Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros.

Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. is a Game & Watch game that was released on November 13, 2020 as part of the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. The system allows the player to play Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and a Mario-themed version of Ball with Mario or Luigi as the main character, and like the original Game & Watch systems, it also features a digital clock, which is displayed through 35 different animations. It is the first Game & Watch handheld since 1991's Mario the Juggler released 29 years prior, and as a reference to the Game & Watch systems' screen types, it is advertised as featuring a "Color Screen" on the packaging.

Although the game itself does not have any 35th-anniversary missions on the My Nintendo site, the November issue of the monthly newsletter that announced its release included a redeemable code that was required for completing both the standard My Nintendo mission and the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary website-related mission.

Digital clock
The digital clock is displayed in the Super Mario Bros. aesthetic, although some of the animations feature characters from other Mario games. The digits and colon are made of blocks and are occasionally interacted with by the characters, and the seconds are counted by a black dot that moves clockwise around the screen and beeps every second, turning red every five seconds. The "level" in which the clock takes place consists of flat ground with a Warp Pipe on the right side, while the time of day in the level changes according to the clock. The player can toggle between three level themes by pressing the TIME button again: the ground theme from World 1-1, the sky theme with tree-like platforms from World 1-3, and the sky theme with Mushroom Platforms from World 4-3.

The clock's main animation involves an AI-controlled Mario walking from left to right across the screen, reappearing from the left when he walks off-screen to the right, while Goombas periodically drop from the sky on the right side. Mario automatically avoids enemies, though he may inadvertently jump on them or take damage. If Mario is defeated by an enemy, he simply respawns back at the same location. Occasionally, the colon's bottom block may turn into a ? Block containing a coin, Super Mushroom, or Super Star, which Mario tries to collect. When it is a new minute on the clock, Mario stands underneath the digit and hits it, causing it to break or drop off-screen and replacing it with the new digit.

If the player presses the + Control Pad or the A or B buttons, a green Koopa Troopa drops from the sky on the left side, though only while there are less than five enemies on-screen. During the last 20 seconds of the current minute, red Koopa Paratroopas spawn from the colon's top block and fly into the sky instead, which do not affect Mario. If the player tries to set the time, a Lakitu holding a wrench appears, and after setting the time, it drops the wrench in a similar manner to a Spiny Egg. At random points, a second Warp Pipe may appear from underneath Mario on the left and he faces the screen; Mario's sprite when he does this is not present in the original Super Mario Bros.

If the player presses and holds the A button for five seconds, they can listen to the Mario Drawing Song. The song's lyrics are available in English, Japanese, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch, which are selected from the title screen that appears after pressing/holding the A button. Due to an error which was acknowledged by Nintendo a few days prior to the system's release, selecting the German, French, Italian, and Spanish versions of the song display lyrics in the incorrect language by default, instead displaying the Italian, German, Spanish, and French lyrics respectively. However, it is possible to change the language of the lyrics in the middle of the song by pressing left and right on the + Control Pad.

Timed animations
The digital clock features special animations that may play out while it is active. Most of them play at random points during a certain hour, while some of them play when the clock displays the same digits. With the exception of the transitions between hours and animations involving a different area, each animation lasts for one minute. A special animation playing is indicated by the second dot flashing and its beeps echoing.

Sleep mode
If the Game & Watch is left idle for three minutes while unplugged, it enters sleep mode to save battery. Before it does, one of five pieces of artwork depicting Mario characters briefly appears on-screen, which changes depending on the device's activity prior to entering sleep mode. All artwork with Mario and Luigi, as well as a Piranha Plant and a Buzzy Beetle, depict them in the same color scheme as their in-game sprites, while a Lava Bubble is seen with its in-game eyeless appearance and a Hammer Bro and a Koopa Troopa are seen with their in-game shoeless appearance.

Changes
The only changes in Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels are the lack of the button (due to this, the  button needs to be pressed to start the game, and to pause the game, the Game & Watch pause menu needs to be opened by pressing the PAUSE button), holding the  button on the title screen button grants the player infinite lives (except for World 9), and the copyright notice was changed from "©[publishing year] Nintendo" to "©[publishing year]‒2020 Nintendo". The "©2010 Nintendo" copyright notice was removed altogether from the Mario Drawing Song.

Technical specifications

 * Package contents: Game & Watch system + 30cm USB cable type C-A
 * Size: Height 67mm, length 11mm, depth 12.5mm
 * Weight: .15 lbs
 * Internal battery: Lithium ion
 * Play time: Approximately 8 hours
 * Charging time: Approximately 3.5 hours
 * Screen: 2.36-inch LCD

Buttons
In terms of character movement in Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, the controls are the same as in the original NES versions.


 * +Control Pad - Select option
 * Left/right - Move arms left and right (Ball); select NORMAL/HARD mode (Super Mario Bros. title screen after clearing the game)
 * GAME - Select game
 * TIME - Switch to digital clock
 * PAUSE/SET - Pause/unpause the game and open/close the menu to view battery life, adjust volume/brightness, and set the time
 * A Button - Confirm selected option; move arms right (Ball)
 * Holding this down on the Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels title screen grants the player infinite lives (except for World 9).
 * Holding this down on the Ball title screen changes the character to Luigi.
 * B Button - Close menu; move arms left (Ball); select world (Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels title screen); select Worlds A to D (Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels title screen after clearing the game eight times)