gunpei yokoi
Nintendo

The Day Mario’s Creator Didn’t Retire (And What It Says About His Future)

The internet was rocked. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario and Zelda, reportedly said he was stepping down. Nobody seemed prepared for this. It was so sudden. So surprising. The end of an era.

April 21, 2011
Retro

Nintendo’s First Arcade Games Were, Well, Pretty Sucky

It’s one of those quirks of history that Nintendo, a company synonymous with colourful characters and fun video games, made its very first independent venture into the world of arcade gaming with… a board game adaptation.

April 8, 2011
Nintendo

The Game Boy Creator’s Last Handheld Was A Wonderful Little Thing

Since Brian’s story earlier about the tragic death of former Nintendo great Gunpei Yokoi, I figured today would be a good time to take a look at the last thing he ever worked on: the WonderSwan handheld gaming device.

April 7, 2011
In Real Life

Why Gaming’s Most Tragic Conspiracy Is Bullshit

It was apparently a contracted hit. Gunpei Yokoi, father of the Game Boy who failed with the Virtual Boy, left Nintendo and was working with a rival on a new portable game device. Yokoi had too many Nintendo secrets. He had to be out of the picture, say the conspiracy theories. He had to be silenced.

March 23, 2011
Nintendo

The Nintendo They’ve Tried To Forget: Gambling, Gangsters, And Love Hotels

Nintendo, the world’s family-friendly video game maker, formed under less virtuous auspices. Before Nintendo made video games, they made playing cards for gangsters and ran their own love hotel, which some asset their own founder frequented—during work. Saucy!

January 26, 2011
In Real Life

Japanese Gaming Does Not Speak The Same Lingo

While to outsiders Japan appears a homogeneous nation (with only 2 per cent of the population being registered foreigners), there are actually key regional differences in the way people behave and the language is spoken. The country’s video game developers are no exception.

January 25, 2011
Nintendo

The Nintendo 3DS Is The Anti-Game Boy

Inexpensive, low-tech and sporting an impressive battery life, the Nintendo Game Boy was released in 1989. Next month, Nintendo is releasing the 3DS. It’s everything the Game Boy wasn’t. It is the Anti-Game Boy.

August 25, 2010
News

From Game Boy To Virtual Boy, An Exhibit Of Gunpei Yokoi’s Legacy

Gunpei Yokoi, who sadly killed in an auto accident in 1997, was a gaming wizard. A new exhibit in Tokyo’s Harajuku pays its respects to Yokoi’s legacy.

July 1, 2010
In Real Life

The Nintendo Love Tester Was More Than A Vitality Sensor

Nintendo hasn’t always made video games. It’s over 100 years old, and in that time has made stuff like cards and children’s toys. Oh, and also love testers, like this one, designed by the man who created the Game Boy.

May 16, 2010
In Real Life

Flipping Through The Nintendo History System

Artist Bill Mudron shipped out the first issue of The Nintendo History System this week, the first chapter in an 8-part series that offers a fun, historical look at the company’s rise from playing card manufacturer to video game giant.

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