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Nintendo

Article Discussion
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 Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (2025)
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.

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

 
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)
  • Nintendo of America, Inc. (NOA)
    •   Argentina
    •   Brazil
    •   Canada
    •   United States
  • Nintendo of Europe SE (NOE)
    •   Andorra[3]
    •   European Union (select member states):
      •   Austria
      •   Belgium
      •   France
      •   Germany
      •   Ireland
      •   Italy
      •   Luxembourg
      •   Malta
      •   The Netherlands
      •   Portugal
      •   Spain
    •   Liechtenstein[3]
    •   Monaco[3]
    •   San Marino[3]
    •   Switzerland
    •   United Kingdom (including Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies in Europe[3])
    •   Vatican City State[3]
  • Nintendo Australia Pty. Limited (NAL)
    •   Australia
    •   New Zealand
  • Nintendo of Korea Co., Ltd. (NOK)
    •   South Korea
  • Nintendo (Hong Kong) Ltd. (NHK)
    •   Hong Kong
    •   Macau
    •   Taiwan (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]
    •   Bahrain
    •   Indonesia
    •   Kuwait
    •   Malaysia
    •   Oman
    •   The Philippines
    •   Qatar
    •   Singapore
    •   Thailand
    •   United Arab Emirates
  • Advanced Initiative Company Trading[5][6]
    •   Saudi Arabia
  • Bergsala AB[6][7][8]
    •   Denmark
    •   Estonia
    •   Finland
    •   Latvia
    •   Lithuania
    •   Norway
    •   Sweden
  • CD Media S.E.[6][9][10]
    •   Albania
    •   Bosnia and Herzegovina
    •   Bulgaria
    •   Croatia
    •   Cyprus
    •   Greece
    •   Montenegro
    •   North Macedonia
    •   Romania
    •   Serbia
    •   Slovenia
    •   Turkey
  • ConQuest Entertainment A.S.[6]
    •   Czech Republic
    •   Poland
    •   Slovakia
  • Core Computer Business (PTY) LTD[6][11]
    •   Angola
    •   Botswana
    •   Lesotho
    •   Malawi
    •   Mozambique
    •   Namibia
    •   Nigeria
    •   South Africa
    •   Zambia
    •   Zimbabwe
  • Game Park[6]
    •   Hungary
  • ERC[12][13][14]
    •   Kazakhstan
    •   Ukraine
    •   Uzbekistan
  • JVLAT[15]
    •   Chile
    •   Colombia
    •   Costa Rica
    •   Guatemala
    •   Mexico
    •   Panama
    •   Peru
  • Tencent[16]
    •   China (People's Republic of China)
  • TorGaming, Ltd.[6][17]

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:

  •   Belarus (initially via Steepler[18] and later through Belconsole, MyDevice and Gameclub;[19][20] suspended in 2022 due to sanctions against the country[21])
  •   Czechoslovakia (via Stadlbauer;[22] 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[22][23] and later through ConQuest Entertainment A.S.)
  •   India (initially via Samurai Electronics[24] and later through Sunder Electronics[25])
  •   Russia (initially via Steepler[18][26][27] and later through Yandex.Money;[28] suspended in 2023 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine[29])
  •   Yugoslavia (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)[22] (via Beosoft;[23] distribution later resumed in the successor states of Serbia and Montenegro through CD Media S.E.[6][10])

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!!

Home 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.

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.

Hybrid consoles

Remodel

Gallery

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

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

  • 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

  • Mario and Nintendo's logo

  • 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

  • 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."[30]
ニンテンドー[?]
Nintendō 		Rough katakana form Used for the Japanese names of several systems and services such as Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, Nintendo eShop, or Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo
ニンテンドウ[?]
Nintendō 		Rough katakana form, written with the kana "u" (ウ) instead of the long sound symbol (ー). Used in the Japanese names of the Nintendo Power service, the Nintendo 64, and Super Smash Bros.
Arabic نينتندو[31]
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. ^ a b c d e f g h Distributors Contact Details for Consumers. Nintendo UK (English). Retrieved February 27, 2025. (Archived February 7, 2025, 01:00:26 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  7. ^ 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.)
  8. ^ Home. Bergsala (English). Retrieved September 26, 2024. (Archived June 14, 2024, 01:43:01 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  9. ^ 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.)
  10. ^ a b Partnerships. CD Media S.E. (English). Retrieved July 3, 2024. (Archived March 29, 2023, 11:50:20 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  11. ^ Core Group. Core Group (English). Retrieved March 11, 2025. (Archived March 9, 2025, 13:26:28 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  12. ^ Ольга Карпенко (October 26, 2021). Консоли Nintendo Switch будут официально продаваться в Украине. AIN (Russian). Retrieved March 2, 2025. (Archived April 18, 2024, 20:24:42 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  13. ^ Nintendo. ERC Kazakhstan (English). Retrieved March 2, 2025. (Archived March 2, 2025, 22:50:01 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  14. ^ Nintendo. ERC Uzbekistan (English). Retrieved May 2, 2025. (Archived March 2, 2025, 22:50:45 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  15. ^ Juegos de Video Latinoamérica – JVLAT – Empresa dedicada a la comercialización exclusiva de marcas mundiales en América Latina y el Caribe. JVLAT (English). Retrieved March 11, 2025. (Archived March 12, 2025, 05:18:52 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  16. ^ 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.)
  17. ^ 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.)
  18. ^ a b Игорь Пичугин (November 1, 1994). Соглашение Steepler и Nintendo. Газета "Коммерсантъ" (Russian). Retrieved June 1, 2024. (Archived April 27, 2019, 02:58:42 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  19. ^ Дмитрий Корсак (June 19, 2015). Эксперт рынка видеоигр Владимир Бычинов: итоги E3 — финала «Лиги чемпионов» для фанатов PlayStation, Xbox и Nintendo. Onliner (Russian). Retrieved March 2, 2025. (Archived March 3, 2025, 03:47:11 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  20. ^ Inkman (March 27, 2017). И снова о Nintendo Switch: решаем возможные проблемы. Wii.by (Russian). Retrieved March 2, 2025. (Archived March 3, 2025, 03:49:24 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  21. ^ Алексей Егоров (April 7, 2022). Гайд: как оплачивать подписку Nintendo Switch Online и покупать игры в условиях санкций. Канобу (Russian). Retrieved March 2, 2025. (Archived June 23, 2023, 13:54:19 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  22. ^ 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.)
  23. ^ 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.)
  24. ^ Desai, Sameer (September 16, 2008). "Nintendo Wii and DS to launch in India on September 30". Rediff News. Retrieved March 23, 2024. (Archived September 29, 2022, 14:05:16 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  25. ^ Rishi Alwani (January 20, 2017). Want to Buy the Nintendo Switch In India? You Need to Read This First. Gadgets 360 (English). Retrieved March 1, 2025. (Archived January 28, 2025, 04:45:44 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  26. ^ Семён Костин (December 14, 2021). Легенда о слоне: как IT-компания Steepler создала Dendy и основала российский консольный рынок. DTF (Russian). Retrieved June 1, 2024. (Archived June 1, 2024, 22:35:52 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  27. ^ Олег Хохлов (August 9, 2016). Приставка Dendy: Как Виктор Савюк придумал первый в России поп-гаджет. Секрет фирмы (Russian). Retrieved December 9, 2024. (Archived December 1, 2024, 05:49:08 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  28. ^ Dean Takahashi (October 3, 2014). Nintendo starts selling digital games in Russia through Yandex. VentureBeat (English). Retrieved March 15, 2025. (Archived December 23, 2024, 08:29:20 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  29. ^ 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.)
  30. ^ 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.)
  31. ^ نينتندو السعودية (الممثل الرسمي). X (Arabic). Retrieved July 6, 2024.

External links

Nintendo coverage on other NIWA wikis:
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 4J Studios • Access Games • Acquire • †AlphaDream • Argonaut Games • Arika • Armor Project • ArtePiazza • †Artoon • Arzest • †Atari Corporation • †Atari, Inc. • Atlus • Bandai Namco Entertainment • †Banpresto • Beenox • Blit Interactive • †Boss Game Studios • Brainstorm Entertainment • †Brian A. Rice, Inc. • Brunswick • †Bullet-Proof Software • C3 Incorporated • Camelot Software Planning • Capcom • CAProduction • Caroline Software Incorporated • Cigam • Climax • Codesmith, Inc. • †Coleco • Cosmodog • Denaris Entertainment Software • Designer Software • Digitainment • Digital Works Entertainment • Dynatech Play2O • EA Canada • extra toxic • †Fabtek • †Falcon • Fantasy Factory • Firebird • Forever Entertainment • Game Arts • Game Freak • Good-Feel • †Gottlieb • GREZZO Co., Ltd. • GungHo Online Entertainment • HAL College of Technology & Design • HAL Laboratory • HAMSTER Corporation • Hexadrive • †Hudson Soft • Ikegami Tsushinki • indieszero • Intelligent Systems • Interplay • Iwasaki Engineering • Jupiter • Konami • Lightmaker • Magnum enter Co., Ltd. • Mani • Maygay • Million Colors • MISA • Mojang Studios • Monster Games • National Human Electronics • Natsume • Nelsonic • NeoPets • NHN Entertainment • Nichimen Graphics • †NovaLogic • †Ocean Software • Orpheus Software • Other Ocean Interactive • Paon DP • Playtime • PlayWorks Digital Limited • POP Multimedia • Presage Software • Racjin • Radical Entertainment • Rare • †Renegade Kid • Riedel Software Productions • Roklan • Royal Philips Electronics • S.I.U. • Scientific Toys • Sega • Sharp • Silverball Studios • †Skip Ltd. • SkyBox Labs • Skyworks Technologies, Inc. • SmileBoom Co., Ltd. • Softnica • †Software Creations • Sora Ltd. • Sound Racer Ltd. • Spike Chunsoft • Square Enix • †St.GIGA • Sunwise • †SUZAK Inc. • Switch Entertainment Inc. • T's MUSIC Co., Ltd. • Tantalus Media • †The Software Toolworks • TNX • Tokyo Electron • TOSE Software Co. • Treasure • Ubisoft • Vanpool • Velan Studios • Vicarious Visions • VPI.net • WILL Co., Ltd. • Yuke's • †Yutaka
Other companies Book publishers Archie Comics • Dark Horse Books • Fleetway Publications • Guinness World Records • Prima Games • Scholastic • Shogakukan • Valiant Comics
Animation studios †DIC Entertainment • Hong Guang Animation (Su Zhou) • Illumination • †Medialab • Nelvana • †Pacific Rim Productions, Inc. • †Sei Young Animation Co., Ltd. • Sony Pictures
Home video distributors †Abbey Home Entertainment • Beyond Home Entertainment • Bim Bum Bam Video • Buena Vista Home Video • Disky Communications • Egmont Film • eOne • Fremantle Home Entertainment • GoodView Home Video • HVN • IDP Home Video • †Kids Klassics • Lionsgate Home Entertainment • Manga Distribution• Maximum Entertainment • MRA Entertainment • NCircle Entertainment • On Air Video • Paramount Home Video • †Phase 4 Films • Pickwick Video • Pidax Film • Producciones Panther • Roadshow Entertainment • Shout! Factory • SMI url • Sterling Entertainment Group • Target • The Video Collection • UIG Entertainment GmbH • Universal Pictures • Wendros
Collectible / toy makers Ahomaro Games • †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. • Takara • Tomy • 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 • EMI Music Publishing • France 2 • †MediaBrowser • Pure West • Tesla • Twinkl • †WIC Entertainment • Yodobashi Camera
† Defunct
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