Mr. Game & Watch: Difference between revisions

|caption      = [[File:Game&WatchSymbol.svg|50px|class=invert]]<br>In-game sprite of Mr. Game & Watch from ''Game & Watch Gallery 4''.

|species      = Monochrome

The composite Mr. Game & Watch character debuted in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''. While some Game & Watch games starred specific characters, such as [[Mario]] in ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario'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 to ''Smash'', 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 from ''Fire'' and the pedestrians from ''Manhole''. 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 in ''Melee'', 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 in ''{{s|mariowiki|Game & Watch Gallery 4}}''. He has also made a number of cameos in other Nintendo games, including multiple entries in the [[Wario (universe)|''WarioWare'' series]], ''{{s|mariowiki|Donkey Kong Country Returns}}'', ''{{s|wikipedia|Rhythm Heaven Fever}}'', and ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Odyssey}}''.

Mr. Game & Watch translated well into ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''. However, this proves to become a severe disadvantage. His movement is choppy and sluggish, thus meaning he becomes dependent on [[wavedashing]] and [[dash-dancing]] as his primary method of movement. His moves, primarily his special moves, have very limited uses in competitive play and only two of his [[aerial attack]]s can be [[L-canceling|L-canceled]]. However, the few usable moves he has come equipped with high range and very large [[hitbox]]es, 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 small [[shield]] (which leaves his hands and feet unprotected, even at maximum size) and a very poor [[sidestep]] and [[roll]], 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.

[[File:Mr. Game and Watch SSE.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A quintet of false Mr. Game & Watches in the [[Subspace Emissary]]]]

Interestingly, in a [[DOJO!!]] update where Sakurai explained some mysteries about the [[Subspace Emissary]], he says that [[Tabuu]] used Mr. Game & Watch's flat qualities to create [[Shadow Bug]]s, making Mr. Game & Watch the origin of Shadow Bugs, though Mr. Game & Watch is not aware of it himself.

Mr. Game & Watch has been significantly buffed from ''Melee'', as he benefits from ''Brawl''{{'}}s new physics, along with other various buffs. The introduction of [[hitstun canceling]] and [[momentum 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 as [[B-reversing]] also help him out, and the removal of certain Melee mechanics such as [[L-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 in ''Melee'', although he still struggles against the stronger characters in the game, resulting in him being above average.

Mr. Game & Watch is once again an unlockable playable character. He was teased before release in a small appearance at the end of {{SSB4|Pac-Man}}'s reveal trailer to illustrate how the two are the oldest characters in ''Smash Bros.'' history (even older than Mario and Donkey Kong); in that cameo, he notably performs his down taunt from ''Brawl'', which was replaced by the release of ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS''.

Overall, Mr. Game & Watch was nerfed in the transition to ''Smash 4''. The removal of Bucket Braking is his most notable negative change, as it greatly hinders his ability to survive, considering his status as a lightweight character. Several of his moves also have added [[lag|ending 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 the ''Smash 4'' [[tier list]], and he has seen lackluster tournament representation and results.

Mr. Game & Watch is once again an unlockable playable character in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', alongside the entire playable roster of the series. He now changes appearance depending on the game in which the move he is using comes from. 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 to [[Mega Man]]'s. In addition, his Final Smash, Octopus, now carries and drags opponents offscreen.

Having been regarded as a lower mid-tier character in SSB4 (38th out of 54), Mr. Game & Watch has been significantly buffed in his transition to Ultimate. 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 to ''Ultimate'', arguably the most out of any other returning veteran. While these changes have weakened his most powerful tools and set-ups from ''SSB4'', they have also greatly improved several of his more underwhelming moves in his toolkit from the previous game. As a result, he is widely agreed to be a high tier or top tier character and his iteration in ''Ultimate'' is almost universally agreed to be his best, being ranked 18th out of 82 on the current ''Ultimate'' [[tier list]].

*Conceptually, Mr. Game & Watch is the only 2D playable character in the ''Smash Bros.'' series. However, in the technical sense, he is composed of a 3D model 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 as [[Flat Zone]] and [[Pac-Land]]. The 2D illusion is broken somewhat when Mr. Game & Watch becomes [[metal]], is a [[false character]], is covered in {{b|ink|status}}, or if the Z-axis glitch is performed on him. as his body is no longer featureless and appears to be rounded. This can also occur during certain cinematic [[Final Smash|Final Smashes]], such as [[Dede-Rush]], [[Triple Wolf]], or [[Supernova]]. His [[amiibo]] 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 the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, having debuted in April 1980 ([[Pac-Man]] would debut in Japan a month later).

**Although the ''Game & Watch'' was first released in 1980, Mr. Game & Watch didn't conceptually exist until ''[[Super 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 original ''Game & Watch'' handhelds.

***That said, Mr. Game & Watch, as a character in ''Smash Bros.'', is an amalgamation of different ''Game & Watch'' titles, so it's likely that he represents the entire ''Game & Watch'' brand rather than a specific game. This is further supported in ''Ultimate'', where Mr. Game & Watch, for several of his moves, changes his appearance to resemble the character in the game from which the move originated.