You may have noticed over the past few weeks that Nintendo has been releasing Game & Watch titles for the DSi at 200 points a pop. Then again, maybe you haven’t, since I had to put a temporary kibosh on my Nintendon’t column. Either way, most of the titles are really simple and not worth the points; even the most ardent Nintendo fan would have a hard time finding something to love about Ball or Manhole. The good news is that these throwaway releases bring us one step closer to an inexpensive return of Zelda Game & Watch from eons ago.
I actually used to own one of these when I was a kid (along with Donkey Kong Jr. and Mario Bros.), but my mom accidentally pitched it during some sort of misguided “spring cleaning” frenzy. Considering that the game is now selling for around $200 on eBay, I think it’s safe to say that this was a tragedy. I know for many, LCD games are ancient artifacts from the pre-Game-Boy era, but the Zelda Game & Watch is an exception. Though the game is simpler than even the original NES adventure, it was definitely the deepest and most satisfying experience of its kind.
1. Don’t be afraid of the music editor – Unless you’re already a composer, I think everyone’s first instinct will be to click on the little maestro in the corner and let him handle all of the tunes. It’s a cool a feature that is still plenty customizable, so I’m glad it’s there. Even so, give yourself a little credit! You’re not tone deaf, and you only need to come up with four to eight seconds worth of music. Experiment a little – move notes around, learn how to stack notes to make chords and try all of the different instruments. As someone who has used both methods, I can tell you that manual composition is much more satisfying than automatic. Also, the maestro is never going to be able to reproduce Super Mario Land music or the Don’t Wake Daddy jingle.
Though the GameHounds Humpdate unfortunately 
