This video provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of Nintendo, a company that has had a significant impact on the gaming industry. Founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi in 1889 as a producer of handmade Hanafuda cards, Nintendo diversified into various ventures before venturing into the toy market in 1970. This led to the creation of the Game & Watch, their first handheld electronic gaming device.
The company's first console, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), was released in 1983 and became a commercial success. It was followed by the Game Boy in 1989, which offered versatility to gamers with interchangeable cartridges. The SNES, released in 1991, was a significant step forward, but the cartridge-based N64 faced stiff competition from the CD-based PlayStation in 1996.
Nintendo continued to innovate with the Game Boy Advance in 2001, the GameCube in 2001, and the DS in 2004, all of which featured unique designs and functionalities. The Wii, released in 2006, introduced motion controls and was a commercial success, selling 102 million units. However, the Wii U, released in 2012, was a disappointment, selling only 13 million units.
Nintendo has also been successful with their handheld consoles, with the DS being the highest-selling handheld console of all time. The company continued to innovate with the 3DS and its various iterations, and the Switch, released in 2017, is a hybrid console that can be used as both a handheld device and a home console.
The video concludes with a look at Nintendo's future, expressing hope for continued innovation and creativity in the gaming industry.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Nintendo was founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi as Yamauchi Nintendo.
2. Initially, the company produced handmade Hanafuda cards.
3. In 1959, Nintendo partnered with Walt Disney to use Disney characters on their playing cards.
4. The company's name was shortened to Nintendo in the 1960s.
5. The word "Nintendo" roughly translates to "leave luck to heaven."
6. In the 1960s, Nintendo's stock plummeted due to a decline in playing card sales.
7. The company invested in new ventures, including instant rice, a taxi service, and love hotels.
8. Nintendo developed Japan's first electronic toy, the Nintendo Beam Gun, in 1970.
9. The Nintendo Beam Gun was an ancestor to the NES Zapper.
10. In 1972, Nintendo developed a light gun accessory for the Magnavox Odyssey console.
11. Nintendo secured the rights to distribute the Magnavox Odyssey in Japan in 1974.
12. Nintendo's first official console was the Color TV-Game 6, released in 1977.
13. The company released several other consoles, including the Color TV-Game 15 and the Computer TV Game.
14. Nintendo's first handheld electronic game was the Game & Watch, released in 1980.
15. The Game & Watch was the first handheld console to feature a single game and a clock.
16. Multiple series of the Game & Watch were made, with some featuring two screens and a clamshell design.
17. The Game & Watch sold 43.4 million units worldwide.
18. In 1985, Nintendo released the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).
19. The NES was Nintendo's first home video game console released outside of Japan.
20. The NES helped revive the video game industry after the crash in 1983.
21. The NES sold 62 million units worldwide and set the record for the longest-surviving video game system in history.
22. Many of Nintendo's most successful game franchises were born on the NES, including Mario, Zelda, and Final Fantasy.
23. The NES controller featured a D-pad, which was a new innovation at the time.
24. In 1989, Nintendo released the Game Boy, the first handheld console to use interchangeable cartridges.
25. The Game Boy was portable, durable, and featured popular titles like Tetris and Pokémon.
26. The Game Boy sold 118.7 million units worldwide.
27. In 1991, Nintendo released the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).
28. The SNES was a 16-bit console with improved processing power, audio, and graphics.
29. The SNES outsold its closest rival, the Sega Genesis, with 49 million units sold.
30. The SNES controller featured a more traditional design with additional buttons and a longer cable.
31. In 1995, Nintendo released the Virtual Boy, which was a commercial failure.
32. The Virtual Boy was a 32-bit console with a unique design, but it was plagued by technical issues and a lack of games.
33. In 1996, Nintendo released the Nintendo 64 (N64), which featured 64-bit processing and a new controller design.
34. The N64 was a major innovation in 3D gaming, but it was also criticized for its high price and limited game library.
35. The N64 sold 33 million units worldwide.
36. In 2001, Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance (GBA), which featured improved processing power and a new design.
37. The GBA was designed to be backwards compatible with Game Boy games.
38. In 2004, Nintendo released the Nintendo DS, which featured dual screens and a touchscreen interface.
39. The DS was designed to be innovative and user-friendly, with a focus on casual gaming.
40. The DS sold over 154 million units worldwide, making it the best-selling handheld console of all time.
41. In 2006, Nintendo released the Wii, which featured motion controls and a more casual gaming experience.
42. The Wii was designed to appeal to a wider audience, including non-gamers.
43. The Wii sold 102 million units worldwide.
44. In 2011, Nintendo released the Nintendo 3DS, which featured 3D graphics without glasses.
45. The 3DS was designed to be innovative and user-friendly, with a focus on 3D gaming.
46. The 3DS sold 75.8 million units worldwide.
47. In 2012, Nintendo released the Wii U, which featured a new controller design and HD graphics.
48. The Wii U was designed to be innovative and user-friendly, but it was also criticized for its high price and limited game library.
49. The Wii U sold 13 million units worldwide.
50. In 2017, Nintendo released the Nintendo Switch, which featured a hybrid design and improved processing power.
51. The Switch was designed to be innovative and user-friendly, with a focus on portability and versatility.
52. The Switch has sold over 61.4 million units worldwide.
53. In 2020, Nintendo released a special version of the Game & Watch, which celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Game & Watch line and the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Brothers.