Fact 1: The Humble Beginnings of Nintendo
Believe it or not, Nintendo didn't start as a video game company. Established in 1889, it began as a playing-card company, specifically for a game called Hanafuda, a popular card game in Japan at the time. Even however, the playing-card business slowed down; the company ventured into various industries, including taxis and love hotels, before eventually landing in the gaming industry.
Fact 2: Mario's Original Name
The world's most famous plumber, Mario, initially had a different name when he appeared in the 1981 game Donkey Kong. His original name was "Jumpman" which was a nod to his ability to jump over barrels, but it was later changed to Mario to honor Nintendo's American landlord, Mario Segale.
Fact 3: Link's Eponymous Origin
The legendary character Link from The Legend of Zelda series was named as such because he was originally meant to be a link between the past and the future. Conceptually, the game was initially set in both the past and future, and this "link" was the main character you would control; hence, his name.
Fact 4: Most Expensive Game Ever Made
Nintendo holds the record for the most expensive video game ever made. With a budget of nearly $100 million, the development of 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' that was released in 2017, took a massive team of over 300 developers, nearly six years to complete.
Fact 5: Nintendo World Championships
In 1990, Nintendo decided to host a video game competition called the Nintendo World Championships. The gaming competition toured twenty-nine different cities in the United States and had its cartridge for the competition, which is currently one of the rarest and most valuable collectibles in the gaming world.
Fact 6: Mario's Silent Brother
Luigi, Mario's sibling, did not have his voice till the game Mario Kart 64 was rolled out in 1996. Before that, he would just make noises, or at best use the same sound effects as Mario.
Fact 7: Nintendo’s First Ever Game
Nintendo’s first foray into video games was with the release of the Color TV-Game consoles in 1977, a home video game console only available in Japan. The most popular among them, the Color TV-Game 6, had six versions of Light Tennis, or Pong as it's known in the West.
Fact 8: Pokémon's Original Idea
Satoshi Tajiri, who was the creator of Pokémon, got the idea for the internationally renowned game from his childhood interest in collecting creatures. Consequently, the game was designed for players to collect different creatures, a concept that has been a significant part of its sustained popularity.
Fact 9: The Virtual Boy Flop
Not all of Nintendo's gambles paid off. Virtual Boy, released in 1995, was a 3D gaming console that was notorious for causing headaches among users. Due to its commercial failure, it was discontinued less than a year after its release.
Fact 10: The Nintendo PlayStation
Nintendo nearly partnered with Sony in the late 1980s to create a CD-ROM-based console. The partnership fell apart and led to the creation of the PlayStation. The prototype console – the "Nintendo PlayStation" – is considered a valuable collector's piece.
Fact 11: Nintendo's Own Baseball Team
For slightly over two decades, Nintendo was a major owner of the Seattle Mariners, an American professional baseball team. While they sold the majority of their stake in 2016, they still hold a 10% share in the team.
Fact 12: The Goomba Character's Design
Due to lack of time and graphical limitations, the design team of Super Mario Bros. opted for a simple design for its first enemy character: Goomba. This lovable enemy has since become one of the most recognized characters in the Mario franchise.
Fact 13: Origin of Kirby
Kirby, the pink, round, cute protagonist of the Kirby series, was originally just a placeholder. The designer liked the simplistic design so much, he eventually decided to keep it, and Kirby was born.
Fact 14: The Rarest Nintendo Game
Nintendo’s World Championships Gold Edition is considered the rarest Nintendo game. It was not sold commercially and only 26 copies were ever made, handed out as prizes in a promotional contest.
Fact 15: Mario's (Unofficial) Mental Health Issues
According to psychologist Dr. Yasser Khazaal, Mario exhibits signs of several mental disorders, including Impulsive Personality Disorder and Hyperactivity Disorder. However, Nintendo has neither confirmed nor denied this speculation.
Fact 16: Miyamoto, the Legend
Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of franchises like Mario, Donkey Kong and The Legend of Zelda, is not allowed to ride a bike to work. Amused? The decision was made by Nintendo for Miyamoto's safety – they couldn't risk losing their legendary designer.
Fact 17: Wall Street and Nintendo
In 2007, the release of the Nintendo Wii caused the company’s stock to rise so high that it briefly made Nintendo the fifth largest company in Japan.
Fact 18: Most-Produced Home Console Of All Time
Nintendo's Wii currently holds the record as the most-produced home console of all time, with more than 101 million units produced since its release in 2006.
Fact 19: Nintendo Helped Establishing ESRB
Nintendo played a crucial role in establishing the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in 1994. Following a public outcry over violent video games, they helped set ratings for video games, much like those for movies.
Fact 20: The Nintendo's Company Logo
Nintendo's company logo hasn't always been the oval with the word 'Nintendo' written across it. In fact, the company's first logo was a simple rectangle with 'Nintendo Playing Card Co.' written in it. The current logo didn’t come into use until 2006.