Nintendo: The Full List of Video Game Consoles We Loved

If you are an avid gamer you'd know that Nintendo has been around for longer than just a decade or two. Nintendo is actually one of the oldest electronics and video game companies in the world, as it was founded in Kyoto in 1889 to produce playing cards, under the name Nintendo Karuta.

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Over the years, Nintendo has kept its customers up-to-date with the latest entertainment and gaming tools, including the well-known Atari which came into existence in the 1980s. Nintendo also takes credit for the "exergaming" or "gamercising" terms, after it introduced activity-based video games that uses unique technology to track body movements or reactions to be reflected in games. 

In this article, we will explore the different gaming consoles produced by Nintendo, ever since the company's products were limited to the Japanese market until they went international in 1983.

1. Color TV-Game (1977-1980)

Launched exclusively in Japan in 5 different devices, each console had a small number of games, besides a built-in controller. Games were mostly inspired by sports such as Tennis, Hockey, and Volleyball.

2. Nintendo Entertainment System (1983)

Known for its international success, this console sold near 62 different devices across the world and was known as the Family Computer. 

The console remained quite popular that owners enjoyed repairing services by Nintendo until 2007, when the company explained that the lack of necessary parts that were no longer manufactured was the reason behind their decision to discontinue repairing it.

3. Super Nintendo Entertainment System aka NES (1990)

Inaugurating the new decade with a new console after massive success in the 1980s, Nintendo released this device which sold near 50 million consoles internationally. 

This console was known for popular games such as Super Metroid, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Final Fantasy IV and VI, Donkey Kong Country, and Super Mario World.

4. Nintendo 64 aka N64 (1996)

Is there any way you haven't played Super Mario 64, Pilotwings, or Turok: Dinosaur Hunter? These games were launched at the same time Nintendo introduced the world to this console.

32.93 million consoles were sold around the world. 

5. Nintendo GameCube aka GCN (2001)

With a unique design and set of colors, the GCN was the first of Nintendo's consoles in the third millennium, introducing SpaceWorld and other games that were played using optical discs for the first time, instead of game cartridges that had been in use for almost two decades.

6. Wii (2006)

Introducing motion controllers for the first time, the Wii console included internet-enabled features for the first time, in addition to enabling players to connect and compete with others online. By 2016, Wii was Nintendo's biggest success, selling over 100 million consoles worldwide.

7. Wii U (2012)

In an upgrade from the six-year-old Wii, the Wii U emerged at a time tablets such as the iPad were the trendiest hypes, celebrating its GamePad -the first console-tablet by Nintendo, one that can replace the TV use in video games.

In addition to its features such as online multiplayer gaming, and enabling players to download and purchase games online, this console also allowed video chats between players. However, the Wii U only sold 13.56 million units worldwide.

8. Nintendo Switch (2017)

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Nintendo's first hybrid device can be used as a home console or as a tablet-like portable gaming device, thanks to its wireless controllers known as the Joy-Con. By 2021, 84.5 million units of the Nintendo Switch have been sold worldwide. 

In October 2021, Nintendo will be launching a new gaming console, one that is expected to be widely popular, especially that it comes after a historical pandemic that boosted video gaming popularity across the world.