Before Mario: The history of Nintendo

Nintendo hasn't always focused on a plumber or a raccoon tycoon, though most would be forgiven for assuming that the world-famous Japanese game company got its start in exactly the same way. So: video games for kids! However, Nintendo's history shows a company that has always strived to follow the trend of video games, becoming one of the most recognizable brands in the world.

At its inception, Nintendo was known as Yamauchi Nintendo, after the company's founder, Fusajiro Yamauchi. He started doing Japanese lessons in Kyoto in 1889, then adopted the Western style and became popular in Japan. It wasn't until 1951 that the company took on the name as we know it today: Nintendo Playing Card Co. Ltd. The relationship with Disney and their characters allowed Nintendo to enter the children's market in 1959. As the 1960s began, Nintendo developed video games alongside playing cards. Their production grew over the course of the decade, experimenting with electronics and creating video games in the 1970s. It wasn't until 1980, however, that we got our first look at Nintendo. Nowadays. Since Nintendo is currently operating in the US, the game Donkey Kong has been released. In it, a plumber named "Jumpman" tries to save his girlfriend Pauline from the mad monkey. However, Jumpman was given a different identity, now synonymous with the Nintendo brand. Is that a boy in green named Link from the Zelda game? I do not think so. Around old Kirby? No, don't be stupid! Of course it's Super Mario! And here's an interesting fact:

Jumpman was renamed because the character looks a lot like office boss Mario Segali at Nintendo America headquarters. Nintendo started developing more games, including Legend of Zelda, but it was Super Mario that really exploded into a household name. The technology was developed around the same time, with the Game Boy becoming the first handheld game console in 1989. Subsequent Nintendo consoles included the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the Nintendo 64. Classic game library the latter include Goldeneye, Super Mario 64, and Mickey Mouse Speedway USA (basically Mickey Mouse Mario Kart with tracks in different parts of the UK - a personal favorite from my childhood).

The millennium saw Nintendo go global, establishing offices across Europe, including the UK and Italy. Pokémon, first released in 1999, has exploded across the world and has been a part of Nintendo's iconic characters ever since. The Nintendo DS was released, a mark of much of Gen Z's childhood, and the handheld console also introduced a shrewd little businessman named Tom Nook. Overcoming animals:

Wild World teaches the kids how to waste fruit and save money on a house, while convincing me that fossils can be salvaged from my backyard.

Nintendo continues to thrive with one of its most iconic consoles. The Nintendo Wii probably saw the destruction of many heirlooms in the family home, but revolutionized gaming with its easy(ish) motion controls and family play. The company continued to develop its console rapidly, but not always with success - the 3DS and Wii U were particularly weak for the company.

However, the demand for the Nintendo Switch even exceeded Nintendo's expectations! When it was released in 2016, it was still the best-selling console at the time and went on to become one of the most popular consoles ever released by any company. Hybrid consoles have become more appealing thanks to adaptations of classics, like Mario Kart. From humble beginnings as a card game, the brand has grown into one of the world's most beloved brands, appealing to both children and adults.

Which console do you miss the most? Or what games? Hopefully this brief trip through Nintendo history will make you want to play one of those old games again!