Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, is the acknowledged worldwide leader in the creation of interactive entertainment. To date, Nintendo has sold more than one billion video games worldwide, created such industry icons as Mario and Donkey Kong and launched franchises like The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon. Nintendo manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home video game systems, including Nintendo GameCube™ and the Game Boy® series - the world's best-selling video game system.

1889 Fusajiro Yamauchi began manufacturing "Hanafuda," Japanese playing cards in Kyoto.
1959 Started selling cards printed with Walt Disney characters.
1963 Changed company name to Nintendo Co. Ltd. and started manufacturing games in addition to playing cards.
1977 Developed home-use video games in cooperation with Mitsubishi Electric.
1978 Created and started selling coin-operated video games using microcomputers.
1980 Announced a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc. in New York.
1981 Developed and began distribution of the coin-operated video game "Donkey Kong."
1983 Established Nintendo Entertainment Centres Ltd. in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, to operate a family entertainment center.
1985 Started to sell the U.S. version of Family Computer "Nintendo Entertainment System" (NES) in America.
1989 Introduced Game Boy®.
1991 The 16-bit Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Super NES), along with "Super Mario World," is released in the U.S.
1995 Nintendo introduces a 32-bit Virtual Immersion system known as the Virtual Boy.
1996 Nintendo 64 launches in North America. Super Mario 64 is proclaimed by many as "the greatest video game of all time!"
2000 Nintendo sells its one hundred millionth Game Boy unit.
2001 Beloved Nintendo characters Mario and Donkey Kong celebrate their 20th anniversaries. Nintendo launches the Nintendo GameCube™ home video game console on November 18 smashing previous U.S. sales records, becoming the fastest-selling next generation hardware system.
2002 By the end of 2002, more than 25 million Game Boy Advance units are in homes around the world.
2003 Nintendo introduces Game Boy Advance SP. Nintendo launches The Legend of Zelda®: The Wind Waker.
2004 Nintendo launches the innovative, new, dual screen handled video game system: the Nintendo DS.
2005 Nintendo launches the free and easy-to-use wireless service; Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection. The service enables users to play with other gamers from around the world. The service was so successful that after only two months from launching, over 10 million connections were made by nearly half-a-million unique users!
2006 Launched Nintendo DS Lite™, a smaller and lighter version of the original. Nintendo also launches Wii™ with the unprecedented Wii Remote which made gaming fun for everyone.