DS Fanboy

Doubling up

With the Wide Screen series wrapped up in April 1982, Nintendo devised a new series of Game & Watch games that featured the biggest innovation of the phenomenon to date: a second screen (it'll never catch on, amirite?!).

By spreading play across two screens, the Multi Screen series frequently lent itself to more sophisticated gameplay mechanics, and eventually proved to be the most populated Game & Watch series ever, with fifteen games spread across seven years. Note also Black Jack's more sober, adult-oriented packaging -- was this Nintendo's attempt to capture an older audience? It's a tactic that is still employed today by the company.

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OIL PANIC
Released: 28th May 1982
Series: Multi Screen
Units produced: ~1,250,000

MICKEY & DONALD
Released: 12th November 1982
Series: Multi Screen
Units produced: ~1,250,000

GREEN HOUSE
Released: 6th December 1982
Series: Multi Screen
Units produced: ~1,250,000

DONKEY KONG II
Released: 7th March 1983
Series: Multi Screen
Units produced: ~1,250,000

PINBALL
Released: 5th December 1983
Series: Multi Screen
Units produced: ~250,000

BLACK JACK
Released: 15th February 1985
Series: Multi Screen
Units produced: ~250,000

Michael Panayiotakis

23/06/08