Nintendo

Nintendo is a multinational company that is world-renowned for producing some of the world’s most iconic video game franchises. From Super Mario Bros. to The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo has consistently delivered quality video games that captured the hearts of millions of gamers worldwide.

In this article, we’re going to take a brief look at the history of Nintendo, starting with its humble beginnings as a trading card company and going all the way up to the present day.

Origins of Nintendo

Nintendo was founded in Kyoto, Japan, in 1889, under the name of “Nintendo Koppai”. It was initially focused on producing and selling Hanafuda (flower cards), a popular Japanese card game. The cards had beautiful artwork and had a unique gameplay that required skill, strategy, and memory. Nintendo’s founders, Fusajiro Yamauchi, and his son-in-law, Sekiryo Kaneda, started the business with a single room in their Kyoto home, later moving on to open a shop in the nearby city of Osaka.

Nintendo’s Shift to Video Games

Despite the success of their cards, the company struggled to maintain the same level of success due to the fall in popularity of traditional card games. They subsequently decided to shift their focus towards electronic gaming, which held a lot of potential, given the rise of arcade machines and video game consoles.

In 1977, Nintendo released its first home video game console, the Color TV-Game 6, in Japan. The console was a massive success, and it was soon followed by the Color TV-Game 15, which featured 15 variations of Pong. This marked the start of Nintendo’s success in the video game industry and paved the way for the release of the famous Famicom/NES console.

The Rise of Nintendo’s Most Iconic Characters

Nintendo was responsible for creating some of the most iconic video game characters of all time. In 1981, Mario was first introduced in Donkey Kong, a game that had originally been designed as a Popeye game but was rebranded to make Mario the protagonist. Donkey Kong proved to be just the start of Mario’s legacy, with the sequel Super Mario Bros. setting the standard for platformers for years to come.

Another popular franchise created by Nintendo was The Legend of Zelda, which was first released in 1986. The game was set in the fantasy world of Hyrule and featured a young hero named Link, who was tasked with saving Princess Zelda and Hyrule from the evil Ganon. The game was a huge success and went on to spawn numerous sequels and spin-offs.

Nintendo’s Recent Success

Nintendo has continued to be a significant player in the video game industry, with the release of popular consoles like the Game Boy, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii, and Nintendo Switch. The company has also continued to create successful franchises like Pokémon, Animal Crossing, and Super Smash Bros.

One of Nintendo’s latest consoles, the Nintendo Switch, was released in 2017 and has been a massive success, with over 89 million units sold worldwide as of March 2021. The console offered a unique hybrid design that allowed players to play on their TV or take the console on the go in handheld mode, making it a versatile and accessible gaming device for all types of players.

Conclusion

Nintendo is one of the most iconic video game companies of all time and has captured the hearts of gamers worldwide, young and old, for over a century. From humble beginnings as a trading card company to being one of the leading names in the video game industry, Nintendo has come a long way. With a library of beloved franchises and consoles, Nintendo is here to stay, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for us in the future.