Did you know that:

1. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as a card company

2. Nintendo owns 1.73% of Namco-Bandai

3. Mario first appeared in the Donkey Kong Arcade game in 1981

4. Mario's first stand-alone game was released in 1983 as an arcade game known as Mario Bros.

5. Nintendo owns the Seattle Mariners

6. Nintendo's name, translated from Japanese to English, is known as ''Leave luck to heaven''

7. In 2002, Nintendo purchased Retro Studios for 1 million U.S., making them officially a first-party studio.

8. Nintendo does not handle nor own the Pokémon franchise.* In 1998, the Pokémon Company was established by Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures Inc., to handle the marketing, distribution and licensing of the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo holds a 32% stake in the Pokémon Company.

9. The Super Mario franchise has sold more than 240 million at retail - if one would include other Mario entries and its spin-offs, it would place the plumber at half a billion video game sales.

10. Pokémon video game sales have eclipsed 200 million as of 2010.

11. Rare or Rareware, was once partly owned by Nintendo, holding a 49% stake in the company. The Stamper Brothers, the company founders, who owned 51% of the company back then, wanted to sell their remaining stock to Nintendo; however, the company declined as they did not see the need to increase their ownership. As a result, the Stamper Brothers decided to sell their remaining shares to Microsoft which in turn made Microsoft the largest shareholder with voting power - Nintendo sold their shares to Microsoft shortly after the transaction.

12. Nintendo had also ventured in love hotels and cab services before becoming a video game company only.

13. Link's design is inspired by Peter Pan.

14. In 1973, Nintendo almost declared bankruptcy due to the oil crisis and ongoing recession in Japan leaving Nintendo 64 million US in debt. *Nintendoomed*

*Nintendo however does own certain trademarks affiliated with the Pokémon franchise.

Did you know any of the above? Feel free to add Nintendo fun facts as well :)

Nintendo opened a love hotel in the 1960s.

EDIT: Was already posted so...

After leaving Nintendo, Gunpei Yokoi would help develop a competitor to the Gameboy: TheWonderSwan.

I did not know that Nintendo owns 1.73% of Namco-Bandai

Miyamotos Father actually started Squaresoft.

lol I didn't know those

I didnt know the 64 mil. bankruptcy thing lol

Are you serious? Color me surprised.

Edit: I was trolled o_O

That would mean that Shigeru Miyamoto is 5 years older than his father.

lol

Different Miyamoto's lol - Masashi Miyamoto started Squaresoft but he aint related lmao :P