Nintendo Mini Classics are a series of small LCD games licensed by Nintendo since 1998. Most games in the series are reissues of Game & Watch titles, but the series does include titles that were not from the original Game & Watch line. All of the Mini Classics titles are still officially licensed by Nintendo.
Design
Each Mini Classics unit is designed to look like a small Game Boy. Units typically have a D-pad and three buttons. A large action button that is also used for setting the alarm, and two smaller buttons typically marked "Game A" and "Game B" but could also serve different functions depending on the game. A keychain is attached to the top left hand corner, but could be removed. Most units also had stand on the back. Some games, however, do not have a stand, especially the Dual-screen releases such as Oil Panic and Donkey Kong. Similar to the Game and Watch, the Nintendo Mini Classics units have alarm clock features. Each unit is powered by two AG12/Button Cell/LR43 batteries, which are packaged with the Nintendo Mini Classic.
Some of the Mini Classics models, particularly the often-reissued Mario and Donkey Kong titles, have undergone several different color changes since the original 1998 releases, mostly due to multiple companies working with Nintendo to make and distribute the titles. Some titles have also been given new color-tinted LCD displays since then. The companies that help distribute them are also responsible of the programming for their versions of the titles, which is why some might sound and behave differently.
Stadlbauer: silver case/blue case/smaller pack with green case
Toymax: silver case
MGA: blue case
It's Outrageous: green case with color LCD
Stadlbauer: silver case
The Smurfs
Take 2: transparent blue-green case
Take 2 : yellow case
Snoopy Tennis
Stadlbauer: white case
Distributors
Zappies Ltd, exclusive distributor in the UK.
Stadlbauer, maker of the Nintendo Mini Classics, and principal distributor of the titles in Europe.
Take-Two Interactive, distributor of the Mini Classics in parts of Europe. The only known distributor of Oil Panic and the games based on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Toymax, first American distributor of the Mini Classics. The first wave released in 1998 consisted of Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong Jr., Fire, and Parachute. Octopus and Mario's Cement Factory were issued shortly thereafter in 1999. The packaging and an insert included for the last two games indicate that Snoopy Tennis apparently was also released in that time, but a Toymax-branded version of the game has yet to be discovered.
MGA Entertainment, after the Toymax releases, MGA reissued Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong Jr., and Mario's Cement Factory in the USA beginning in 2000.
It's Outrageous, current distributor of the Mini Classics in the United States. The company re-reissued Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong Jr., and Mario's Cement Factory, and introduced several of the newer Mini Classics to America, including Donkey Kong, Zelda, Soccer, Spiderman, and Carrea.
Playtronic, former distributor of Mini Classics in Brazil.
Candide, current distributor of the Mini Classics in Brazil. 5 titles were released, all of them are the It's Outrageous versions. The games are Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong Jr., Soccer, SMB Cement Factory, and Carrera.
