Happy 120th Birthday, Nintendo!

Today is Nintendo's 120th Birthday! It's hard to beleive isn't it!


Nintendo started all the way back in 1889. They were originally a playing card company. The name 'Nintendo' translated literally means 'Leave Luck to Heaven'. The company tried to find it's own speciality for many years (they even created their own love tester!) before becoming one of the most suuccesful videogame companies to date.


Head Past the Break for a Nintendo Retrospective!








1889-Present Day

Nintendo marketed their own trading cards and created their own playing card game known as 'Hanafuda'. While it may be one of Nintendo's least known specialities, the company still manufactures trading cards in Japan today.








1956- 1975

Nintendo started to expand its market and create children's toys. Popular toys included the Love Tester, the ultra hand and even light gun shooting games!














1975- Present Day
Nintendo launched it's videogame success with the arcade game: Donkey Kong. This game was the first to feature our heroic plumber (then known as Jumpman) and that loveable ape!


The success of Donkey Kong led to many licencing deals with other companies. It was after this that Nintendo released the Game and Watch: A small portable game with an LCD screen.

The Game and Watch was an instant success and one that would shape the way the company would create videogames.


In 1983 the company launched the Family Computer (Famicom/NES) alongside one of the best, most memorable and influential games to date: Super Mario Bros.


Then, in 1989, Nintendo released the Gameboy; the company's most successful device ever made. Mostly due to the Tetris game released alongside it.


In 1990 Nintendo released the Super Famicom (Super Nintendo Entertainment System). An attempt to get with the current generation. The Super Nintendo was another incredible hit despite blatant competition by SEGA.

Nintendo then Continued to take control of the market with their contribution to 3D gaming: The Nintendo 64.

Well Known for it's launch title, Super Mario 64, the console spawned some of the best games on any system. With titles such as The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, Banjo Kazooie, Goldeneye, Super Smash Bros, Perfect Dark and more!
Despite having some big competition (Playstation) the N64 pioneered the way games were made from then on.








In 2002 Nintendo released it's fouurth console: The Nintendo Gamecube. While the console had several classic masterpeices, the console didn't sell well. Most likely due to tough competition (Xbox,PS2) coupled with its lack of third party support.
Great Titles on the system included Luigi's Mansion, Super Mario Sunshine, Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Mario Kart Double Dash and more!






In 2006 Nintendo released the Wii; a motion controlled gaming system that was a world of difference from Nintendo's previous offerings. Nintendo tried to appeal to all types of gamers with games with varying difficulty and type. This led to incredible worldwide sales for the console, although this is often what it is criticised for. Hardcore gamers claim that Nintendo is forgetting about the gamers that bought the NES and the SNES, and are instead focusing on the young and elderly.

Nevertheless though the Wii introduced several unique features and differentiates itself from other consoles quite well. Great games for the system include Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess, Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3 Corruption, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and more.


2009-Beyond

 

 What's next for Nintendo? With the Nintendo DSi's recent release and the Wii's recent price drop, where can we expect Nintendo to be? That, readers, is the question. Maybe Nintendo will last another 120 years!

Happy Birthday Nintendo!

Nintendo Australia gets it's own Magazine!

Thats Right! After almost ten years of us Aussies lacing an official Nintendo Mag, we've finnally got one! And it's not bad!

I have read issue 1 and issue 2 and I can say this: you wont be dissapointed. The Official Nintendo Magazine is Packed with information and content, and even I learn a few things.

But the problem that everyone seems to bring up is the mag being biased. Being official it's a worry that they'll say nothing but good things to promote their games, but it hasn't really happened yet. Although I have noticed their not as critical as that other gaming mag, Hyper.

Issue 2 is out now.

Club Nintendo Is officially up!!!

The Club Nintendo website is up!
Just enter the details and the product PIN of either Wii Fit, or Mario Kart Wii , and your in!

You earn star points every time you buy a game, so you can use the star points to buy exclusive stuff of the website!!!

That's all I can really say now, since I haven't joined yet, but after I buy Mario Kart Wii (so close!) then I'll join.

Here's the website.

http://wiiportal.nintendo-europe.com/australia/product_registration/

Have fun!

The Seal Of Quality

This seal has appeared on all Nintendo branded games since the NES.
Bu it has also appeared of third party games.

Third party developers obviously can't get their games to have as much quality as Nintendo's, but this was still labeled on the games.

The seal cannot be applied to a game if the following is true:
-The game is too offensive.
-The game is too religious
-The company didn't ask permission from Nintendo to make the game.
-The game is too violent.
If the statements are true, then the game does not meet quality standards.

But so many times I have noticed very bad quality games still get this seal. Why? Because every company has the right to make games, and the more games the more money.
I'm not saying Nintendo really wants the money, I'm saying the third-parties want it.

The seal of quality is here to stay, and as Nintendo says:

Always look for this seal when buying videogames!

'Wee' Jokes gone?

You remember those hurtful 'Wee' jokes people made about the Wii?
Well i think it's safe to say that they're very rare now, probably because the people who joked have realized, "Wow, this gaming machine is selling more copies than the 360 and ps3, and is braking sales records. Maybe we shouldn't make jokes any more".

Nintendo were on to something with the brilliant name. To make something catchy, yet suitable. Nintendo were trying to make a name that would represent who the console was for: Everyone. Wii represents We as in us. The two i's could represent two people.
The revolution did sound cool, and it suited the look of the console, but it sounded hardcore, not casual.

To anyone who makes fun of the Wii's name, should be reminded of how popular and brilliant the Wii really is.

Americans polled about a brawl sequel!!!

This really grinds my gears.

Nintendo sent out a survey to registered owners of Super Smash Bros Brawl asking them whether they would purchase a Brawl sequel or not.

WHY MENTION A SEQUEL WHEN WE DON"T EVEN HAVE IT YET?!

This is so unlike Nintendo it shocked me. Asking the customer if they should make another sequel is very weird. Americans have only had it for about a month now, and the pal regions still don't have the game.

Why Nintendo? Why?

Nintendo's Sympathy

I'm sure you've heard this before but whatever. Someone called Nintendo explaining their situation of a broken DS. Nintendo quickly reacted by sending them a brand new one.

Would Sony do this? No. Surely Microsoft? No. Nintendo.
Nintendo is the only game company with enough sympathy to refund a DS lite entirely because (somehow) they broke theirs.

Now that is sympathy. But I've been wondering: What else would they refund? A Wii remote? A Wii?!!

Who knows?

The beginning of this wonderful blog.

This is a new blog dedicated to exploring the wonders of Nintendo, one of the most well known companies in the world.