From handmade playing cards in Kyoto to the maker of Mario and the Switch
QUICK FACTS
Est. 1889 — best known for video games and consoles including Mario and the Switch.
HISTORY
Nintendo was founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi in Kyoto as Nintendo Koppai, producing handmade hanafuda playing cards. Over the following decades the company tried out several other businesses — including a taxi service, a love hotel chain, and instant rice — before settling on toys and games in the 1960s under Fusajiro's great-grandson Hiroshi Yamauchi.
Nintendo entered the video game hardware business with the Color TV-Game consoles in 1977, then found global success with the Famicom (released outside Japan as the Nintendo Entertainment System) in 1983 and franchises like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda, created by designer Shigeru Miyamoto. It has continued to define the industry with handhelds like the Game Boy and hybrid consoles like the Switch, launched in 2017.
PRODUCTS
Flagship platformer franchise since 1985
Hybrid home/handheld console launched 2017
Long-running action-adventure franchise since 1986
TIMELINE
This page is compiled from publicly available company history and is provided for general reference only. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please consult the brand's official website.