input needed - what are the best Game & Watch games?

[extra_anchovy]

I want to obtain a collection of childhood G&W's and also some of the best G&W's that I missed out on.
So I'm looking for input preferably from people who have played at least 10 G&W games on real hardware. please specify how many real hardware G&W games you've played along with your recommendations.

don't include the multiscreen Zelda, Mario Bros, Donkey Kong, Life Boat, Gold Cliff and Oil Panic as these are the aforementioned childhood G&W's which I'll definitely be getting.
also which are the best games out of the Panorama and Table Top range?

[Tanooki]

Well you ask for us to have played 10, then slice a few out. Zelda is one of the very best though it is bested by the wrist watch Zelda as it's designed as a dungeon crawler after the original.

Here's some I think are worthwhile.
- Super Mario Bros (wide screen, platformer loosely plays like the console game)
- Balloon Fight (plays like Game-C on the NES)
- Safebuster (like Kaboom!, catch bombs falling towards bank safe)
- Donkey Kong Jr (unique, vaguely like stage1 of DKjr)
- Donkey Kong II (mix of first stage and last of DKjr)
- Climber (it's like Ice Climber but not slippery and more interesting)
- Bombsweeper (unique, push walls to reach bombs before they blow)
- Pinball (it is what it is, not largely loved but it's a fun distraction)

I list those as they have a fun little story and game play mechanic going to almost all of them. If you're just wanting basic point racking stuff any of the old gold/silver releases will do and the multi-screen stuff like Oil Panic which you had.

I wouldn't really recommend the tablettops, 2 of them stink and the other 2 (Mario Cement Factory and DK Jr are copies of the handhelds.) Also the DK one is just bland and ugly, they also released an identical game for the Coleco brand but it has some really sweet sticker/marquee art on it. I can't really recommend the panorama stuff much either, though Mario Bombs Away is kind of interesting as you are military mario and bring bombs over to a guy who will light them, throw 5 into the trees to blow up the enemy but they'll try and light your fuse first and a lazy grunt on your side will too throwing cigarettes into spilled oil at your feet (jerk.)

[davidbrit2]

Tabletop DK Jr. is actually a different game from the standard handheld.

I'd recommend DK, DK Jr, and DK II. All three of those are excellent. Also Super Mario Bros.

It's also worth mentioning that the Game & Watch Gallery collections are all great if you want to sample a few before hunting down the real things.

[extra_anchovy]

tanooki- I said preferably reply if you played 10, but if you played less you can still reply just specify how many you played.
but theres just not much value in someone's opinion who's only played 2 or 3 on which the best ones are
thanks for your suggestions most of what you listed seems to concur with other sources
point taken about the tabletops but one advantage is that they are in colour, so I think I'll at least Mario's Bombs Away Panorama as that wasn't released as a handheld

davidbrit2- is DK Jr tabletop different from panorama or are they the same? also I don't think the games will be as fun on a gameboy

[davidbrit2]

Yeah, looks like the DK Jr. Panorama is the same as the tabletop version. The standard G&W DK Jr. is a different game.

[retroman]

I have always liked Popeye.