Apr 12, 20221 min read

Do You Know Which Video Game Company is Over a Century Old?

Crazy Facts Series #6 - Nintendo has existed for over 130 years.

When you think of Nintendo, you probably think of the video game consoles that you or your kids grew up with: Super Nintendo, Game Boy, Wii, and, most recently, the Nintendo Switch.

But the gaming company didn't just spring up in the '80s: In fact, Nintendo was founded in 1889. The company was founded as 'Nintendo Koppai' by Fusajiro Yamauchi in September 1889 in Kyoto, Japan, the company began by producing and marketing handmade 'hanafuda' playing cards, which had existed in different forms for centuries.

Of course, the company that over 130 years ago doesn't bear much of a resemblance to the Nintendo we know and love today.

The original Nintendo went through several major changes over the decades including taxi and short-stay hotel companies, instant rice, vacuum cleaners, and toys. It wasn't until the 1970s that the company started branching out into video games.

In 1975, Nintendo acquired the Japanese distribution rights for the Magnavox Odyssey (the first commercial home video game console), which lead to the company developing games including EVR Race and Donkey Kong and eventually its own game system, the Famicom, which shipped to Japanese customers in July 1983.