Nintendo didn't start with gaming consoles, they started with playing cards! Fusajiro Yamauchi started mass producing these in 1889 in Kyoto, Japan. They were called Hanafuda, meaning flower cards. The company was named Yamauchi Nintendo & Co. in 1933. 26 years (and a few names) later, they started putting Disney Characters on their cards which made them famous and rich. 1963 was a huge year for them because they changed their name to Nintendo Co. Ltd. and started making games. They tried to make toys and arcade machines, then in 1980 they created GAME & WATCH products and Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong was a smashing success! In Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong was the bad guy and Jumpman, later renamed Mario, was the hero.
Four years later, the first Nintendo gaming console called Famicom was launched in Japan. 1984 was a great year for them. They released Super Mario Bros (which was a success), Metroid, The Legend of Zelda, Punch Out, and Excite Bike. The Famicom was renamed the Nintendo Entertainment System and was sold throughout the world. Everyone wanted one! After that giant success, Nintendo went forward to create the hands free controller in 1988, the Game Boy in 1989, the Super Famicom in 1990, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1992, and Super Game Boy in 1994. Later on, Nintendo helped develop a rating system for games in the U.S.A. Then in 1994, Donkey Kong Country was made and was a huge hit. One year later, they sold their 1 billionth cartridge! The Nintendo 64 was launched in Japan in 1996, which is also when they made the Game Boy Pocket, and still truly amazing Pokémon the game. Then the Game Boy Color was made in 1998, along with the limited edition Pikachu Nintendo 64, the Game Boy Advance, and then the Game Cube in 2001. The Pokémon Mini was created a year later and was the smallest gaming console. In 2004, the Nintendo DS was launched with a hand held touch screen and one year later the Game Boy Micro was made. The Nintendo Wii was made in 2006. It was different than the other gaming systems because it had motion sensors. A lot of people who didn't play video games before started playing the Wii. Wii Sports was made that same year. Several new games and updated systems were created during this time period. 2010 marked Mario's 25th anniversary. Then the Nintendo 3DS with 3D technology was made in 2011, and the Wii U in 2012. Poképark 2 and Pokémon Black & White were made, and then in 2015, Splatoon was made. Finally, in 2016, the Nintendo Classic Mini was launched, and in just a few days, the Nintendo Switch is coming out!! It will be released on my brother's birthday, March 3, 2017.
So, who wants to learn about the brand new Nintendo Switch? Okay, I'll tell you. The Nintendo Switch is awesome because you can either put the switch into a black docking station or you can turn it into a portable console to carry with you. You can use two controllers to play face to face which sounds fun. A few new games on it are 1-2 Switch, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, and Super Mario Odyssey. I'm excited to try it out.
All in all Nintendo's history, and a bit of future, is very interesting. I enjoy playing my own gaming system and I think it would be exciting to make games. Do you have your own gaming system?
Here's a comic strip I made about the start of Nintendo:
You can download my comic strip as a coloring page on my Fun Stuff page here.
