GoKawiilNintendo's Game & Watch traced back to a bored commuter's calculator
Nintendo designer Gunpei Yokoi conceived the Game & Watch after spotting a commuter fidgeting with a calculator on a train in 1979, realizing games could be portable rather than confined to arcades or living rooms. He pitched the concept to Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi just before a meeting with Sharp, the leading calculator maker at the time, leading to a partnership that borrowed calculator technology like LCD screens and segment-based displays.