Nintendo began as a playing-card company founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi in 1889.
Yamauchi established the business in Kyoto, Japan, under the name Nintendo Koppai. It initially produced handmade hanafuda cards, a traditional Japanese playing-card style used for games.
The company remained connected to playing cards for many decades before diversifying. During the twentieth century, Nintendo explored products and services including toys, games, and other businesses. Its transition into electronic entertainment eventually led to home consoles and internationally successful game systems.
Nintendo’s origins are therefore much older than its video-game identity. The company did not begin with the NES, Game Boy, or Mario; those products appeared many decades after its founding.