Nintendo

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This article is about the Japanese company. For the console sometimes colloquially referred to as a Nintendo, see Nintendo Entertainment System. For the development team, see Nintendo Entertainment Planning and Development.
Nintendo
Current Nintendo logo (2016-present): On May 11, 2016, several months after when Tatsumi Kimishima took the company helm, Nintendo's logo was changed to white-on-red.
Founded September 23, 1889[1]
First Super Mario game Donkey Kong (1981)
Latest Super Mario game Mario & Luigi: Brothership (2024)
Current president Shuntaro Furukawa

Nintendo is a Japanese video game company and the creator of many popular franchises, including the Super Mario franchise, and the company's mascot is Mario himself.

History

The company's signature red logo from 1985 to 2008, used internationally outside Japan and East Asia (top), and gray logo from 2006 to 2016 (bottom). The gray logo is still used in corporate pages.
The company's signature red logo from 1985 to 2008, used internationally outside Japan and East Asia (top), and gray logo from 2006 to 2016 (bottom). The gray logo is still used in corporate pages.
The company's signature red logo from 1985 to 2008, used internationally outside Japan and East Asia (top), and gray logo from 2006 to 2016 (bottom). The gray logo is still used in corporate pages.

Originally founded as a hanafuda playing card manufacturer in Kyoto, Japan, on September 23, 1889, Nintendo began exploring game-making after third president Hiroshi Yamauchi began diversifying the company's ventures. Nintendo entered the arcade industry in 1973 and the home console industry in 1977, simultaneously hiring Shigeru Miyamoto as a product designer. In 1978, Nintendo began making arcade video games, licensing titles to other companies for distribution outside Japan. In 1980, Nintendo established a North American division headed by Minoru Arakawa, and the first game that would be distributed by the American division would be Radar Scope. The game did not sell well in the United States, and a number of unsold cabinets remained in warehouses.

Arakawa asked Yamauchi if a new game could be developed and inserted into the unsold Radar Scope cabinets.[2] Yamauchi went through Nintendo's entire talent pool to see who could head the designing of a potential Radar Scope replacement, and the result was Miyamoto designing Donkey Kong. When Donkey Kong was released in 1981, it became a bestseller and marked the introduction of Mario. In 1983, Nintendo introduced the Family Computer, distributing it abroad as the Nintendo Entertainment System two years later. Its success in Japan and North America resulted in Nintendo becoming a dominant player in the video game industry and the revival of the industry in North America, which had been negatively affected by a crash in 1983. The most successful game for the NES, Super Mario Bros., further cemented Nintendo's dominance in the industry. The Super Mario franchise has since become Nintendo's flagship franchise and one of the most well-known brands to originate from video games.

Supported regions

Nintendo's commercial zones, divided by colors and according to Nintendo's region selector (https://www.nintendo.com/regionselector/)
Regions with official Nintendo websites

First-party distribution

As a multinational company, Nintendo has established various regional divisions dedicated to marketing and sales of its products outside Japan, including Super Mario games, merchandise, and licensing, located in different gaming markets around the world, and all of them are wholly owned. Two major subsidiaries, Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe, have the authority to publish games autonomously. As of August 2024, these divisions include:

  • Nintendo Co., Ltd. (NCL)
    • Flag of Japan, used officially since August 13, 1999 and in a de facto capacity since February 27, 1868. For Japanese release dates. Japan
  • Nintendo of America, Inc. (NOA)
    • Flag of the Federative Republic of Brazil since May 11, 1992. For Brazilian release dates. Federative Republic of Brazil
    • Flag of Argentina. For Argentine release dates. Argentine Republic
    • The flag of Canada since February 15, 1965. For Canadian {{flag list}} dates. Canada
    • Flag of the Republic of Chile since October 18, 1817. For Chilean release dates. Republic of Chile
    • Flag of the Republic of Colombia since November 26, 1861. For Colombian release dates. Republic of Colombia
    • Flag of the United Mexican States since 1975, for Mexican {{flag list}} dates. United Mexican States
    • Flag of the Republic of Peru since March 31, 1950. For Peruvian release dates. Republic of Peru
    • Flag of the United States of America since July 4, 1960. For North American (and sometimes South American) release dates. United States of America
  • Nintendo of Europe SE (NOE)
    • Flag of the Republic of South Africa since April 27, 1994. For South African release dates within this time frame. Republic of South Africa
    • Flag of the Swiss Confederation. For Swiss release dates. Swiss Confederation
    • Flag of the European Union (previously the European Economic Community). For European release dates. European Union (except Scandinavia, the Balkans, and some former Eastern Bloc states)
    • Flag of the Principality of Andorra since 1993. For Andorran release dates within this time frame. Principality of Andorra[3]
    • Flag of the Principality of Liechtenstein since June 30, 1982. For Liechtensteiner release dates within this time frame. Principality of Liechtenstein[3]
    • Flag of the Principality of Monaco since April 4, 1881. For Monégasque release dates. Principality of Monaco[3]
    • Flag of the Republic of San Marino since July 22, 2011. For Sammarinese release dates. Republic of San Marino[3]
    • Flag of the Vatican City State since June 7, 2023. For Vatican release dates. Vatican City State[3]
    • Flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from January 1, 1801 to December 6, 1922 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland since the latter date. For British release dates. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (including Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies in Europe[3])
  • Nintendo Australia Pty. Limited (NAL)
    • Flag of New Zealand since March 24, 1902. For New Zealander release dates. New Zealand
    • Flag of the Commonwealth of Australia since December 8, 1908. For Oceanian release dates. Commonwealth of Australia
  • Nintendo of Korea Co., Ltd. (NOK)
    • Flag of the Republic of Korea since May 30, 2011. For South Korean release dates. Republic of Korea
  • Nintendo (Hong Kong) Ltd. (NHK)
    • Flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China since July 1, 1997, for Hongkonger {{flag list}} dates within this timeframe. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
    • Flag of the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China since December 20, 1999. For Macau release dates. Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
    • Flag of the Republic of China since 1928, used as the flag of Taiwan since 1949. For Taiwanese release dates. Republic of China

Third-party distribution

In addition to the above subsidiaries, over the years Nintendo has officially assigned various third-party distribution companies to represent Nintendo and its products (including Super Mario products) in certain markets. These partners may have the authority to handle marketing and sales, but they may vary and are overviewed by one of the three major divisions (NCL, NOA, NOE). As of September 2023, the following partners include:

  • Active Bokei K.K.[4]
    • Flag of the Republic of Indonesia since August 17, 1945. For Indonesian release dates. Republic of Indonesia
    • Flag of the Republic of Singapore. For Singaporean release dates. Republic of Singapore
    • Flag of the Kingdom of Thailand since September 30, 2017. For Thai release dates. Kingdom of Thailand
    • Flag of the Republic of the Philippines since February 12, 1998. For Filipino release dates. Republic of the Philippines
    • Flag of Malaysia since 1964. Malaysia
    • Flag of the United Arab Emirates since December 2, 1971. For Emirati release dates. United Arab Emirates
    • Flag of the Sultanate of Oman since April 25, 1995. For Omani release dates. Sultanate of Oman
    • Flag of the Kingdom of Bahrain since February 14, 2002. For Bahraini release dates. Kingdom of Bahrain
    • Flag of the State of Kuwait since September 7, 1961. For Kuwaiti release dates. State of Kuwait
    • Flag of the State of Qatar since July 9, 1971. For Qatari release dates. State of Qatar
  • Advanced Initiative Company Trading[5]
    • Flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For Saudi release dates. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • Bergsala AB[6][7]
    • Flag of the Republic of Estonia since August 7, 1990. For Estonian release dates within this time frame. Republic of Estonia
    • Flag of the Republic of Finland since May 28, 1918. For Finnish release dates. Republic of Finland
    • Flag of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic from February 27, 1990 to May 4, 1990 and of the Republic of Latvia since the latter date. For Latvian release dates within this time frame. Republic of Latvia
    • Flag of the Republic of Lithuania since July 8, 2004. For Lithuanian release dates. Republic of Lithuania
    • Flag of the Kingdom of Denmark since 1625. For Danish release dates. Kingdom of Denmark
    • Flag of the Kingdom of Norway since July 13, 1821. For Norwegian release dates. Kingdom of Norway
    • Flag of the Kingdom of Sweden since June 22, 1906. For Swedish release dates. Kingdom of Sweden
  • CD Media S.E.[8][9]
    • Flag of the Republic of Türkiye since May 29, 1936. For Turkish release dates. Republic of Türkiye
    • Flag of the Republic of Bulgaria since November 27, 1990. For Bulgarian release dates. Republic of Bulgaria
    • Flag of the Republic of Cyprus since April 24, 2006. For Cypriot release dates. Republic of Cyprus
    • Flag of the Hellenic Republic since December 22, 1978. For Greek release dates. Hellenic Republic
    • Flag of Romania (not to be confused with the flag of Chad) since December 27, 1989. For Romanian release dates. Romania
    • Flag of the Republic of Albania since July 22, 2002. For Albanian release dates. Republic of Albania
    • Flag of the Republic of Croatia since December 21, 1990. For Croatian release dates. Republic of Croatia
    • Flag of the Republic of North Macedonia since October 5, 1995. For North Macedonian release dates. Republic of North Macedonia
    • Flag of the Republic of Serbia since 2004. For Serbian release dates since the nation achieved independence on June 5, 2006. Republic of Serbia
    • Flag of the Republic of Slovenia since June 25, 1991. For Slovenian release dates. Republic of Slovenia
  • ConQuest Entertainment A.S.
    • Flag of Czechoslovakia from March 30, 1920 to December 31, 1992 and of the Czech Republic since the latter date. For Czech release dates. Czech Republic
    • Flag of the Hungarian People's Republic from May 23, 1957 to October 23, 1989 and of Hungary since the latter date. For Hungarian release dates. Hungary
    • Flag of the Polish People's Republic from January 31, 1980 to December 31, 1989 and of the Republic of Poland since the latter date. For Polish release dates. Republic of Poland
    • Flag of the Slovak Republic since September 3, 1992. For Slovak release dates. Slovak Republic
  • Tencent[10]
    • Flag of the People's Republic of China since October 1, 1949. For Mainland Chinese release dates. People's Republic of China
  • TorGaming, Ltd.[11]
    • Flag of the State of Israel. For Israeli release dates. State of Israel

Formerly supported regions

The following regions are ones where Nintendo previously offered official distribution for its products, including Super Mario material, only to cease activity for various reasons:

  • Flag of the Russian Federation since December 11, 1993 (also the national flag of Russia from 1896 to 1922). For Russian release dates within this time frame. Russian Federation (via Nintendo of Europe SE; suspended in 2023 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine)[12]
  • Flag of Czechoslovakia from March 30, 1920 to December 31, 1992 and of the Czech Republic since the latter date. For Czech release dates. Czechoslovak Socialist Republic/Czech and Slovak Federative Republic (via Stadlbauer;[13] defunct due to the country's dissolution in 1992; distribution continued in the successor states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, initially through Stadlbauer and MPM[13][14] and later through ConQuest Entertainment A.S.)
  • Flag of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from April 27, 1992 to February 4, 2003 and of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro from the latter date until June 3, 2006. For Yugoslav, Serbian, and Montenegrin release dates within this timeframe. Federal Republic of Yugoslavia[13] (via Beosoft;[14] distribution later resumed in one successor state, Serbia, through CD Media S.E.[9])

Appearances in the Super Mario universe

The Nintendo logo appearing on Diddy Kong's cap and on the walls at Nintendo GameCube in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
The Nintendo logo appearing on Diddy Kong's cap and on the walls at Nintendo GameCube in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
The Nintendo logo appearing on Diddy Kong's cap and on the walls at Nintendo GameCube in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Home consoles

A collage of Nintendo consoles
A variety of Nintendo consoles

Attachments and remodels

These consoles may have different names in different markets. The NES is known as the Family Computer (or Famicom) in Japan; the Super NES, subsequently as the Super Famicom. In 2003, a plug-in gamepad device called the iQue Player was released exclusively in China, and in simple terms, it is considered a variant of the Nintendo 64.

1 - Although the Nintendo Switch can also function as a handheld console, it is primarily marketed as a home console by Nintendo.

Handheld consoles

Remodels

Between 2004 and 2018, Nintendo authorized the release of some of its portable consoles in the mainland Chinese market under the "iQue" brand. For example, the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo 3DS XL are referred to as the iQue DS and the iQue 3DS XL, respectively, in China.

Gallery

  • The blue Nintendo logo variant, used in Japanese versions of Nintendo games

    The blue Nintendo logo variant, used in Japanese versions of Nintendo games

  • The gold Nintendo logo from the start-up of Mario Kart 64

    The gold Nintendo logo from the start-up of Mario Kart 64

  • Sprite of a Nintendo logo variant, from Diddy Kong Racing DS

    Sprite of a Nintendo logo variant, from Diddy Kong Racing DS

  • The white Nintendo logo in a black background as seen in the first three Mario Party titles

    The white Nintendo logo in a black background as seen in the first three Mario Party titles

  • The Nintendo logo recreated in the Super Mario Bros. game style in Super Mario Maker

    The Nintendo logo recreated in the Super Mario Bros. game style in Super Mario Maker

  • Background featuring characters of the Super Mario franchise created by Nintendo

    Background featuring characters of the Super Mario franchise created by Nintendo

  • Artwork of Nintendo's Kyoto headquarters from its recruitment book, showing a Warp Pipe at the bottom left corner

    Artwork of Nintendo's Kyoto headquarters from its recruitment book, showing a Warp Pipe at the bottom left corner

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese 任天堂
Nintendō 		The formal name of the company; in hiragana it is written as 「にんてんどう」, two kanas or moras per kanji. Each of the kanji that make up its formal name means the following:
  • 任 (nin) means "responsibility," "work," or "obligation."
  • 天 (ten) means "sky."
  • 堂 (dō) means "stately," "bless," or "sanctuary."
    • 天堂 (tendō) means "heaven."
 This name comes from the Japanese saying 「運を天に任せる」 (un o ten ni makaseru), meaning "to leave one's luck to heaven." Consequently, Nintendo officially translates its name as "Leave Luck to Heaven." However, the historical validity of this is disputed, as the kanji for "Nintendo" can be translated in multiple other ways (e.g., "Temple of Free Hanafuda," referencing the company's origins as a playing card company); late president Hiroshi Yamauchi admitted in The History of Nintendo that he did not actually know what "Nintendo" meant, stating that the official translation was accepted by the company only because it sounded like "a plausible explanation."[15]
ニンテンドー[?]
Nintendō 		Rough katakana form used for the Japanese names of some consoles.
ニンテンドウ[?]
Nintendō 		Rough katakana form, written with the kana "u" (ウ) instead of the long sound symbol (ー). Used only in Super Smash Bros.'s Japanese name.
Arabic نينتندو[16]
Nintendo 		-
Chinese 任天堂[?]
Rèntiāntáng 		-
Finnish Nintendon[?] - Captain N: The Game Master
Nintendo[?]
Greek Νιντέντο[?]
Ninténto 		-
Hebrew נינטנדו[?]
Nintendo 		-
Korean 닌텐도[?]
Nintendo 		-
Russian Нинтендо[?]
Nintendo 		-
Spanish Nintendo[?] -

See also

References

  1. ^ Corporate Information : Company History. Nintendo Co., Ltd. (English). Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  2. ^ "IGN Presents: The History of Super Mario Bros."
  3. ^ a b c d e f "On 3rd March, Nintendo Switch will be available in the following European territories: Austria, Andorra, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hungary, Isle of Man, Italy, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Russia, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the Vatican. It will also be available in South Africa at the same timing." – Nintendo (January 13, 2017). Nintendo Switch launches on 3rd March!. Nintendo (official South African site) (English). Retrieved November 24, 2024. (Archived November 24, 2024, 23:43:36 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  4. ^ Active Bokei K.K.. Active Bokei K.K. (English). Retrieved July 3, 2024. (Archived June 3, 2024, 05:14:24 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  5. ^ Advanced Initiative. Advanced Initiative Co. Trdg. (English). Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  6. ^ Joe Skrebels (December 9, 2019). The Lie That Helped Build Nintendo. IGN (English). Retrieved June 1, 2024. (Archived December 21, 2019, 23:17:14 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  7. ^ Home. Bergsala (English). Retrieved September 26, 2024. (Archived June 14, 2024, 01:43:01 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  8. ^ Enes K. (July 24, 2018). Resmi Açıklama Geldi: Nintendo Switch Türkiye'de Satışa Çıkıyor. Webtekno (Turkish). Retrieved June 5, 2024. (Archived October 17, 2018, 00:20:49 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  9. ^ a b Partnerships. CD Media S.E. (English). Retrieved July 3, 2024. (Archived March 29, 2023, 11:50:20 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  10. ^ Takashi Moshizuki, Shan Li (April 18, 2019). Nintendo, With Tencent's Help, to Sell Switch Console in China. The Wall Street Journal (English). Retrieved July 3, 2024. (Archived December 6, 2019, 20:13:54 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  11. ^ March 12, 2019. לראשונה בישראל – תור גיימינג משיקה את נינטנדו בארץ ביבוא רשמ. IGN Israel (Hebrew). Retrieved June 5, 2024. (Archived May 15, 2019, 03:34:09 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  12. ^ Leah J. Williams (June 1, 2023). Nintendo eShop to shut down in Russia. Gameshub (English). Retrieved July 6, 2024. (Archived February 25, 2024, 05:34:24 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  13. ^ a b c Joshua Rogers (December 26, 2020). World of Nintendo: Exploring Nintendo in (Eastern) Europe. PAX (via YouTube) (English). Retrieved June 5, 2024. (Archived June 5, 2024, 20:16:14 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  14. ^ a b The Retro Sofa (June 2, 2024). The Complete (ish) History of Nintendo's Arrival in Europe. YouTube (English). Retrieved November 15, 2024. (Archived October 6, 2024, 16:07:51 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  15. ^ Brian Ashcraft (August 3, 2017). "Nintendo" Probably Doesn't Mean What You Think It Does. Kotaku (English). Retrieved September 16, 2024. (Archived August 19, 2024, 11:55:47 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  16. ^ نينتندو السعودية (الممثل الرسمي). X (Arabic). Retrieved July 6, 2024.

External links

Nintendo coverage on other NIWA wikis:
[Edit]
Companies
Game companies Divisions and subsidiaries of Nintendo 1-UP Studio • iQue • Mario Club Co., Ltd. • Next Level Games • Nintendo • Nintendo Cube • †Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development • Nintendo Entertainment Planning and Development • †Nintendo Research & Development 1 • †Nintendo Research & Development 2 • †Nintendo Software Planning & Development • Nintendo Software Technology Corporation • †Nintendo System Development • Retro Studios • Treehouse
Third parties Acquire • †AlphaDream • Arika • ArtePiazza • †Artoon • Arzest • †Atari, Inc. • Bandai Namco Entertainment • †Banpresto • †Bullet-Proof Software • Camelot Software Planning • Capcom • CAProduction • Forever Entertainment • Game Arts • Game Freak • Good-Feel • GREZZO Co., Ltd. • GungHo Online Entertainment • HAL Laboratory • †Hudson Soft • Ikegami Tsushinki • Intelligent Systems • Interplay • Jupiter • Konami • Monster Games • †NovaLogic • Paon DP • Racjin • Radical Entertainment • Rare Ltd. • Royal Philips Electronics • Sega • Silverball Studios • Softnica • Sora Ltd. • Spike Chunsoft • Square Enix • †St.GIGA • †SUZAK Inc. • Tantalus Media • TOSE Software Co. • Treasure • Ubisoft • Velan Studios • †Coleco • †Atarisoft • Sharp Corporation • †The Software Toolworks • Atari Corporation • National Human Electronics • Fantasy Factory • Tokyo Electron • †Software Creations • Nichimen Graphics • EA Canada • †Skip Ltd. • Beenox • indieszero • Vicarious Visions • Mojang Studios • 4J Studios • Playtime • Scientific Toys • Million Colors • Nelsonic Industries • S.I.U. • Mani • Natsume • Vanpool • Armor Project • Dynatech Play2O • T's MUSIC Co., Ltd. • Access Games • TNX • Switch Entertainment Inc. • Digital Works Entertainment • WILL Co., Ltd. • Sound Racer Ltd. • Hexadrive • Other Ocean Interactive • SkyBox Labs • SmileBoom Co., Ltd. • Magnum enter Co., Ltd. • HAMSTER Corporation • Falcon • Iwasaki Engineering • †Gottlieb • Sunwise • †Fabtek • Atlus • Brunswick • Maygay • †Brian A. Rice, Inc. • Presage Software • Digitainment • Brainstorm Entertainment • Codesmith, Inc. • MISA • †Ocean Software • Caroline Software Incorporated • C3 Incorporated • POP Multimedia • Skyworks Technologies, Inc. • VPI.net • Lightmaker • Blit Interactive • NHN Entertainment • †Yutaka • Cosmodog • PlayWorks Digital Limited • Yuke's • Denaris Entertainment Software • Climax • Argonaut Games • Riedel Software Productions • †Boss Game Studios • Orpheus Software • Firebird • Designer Software • †Renegade Kid • Roklan • HAL College of Technology & Design • Neopets
Other companies Book publishers Guinness World Records • Prima Games • Scholastic • Shogakukan • Valiant Comics • Dark Horse Comics • Archie Comics • Fleetway Publications
Animation studios †DIC Entertainment • Illumination • †Medialab • Nelvana • †Pacific Rim Productions, Inc. • †Sei Young Animation Co., Ltd. • Sony Pictures
Home video distributors †Abbey Home Entertainment • Bim Bum Bam Video • Beyond Home Entertainment • Buena Vista Home Video • Disky Communications • Egmont Film • GoodView Home Video • HVN • IDP Home Video • †Kids Klassics • Lionsgate Home Entertainment • Maximum Entertainment • Manga Distribution • MRA Entertainment • NCircle Entertainment • On Air Video • Paramount Home Video • Pickwick Video • Pidax Film • Producciones Panther • Roadshow Entertainment • Sterling Entertainment Group • Shout! Factory • SMI url • Target • The Video Collection • UIG Entertainment GmbH • Universal Pictures • Wendros
Collectible / toy makers †Banpresto • Bioworld • BlackMilk Clothing • ERTL • Fangamer • First4Figures • Furuta • Gelato Pique • Hallmark • Jakks Pacific • K'NEX • LEGO • Mattel • PopCo Entertainment • S.H. Figuarts • San-ei Co., Ltd. • Toy Biz
Food companies Burger King • Freiberger • Keebler • Kellogg's • The Kraft Heinz Company • McDonald's • Nagatanien • Sonic Drive-In • †Sunshine Biscuits • Taco Bell • Wendy's
Cosmetics companies Lush • shu uemura
Miscellaneous Aeon • †MediaBrowser • Tesla • EMI Music Publishing
† Defunct
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