Learning from the past – Hobbies part 3. The early eighties – a game and watch in your pocket. The DNA of the new portable game “Nintendo DSi”

The early eighties – a game and watch in your pocket
The DNA of the new portable game “Nintendo DSi”

The latest game in the Dragon Quest series “Dragon Quest IX Hoshizora no Mamoribito” will go on sale in a Nintendo DS version in March, sending reverberations around the ever increasing number of DS Lite and DSi users. Let’s take a look at the game/watch that became the DNA of the current Nintendo.

In 1980 the Nintendo portable game “Game & Watch” (G&W) went on sale. Anyone over thirty will remember the game and watch all-in-one pocket size game. Different to similar games today, the forefather of portable games had software packaged with the hardware, only one game that was very simple. Nevertheless it was very popular and began the evolution of portable games.

The number of G&W users increased and the games evolved. This brought the appearance of the mustached pair – Mario Brothers. The left/right opening multi-screen interface saw Mario and Luigi eagerly carrying goods in a comical fashion. But no one could have imagined what lay in store for the Mario Brothers.
Next it was “Donkey Kong”, a favourite among collectors. The top/bottom multi-screen was extremely similar to the current DS. This was the beginning of players throughout the world pressing the plus-shaped control countless times.
This is how the G&W not only became the forefather of portable games, but also an important foundation for the development of the games of today.

The Game Boy hit the scene in 1989, the golden era of the Famicon video game. It introduced the concept of separate hardware and software. It combined the DNA of the G&W and Famicon to blossom into a new device. The boom of the Game Boy should be fresh in everyone’s memory. Having evolved into the compact, colour screened device, it has been loved by all over the fifteen years.

The Nintendo DS is of course still one of the best selling portable games. The latest model – the DSi – allows the installation of a variety of downloadable software. It also features an internal camera and music player. It is more than just a portable game, it’s a personal support tool.