Nintendo certainly needs no introduction. The iconic Japanese company, known both for some serious, cutting-edge innovation as well as pop-culture symbols such as Mario, has been in existence for over 125 years. Nintendo has captured our imagination and dominated the video games market ever since it released its first console – the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).

But, as with any company that’s been around for over a century, Nintendo has had its fair share of ups and downs. The advent of the Sony Playstation and Microsoft Xbox meant it ceded space in the mid-ground and hardcore gaming markets – something which it hasn’t addressed to date. Nintendo has also been slow in catering to the smartphone gaming revolution. However, its titles still remain overwhelmingly popular, and the handheld console market is by and large Nintendo through and through.

In this article, we’ll try to take you through a journey of Nintendo’s history.

Timeline

1889

Nintendo, originally named “Nintendo Koppai”, is started in 1889 in Kyoto by Japanese entrepreneur Fusajiro Yamauchi. The company makes hand-made playing card decks, known as Hanafuda.

The meaning of “Nin Ten Do” is disputed and seems to be lost in time. One widely accepted translation of the Japanese characters is “leave luck to heaven.”

1956

The company stays true to its roots of making playing cards, introducing a couple of new product lines, but not much else in terms of innovation. Nintendo is now run by Fusajiro’s grandson, Hiroshi Yamauchi, who visits the US in 1956 to collaborate with American card companies but is shocked by what he sees. The most successful companies operate in tiny offices – which indicates to him that Nintendo’s future looks bleak. If the company wishes to keep growing, it needs to diversify.

In 1959 Nintendo enters into a partnership with Disney, resulting in the popular cartoon characters being printed on card packs made by the Japanese hopeful. This partnership allows it to move away from the traditional market of gambling and engage with a wider audience.

Nintendo publishes books on the various games people can play with its cards and consumers love it. Over 600,000 packs are sold in the first year alone.

So what’s the future?

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