From selling playing cards to conquering the gaming world: the amazing story of Nintendo

How Nintendo became a power player in gaming

From its surprisingly risqué beginnings to the release of revolutionary consoles like the NES and Switch, click or scroll through the gallery and join us as we reveal how Nintendo conquered the world.

All dollar amounts in US dollars.

Nintendo was founded in 1889

Game Boys and the DS might spring to mind when you think of Nintendo, but the Japanese brand has actually been around for over a century.

Fusajiro Yamauchi founded Yamauchi Nintendo in 1889 in Kyoto (its first headquarters is pictured here), and the now world-famous company has been passed through generations of Yamauchis.

Nintendo started out producing Japanese playing cards called Hanafuda. In 1902, the Yamauchis expanded into Western-style cards and then into the less child-friendly realm of pin-up cards. 

Money to be made in love

Nintendo continued to make money through adult-focused ventures. By 1963, the company owned several 'Love Hotels.' That same decade, they released a 'Love Tester' device (pictured), a game to determine couples' compatibility.

In another surprising twist, Nintendo was also involved in the production of a few mildly risqué games during the early days of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).

But then its real success began

In the 1960s, Nintendo rebranded as Nintendo Co., Ltd. and focused on producing playing cards and games before eventually branching into video games in the 1970s. 

The company was the first to introduce electronics into the toy industry in Japan, a move that paved the way for the company to become the biggest name in gaming.

New consoles send the company global

The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) became a huge hit in the 1980s and is one of the bestselling consoles of all time. 

Revolutionary games like The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. went global via the NES. Nintendo sold almost 62 million of the consoles, making it the most popular gaming device of its time.

The hugely popular hand-held Game Boy console was released in the late 1980s, while the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) followed in the early 1990s, soon becoming the bestselling console of the 16-bit era.

The success of Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros. became the best-selling Nintendo game of all time, with over 40 million copies sold worldwide. As of today, there are 24 games in the main Super Mario Bros. series, with over 400 million copies sold.

In total, there are over 200 games featuring Mario, including popular spin-offs such as Mario Kart and Super Mario Party. Altogether, these games have sold close to a billion units globally, making Mario the best-selling video game franchise of all time.

Mario existed in real life

The character now synonymous with the Nintendo brand actually has a real-life namesake. Mario Segale, who leased one of his warehouses to Nintendo in its early days, inspired the name change from 'Jumpman' to 'Mario,' as the latter was seen as having more personality. 

However, since Segale frequently had to chase up Nintendo’s administrators for rent payments, it’s unlikely the choice of his name was meant as a compliment.

Market rivals emerge

Between 1996 and 1997, Nintendo launched the Nintendo 64 games console (pictured). Success wasn't immediate, however, as various games were delayed. Meanwhile, competitors Sega and Sony saw huge uptake in their new consoles, the Saturn and the PlayStation.

It began to look like Nintendo was losing ground to up-and-coming rivals in the market.

The Wii craze

Enter the Wii in 2006. The new console, which was based on remote motion controls and a balance board, targeted a whole new audience as it promoted casual fitness with gaming, an avenue in the market that was until then unexplored. 

A must-have on every child’s Christmas list in the late 2000s, Nintendo sold over 100 million Wii consoles. The Wii’s success allowed Nintendo to regain its title as the gaming industry's top dog, and new games are still popular today. The Just Dance series, for example, originally launched in 2009 and has since released another 15 editions. The latest edition includes songs from Sabrina Carpenter and Billie Eilish.

Nintendo almost launched a cell phone

Nintendo briefly considered launching a cell phone that would function as a hybrid of a smartphone and a Game Boy device.

Given that the company has sold over 154 million DS units worldwide (pictured), the cell could have been a hit. However, could Nintendo have competed with smartphone giant Apple, which has sold more than 2.3 billion iPhones? We'll never know.

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But then decided to stay away

Nintendo ultimately decided to avoid the smartphone market and has since become notorious for its criticism of cell phone games.

In 2011, the company's president, Satoru Iwata (pictured), was quick to attack the cell phone industry’s game offerings, claiming they were “substandard” and a threat to traditional electronic entertainment companies (including his own).

But cell phone gaming bit back

Nintendo's main focus was family games, so when casual gamers turned to cell phone apps, the company suffered. 

The early 2010s saw a huge boom in cell phone gaming, with the likes of Angry Birds and Candy Crush drawing players from their more traditional consoles towards smartphone apps.

Nintendo stood its ground

Confident that it would see big sales of its Wii U and 3DS consoles, Nintendo refused to give in to industry pressures to develop games for smartphones. Alas, it didn't work out, and the Wii U (pictured) became Nintendo’s worst-selling console, shifting a pitiful 13.6 million units before it ceased production.

The 3DS was a bigger hit and sold 75.8 million units, but both releases pale in comparison to the company's earlier consoles.

Then it finally gave in

Finally, Nintendo developed smartphone apps and games, releasing Miitomo, a smartphone social networking app, in March 2016. It also adapted some of its bigger hits, including Super Mario Bros. and Mario Kart, to bring them to mobile users. But its first big cell phone hit came in the form of Pokémon Go...

And then came Pokémon Go

Over 20 years after the first Pokémon game was released, the new Pokémon Go smartphone game came onto the scene and took the world by storm.

The augmented reality game uses a cell phone’s camera to superimpose animated Pokémon creatures onto the real world, encouraging people to travel around and catch them, just as in the original game.

It made over $207 million in its first month

Pokémon Go is estimated to have brought in a record-breaking revenue of $207 million in its first month alone, more than any other cell phone game. As of today, Pokémon Go's lifetime gross revenue is estimated to have passed the $6 billion mark.

That said, Nintendo is only indirectly involved with the game, but it does own 33% of the company that develops it. It also has a stake in Niantic, the former Google subsidiary that developed Pokémon Go, so the game's success can only mean good things for the company, despite its initial aversion to all things smartphone.

Another console success

While Nintendo may have given in and dipped its toe in the waters of mobile app gaming, it didn't completely abandon what it does best and released a new console in 2017. The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console that allows both home gaming and playing on the go, filling a gap in the market that some gaming experts have dubbed "the best of both worlds."

The Switch has been such a success that Nintendo introduced two additional models. The Nintendo Switch Lite is a more affordable, handheld-only version without the ability to connect to a TV, while the Nintendo Switch – OLED Model offers a premium experience with a larger, brighter OLED screen. 

Animal Crossing storms the market

Nintendo Switch game Animal Crossing: New Horizons hit shelves in March 2020. The game sold over 12.6 million copies within six weeks of its launch, a feat that took its predecessor, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, six years to accomplish. The release even boosted sales of the Switch console itself, with sales more than doubling in March 2020 compared to the same month the previous year. 

Animal Crossing is a social simulation game. Players take on the role of a human character who lives on an island with anthropomorphic animals and partakes in gamified versions of everyday activities, such as going to the store and fishing.

Nintendo theme parks

In 2015, Nintendo and Universal announced a partnership to launch Nintendo theme parks. After delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first Super Nintendo World (pictured) opened at Universal Studios Japan in 2021. This was followed by a second location at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2023, and a third in Orlando's Universal Epic Universe in 2025. A Singapore experience is due to open soon.

The inaugural park in Japan reportedly cost over $575 million to build. It features life-sized video game landscapes, interactive games, rides, and themed restaurants. Standout attractions include the augmented reality game Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge and the Yoshi's Adventure rollercoaster.

The Super Mario Bros. movie becomes a blockbuster hit

In 2023, The Super Mario Bros. Movie (pictured) hit the silver screen. The project was a collaboration between Nintendo and the movie production studios Illumination and Universal, with Nintendo financing 50% of the movie's $100 million production budget.

The family-friendly flick was a huge hit, grossing over $1.3 billion at the global box office, making it one of the highest-grossing animated movies of all time. Nintendo reported a 52% increase in net profit for the first financial quarter of 2023, largely attributed to the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Unsurprisingly, a sequel is in the works.

The world's first Nintendo Museum launches

Another recent milestone was the grand opening of the world's first Nintendo Museum in 2024, located in the company's former production factory in Uji, Japan (pictured). 

Spread across three main buildings, the museum takes visitors on a nostalgia-packed journey through Nintendo's 135-year history. It showcases rare consoles and prototypes, features interactive games, and even includes a themed burger restaurant, making it a must-visit destination for die-hard Nintendo fans.

The company has some surprising shareholders

As of June 2025, Nintendo's market cap stands at an impressive $97 billion, making it one of the world's most valuable companies.

Nintendo is a publicly traded company, which means its ownership is divided among shareholders who hold the company's stock. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is the largest external shareholder. Recently, the PIF expressed interest in increasing its share in the firm, an announcement that caused Nintendo shares to rise by 4%.

A new generation of Switch is here

The highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 has finally launched around the world. The original Switch sold more than 150 million units, making it the third-best-selling console in history, although questions remain as to whether it can match the success of its predecessor. High game prices have been cited as a factor that may put some gamers off, with flagship title Mario Kart World carrying a hefty $79.99 price tag in the US.

The console retails for $449.99 in America, but the steep cost doesn't appear to have put fans off, with thousands of people around the world queuing up outside stores to secure their devices.

Nintendo has achieved staggering sales

Since the launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 5.9 billion video games globally and over 860 million consoles.

The best-selling console is the Nintendo DS, which has shifted over 154 million units and has achieved sales of around a billion games. This is closely followed by the Nintendo Switch, with 150 million consoles sold since its launch. As the Nintendo Switch 2 flies off shelves, there's every chance the gaming giant will top that once again.

Now discover 25 old video games worth a fortune today

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Updated by Danielle McAdam