Nintendo is one of my favorite video game makers, so I should know a lot about them. Let's start with a history lesson. Don't worry, it's a fun one. Let's start. In the 1970's Nintendo was a trading card company. They realized that making Disney character cards weren't keeping them alive (financially).

They then turned to toy making. That wouldn't keep them alive either. They then hired Shigeru Miyamoto. He studied in art, which made him a great idealist. In 1978 he created games for the Color T.V. Console. Three popular games from that "era" are "Donkey Kong", "Radar Scope", and "Computer Othello".

The most popular is "Donkey Kong", you know, where you play as "Jumpman" (early Mario) and have to get the key and watch out for the monkey thing and open the cage for the girl inside. Then in 1981, they created the NES aka Nintendo Entertainment System, which they made the three "Super Mario Bros.", the original "Legend of Zelda" and "Adventures of Link", "Duck Hunt", and "Contra".

Next comes the SNES aka Super Nintendo, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Super NES. It was made in 1983, and had games such as "Super Mario All Stars" which joined "Super Mario Bros." 1, "Super Mario Bros., The Lost Levels" or in Japan "Super Mario 2", "Super Mario Bros. 2" or in Japan, "Super Mario Bros. USA", and "Super Mario Bros. 3" also "Contra 4", and "Super Mario World" were big hits.

Now about 1990 Nintendo made a contract with Philips, then broke it and made a contract with Sony, who later made the "Playstation", this is where they got the idea. Nintendo wanted to make a Zelda game for the PC/MAC so they joined up with Philips, and broke it, leaving Philips with the copyrights of all the Nintendo games ever made. They took their opportunity and made three Zelda games and one Mario game for the Philips CD-I, all were considered the worst Nintendo games ever made. Nintendo made a contract now with Sony, then broke it, giving Sony the idea to make they're own console, but, that's another story.

In 1996 Nintendo created the Nintendo 64 aka 64 or N64. It had famous LoZ games like "Ocarina of Time" and "Majora's Mask" both games in stunning 3-D images, which had never been seen before. It also had "Super Mario 64" which was Mario like never before, also in 3-D.

In this "era", there was a console that was disc playing that was only released in Japan. Many people wanted to have Nintendo have disc playing consoles like Sony, and they did;

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about Nintendo's past, present and questionable future?
We want to hear your view. Write now!