8 hours Ago
Here's a big old number for you: Nintendo is 135 years old today. Not on the red-capped platforming front, of course, but it has been 135 years since Fusajiro Yamauchi founded the hanafuda playing card company, Nintendo Koppai, in Kyoto on 23rd September 1889 (at least, that's the most commonly agreed-on starting date ). We won't risk the fire safety hazard of lighting 135 birthday candles on a store-bought Mario cake, so let's take a look at where things started for the Big N instead.
As many of you will likely know already, Nintendo started life manufacturing hanafuda cards — intricately decorated decks used for different card games in Japan. These cards quickly grew in popularity, particularly in yakuza-run gaming circles, following a nationwide clamp-down on gambling, with Nintendo soon emerging as the product's top producer. The links to these cards can still be found today.
New, franchise-themed cards can be purchased on My Nintendo Store , and there's even an interactive section in the soon-to-open Nintendo Museum dedicated to the company's paper origins. These humble beginnings would later stretch into toys and gaming, of course, but 135 years on, it's interesting to imagine a time when 'Nintendo' was synonymous with a different kind of entertainment altogether. Naturally, folks on Twitter were quick to note the anniversary and have been posting well-wishes ever since.
You can find a selection of art, photos and messages below, though we'd imagine that there will be many more popping up throughout the day. The rest, as they say, is history. We won't recap every major beat from the NES onwards, but it's safe to say that Nintendo has grown to become an absolute powerhouse, producing some of the best-selling consoles, games and, recently, cinematic tie-ins that the industry has ever (and likely will ever ) see.
It also brought us together with you lovely lot! So, join us in wishing Nintendo a happy 135th birthday! Way to go, old sport, here's to many more..
