When it comes to gaming, there’s one company that evoked more nostalgia than any other.
That, of course, is Nintendo.
It continues to publish and develop some of the most popular video game franchises in the world…
and competes among the big 3 to this day.
This is the evolution of Nintendo.
Nintendo’s origins can actually be traced all the way back to 1889,
when it was founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi as Yamauchi Nintendo.
Mr. Yamauchi started off by producing handmade Hanafuda,
which is a type of Japanese playing cards.
In 1959, Nintendo, which changed its name to Nintendo Playing Card,
entered into an agreement with Walt Disney to use the Disney characters on their cards.
A few years later, the company’s name was shortened to just ‘Nintendo’,
with nobody being 100% sure what the word Nintendo actually means,
though it’s thought to loosely translate as ‘leave luck to heaven’.
Over the following years playing cards became less popular among Japanese households
and in 1964, the value of the company’s stock began to plummet from 900 to just 60 Yen.
Nintendo was in heavy debt and Yamauchi was desperate to find the next big thing.
So, they decided to invest in new ventures,
like packages of instant rice…
A taxi service…
And the not so very family-friendly love hotels.
Eventually Nintendo decided to venture into the weapons business…
Uh, I mean the toy market,
and released Japan’s first electronic toy in 1970,
the Nintendo Beam Gun.
This would become an ancestor to the NES Zapper that was later used in video games such as Duck Hunt.
In 1972, an American company named Magnavox created the first commercial home video game console,
the Magnavox Odyssey.
Nintendo developed and produced a light gun accessory for the console.
Two years later, Nintendo also secured the rights to distribute the Magnavox Odyssey in Japan.
Having witnessed first-hand how popular video games were,
Nintendo began to work on building its own consoles.
Nintendo’s first official console was a joint effort with partner Mitsubishi.
Released in 1977, it was given the unimaginative title of the ‘Color TV-Game 6,’
with the number 6 denoting how many games could be played on it.
Soon after, they also released the ‘Color TV-Game 15’,
TV-Game Racing 112,
Block Kuzushi
and the Computer TV Game.
It’s hard to imagine that games on these consoles really were this simple.
At the same time, Nintendo was also working on developing games for arcades,
many of which would later be ported to consoles
including Donkey Kong
and Mario Brothers.
The company’s first venture into handheld electronic gaming came in 1980 with the Game & Watch.
The product derived its name from featuring just a single game,
as well as a clock on an LCD screen.
Multiple series of the Game & Watch were made.
Some looking drastically different,
like the Multi Screen that featured two screens and a clam-shell design
that would later be replicated in future handheld Nintendo consoles.
Until 1991, Nintendo released around 60 different Game & Watch games,
like Ball…
Parachute..
Snoopy….
Donkey Kong Jr…
And Mario the Juggler.
To keep gamers entertained, most games came with two modes,
‘GAME A’ representing the ‘easy mode’,
and ‘GAME B’ representing a faster, harder version of the same game’.
The Game & Watch sold 43.4 million units worldwide.
FUN FACT:
Gunpei Yokoi got the idea to create the Game & Watch
when he saw a bored man play with his calculator in the train.
In 1985 Nintendo really started to stand out from the crowd,
as they released the much-loved Nintendo Entertainment System, or ‘NES’.
It was Nintendo’s first home video game console released outside of Japan.
A different-looking version had already been released within Japan in 1983,
known as the Family Computer or ‘Famicom’,
and while some games and art styles varied, the consoles were essentially the same in terms of performance.
To say the NES was significant is an understatement.
It helped to revive the video game industry after the crash in 1983,
going on to sell 62 million units worldwide
and set the record for the longest-surviving video game system in history.
It stayed on the American market until 1995,
and in Japan it wasn’t discontinued until 2003!
Many of Nintendo’s most successful game franchises were born on the NES,
like Final Fantasy…
Castlevania…
Metroid…
and the Legend of Zelda.
Duck Hunt was also very popular,
but the most-sold game for the NES, with over 40 million copies sold, was, of course,
Super Mario Brothers.
The NES was praised for its simple, yet at the time, innovative controller.
Joysticks were the common method of control before Nintendo designed and patented their D-pad.
Even though the trend has now reversed, with joysticks often being preferred,
D-pads were much better for playing 2D games like Donkey Kong.
FUN FACT:
Donkey Kong was the first game that involved jumping
and is therefore considered to be the first true platformer.
In 1989, Nintendo offered more versatility to gamers
with the handheld, brick-like Game Boy that used interchangeable cartridges.
This meant that gamers could simply buy a game, rather than a new device,
each time they wanted a different experience.
Remaining popular until this day, the Game Boy was portable, durable
and came with hugely popular titles like Super Mario Land,
Kirby’s Dreamland,
Pokémon Red and Blue
and Tetris.
Nintendo released a compact version, the Game Boy Pocket, in 1996.
It was notably smaller and lighter, and came in different colors.
This Game Boy had a black-and-white display, rather than the green-tinted display of the original Game Boy.
The battery life however was decreased from 15 hours for the original to roughly 10 hours.
Two years later, the Game Boy Light hit shelves exclusively in Japan.
The Game Boy screen was difficult to see in the dark,
and the Game Boy Light fixed that problem with a backlight.
Next came the Game Boy Color, released in 1998.
It came in colorful colors and like the name suggests,
the Game Boy Color could display games in color.
Many games were re-released with color like The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening…
and Tetris.
Other games included Pokémon Gold and Silver,
Super Mario Brothers Deluxe
and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Seasons.
Needless to say but the Game Boy and the Game Boy Color were a massive success.
In total 118.7 million units were sold.
FUN FACT:
In 1993, a Russian cosmonaut, named Aleksandr Serebrov
took his Game Boy to space to play Tetris.
The Game Boy is said to have orbited earth 3000 times
and was sold at an auction for $1,220.
The much-anticipated successor to the NES was the SNES,
released in 1991 in the United States with the new ‘S’ standing for ‘Super’,
hence the Famicom, released one year earlier in Japan,
also became the Super Famicom.
The SNES was a 16-bit console that saw a significant increase
in processing power, audio and more advanced cartridges.
At the time, Nintendo and Sega were going head-to-head in what is referred to as ‘the bit wars’,
with advertising campaigns taking jabs at each other and both claiming to have the superior console.
Eventually Nintendo got the upper hand and ended up outselling its closest rival,
with 49 million units sold, compared to Sega Genesis’ sales of 35 million.
The third best-selling console at the time was the TurboGrafx-16,
which lagged far behind with sales of 10 million units.
Games that appeared on the SNES included the first Mario Kart game,
as well as sequels to popular franchises such as Final Fantasy 6…
Super Mario World…
Super Metroid…
Donkey Kong Country…
and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
The SNES controller got a makeover too,
with rounded edges replacing the former rectangular design
and additional buttons being added to both the front and shoulders of the gamepad.
In 1995, the Virtual Boy was released, but it was a commercial failure.
You had to put your head in a mounted display, which was like a VR headset.
VR didn’t add to games at all, it was just a novelty.
It was also uncomfortable to wear, not portable, too expensive,
and games were not in full color, but in black and red…
Those colors were just unappealing,
especially when compared to the colorful games in other Nintendo consoles.
It featured a number of games, including Mario’s Tennis,
Wario Land
and 3D Tetris.
But those games weren’t played that much,
since people experienced dizziness and headaches from this thing.
The Virtual Boy is one of the worst-selling consoles of all time,
with roughly 770,000 units sold.
FUN FACT:
Nintendo claimed that a color display would have made the system too expensive
and that it would result in “jumpy” images, so the company opted for a monochrome display.
Nintendo began to face tougher opposition when they released their next generation of console,
the Nintendo 64 in 1996.
After all, they now had to compete with the very successful PlayStation,
which had already been out for 2 years at that point.
Despite quadrupling their bits to 64 and outselling the Sega Saturn,
with sales figures of 33 million to just 9 million,
the cartridge-based N64 was no match for the CD-based PlayStation,
which took over the crown as market leader
and sold more than double the amount of the other two combined.
In a trend that still holds true for many today,
Nintendo came to be recognized as a source of fun and entertainment for families,
rather than a serious gaming console for individuals.
Nintendo’s games tended to have much more cartoon-like graphics and fantasy-based characters,
compared to the added realism brought by other machines.
Having said that, the N64 did take major steps forward in terms of its modern 3D graphics
and featured iconic titles that are still enjoyed today.
It had a fantastic library of adventure and party games like Super Mario 64…
Super Smash Brothers…
Pokémon Stadium…
Donkey Kong 64…
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time….
Mario Kart 64…
And GoldenEye 007.
The N64 controller was a controversial change, featuring a three-pronged design
with a central joystick, d-pad, face and shoulder buttons
plus a trigger button at the back.
FUN FACT:
The epic multiplayer mode for GoldenEye was a last-minute addition.
Developer Steve Ellies had access to the code written for a single-player game
and decided to turn GoldenEye into a multiplayer game within a month.
So thanks, Steve!
Three years later than planned, in 2001, the Game Boy Advance hit store shelves.
It had a landscape design and incorporated shoulder buttons,
which is why they called it the Advance.
With processing power similar to that of the SNES,
the Advance’s game library was full of SNES ports,
allowing gamers to play the same epic titles while on the move.
This, of course, included the greats like ‘Super Mario World’…
‘The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past’…
And games from the ‘Final Fantasy’ series.
Pokémon games, like Ruby and Sapphire were also big hits with Advance owners.
A compact, foldable version of the Game Boy Advance came out in 2003, known as the ‘SP’.
The original Game Boy Advance received complaints due to the dark screen,
and the SP fixed that problem using a significantly brighter LCD screen
and an internal front-light.
It was also the first of Nintendo’s handheld lineup that had a rechargeable battery.
The Game Boy Micro came in 2005 and was much smaller than the original.
The design could be changed with interchangeable faceplates.
The Game Boy Micro did not sell well,
because the Nintendo DS was already released at this time.
In total, the Nintendo Advance family sold over 81.5 million units globally.
A console you probably never heard of before is the Pokémon mini, released in 2001.
It was the smallest game system Nintendo created and themed around the Pokémon franchise.
In total, only 10 games were released for the Pokémon mini,
most of which were only available in Japan.
Although it’s unknown how many units were sold, the Pokémon mini certainly wasn’t a success.
It was discontinued a year after its release.
If the Nintendo 64 was up against it, then the Nintendo GameCube was even more so.
Released in 2001, it was up against the PlayStation 2,
and Microsoft's new system the Xbox.
The GameCube looked much more kid-friendly and like a toy in comparison to its rivals.
Despite its name, it wasn’t even a cube.
It measured 5.9 by 6.3 by 4.3 inches.
Nintendo managed to sell 22 million GameCubes.
Instead of using cartridges, the system switched to using mini-discs,
and did not use CDs or DVDs like its competitors.
Whereas DVDs could store up to 8.5 gigabytes of data,
the GameCube discs could only store 1.5 gigabytes.
This meant that some cross-platform content had to be compressed
or features removed from games entirely.
Another major drawback was the lack of online gameplay.
Reportedly, the GameCube only had eight games with internet or local area network support.
The console didn’t feature an internal hard drive either, and relied on the use of memory cards.
Games which players were able to enjoy on GameCube included Super Smash Brothers Melee…
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker…
Mario Kart: Double Dash….
Super Mario Sunshine…
Metroid Prime…
Animal Crossing…
and Luigi’s Mansion.
Nintendo got rid of the 3-pronged controller design
and instead opted for a more traditional two-pronged version.
In 2002, Nintendo made a wireless controller,
called the WaveBird Wireless Controller,
even before Xbox and PlayStation managed to do so.
2004 welcomed the arrival of the Nintendo DS,
the ‘DS’ standing for both ‘Developers’ System’ and ‘Dual Screen’ according to the company,
as it featured a bottom touch screen in addition to a top display screen.
The DS came with a stylus for finer touch screen control,
a built-in microphone that allowed for voice recording and voice recognition,
as well as Wi-Fi capabilities.
The cartridges were made much smaller than the cartridges of the Game Boy Advance.
It had two slots so games of both cartridges could be played on the DS,
making it backwards compatible.
When playing games, one screen is used to show the main action,
while the other is used for things like a map, inventory or secondary viewpoint.
Due to its unique dual screen action, many new titles were unveiled by Nintendo,
like Nintendogs…
and Brain Age.
Other popular games for the DS were Super Mario 64 DS…
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl…
and New Super Mario Brothers.
In keeping with tradition, a refined version of the DS came out in 2006 named the ‘DS Lite’.
It was slimmer and lighter.
It had a longer lasting battery and a brighter screen.
It was not the slimmest of the DS range though, because in 2008,
the new ‘DSi’ model had an ultra-slim build, plus larger screens.
It also introduced two digital cameras, but it wasn’t backwards compatible.
One year later, the ‘DSi XL’ further improved upon the handheld’s specifications
by increasing the screen sizes once more.
It also had improved speakers and a longer battery life.
The PlayStation Portable or PSP was released in the same year as the original DS
and became its main competitor.
PlayStation managed to sell 82 million units,
making it the third most sold handheld console.
However, it was no match for the Nintendo DS,
which became the highest-selling handheld console of all time,
selling more than 154 million units around the world!
Nintendo drastically changed its game plan when it released the Wii console in 2006.
Its functionality centered around the use of motion controls.
The technology was innovative and unique at the time.
The Wii is pronounced as ‘ we’, which emphasized that the console is for everyone.
This meant the target audience was much broader than its rivals.
A staggering 102 million Wii consoles were sold,
beating both the PS3 and Xbox 360, which sold 87 and 86 million units respectively.
Its specifications in terms of its processor, memory and graphics, which wasn’t even HD,
were far less impressive than the competition
but those things were never intended to be the main selling point.
Nintendo had reverted to selling fun.
Memorable games from the Wii lineup are Wii Sports…
New Super Mario Brothers Wii…
Mario Kart Wii….
Super Mario Galaxy…
and the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Besides the original Wii, Nintendo also released the Wii Family Edition in 2009,
which sits horizontally and is cheaper since it was sold for $149
compared to $249 for the original Wii.
In 2012, Nintendo also released the Wii Mini
exclusively in Canada for $99 Canadian dollars,
which is about $78 US dollars.
The Wii Remote is the primary controller for the Wii.
It uses Bluetooth and features a D-pad, buttons and an internal speaker.
The Nunchuck is an additional controller that can be connected to the Wii Remote
and has an analog stick and two trigger buttons.
Additional accessories for the console were also popular, like the Wii Balance Board.
This board was designed for use with exercise and sports games, like Wii Fit.
The Wii Balance Board sold 42 million units alone!
FUN FACT:
The board achieved a Guinness World Record for “the best-selling weighing device”.
Nintendo next introduced 3D gameplay to their DS models.
Regarded as a brand new console, the Nintendo 3DS was released in 2011.
The bottom screen was a touch screen similar to the ones seen in former DS models.
However, the top screen was wide with better graphics
and had an autostereoscopic 3D LCD design.
This meant that gamers could turn on 3D effects without the need of 3D glasses.
The console itself had multiple cameras,
a circle pad alongside the traditional D-Pad for easier gameplay,
and internet connectivity with an improved online experience.
Games that could be enjoyed on the 3DS were Mario Kart 7…
Pókemon X and Y…
New Super Mario Brothers 2…
and Animal Crossing.
More models of the 3DS were released.
In 2012 came the ‘3DS XL’ which had much larger screens and an improved battery life.
Nintendo released a 2DS version in 2013,
taking away the 3D graphics, but making it more affordable.
The New Nintendo 3DS was introduced in 2014.
It fixed the problem that you had to face your 3DS directly from the front,
or else the 3D effect would become blurry.
It also had a more powerful processor and additional shoulder buttons.
At the same time a larger version, the New Nintendo 3DS XL was introduced.
And finally in 2017, Nintendo made the New Nintendo 2DS XL,
featuring additional hardware features, but without the 3D functionality.
To date, the total sales of the 3DS and 2DS handheld consoles are 75.8 million.
The Wii U was released in 2012 and was one of Nintendo’s biggest flops.
The Wii U is an example of very, very bad marketing.
People were confused about whether it was a new console or just an accessory for the Wii.
And it’s easy to understand why if you look at the trailer of the Wii U.
They literally named it “the New Controller”.
The Wii U wasn’t the greatest name either, since it just sounds like a Wii accessory.
This could have been avoided easily if they just chose to name it the Wii 2.
Oh, and the ads were pretty bad too…
Up against the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One,
of which 110 million and an estimated 50 million were sold respectively,
the Wii U only sold 13 million units.
It was a huge disappointment after the grand success of the Wii.
The Wii U was the first Nintendo console to support HD graphics,
and those who did buy it were able to play Mario Kart 8…
Super Mario 3D World…
Splatoon…
Super Mario Maker…
And New Super Mario Brothers for U.
The Wii U Gamepad is the console’s primary controller and has a built-in touchscreen,
which can be used without a television or as a companion to games being played on the television.
The concept of having a hybrid console of both a standard and handheld console was there,
but there was a lot of work ahead to make it more appealing.
Nintendo brought back the NES, with the NES Classic Edition in 2016.
While it looks the same as the NES it is much smaller.
It includes 30 built-in games from the NES library,
including Mario Brothers,
Pac-Man
and Donkey Kong.
In 2017, Nintendo also released the Super NES Classic.
It includes 21 built-in games from the SNES, including Super Metroid,
Mega Man x
and Super Mario Kart.
In 2018, combined sales of the NES and SNES Classic editions exceeded 10 million units.
After the Wii U, Nintendo went back to the drawing board and refined their hybrid concept
until they released the Nintendo Switch in 2017.
It features two Joy Con Controllers that can be attached to the 6.2 inch touchscreen display to play it in hybrid mode.
It has a battery life of around 3 hours of uninterrupted play on a full charge.
The Switch has many amazing popular titles like Animal Crossing: New Horizons…
Super Smash Brothers Ultimate…
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe…
Splatoon 2…
Super Mario Odyssey…
and my personal favorite: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
A more affordable ‘Lite’ version of the Switch came out in 2019,
with the limitation that it can only be played as a portable device.
It can still play pretty much all of the same games as its older brother though,
except for a few games like Ring Fit Adventure…
and Super Mario Party,
since they are largely motion control-based.
So far, sales of the Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite have surpassed 61.4 million,
making it the seventh most sold handheld console.
In 2020, Nintendo released a special version of the Game & Watch.
It celebrates the 40th year anniversary of the Game & Watch line of systems,
as well as the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Brothers.
Going forward, it’ll be interesting to see what the next major development
or addition will be when it comes to video game consoles.
One thing is for sure,
Nintendo isn’t afraid to get creative and introduce exciting new technology.
Let’s hope Nintendo can continue creating innovative entertainment for many years to come.
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