History of Nintendo 1980-1990

1980

Was started the establishment of the wholly owned subsidiary in New York, Nintendo of America
Inc. began selling in Japan the product line "GAME & WATCH", the first portable LCD videogames
with a microprocessor.

Graphic artist Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto, created the game Donkey Kong. The protagonist,
whose original name was Jumpman, is a fat carpenter racing to save his girlfriend Pauline from a
crazy monkey. Jumpman was later renamed during the establishment of the headquarters of
Nintendo of America by Nintendo Co., Ltd. In honor of Jumpman's resemblance with the owner of
the office, Mario Segali, he happened to be called "Mario".

1981

In 1981 is developed and distributed in all worldwide the coin-operated video game "Donkey
Kong." This game quickly becomes the best-selling between games for arcades.

1983

Creating a new plant in Uji to increase production capacity. In July, it listed on the first section of
the Tokyo Stock Exchange. It starts working in the video game console "" Family Computer ""
(Famicom), using a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and PPU (Picture Processing Unit).

1984

is developed and put on sale "VS. System", the exclusive coin-operated video game with dual
screen. It launches the Famicom system in Japan. Later renamed Nintendo Entertainment System
– and his initials are NES -. Among the titles available are Excitebike, Super Mario Bros., Metroid,
Zelda and Punch-Out! Mario and his brother Luigi become as famous as NES and NES game called
"Super Mario Bros." It is a worldwide success. Some studies show that children are so familiar with
"Mario" as Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny.

1986

It launches in Europe Nintendo Entertainment System. Together with classics like Super Mario
Bros., The Legend of Zelda and Excitebike, NES instantly becomes a great success and it is almost
essential to have it in all European homes. It develops and begins to sell "Family Computer Disk
Drive System" in Japan to extend the functionality of Family Computer. Too in Japan, start the
installation of the "Disk Writer" to rewrite game software.

1987
In sponsorship is obtained of Family Computer "Golf Tournament" in Japan as a communications
test using the public telephone network and Disk Faxes to aid in building a Family Computer
network.

1988

The company researches and develops the Hands Free controller, making the NES accessible to
more fans of Nintendo. The number of games for NES increases to 65 titles, helping to extend the
console to interest adults.

1989

Game Boy is introduced in Japan, the first portable console with interchangeable game cartridges.
Tetris for Game Boy is published worldwide.

1990

Japan gets into the market for 16-bit Super Famicom launched in autumn, while the Game Boy
was launched in Europe and a huge worldwide for the portable console Nintendo basis is
established.

In June, the headquarters of Nintendo of Europe as a wholly owned subsidiary, based in

Grossostheim, Germany.

1992

Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Super Famicom) appears in Europe in June. More than 46
million units sold worldwide. In Japan Super NES Super Scope is released, and Mario Paint with the
Super NES Mouse Accessory. The expected continuation of Zelda is also published for Super NES,
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

1993

The arrival of the Super FX chip, the latest technology for home consoles advertised. The first
game using the Super FX Chip, Starwing is published in April.

Nintendo of Netherlands is set and receives the transfer of Nintendo products, which were
previously distributed and managed in the Netherlands by Bandai. Subsidiaries in France, UK,
Spain, Belgium and Australia are also set.

1994

Hits stores Super Game Boy accessory, extending the number of compatible games Super NES. All
the favorite heroine, Samus, returns with an expected continuation, Super Metroid. Nintendo
helps develop and implement a classification system in the US encompassing the gaming industry
worldwide. In that year a game that raises the bar high using graphics ACM (Advanced Computer
Modeling), Donkey Kong Country bursts by surprise in the US market is also introduced.
It successfully launches Nintendo Gateway, with units of Super Nintendo Entertainment System
and a selection of SNES games specially designed to be enjoyed and entertain while traveling.

1995

Thanks to the extraordinary success of Donkey Kong Country, ACM graphics for the Game Boy with
Donkey Kong Land take. In addition to this boost to the Game Boy system, Nintendo introduced
the Play It Loud! Series, Game Boy with shells of different colors. ACM graphics appear again in
Super NES with the disposal of Killer Instinct arcade hit. In Japan, Nintendo began selling the
Satellaview adapter for Super Famicom, enabling digital data transmission for satellite. At the
same time, Nintendo Virtual Immersion introduces a 32-bit system known as the Virtual Boy.

Nintendo responds to the request by the fans more platforms with the release of Yoshi's Island.
The quality of ACM graphics for the upcoming release of Donkey Kong Country 2 is also improved:
Diddy's Kong Quest. Cruis'n USA and Killer Instinct also appear in arcades.

Nintendo produces billionth cartridge.

1996

June 23 launches in Japan the Nintendo 64. Thousands of people line up to be the first to enjoy the
first 64-bit console. More than 500,000 were sold the first day. In early September another
console goes on sale: the Nintendo Game Boy Pocket; an elegant version 30 percent smaller in the
most popular handheld console world.

With regard to games, Super Mario 64 is known by many as "the greatest video game of all time".
Meanwhile, Super NES live the launch of the third game in the Donkey Kong series, Donkey Kong
Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble. And Pokémon, a new phenomenon for Game Boy,
released in Japan on February 26.

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in 1983 there was the crisis of the game, also known as the Atari debacle was the unfortunate
event that ended what is considered the second generation of video games. The crisis began on
June 21, 1982, leading to the bankruptcy of several US companies engaged in the production of
computers and video games.

The crisis lasted about two years, even to sow many doubts about the long-term viability of the
video game industry. Over time the video game industry was able to recover the stability that had
been lost in recent years, inter alia, to the success planted by the Nintendo Entertainment System
(NES)

SNES
Designed by Masayuki Uemura, the designer of the original Famicom, Super Nintendo was
released in Japan on Wednesday, November 21, 1990 for the price of 25,000 yen (€ 199.99 / $
209.99). It was an instant success, as Nintendo sold 300,000 units within hours, the result was that
the Japanese government banned the output of new video games and consoles weekday except
Friday.

While other companies changed at 32-bit systems the SNES was the same and in 1994 Rare
launched donkey kong country. Donkey Kong Country rivaled the aesthetic quality of some games
that were released in the next-generation consoles such as Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn. In
the last 45 days of 1994, the game sold 6.1 million units, making the game that has sold faster in
the history of video games (around 135,000 units per day).