Mr. Game & Watch
- For fighter info, seeMr. Game & Watch (SSBM),Mr. Game & Watch (SSBB),Mr. Game & Watch (SSB4), andMr. Game & Watch (SSBU).
- "Mr. G" redirects here. For the alter ego, seeSmasher:Goblin.
| Mr. Game & Watch | |
|---|---|
  In-game sprite of Mr. Game & Watch fromGame & Watch Gallery 4. | |
| Universe | Game & Watch |
| Debut | Ball (1980) (as a generic character) Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) (as Mr. Game & Watch) |
| Smash Bros. appearances | Melee Brawl SSB4 Ultimate |
| Most recent non-Smash appearance | Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (2025, cameo) |
| Console/platform of origin | Game & Watch (as a generic character) Nintendo GameCube (as Mr. Game & Watch) |
| Species | Unspecified; based on stylized depictions of humans and others |
| Gender | Male |
| Place of origin | Superflat World |
| Created by | Gunpei Yokoi |
| Designed by | Makoto Kano |
| Article on Super Mario Wiki | Mr. Game & Watch |
Mr. Game & Watch (Mr.ゲーム＆ウォッチ,Mr. Game & Watch) is a composite representation of various generic characters featured inNintendo'sGame & Watch products and video game series created in 1980 by Gunpei Yokoi.
Origin[edit]
The composite Mr. Game & Watch character debuted inSuper Smash Bros. Melee. While some Game & Watch games starred specific characters, such asMario inMario's Cement Factory, a majority simply starred nameless, simply-drawn characters. These characters, due to the LCD display of the Game & Watch, could only move in alternating, preset frames, similar to the numbers on a calculator. Also, the animation frames were monochrome, simply being black LCD frames against a preset background.
In translating this era of gaming toSmash, many of these generic characters' animations and abilities were combined into one new entity, Mr. Game & Watch. Visually, Mr. Game & Watch's standard design most heavily resembles the people in need of rescue fromFire and the pedestrians fromManhole. In keeping with the limitations of the Game & Watch's animations, Mr. Game & Watch is rendered as a flat, two-dimensional character with a choppy, frame-by-frame animation style.
Since debuting inMelee, Mr. Game & Watch has made a few appearances in other games. He has a minor speaking role as the host of one of the menus inGame & Watch Gallery 4. He has also made a number of cameos in other Nintendo games, including multiple entries in theWarioWare series,Donkey Kong Country Returns,Rhythm Heaven Fever, andSuper Mario Odyssey.
InSuper Smash Bros. Melee[edit]
As a playable character[edit]
Mr. Game & Watch makes hisSuper Smash Bros. series debut as the finalunlockable character inMelee. Mr. Game & Watch can be unlocked one of four ways: completing eitherClassic Mode orAdventure Mode with all characters on any difficulty andstock or theTarget Test with all characters, or playing 1000 vs. mode matches.
Mr. Game & Watch fights with a variety of items derived from the Game & Watch series.Chef, hisneutral special move, launches sausages at random distances from a pan. At closer distances said pan can be used as a semi-spike.Judgment, hisside special move, is a hammer with randomly chosen strength and effects, ranging from weak (1) to strong (9).Fire, hisup special move, launches Mr. Game & Watch at a lengthy vertical distance, with the help of a firefighter team; note that this is the only up special attack which gets more distance when a character is big by getting a mushroom.Lastly,Oil Panic, hisdown special move, allows him to catch energy based projectiles. Once three projectiles are caught, the contents can be dumped as a flow of oil, causing damage depending on the projectiles caught. This move can be used to cause theKamikaze Glitch.
Mr. Game & Watch's unique frame-by-frame animations translated well intoSuper Smash Bros. Melee. Mechanically, however, this proves to become a severe disadvantage. His movement is choppy and sluggish, thus meaning he becomes dependent onwavedashing anddash-dancing as his primary method of movement. His moves, primarily his special moves, have very limited uses in competitive play and only two of hisaerial attacks can beL-canceled. However, the few usable moves he has come equipped with high range and very largehitboxes, many of which are powerful finishers. Aside from his moves, Mr. Game & Watch's throws are very useful due to the fact they can all be used to chain grab. Mr. Game & Watch's defensive game is arguably his worst property; with an extremely smallshield (which leaves his hands and feet unprotected, even at maximum size) and a very poorsidestep androll, he has a very weak defensive game. This, combined with the fact that he is very light, causes him to die at very low percentages. Mr. Game & Watch players must therefore be able to read their opponents ridiculously well in order to simply survive and to have a chance in competitive play. As a result, Mr. Game & Watch is currently ranked in the bottom of the C- tier at 19th out of 26 in theMeleetier list.
Trophies[edit]
As a playable character, Mr. Game & Watch has three trophies - a normal trophy won beating theClassic Mode with Mr. Game & Watch on any difficulty, and "Smash Red" and "Smash Blue" trophies are acquired by beating the Adventure and All-Star modes, respectively.
- Mr. Game & Watch
- First appearing in 1980, the Game & Watch series is the father of all portable liquid crystal games. The main character is simple and monochrome but has a timeless individuality. There are 39 different games in the series and they've sold over 43 million units worldwide. Pictured at left is the particularly popular Fire model.
- Game & Watch (1980)
.png)
- Mr. Game & WatchSMASH
- A resident of a totally flat world, Mr. Game & Watch's frame-by-frame movement is distinctive. His image is known far and wide, and respected by gamers everywhere. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, he hurls sausages with his Chef technique. The random strength of his Judgment is determined by the number displayed; food appears on lucky 7.
- B: Chef
- Smash B: Judgment
- B: Chef
- Smash B: Judge
_2.png)
- Mr. Game & WatchSMASH
- A man of great stature in the world of Nintendo characters, Mr. Game & Watch is a comparatively light fellow and doesn't feature many powerful attacks. When he's in danger of falling, Fire calls out a rescue brigade to send him skyward once more. He can also catch missile weapons with Oil Panic; once he's caught three, he can dump the bucket on his foes.
- Up & B: Fire
- Down & B: Oil Panic
InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
As a playable character[edit]
Mr. Game & Watch returns as an unlockable playable character inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl. He has been heavily buffed, moving up from the bottom tier ofMelee to the mid-high tier inBrawl. Mr. Game & Watch's attacks have been powered up and sped up, and he arguably has the best set ofsmash attacks in the game. He has been given a new technique, calledBucket Braking, which lets him negate allknockback while in midair.
Interestingly, in aDOJO!! update where Sakurai explained some mysteries about theSubspace Emissary, he says thatTabuu used Mr. Game & Watch's flat qualities to createShadow Bugs, making Mr. Game & Watch the origin of Shadow Bugs, though Mr. Game & Watch is not aware of it himself as he does not have any concept of good and evil.[1]
Mr. Game & Watch has been significantly buffed fromMelee, as he benefits fromBrawl's new physics, along with other various buffs. The introduction ofhitstun canceling andmomentum canceling helps Mr. Game & Watch more than most characters, as it not only makes him harder to combo but it also significantly improves his endurance mainly due to Bucket Braking. Other new Brawl mechanics such asB-reversing also help him out, and the removal of certain Melee mechanics such asL-canceling affects him less than other characters. His shield game has been improved significantly. His shield is much larger, and his sidestep is no longer one of the worst in the game. Overall, Mr. Game & Watch is a much more effective character than inMelee, although he still struggles against the stronger characters in the game, resulting in his results being above average, ranking 16th out of 38 in the currentBrawl tier list in the upper mid-tier.
Trophy[edit]
- Mr. Game & Watch
- The monochrome hero of the Game & Watch series, a fellow who oozes personality. First appearing in 1980, the series were the original portable game systems. The first games in the series were quite simple, but as time passed, technology evolved. The multiscreen series featured game play on dual screens. As the name states, the games also kept time.
:Game & Watch Gallery
InSuper Smash Bros. 4[edit]
As a playable character[edit]
Mr. Game & Watch is once again an unlockable playable character inSSB4. He was teased before release in a small appearance at the end ofPac-Man's reveal trailer to illustrate how the duo are the oldestfighters inSmash Bros. history (even older than Mario and Donkey Kong); in that cameo, he notably performs his down taunt fromBrawl, which was replaced by the release ofSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
Overall, Mr. Game & Watch was nerfed in the transition toSmash 4. The removal of Bucket Braking was his most notable negative change, as it greatly hinders his endurance (especially horizontally), considering his status as a lightweight character. Several of his moves also have additionalending lag, such as his up tilt, down tilt, and neutral aerial, and some of his moves are weaker finishers, such as his forward aerial. However, his attacks possess high damage output, with some becoming more efficient, including his back aerial's multiple hits linking better, and up smash, which now includes invincibility on startup. His throws have also improved, as they are all now performed much faster, with down throw being especially great at starting combos. However, his nerfs are considerably enough to cause a drop in his tier placement, now ranking 38th out of 54 on theSmash 4 tier list, and he has seen lackluster tournament representation, although his results have been above-average.
Trophies[edit]
- Mr. Game & Watch
Game & Watch was first released in 1980, making the series the father of the Game Boy and Nintendo DS. Or maybe an older sibling? Anyway...in Smash Bros., Mr. Game & Watch uses distinct retro moves to damage his foes. However, he's only two dimensional, so he's pretty easy to send flying.
Game & Watch was a series of handheld video games that started in 1980, which pretty much makes Mr. Game & Watch the father of the Game Boy and Nintendo DS. Or maybe an older sibling? Anyway...in Smash Bros., Mr. Game & Watch uses distinct retro moves to damage his foes. However, he only has two dimensions, so he's pretty easy to send flying.
:Game & Watch (04/1980)- Game & Watch was a series of handheld video games that started in 1980, before even the Game Boy. In this game, you can play as the guy who starred in them, moving about in his quirky, oh-so-retro little way. He can string together some pretty powerful attacks but, unfortunately, being 2D makes him very easy to launch.
- :Game & Watch (1980 (JP))
- Mr. Game & Watch (Alt.)
- Mr. Game & Watch's Oil Panic special catches shots and turns them into oil. After catching three, the bucket will be full and you'll be able to throw oil all over your enemies. Some shots, like Samus's fully powered Charge Shot, will fill the bucket in one go! Throwing the oil you get from a shot like that can KO your foes in a flash!
- :Game & Watch (04/1980)
- :Game & Watch (1980 (JP))
InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
As a playable character[edit]
Mr. Game & Watch is once again an unlockable playable character inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, alongside the entire playable roster of the series. He now changes appearance depending on the game from which the move he is using originates. His moveset has been significantly altered; for instance, he has a new forward aerial in the form of a bomb projectile, and his up air now functions similarly toMega Man's. In addition, his Final Smash, Octopus, now carries and drags opponents offscreen.
Having been regarded as a lower mid-tier character inSSB4 (38th out of 54), Mr. Game & Watch has been significantly buffed in his transition toUltimate. In a similar fashion to Link, Mr. Game & Watch has undergone a massive overhaul in his moveset that goes beyond changes to aesthetic appearances; a majority of his moves have been altered in range, damage, knockback, lag, or have been completely reworked altogether in their purpose and utility. As a result, Mr. Game & Watch has undergone a plethora of buffs and nerfs in his transition toUltimate, arguably the most out of any other returning veteran. While these changes have weakened his most powerful tools and set-ups fromSSB4, they have also greatly improved several of his more underwhelming moves in his toolkit from the previous game, with the most notable one beingFire, which is now commonly considered the bestout of shield option in the game. Due to these changes, his iteration inUltimate is universally agreed to be his best, being ranked 4th out of 82 on the current tier list and has seen unprecedented results compared to previous iterations of the character due to the likes ofMaister andMiya.
Spirits[edit]
Fighter spirit[edit]
689.Mr. Game & Watch
Primary spirits[edit]
| No. | Image | Name | Type | Class | Slots | Base | Max | Base | Max | Base | Max | Ability | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 696 |  | Lion |  | ★★ | 1 | 1750 | 7041 | 1015 | 4084 | 735 | 2957 | No Effect | Game & Watch Series |
| 698 |  | Octopus | | ★★★★ | 3 | 4031 | 10079 | 1749 | 4374 | 2054 | 5135 | Strong Throw | Game & Watch Series |
| 701 |  | Fire Attack | | ★ | 1 | 1047 | 5238 | 400 | 2000 | 552 | 2762 | Fire Attack ↑ | Game & Watch Series |
Support spirits[edit]
| No. | Image | Name | Class | Cost | Ability | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 690 |  | Ball | ★★ | 1 | Thrown Items ↑ | Game & Watch Series |
| 691 |  | Flagman | ★★ | 1 | Critical-Health Stats ↑ | Game & Watch Series |
| 692 |  | Fire | ★★★ | 2 | Lava-Floor Immunity | Game & Watch Series |
| 693 |  | Judge | ★★★ | 1 | Critical Hit ↑ | Game & Watch Series |
| 694 |  | Manhole | ★★ | 1 | Bury Immunity | Game & Watch Series |
| 695 |  | Helmet | ★ | 1 | Critical-Health Defense ↑ | Game & Watch Series |
| 697 |  | Parachute | ★★ | 1 | Air Defense ↑ | Game & Watch Series |
| 699 | .png) | Chef (Game & Watch) | ★★★ | 2 | Stats ↑ ↑ after Eating | Game & Watch Series |
| 700 |  | Turtle Bridge | ★ | 1 | Green Shell Equipped | Game & Watch Series |
| 702 |  | Oil Panic | ★★ | 2 | Sticky-Floor Immunity | Game & Watch Series |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese | Mr.ゲーム＆ウォッチ,Mr. Game & Watch | — |
 English | Mr. Game & Watch | — |
 French | Mr. Game & Watch | — |
 German | Mr. Game & Watch | — |
 Spanish | Mr. Game & Watch | — |
 Italian | Mr. Game & Watch | — |
 Chinese | Mr. Game & Watch | — |
 Korean | Mr. 게임&워치,Mr. Game & Watch | — |
 Dutch | Mr. Game & Watch | — |
 Russian | Г-н Game & Watch Мистер Game & Watch  | "Г-н" is an abbreviation for "Господин", meaning "Mr." |
 Portuguese | Mr. Game & Watch | — |
Trivia[edit]
- Conceptually, Mr. Game & Watch is the only 2D playable character in theSmash Bros. series. However, in the technical sense, he is composed ofa 3D modelMedia:Mr. Game & Watch 3D Model 3DS.png just like all other characters; this model is flattened along one axis to provide the illusion he is 2D. This flattening effect is applied to other characters in 2D stages such asFlat Zone andPac-Land. The 2D illusion is somewhat broken when Mr. Game & Watch becomesmetal, is afalse character, is covered inink, or if theZ-axis glitch is performed on him, as his body is no longer featureless and appears to be rounded. This can also occur during certainFinal Smashes, such asDede-Rush,Triple Wolf, orSupernova. Hisamiibo is also 3D, though it more emulates his 2D appearance than using a fully 3D model.
- Mr. Game & Watch is technically the oldest playable character in theSuper Smash Bros. series, having debuted in April 1980 (Pac-Man would debut in Japan a month later).
- Although theGame & Watch was first released in 1980, Mr. Game & Watch didn't conceptually exist untilSuper Smash Bros. Melee. This has led to some debate over whether or not Mr. Game & Watch should be considered the same entity as the playable characters from the originalGame & Watch handhelds.
- That said, Mr. Game & Watch, as a character inSmash Bros., is an amalgamation of differentGame & Watch titles, so it is likely that he represents the entireGame & Watch brand rather than a specific game. This is further supported inUltimate, where Mr. Game & Watch, for several of his moves, changes his appearance to resemble the character in the game from which the move originated.
- Although theGame & Watch was first released in 1980, Mr. Game & Watch didn't conceptually exist untilSuper Smash Bros. Melee. This has led to some debate over whether or not Mr. Game & Watch should be considered the same entity as the playable characters from the originalGame & Watch handhelds.
- Mr. Game & Watch andFalco are the only characters who appeared as unlockable in multipleSuper Smash Bros. titles to remain as unlockable in both versions ofSuper Smash Bros. 4.
- Counting the two versions separately, they, along withJigglypuff, are also tied for the most unlockable appearances in the series, with five.
References[edit]
- ^Masahiro Sakurai (2008-04-10). Smash Bros. DOJO!!. Mysteries of The Subspace Emissary. Retrieved on 2025-11-02. “Tabuu takes notice of the peculiar qualities of Mr. Game & Watch’s body mass. He uses these particularities to create a nearly infinite number of shadow bugs, which he then uses to create the Subspace Army. However, since Mr. Game & Watch does not have any concept of good and evil, he is unaware of the effects caused when he is used in this way.”
| Playable characters | |
|---|---|
| Super Smash Bros. | Captain Falcon ·Donkey Kong ·Fox ·Jigglypuff ·Kirby ·Link ·Luigi ·Mario ·Ness ·Pikachu ·Samus ·Yoshi |
| New inMelee | Bowser ·Dr. Mario ·Falco ·Ganondorf ·Ice Climbers ·Marth ·Mewtwo ·Mr. Game & Watch ·Peach ·Pichu ·Roy ·Sheik ·Young Link ·Zelda |
| New inBrawl | Diddy Kong ·Ike ·King Dedede ·Lucario ·Lucas ·Meta Knight ·Olimar (Pikmin) ·Pit ·Pokémon Trainer (Squirtle ·Ivysaur ·Charizard) ·R.O.B. ·Snake ·Sonic ·Toon Link ·Wario ·Wolf ·Zero Suit Samus |
| New inSmash 4 | (Alph) ·Bayonetta ·Bowser Jr. (Koopalings) ·Cloud ·Corrin ·Dark Pit ·Duck Hunt ·Greninja ·Little Mac ·Lucina ·Mega Man ·Mii Brawler ·Mii Gunner ·Mii Swordfighter ·Pac-Man ·Palutena ·Robin ·Rosalina &Luma ·Ryu ·Shulk ·Villager ·Wii Fit Trainer |
| New inUltimate | Banjo &Kazooie ·Byleth ·Chrom ·Daisy ·Dark Samus ·Hero ·Incineroar ·Inkling ·Isabelle ·Joker ·Kazuya ·Ken ·King K. Rool ·Min Min ·Mythra ·Piranha Plant ·Pyra ·Richter ·Ridley ·Sephiroth ·Simon ·Sora ·Steve (Alex,Zombie,Enderman) ·Terry |
 Game & Watch universe | |
|---|---|
| Fighter | Mr. Game & Watch (SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) |
| Stages | Flat Zone ·Flat Zone 2 ·Flat Zone X |
| Other | Stanley |
| Trophies,Stickers andSpirits | Trophies (SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4) ·Stickers ·Spirits |
| Music | Flat Zone ·Flat Zone 2 |
| Related content | Luigi |
