MyPlay Watch is one of those companies that leans hard into Gen X and Millennial nostalgia for classic console and arcade games. The company has a number of products, including Atari and Space Invaders watches, but the new Mega Man: MyPlay is the most 90s-coded of the bunch.
Mega Man: MyPlay Watch features a custom version of the NES classic Mega Man 2 with original sprites, stages, bosses, and music for an “authentic” experience, though the controls have been revamped to work with one-touch input. The game features two modes: a “Classic” stage-by-stage progression and “Arcade,” which launches you into selected stages with speed and difficulty increasing as you go.
Not only does the Mega Man: MyPlay Watch come with a custom version of Mega Man 2 installed, but it’s also a fully functional smartwatch with activity tracking, changeable watch faces—including custom Mega Man designs—calorie counting, and a heart rate monitor.
I can’t blame MyPlay Watch for taking advantage of the generational yearning for the pre-Internet time. After all, that yearning seems to be everywhere these days. We’ve reached a point where nostalgia-bait tech is a full-fledged industry, with products available across categories, from tabletop mini arcade cabinets to arcade bars to vintage-style handhelds. Some folks are even taking the desire for classic tech into their own hands. YouTuber LeggoMyFroggo recently hit the news for turning a Nintendo Game Boy Color into a watch using the original Game Boy Color CPU. But for those of us less inclined to solder our own hardware, the MyPlay Watch could serve a similar need.
The Mega Man: MyPlay Watch is available for preorder now for $79.99 at GameStop. At that price, if it performs well, it’s practically a steal.
