Ask your oldest relative – the one who still thinks smartphones work through witchcraft – to name one gaming company. There's a good chance they'll answer "Nintendo." The Japanese giant's name has been synonymous with video games for decades. However, there were plenty of times when things looked less than rosy for the company, especially after the lackluster response to the Wii U following its 2012 release.

Nintendo Origins

While local rivals Sony and Sega can trace their origins back to the 1940s, Nintendo was founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi way back on September 23, 1889, in Kyoto, Japan.

Nintendo started as a manufacturer of a card game called Hanafuda, which means 'flower cards'. The company was originally called Nintendo Koppai, the second part meaning 'cards' or 'playing cards' when read as Karuta.