Back in October 1989, Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda Game Watch. This watch was licensed to Nelsonic who handled the production. At the time, Nintendo would have hoped that it would change the face of the video game industry forever. Whilst it wasn’t a commercial flop by any means, its legacy is one based on nostalgia, more than something that made a genuine impact on the video game industry. For the record, we’re not on about Nintendo ‘Game and Watch’ either, which was not actually a physical watch.
An interesting fact about this watch is that it even though it was released in 1989 in the US, it took nearly 3 years to get a European release; debuting in May 1992. Unfortunately for Asian fans, this never got a release at all, which is odd considering Nintendo is a Japanese company with a large Asian following.
Nonetheless, the watch managed to sell over 12 million copies which is incredibly impressive. These watches retailed for around $35, which means the Zelda pieces alone raked in an astonishing $420 million. Nintendo also made a Mario Bros watch and you could also get your hands on a Tetris-themed watch too. Because of this, it’s a little bizarre to consider that Nintendo didn’t pursue video game watches more based on these numbers. Perhaps by the early ’90s, their attentions had moved elsewhere.
Table of Contents
So, could the Zelda Game Watch actually tell the time?
The answer to this question is yes, it could. Unsurprisingly, the Zelda Game Watch was powered by a quartz movement and it had a digital clock on the top of the dial. When the user played the game, the time would disappear and turn into the score. This meant, if you were walking around with this on your wrist and not playing a game, then you could use it to tell the time. It also came with an alarm.
How does the Zelda Game Watch work and play?
As this was released in the ’80s, it’s not exactly complicated. The game utilizes the games four buttons, which act as up, down, left, and right. Here, the main character Link would move through the levels and would eventually aim to escape the final, fourth dungeon. Whilst the graphics have aged since its release, it was quite high-spec for its day and came with a retro 8=bit soundtrack which is either nostalgic, or very annoying depending on your stance.
How much is the Zelda Game Watch today?
Like all watches, there are a few variables that come into play when valuing the Zelda Game Watch. Firstly, a big deal with this watch is the condition. For instance, if the dial is badly scratched then its value will drop significantly. The same goes for the rubber strap. By the same token, if the watch comes with the original box and manual then the value rises even higher.
It also comes available in both pink and red colors. Generally, the black version of the watch far outsold the pink and red versions, meaning they’re more expensive. Even though over 12 million of these watches were shipped, you’d be hard-pressed to find one of these brand new too. Since this watch was released over 30 years ago, sadly you’ll have to buy used. Usually, these watches cost around $80 on eBay. However, they’re not commonly listed so you may have to act fast if you want one. With the original box and papers though, you’ll be looking at closer to $250 though.
