From Playing Cards to Consoles: Nintendo’s Wild Origin Story

When you think of Nintendo, you probably picture Mario, Zelda, or your very first Game Boy. But what if I told you this gaming giant was founded in 1889—decades before televisions, airplanes, or even sliced bread?

That’s right. Nintendo began life as Nintendo Koppai, a small company in Kyoto, Japan, making handmade hanafuda playing cards. These cards were wildly popular for games of chance, and for nearly 70 years, they were Nintendo’s main business.

But here’s where it gets fun: Nintendo didn’t leap straight from cards to consoles. Along the way, they experimented with…

• 🧸 Toys in the 1960s, including an extendable “Ultra Hand” that became a hit in Japan.

• 🚕 Taxis and Instant Rice businesses (yes, really).

• ❤️ Even a chain of “love hotels.”

It wasn’t until the late 1970s that Nintendo truly reinvented itself with electronic entertainment. The breakthrough came in the early 1980s:

• 👾 Arcades with Donkey Kong introduced the world to Mario (then known as “Jumpman”).

• 🎮 The NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) brought gaming into millions of homes.

• 🌍 Nintendo franchises like Zelda, Mario Kart, and Pokémon became cultural icons.

Today, with the Nintendo Switch, they’ve sold over 130 million consoles worldwide—and the company continues to push the boundaries of gaming.

The takeaway? Nintendo has thrived for more than 130 years not by standing still, but by constantly reinventing what “play” means for each generation. From cards to consoles, they’ve stayed true to their mission: bringing joy through fun.r: you’re playing on a brand that’s been around for well over a century.