Nintendo's history dates back to 1889 when Fusajiro Yamauchi founded Nintendo Koppai in Kyoto, Japan. Nintendo Koppai specialized in the production and distribution of Hanafuda cards.
Hanafuda cards are a Japanese variation of playing cards that consist of 48 different cards. Over the years, Nintendo Koppai expanded and began developing a wide range of games, including some of Japan's first arcade games. They also opened up some retail stores where they sold toys and games.
In 1949, Fusajiro Yamauchi appointed his son, Hiroshi Yamauchi, as the president of the company and renamed the company to Nintendo Company, Ltd. While Hiroshi was in office, Nintendo began establishing itself as a manufacturer of video game consoles and video games.
In 1977, Nintendo released the "Color TV-Game" which is considered Japan's first home computer. The Color TV-Game was a Pong-like game that was played on the television. It was a big success and was bought by many families in Japan.
In 1973, Nintendo released the "Laser Clay Shooting System" which is considered Japan's first video game arcade machine. It was a laser clay pigeon shooting game that was installed in bars and other locations.
In the 1980s, Nintendo began focusing on video games. With the release of Donkey Kong and the introduction of the Game & Watch system in 1980, the company became a well-known name in the video game industry. In 1983, the legendary game Mario Bros. was released and became a big success.
In 1983, Nintendo released the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) console which became the best-selling video game console of the 1980s in the United States and Europe. The NES was a big success and laid the foundation for Nintendo's success in the 1990s.
In 1989, Nintendo released the Game Boy which established the handheld gaming market. The Game Boy was a big success and sold over 100 million units worldwide.
In 1996, the Nintendo 64 console was released which introduced a new generation of 3D video games. The N64 became one of the best-selling video game consoles of all time and laid the foundation for Nintendo's success in the early 2000s.
In the early 2000s, Nintendo began expanding
