Nintendo Turns 120 Today, Doesn’t Look a Day Past 100

Wow, I’ve simply been off my game when it comes to remembering birthdays as of late. I should see if there is some sort of free software available out there to remind me. Any suggestions?

Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because I have just learned that today marks the 120th anniversary of the opening of the original Nintendo, which we showed off yesterday. Fusajiro Yamauchi’s establishment began as a manufacturer of playing cards, but would move on into other niche businesses as well, from taxis to instant rice to television to perhaps their most infamous venture, the love hotel.

Thankfully, one engineer named Gumpei Yokoi helped move the company into the toy market, and soon after came video games. And from there… well, you probably have some idea.

For a rather deep and intriguing look at the history of Nintendo, from its origins to the turn of the millennium, Game Over is a great book on the subject, particularly if you can get the 1999 edition, “Game Over: Press Start to Continue – The Maturing of Mario.”

Happy 120th, Nintendo. Here’s to many more!