They say idle hands are the devil’s playground. The implication is that when we’re not busy or distracted, we’ll get into trouble. If that’s true, then the devil must be awfully bored, because it’s hard to imagine anyone in the modern world going anywhere or doing anything without some sort of handheld digital distraction. From cell phones to Steam Decks to the Nintendo Switch 2, there’s no shortage of gadgets for un-idling our hands. This wasn’t always the case, though. Forty years ago, a chance encounter on a Japanese commuter train revolutionized our games, and our culture, forever.
Legendary Nintendo designer Gunpei Yokoi was on an ordinary commute when something caught his eye. He noticed a businessman playing with a calculator. It wasn’t a game or anything, but the way he mindlessly toyed with the device inspired in Yokoi the idea that people want portable games. A practical hook, making the pocket game also function as a pocket watch, helped Yokoi sell the idea. In April 1980, the Game & Watch series was born.
