As you know, Nintendo hasn’t always made video games. Before the dawn of the home entertainment era, the company made everything from love testers to fake LEGO to shooting galleries. Did you know, though, that amidst all that fun stuff, Nintendo also made a vacuum cleaner?
This is it. The Nintendo Chiritorie. Released in 1979 (so really, after the “video game” era at the company had already begun!), it wasn’t your average home appliance. Seeking to be both unique and a little fun, it resembled a Roomba that wasn’t quite as smart (or expensive) as the robot vacuum cleaners of today.
It was remote-controlled and tiny, measuring only 16cm across. It was also practically useless, as at that size it was not only severely under-powered, but because it was also slow, it would take you days to clean your house with it.
Still. That’s not the point. It was never intended as a serious vacuum cleaner. It’s almost a toy, a gadget-lovers indulgence, which is reflected in the fact Nintendo included these adorable little stickers with the Chiritorie, which let you turn it into something a little more personable.
While it barely sold, making it quite the collector’s item today, it was remembered by Nintendo in 2003’s Wario Ware Inc. on the Game Boy Advance, starring in one of the title’s mini-games.
You can read more technical info on the Chiritorie at Before Mario, linked below.
Nintendo Chiritorie (無線クリーナー チリトリー, 1979) [Before Mario]
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