Introduction
The world of electronic games may not be what it is today, the Nintendo it did not exist. For many people, video game is synonymous with Nintendo and for so many others, the games would not have so much grace if it were not for characters such as Mario, Link (Zelda), Fox McLoud (Star Fox), Samus Aran (Metroid), Donkey Kong and others. Although I also enjoy games for PCs and for consoles other companies, we always enjoyed myself quite a bit with Nintendo’s games, finding that encouraged me to write about the history and main products of the company. Is what you’ll see below.
A company in centennial
The history of Nintendo starts on September 23, 1889, when Fusajiro Yamauchi founded the company with the name Nintendo Koppai to produce Hanafuda, a type of card game that ended up being popular in Japan. Fusajiro also began working with other types of cards and, gradually, the business was expanding, so much that, in 1907, a partnership with a distribution company it was closed to increase the range of products in Japan.
In the year 1929, Fusajiro decided to retire and transferred the control of the company to Sekiryo Kaneda, husband of his only daughter, Tei Yamauchi. After the wedding, Sekiryo came to be called the Sekiryo Yamauchi.
In 1933, Sekiryo did a restructuring, and the company ended up if changing to a larger building, built next to the first. The change also hit the name of the company, which went named Yamauchi Nintendo & Co.
Nintendo followed the pace of growth, until, in 1947, Sekiryo Yamauchi established the firm Marufuk Co. Ltd. to increase the circulation of the new cards from the company, especially the type western.
But, in 1949, Sekiryo Yamauchi suffered a stroke and, in your bed, called for his grandson Hiroshi Yamauchi just 21 years old, to invite you take over the helm of Nintendo. And by that Hiroshi was called, and not his father, as is the tradition? For a very simple reason: Shikanojo Inaba, the father of Hiroshi, abandoned the family. When this happened, the wife of Shikanojo, the eldest daughter of Sekiryo Yamauchi, went to live with his sister, leaving Hiroshi in the care of grandparents.Soon, he was the heir to the most “suitable” for taking over the firm.
Hiroshi Yamauchi accepted the challenge, and immediately demonstrated have an aggressive style in business, so that he invest projects nothing related to the market exploited by Nintendo, as a fleet of taxis and a network of hotels. But, this does not mean that Hiroshi gave less attention to the company that he inherited, on the contrary. In 1951, changed the name of the company to Nintendo Karuta and in the following year, changed its headquarters to a larger place.
The decisions of Hiroshi Yamauchi didn’t stop there. One of them meant a lot to Nintendo, when the executive closed a partnership with Disney to sell the cards with drawings of characters this last. His work was so well conducted that it left the Nintendo only in 2002, when he decided to retire.
The style entrepreneur Hiroshi did with that Nintendo, in 1969, entered for the branch of the games (that is, passed if to dedicate not only cards), the time that the company has already called Nintendo Company (this change happened in 1963). It was in this period that the company expanded its segments of operation and it was also during this period that Hiroshi met Gunpei Yokoi, a genius who went on to create toys that have made very successful among them, an arm mechanic called Ultra Hand and the line Kousenjuu, composed of “weapons of light”.
In the late 1970s, electronic games such as Space Invaders and Pong were doing success. Eye on this market, the Nintendo closed a partnership with the company Magnavox to market a version console Odyssey, but this device did not sell as much as expected.
Following the advice of Masayuki Uemura, another genius of Nintendo Hiroshi Yamauchi, decided to invest in the development of consoles more attractive and, through a partnership with Mitsubishi, has released the Color-TV Game, a series of adaptations of the the game Pong. This happened in 1977.
But, it was in 1980 that Nintendo dug, definitely, its flag in the world of games. In addition to having been the year in which the company has reached to the United States, was the year when Gunpei Yokoi released the Game & Watch, a handheld console for a single game whose the screen contains the printed scenario of the game. Launched in the various versions, the Game & Watch was a success, making your creator received the well-deserved recognition. But, it is misleading anyone who thinks that the works of Gunpei ended there…
At this point, I am forced to jump to the year 1997: after you have exited Nintendo (presumably because of the Virtual Boy, the subject of more on this later), Gunpei worked on a laptop called Wonder Swan, released exclusively in Japan by Bandai. While still working on this project, Gunpei Yokoi, unfortunately, suffered a serious car accident (in 1997) and died two hours after having given arrival at the hospital.
The arrival of Shigeru Miyamoto
The year 1977 also marked the arrival of one of the most important names of Nintendo: Shigeru Miyamoto. Hired by the company after graduating with a degree in Industrial Design, Miyamoto had as a main function, at the beginning, assist in the design of the exterior arcades (machines games known in Brazil as arcades).
If Nintendo came to the United States in 1980, it is certainly because I had the intention of exploring the american market. To this we launched an arcade to compete with machines Atari, which were very successful: this is the game Radar Scope. The game was a success in Japan, but not in the United States.
Realizing this, Hiroshi Yamauchi, not discouraged, and, seeing its main heads were busy (among them, Gunpei Yokoi, who worked on the Game & Watch), ended up inviting Shigeru Miyamoto to take advantage of the platform of the Radar Scope and launch something more eye-catching.
Miyamoto agreed to the challenge and, soon after, created a game called Donkey Kong. Released in 1981, the story of this game is simple: a gorilla had kidnapped a young woman and it was up to their (supposed) boyfriend save her, a “little man” mustachioed called Jumpman. There are rumors that this story was based on the design of Popeye, whose license for use of the image Nintendo has attempted to obtain, but he could not. As a result, Brutus was replaced by gorilla, Popeye by the Jumpman and Olivia Toothpick for a maiden unknown.
In the beginning, the game was viewed with some suspicion by the the American team of Nintendo, but it didn’t take to make enough success. As a result, Shigeru Miyamoto was, and not stopped to create games. His greatest success was Super Mario Bros, released in 1985, whose protagonist is the Jumpman from Donkey Kong, which was eventually renamed as Mario, the character that became the symbol of Nintendo and also one of their main franchises.
Miyamoto still works in games development and, in addition to of Mario and Donkey Kong, also created the series The Legend of Zelda, another great franchise from Nintendo. In addition addition, it also had – and has – participation in other franchises, such as Star Fox, Earthbound, Metroid,Nintendogs and Wii Sports.
The list of consoles
Now that you already know part of the history of Nintendo, that such to know their consoles? This is what you will see the following. Note that are referred to the video games released up to the date of updating of this text in the AbbreviationFinder.
The Color TV-Game
This device came in 1977, and his first version that contained variations of a game in the style of Pong ( Pong simulated a game of table tennis). The player used a control whose top buttons were rotating. The Color TV-Game had other versions. One of them, called the Color TV-Game Block Kuzushi, with the participation of Shigeru Miyamoto.
Game & Watch
This is a portable console, that took about 60 versions. This is because each version contained a different game and were all listed in categories such as Silver, Gold, Wide Screen and Multi Screen.These categories were based on the physical aspect of each Game & Watch. For example, the category Multi-Screen (multiple screens) was composed by consoles with two screens.
The NES (Nintendo Entertainment System)
The NES, called Famicom in Japan and affectionately dubbed “Nintendinho” in Brazil, it is a console 8-bit and was released in 1983. It was the first device to accept cartridges of different games. Certainly, represents a milestone for the history of Nintendo, for this was a video game that gave “life” to franchises such as Metroid and Zelda. It was also for this console that came the unforgettable Super Mario Bros. The NES was very successful: only stopped to be manufactured in 1996 and, during this time, it sold more than 60 million units.
Game Boy
Designed by Gunpei Yokoi, the Game Boy is another the great innovation of Nintendo. Released in 1989, this handheld console has a monochrome LCD screen and processor 8-bit. As well as the NES, accepts various games for cartridges. The The Game Boy also allows you to play team games with up to four players by using a special cable. Your most successful game it was the classic Tetris. The Game Boy was marketed even in outtras versions, shown below. The first (photo below) was known as Game Boy Classic.
SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System)
The SNES (Super Famicom in Japan) is the successor to the NES and also made a great success. Equipped with processor 16-bit, was released in 1990 and competed fiercely in the market of games with the rival Sega Mega Drive. Also featured with games memorable, such as Super Mario World and Donkey Kong Country (that contained an excellent graphic structure). The SNES sold just over 57 million units and received regular release of games until 1997.
The Virtual Boy
If there’s one thing that will be able to leave the direction of the Nintendo embarrassed for all eternity is the Virtual Boy, the greatest failure of the company. The console was presented in 1994 and had as a novelty the ability to represent images in 3D, although monochrome. Instead of designing the images on a TV screen, the Virtual Boy was a device that vaguely remembered the glasses. Because of this, the Nintendo the included in their line of laptops. But, the console had several problems, among them: caused a headache to the player, needed a base to be supported, could be easily corrupted, the fund of the images was dark and there were few games available (few developers wanted to bet on the Virtual Boy). For incredible that it seems, the Virtual Boy was designed by Gunpei Yokoi (it is, up to the geniuses make mistakes). Rumors say that he was fired by Nintendo because of this failure. In 1997, months after the Virtual Boy have been placed on the market, Gunpei died in a car accident, as we have already explained.
Nintendo 64
Launched in 1996, the Nintendo 64 was the successor to the SNES. The number in your name makes allusion to the fact this console be 64-bit. Its main advantages are: processing 3D graphics, ability to connect up to four joysticks, button analog in this last, in addition to a button positioned as the trigger the bottom of the control. The Nintendo 64 also gave life to the games striking, as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, GoldenEye 007 and, of course, Super Mario 64.
Despite not having been a failure, the Nintendo 64 didn’t sell as well as the The NES and the SNES, mainly because I had less games. At the time from its launch, the rivals Sega and Sony were already working with consoles that ran games through CDs, however, the Nintendo he preferred to continue with the cartridges. As the CDs are cheaper and manufacturing the most simple, many developers games gave priority to the video games of the competition. The Nintendo 64 sold roughly 30 million units worldwide.
The Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Light
The Nintendo released in 1996 an enhanced version of the Game Boy Classic. The Game Boy Pocketit is thinner than the first, less energy-intensive (requiring only two AAA batteries instead of 4 AA batteries of its predecessor) and has a screen sharper. In 1997, Nintendo released the Game Boy Light, laptop that has characteristics similar to the version Pocket, with the difference of having a screen with lighting own. The Game Boy Light was only sold in Japan.
Game Boy Color
The Game Boy Color (GBC) was released in 1998 and, as the name itself indicates, its main feature is to run games in color. In addition, the COLLEGE also account with more powerful hardware, and better audio when compared to its predecessors. The GBC is also compatible with the games of the Game Boy Classic, but with the differential to put the colors them. The console had around 230 unique games and sold more than 50 million units.
GameCube
In 2001, came to market with the GameCube, the successor to the Nintendo 64. In the shape of a cube (hence the name), this was the first Nintendo console to work with optical media – uses a type of mini-DVD based on a technology from Matsushita (Panasonic). Another important feature of this console is its ability graphics, much higher than that of the Nintendo 64. Your joystick also account with innovations: it has the drawing done to adapt easily for the hand and has a feature of vibration leaving the games more interesting.
Nintendo also released a special version of the control that works on a per-connection wireless, this is wireless. Despite being a good console, the GameCube not managed to displace its main competitor, the PlayStation 2, Sony. The device has ceased to be manufactured in the beginning of 2007 and sold a little more than 21 million units.
Game Boy Advance
The Game Boy Advance (GBA) came to market in 2001 and is the evolution of the Game Boy line of systems. This laptop provides various news in relation to versions previous: physical format more modern, larger screen, capacity view more than 32 thousand colors, 32-bit processor, audio improved cartridges and smaller. the GBA was a true success: sold more than 75 million units.
Game Boy Advance SP
This is an enhanced version of the GBA and came to the market in 2003. The ‘SP’ apparently comes from the word the English “special”, but not sure about that. The the main differential of the GBA SP is in its physical format: the appliance is foldable, in the same style of a laptop, feature that makes them easier to transport and helps protect the screen. Speaking on the screen, this also received improvements with regard to lighting. Another interesting new feature of the GBA SP is the fact the laptop use a rechargeable battery instead of batteries.
The GBA SP also had a negative point: due to limitations techniques, Nintendo has eliminated the entry of headphones, the that angered many users, despite the company having launched an adapter that allows the use of this accessory. Even so, the GBA SP has sold well: there were almost 40 million units worldwide.
Nintendo DS
The Nintendo DS (NDS) is considered by many to be one of the best products of Nintendo. Launched in 2004, the NDS (DS comes to Dual Screen or Developers’ System) is characterized by having two screens – the bottom sensitive to the touch (the laptop is accompanied by a a pen Stylus to use on this screen) – it’s foldable (just as the GBA SP), it has a microphone, is powered by batteryrechargeable and has a capacity of graphics similar to the Nintendo 64. The Nintendo DS also stands out by having connection Wi-Fi enabling disputes on the network. This feature also allows you to navigate on the internet by console, so much so that the Opera Software has launched a version of its browser for the Nintendo DS.
Another important feature to be mentioned in the NDS is its ability to run games from the GBA. To do this, simply use the available input on the front of the laptop. The Nintendo DS has sold over 50 million units.
Game Boy micro
The Game Boy micro (the word ‘micro’ is only written with lowercase letters the same) was released in 2005 and is the second improved version of the GBA. Its main features are: reduced size (it is the smallest game console of Nintendo), light weight (weighs about 80 grams), screen improved, front interchangeable (that is, that accepts multiple covers), and native support for headphones ear (feature non-existent on the GBA SP). Unlike the other GBAs, the micro is not compatible with cartridges for the Game Boy Classic and Game Boy Color due to its reduced size. The Game Boy micro has sold 2.5 million units.
Nintendo DS Lite
To give sequence to the success of the Nintendo DS, Nintendo decided to launch a new version of the laptop 2006: the Nintendo DS Lite. In relation to the version earlier, what became known as the Nintendo DS Classic, the NDS Lite has the screen sharper (to play the NDS Classic in environments very illuminated is a little bad), reduced-size (but the screens are still on the the same size) and physical format “clean”, also being a sales success.
Nintendo Wii
The Nintendo Wii also represents a milestone for the Nintendo. Released in late 2006, the console is the successor to of the GameCube, including being able to run games of this. What makes this video game so remarkable is its joystick revolutionary: the Wii Remote (also known as the Wiimote). In the format of a remote control, this joystick does not has wire and its gameplay is in the movements of the user, that is, the player need to move the arm to play, simulating the gestures of a sword fight or a dispute tennis, for example. The Wiimote is also able to vibrates, it has an audio output (generating the sound a clash of swords, for example), and you can receive extra accessories.
The Wii wheel games by means of a type of DVD, but also it is able to run games of its predecessors from an online service where players can download them. The video game account with 512 MB of internal memory, and this ability can be expanded using SD cards. By take seriously, the fun factor, the Nintendo Wii has been very well received, even for people not accustomed to electronic games, reason by which has a sales history nearly as good as the NES and the SNES, for example.
In August 2011, Nintendo started selling a version of the Wii with reduced dimensions, however, there were no changes in the hardware of equipment. In December 2012, practically in the final cycle of the life of the console, Nintendo released in Canada, a version called the Wii Minicharacterized by being even more compact, but unable to access resources on the Internet.
Nintendo DSi
Announced in October 2008, this console is taken as an evolution of the Nintendo DS. Has severalnews in relation to the previous model, the Nintendo DS Lite: “stylus” (pen) long, screens 17 percent larger, two cameras (one 3 megapixel camera on the back of the top of the screen and another on the hinge of the console with a 0.3 megapixel), outputs sound more powerful and entrance to the memory card SD. The Nintendo DSi has no slot for games cartridges of the GBA.
In June 2012, instead of following the “tradition” of to launch stripped down versions of their consoles, Nintendo has made on the contrary, announced a larger model of the portable under thename of the 3DS XL (3DS LL in Japan). The hardware is pretty much the same, with the exception of the battery, which went on to have about 6 hours of battery life (vs. 3 hours of the 3DS “normal”), and all of the screens, which were slightly larger.
Nintendo Wii U
In November 2012, Nintendo has officially launched the successor Wii: the Nintendo Wii U. The model is divided into two versions: Basic, with 8 GB of storage capacity, and Premium, with 32 GB. Its hardware is, according to Nintendo, about 20 times more “powerful” than the Wii, with features as 2 GB of RAM memory and GPUAMD Radeon able to generate images in high definition (1080p). The media of the games, in turn, is a disk owner with the capacity of 25 GB, similar to Blu-ray.
As with its predecessor, the item that draws the attention on the Wii U is your joystick. Named Wii U GamePad, the device has a screen sensitive to the touch of 6.2 inch, front camera, outputs audio,microphone, connectivity, NFC , and other features. These characteristics make it be a lot like a portable video game.
The console has a joystick “traditional” called Wii U Pro Controller is compatible with games and accessories of the Nintendo Wii (at least most of them), and thus like this, you can access the Internet for obtaining games and other content for entertainment.
Accessories
Almost all Nintendo consoles have received accessories for addition of features. Here is a list of the most interesting (and curious):
Super Game Boy: this is an adapter that allows you to play games of the Game Boy on the Super Nintendo. In addition to being able to take advantage of the TV, the player also had the possibility to view the games with color (remember, the Game Boy games are monochrome). The Super Game Boy was successful in sales;
Game Boy Camera & Printer: this curious kit is composed for an adapter on the camera and for a small printer. With the camera, which is installed at the entrance of cartridges of the Game Boy, the user can take photos, view them and to manipulate them. With the Printer, it may print these images. These, however, can only be generated in black and white, due to the limitations of colour of the laptop;
Famicom Network System: for incredible that it seems, the NES had an accessory that allowed you to connect it to the Internet for the player to access some services, the Famicom Network System. The unit was only sold in the japanese market;
Famicom Disk System: this is another accessory sold only in Japan. The Famicom Disk System allowed you to access the games on floppy disks special instead of cartridges, significantly lowering the price of games for users. Although it has sold relatively well, this device was not well received by the developers of games, mostly because Nintendo charged a percentage of the licensing for each game;
Super NES Mouse: the Super Nintendo had a variety of accessories, one of them is a unique mouse connected at the input of a joystick. The device could be used in some games and was known in the game Mario Paint, where it was mandatory;
Rumble Pak: this is an accessory for the Nintendo 64 that was very well received. This is a device that is connected at the bottom of the joystick that causes it to vibrate in accordance with the events of the game. As an example, in the game GoldenEye 007, the Rumble Pak causes the control to vibrate each time the character fires a shot or is shot. Nintendo also released a version this device for the Nintendo DS;
Game Boy Player: this is an accessory that allows you to run games for the Game Boy to the Game Boy Color to the Game Boy Advance on the GameCube;
DK Bongos: this is an accessory a lot of fun: it installs a device that simulates bongos, a type of percussion instrument. It is used in the game Donkey Konga and other released in Japan. The DK Bongos is available for the Nintendo GameCube, and, apparently, also works on the Nintendo Wii.
Play-Yan: this is an accessory that allows the Game Boy Advance run MP3 audio and videos in MPEG-4. The files are stored on SD cards. The unit it is also compatible with the Nintendo DS, although this also has a similar device, and unique;
Wii Balance Board: the fact of the Wii to interact with the body’s movements and, therefore, encourage physical activity, led to the the creation of this device. It is a balance that allows the user to not only find out your weight also perform, according to the game, dances, simulation of skateboarding, physical exercise, and other. This is possible because, in addition to scale, the Wii Balance Board also has sensors to evaluate the balance.
Play-Yan: this is an accessory that allows the Game Boy Advance run MP3 audio and videos in MPEG-4. The files are stored on SD cards. The unit it is also compatible with the Nintendo DS, although this also has a similar device, and unique;
Wii Balance Board: the fact of the Wii to interact with the body’s movements and, therefore, encourage physical activity, led to the the creation of this device. It is a balance that allows the user to not only find out your weight also perform, according to the game, dances, simulation of skateboarding, physical exercise, and other. This is possible because, in addition to scale, the Wii Balance Board also has sensors to evaluate the balance.
Ending
The the history of Nintendo is intertwined with the story itself of electronic games. Although it has committed some errors in your history, the “Big N” has always been a company bold, feature that certainly has determined his success and made it exit unscathed, even from the crises that have already reached the sector of games.
One of the policies of Nintendo is to combine fun and entertainment with accessibility, so many of their consoles have hardware, more modest than the video game equivalent of the competitors. This causes the price of these equipments is less. Nintendo combines this feature with the games very well done. The result could not be another: success. This policy has been applied, for example, in the NES, the SNES, the Game Boy line of systems, the Nintendo DS and in the Nintendo Wii.
In a branch so promising and, at the same time, so treacherous how much is the games, not just adapt to the demands of the market, but also to make the market adapt to new concepts. For this, it is necessary to creativity, boldness, innovation and a good dose of intelligence, features that the Nintendo proved to have plenty. It remains to wait for the company to keep it that way in the future.
