Creating smiles for generations

Who we are

Nintendo's mission is to put smiles on the faces of everyone we touch. We do so by creating new surprises for people across the world to enjoy together. We've forged our own path since 1889, when we began making hanafuda playing cards in Kyoto, Japan. Today, we’re fortunate to be able to share our characters, ideas and worlds through the medium of video games and the entertainment industry.

Nintendo of America, established in 1980 and based in Redmond, Wash., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nintendo Co., Ltd. We are committed to delivering best-in-class products and services to our customers and to investing in the well-being of our employees as part of the global Nintendo family.

Our history

We’ve been dedicated to our mission for a long time—since 1889, in fact.

Hanafuda cards

1889

Fusajiro Yamauchi began a small business manufacturing “Hanafuda” playing cards in Kyoto, Japan.

Game and watch

1980

Announced a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc. (NOA). Started selling the Game & Watch™ product line.

Donkey Kong

1981

Developed and began distribution of the coin-operated video game Donkey Kong™. This video game quickly became the hottest selling individual coin-operated machine in the business.

1985

The Nintendo Entertainment System™ (NES™) launched in America and became a smash hit.

1985

Mario™ was first introduced in the Super Mario Bros.™ game.



1986

The character Link™ made his first appearance in the Legend of Zelda™ game for NES.

1989

Introduced Game Boy™, the first portable handheld game system. Originally bundled with the Tetris™ game, it was an instant phenomenon.

1991

The 16-bit Super Nintendo Entertainment System™ (Super NES™) was released in the U.S.

1996

The Nintendo 64™ system launched in the U.S. on Sept. 29, along with the critically acclaimed Super Mario 64™ game.

1998

Nintendo introduced Game Boy Color™. Pokémon™, a breakthrough game concept for Game Boy, was introduced to the world and generated a nationwide craze to “Catch ‘em All!”

2001

Launched the Game Boy™ Advance and the Nintendo GameCube™ systems. The Nintendo GameCube was the first Nintendo system to use optical discs instead of cartridges for its games.

2004

Launched the Nintendo DS™, an innovative, dual-screen handheld gaming system.

2006

Nintendo introduced the Wii™ system and with it several advanced features. Wireless motion-sensitive controllers, built-in Wi-Fi capability, and a host of other features made Wii the best-selling later-generation console system in the world.

2008

Wii became the first system purchased by more than 10 million Americans in a single year.

2011

The Nintendo 3DS™ system launched, letting users view and play 3D content without special 3D glasses.

2012

The Wii U™ system launched with the innovative Wii U GamePad controller that offered users new ways to play together, including off-TV. This system also introduced support for amiibo™ accessories.

2015

The Splatoon™ game launched, introducing the squid-kids known as Inklings.

2017

The Nintendo Switch™ system launched, along with hits including Super Mario Odyssey™ and The Legend of Zelda™: Breath of the Wild.

2019

The Nintendo Switch Lite system launched. Designed specifically for portable play, the compact system plays the library of Nintendo Switch games that work in handheld mode.

Superstars wanted

Join us in putting smiles on the faces of people around the world.

Explore careers

Contact us

Whether you need customer support, are interested in doing business with us, or have other questions, here’s how to get in touch.

Address:

Nintendo of America
4600 150th Ave NE
Redmond, WA 98052

Accessibility:

Nintendo endeavors to provide products and services that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities. If you have questions about the accessibility features of Nintendo's products or services, please contact us using one of the methods below.

TTY/TDD Phone:

Customers who use a TTY/TDD device can contact Nintendo by using their TTY or

Contact us at Nintendo