximumbeans The only thing I think really ruins Metroid's playability, something that would've been legitimate to complain about even in 1986 (even taking its confusing map design into consideration. Confounding level design was usual for '80s game design, but also out of necessity to save space on the Famicom Disk System's RAM limit, so it didn't have to stop to load constantly) is being forced to grind out health refills on enemy generators, and that Samus can and probably will take cheap hits from enemies that spawn from generators near doors, and fly at her while she walks through doors.

Zelda 1 didn't have those problems and it was released half a year earlier.
(it had the fairy springs for refills, and it was also able to stop ALL enemy activity during room transitions)

But also, from what I understand, Metroid was never as popular in Japan as it was in the west.
(I got both the US and JP versions of Fusion, though I hear that game sold like 800k in North America (or was it all western regions?) compared to about 100k in Japan.)

Nintendo didn't care to even release the cart ports of Zelda II, Metroid or Kid Icarus in Japan.

Kirby would make far more commercial sense than Metroid.

But I’d much rather Nintendo release a single device for portable retro games and/or physical Switch release(s) containing a sizeable library.

@KingMike I recently played through Metroid and you’re so right about the damage when transitioning from room to room. That really sucked.

Luckily I used an emulator so every time I was done with a grind session I’d be making save states like crazy.

God I am seeing the amount of people saying Metroid but it makes more sense for going with the games that have the 30th or 35th anniversary with a game and watch tile to fit in.

Considering Zelda is a much bigger franchise in terms of popularity, and that it only got a game and watch for its anniversary, I wouldn’t be holding my breath for a Metroid one.