FPGA-Optimised Game & Watch Files
The MiSTer/Analogue Pocket Game & Watch core by agg23 is excellent, but just running the regular MAME files through a converter doesn't get you the best results. I've spent a considerable number of hours adjusting and optimising the MAME ROMs and artwork to work better, both on TV and on the smaller Pocket screen.
Improvements
- Screen frames have been cropped so the game fills the usable space (720x720). Additionally, visible parts of the frame have been adjusted to match the pure black of the surrounding screen.
- For Multi Screen games, the gap between screens has been significantly reduced to maximise screen size.
- Super Colour LCD and artwork layers have been manually corrected so that Crab Grab and Spitball Sparky display in their correct original colours.
- Numerous tweaks to LCD alignment.
- Tiger Electronics games have completely reworked layouts that are as close as possible to original hardware (with minor adjustments to line up UI elements etc), alongside adjustments to controls, added LCD shadows, slightly brighter screens in hardware views, and more tweaks.
- The Tronica games Shuttle Voyage and Thief in Garden are now playable. Press the Select button to cycle to the game modes: Set Time > Watch > Calculator (non-functional) > Game A > Game B.
View Options
All games are available in four views:
- Screen Only (No Shadows): The screen fills the usable space edge-to-edge. No shadows or other frills. Looks great on Analogue Pocket!
- Screen Only (Shadows): As above, but with shadows that approximate the original layered LCD screen.
- Hardware (Frame): Large screen sizes but with a visible hardware border plus shadows and other physical attributes. Single screen games appear at actual size on the Pocket screen. Multi Screens are pushed together to maximise screen size.
- Hardware (Full): Unaltered, full-view hardware bezels, perfect for TV output on MiSTer and Analogue Dock (they do also run on Pocket, with adorably tiny screens).
Bonus Variants
A selection of custom variants are included, based on other game versions from G&W history:
- Silver Series Color: The original "Silver series" (Ball, Vermin, Flagman, Judge and Fire) lacked the color background layer of later games. Fan-made color backgrounds by DarthMarino imagine what those could have looked like.
- Ball (Mario/Luigi) & Vermin (Link): Special new variants based on the 35th anniversary Game & Watch Color Screen releases!
- Fire (Reverse): According to Game & Watch Gallery 3 the original design for Fire had the building on the right side of the screen, but this was accidentally reversed during the development process. Now you can play the game as originally pitched!
- Fire Attack (Bandits): In Game & Watch Gallery 4, the attackers in Fire Attack were altered to remove the Native American imagery. This version recreates those changes.
- Judge (Green version): The original release of Judge had a green case, but also contained a bug in the gameplay. The later purple release fixed the bug, but you can choose the green case option to play the original. (Hardware views only)
- Crab Grab/Spitball Sparky (White case): Very rare variants of the Super Color games had a white case, instead of silver. There's no gameplay difference. (Hardware views only)
Important Info
- These files are designed for agg23's Game & Watch FPGA core for MiSTer and Analogue Pocket - please make sure you're not using the older MiSTer core.
- All Game & Watch games supported by version 0.2.0 of the FPGA core are now available, plus all supported third party games from Elektronika, Konami, Tiger and Tronica. There are more G&W games that use a more advanced CPU, but are not currently supported by the FPGA core.
- You can use the "Fetch" feature in Pocket Sync to keep these files up-to-date on your Analogue Pocket.
Credits
This project is built off the incredible work of the MAME team, in particular the artwork and layout files created by hydef, DarthMarino, and others. Artwork for Ball (Mario/Luigi), Vermin (Link), Fire Attack (Bandits) and Fire (Reverse) modified by me, Espiox. And of course thanks to Adam Gastineau (agg23) for his fantastic FPGA core!
Updates
23rd Jan 2024: Added the newly-dumped Tiger game Pit-Fighter, plus the previously-broken Tronica games Shuttle Voyage and Thief in Garden! Press the Select button to cycle to the game modes: Set Time > Watch > Calculator (non-functional) > Game A > Game B. There's also updated background artwork for Ninja Gaiden, Skeleton Warriors and Strider. Check back soon for more updates!