The Boss Fight Game Environment: The High-Rise in Early Handheld Gaming

Abstract Nintendo’s first handheld game console was the Game&Watch. It was a major success in Japan, the United States, France and Germany. This article demonstrates how novel urban infrastructures such as the high-rise occupied the central game drive of early handheld gaming in the Game&Watch. Specifically, Japan and Germany display a coming to terms post WWII in regard to their national identity, economy and infrastructure. The nature of the Game&Watch as one of the first consoles with realistic game environments, as well as being handheld, emphasized the vagabondism of the postwar era in both its material setup and the visual display of the game environment.