One of Nintendo’s best retro-inspired devices is back in stock and discounted to its best price yet at Amazon-owned retailer Woot. The Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch is up for grabs for $38 while supplies last–and Woot has already sold out once, so it’ll sell out again (probably soon). This cute retro handheld has been discontinued since 2021 and is normally only available via resellers, but it looks like Amazon has unearthed a box of them.
Woot’s $38 price is the best we’ve seen for the Mario Bros. Game & Watch. Note: The device in the picture below is identical to what you’ll get from Woot, but the box below is for the European release. At least according to the listing, Woot’s deal is for the North American edition, which has the ESRB logo on it instead of PEGI.
The cool thing about these devices is that they’re fun little throwbacks to Nintendo’s first series of handhelds. The Game & Watch debuted in 1980, nearly a decade before the Game Boy hit store shelves. The Mario Bros. Game & Watch was released to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros.
The modernized Game & Watch is a pocket-friendly device with a bright LCD screen and a classic gold and crimson color scheme that pays homage to the Famicom. Nintendo included a proper D-pad, rechargeable battery, and all of the buttons you need to play the three built-in games: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels, and Ball (Mario version).
If and when Woot’s deal sells out, you can purchase the Mario Bros. Game & Watch for $45-$46 at Amazon. These listings are from third-party resellers, but your order will be fulfilled by Amazon.
In 2021, Nintendo released a Game & Watch themed around The Legend of Zelda to celebrate the franchise’s 35th anniversary. This one comes with three games as well: The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX. It also has Hyrule green accents that help it stand out from the Mario device. Though it’s not on sale, you can still find it in stock for its original $50 retail price.
Game & Watch Listings at Amazon
If you like retro gaming devices….
If you like the idea of the Game & Watch and want to add more retro gaming devices to your collection, Blaze Entertainment’s Evercade platform features a library of over 60 cartridges loaded with classic console, handheld, and arcade games. There’s never been a better time to pick up an Evercade device thanks to multiple recent and upcoming releases.
The Evercade EXP-R will be released on November 29, and this $100 handheld is compatible with the entire Evercade library of retro classics. It has a sharp 800 x 400 IPS screen, up to five hours of battery life from a full charge, and an alternate TATE mode that lets you turn the handheld on its side to play vertically oriented arcade games. There’s also the Evercade VS-R home console that released in August, which is also $100 and comes bundled with the Tomb Raider Collection cartridge.
For even more budget-friendly handheld, the Capcom Super Pocket has been restocked at Amazon for $60. This is a nice little budget handheld that comes preloaded with 12 Capcom classics and is compatible with Evercade carts. Alternatively, Amazon also restocked the Taito Super Pocket, which has the same hardware, Evercade compatibility, and price, although this one has 17 Taito arcade games preinstalled on it.
Finally, the Evercade Alpha Bartop Arcade releases on November 28. While these are the most expensive option at $230, they are pretty unique in the home arcade cabinet space. Street Fighter Alpha and a Mega Man units will be available, and each one is preloaded with six games. Additionally, they’re equipped with a vibrant eight-inch display, stereo speakers, a headphone jack, Wi-Fi support for updates, and a swappable light-up marquee. The Evercade Alpha has two cartridge slots and full support for the Evercade library.