Nintendo
Notable Games
Company History
Nintendo Co., Ltd. was founded on September 23, 1889, in Kyoto, Japan, by Fusajiro Yamauchi as a playing card company producing handmade hanafuda cards. For nearly a century, the company experimented with various businesses including taxi services, love hotels, and instant rice before pivoting to electronic entertainment in the 1970s.
Under president Hiroshi Yamauchi (grandson of the founder), Nintendo entered the arcade game market in the late 1970s. The hiring of Shigeru Miyamoto proved transformative — his creation of Donkey Kong (1981) established Nintendo as a creative force. The launch of the Famicom/NES in 1983/1985 revived the crashed North American video game market and established Nintendo as the dominant console manufacturer.
Nintendo has since produced some of gaming's most beloved franchises including Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Pokemon, Metroid, Kirby, and Animal Crossing. The company is known for prioritizing innovative gameplay experiences over raw hardware power, leading to groundbreaking products like the Game Boy, DS, Wii, and Switch.
Behind the Scenes
Nintendo's development philosophy centers on "fun first" — a principle championed by Shigeru Miyamoto and later reinforced by president Satoru Iwata. Miyamoto famously said, "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad." This philosophy has led Nintendo to delay major titles for polish while competitors rush to market.
Iwata, who became president in 2002, articulated the "Blue Ocean" strategy — rather than competing directly with Sony and Microsoft for hardcore gamers, Nintendo would create new markets by appealing to non-traditional audiences. This led to the DS and Wii, which dramatically expanded gaming's demographics.
Nintendo's internal development structure, organized around Entertainment Planning & Development (EPD) divisions, gives individual teams significant creative freedom while maintaining quality standards. The company's Kyoto headquarters intentionally distances itself from industry trends, allowing developers to focus on unique gameplay innovations.
Super Mario 64
• 1996
Super Mario Bros. 3
• 1988
Super Mario World
• 1990
Mario Kart DS
• 2005
New Super Mario Bros.
• 2006
Mario Kart 64
• 1996
Super Mario Bros
• 1985
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
• 1998
Tomodachi Collection
• 2009
The Legend of Zelda
• 1986
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
• 2003
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
• 2000
About Nintendo
Nintendo is an active game development company founded on September 23, 1889 and headquartered in .
Known for creating iconic titles such as Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario World and more, Nintendo has left an indelible mark on the video game industry.