Game & Watch Gallery 3

Game & Watch Gallery 3 is described as 5 games in one, but it is really more like fifteen. The first five games are: Egg, Greenhouse, Turtle Bridge, Mario Bros., and Donkey Kong Jr. Each of these games was originally available as an LCD Game & Watch title (the handheld game also served as a timepiece, hence the name). Each game has a classic (the original LCD game) and modern (updated with flagship Nintendo characters) mode, and they are different enough for me to consider them to be separate games. For instance, in the classic version of Egg, you control a wolf trying to catch eggs as they roll down ramps. In the modern version of Egg, you control Yoshi and use your tongue to swipe cookies as they roll down ramps, at the same time making sure not to eat any Bob-ombs. While the basic concept is the same, I consider this to be two games. Each game has two difficulty settings, and the modern games have a third extra-hard setting when you have earned more than 1000 points on a game.

An interesting aspect of this cartridge is the rewards system. While playing the games, you collect stars. One star is earned for every 200 points you get in a game. The stars open up new options in the Gallery part of the game, accessible at the main menu. In the Gallery, you can play with music, get tips on the games, visit a museum to view information on classic Nintendo games (you can see more stuff if you link with other Game & Watch titles), and view other secrets. After you earn 50 stars, you are able to view a cute little animation. While I am no where near having all of the stars, I believe there is a total of 120.

I said that I consider this cartridge to be fifteen games in one and the rewards system is where the extra five games come from. As you earn certain numbers of stars (I'm not sure of the exact numbers), you are able to play extra games. The extra five games are Judge (also a 2P game if someone else has Game & Watch Gallery 3), Flagman, Lion, Spitball Sparky, and Donkey Kong II. These games do not have a modern mode.

The best feature of this cartridge is the ability to pause a game you are playing and then turn the Game Boy off. When you turn it on again, your game will still be at the place where you paused.

Overall, Game & Watch Gallery 3 is an excellent game. While it is true that it can get boring if you play it long enough, it is still fun enough to come back to later. With the variety of games on the cartridge, it is an excellent travel game for long roadtrips/flights. Definitely a five star game.