A Brief History of Nintendo || 1889 - 2023

[@fetch300]

Thank you to Jimmy McGee, for unveiling to me and potentially thousands more of the existence of this high-quality channel and the timeless classic editorial, in particular. Liked and subscribed!

[@CiggySnake]

Jimmy McGee is a real one and a friend, was flattered he not only shouted the documentary out but described it in such superlative terms as well. Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for the kind words, if you check out any more of my videos would love to hear your thoughts on them.

[@AllocatorsAsia]

Oh my days. So excited. This deserves a full TV sit down experience

[@WhizPill]

There’s so much gems worth learning here to be honest. A retrospective like this is so important.

[@brichan1851]

This is an AMAZING history of one of the most influential companies in history. Your research is exhaustive and your delivery is wonderfully done. THIS is the reason I come to KZbin. My hat’s off to you, sir; you, and your valiant team. EXCELLENT work! This is my first of your videos. After seeing this, I am an instant subscriber. I cannot wait to see what else you have on offer. ❤❤❤❤

[@CiggySnake]

That's extremely kind of you and I really appreciate it man, thank you. I hope you find the rest of my channel (if not my more recent works) similarly informative and interesting. Also for reference, this was an independent endeavor, from scripting to editing to narration. There isn't really a team on this channel, at most I ask for input on scenes/scripts from friends of mine or other creators.

[@brichan1851]

@ wow! One man project? That makes everything all the more impressive. You are a talented films maker, my friend. And you have great presentation.

[@MechaMugen]

this is such a fantastic video, incredibly well researched and more in depth and insightful than any coverage I've ever seen on the topic up this point

[@JimmyMcG33]

You nailed it man! Great video. I didn't know the love hotel thing came from Game Over, it wouldn't shock me at all if Sheff exaggerated or hallucinated it.

[@CiggySnake]

Sheff was largely on point in his recounting of Nintendo's history as I understand it; the love hotel thing is the only claim/point that has yet to be widely corroborated. Perhaps he was privy to information us peasants simply aren't, but if it was just some tall tale or fever dream of his I wouldn't be surprised.

[@SUAVEcritic]

I think this video carried a lot of little surprises and anecdotes that made an impression in my head. I like how you underplay your jokes and try to maintain a disciplined focus on the content of the video, the history. Keep it up!

[@Samwow]

Found this video from a video by Jimmy McGee, watching it now!

[@strawhatdanny]

Wow an amazing video! How this video doesn’t have millions of views beats me. Thank you for this video! New subscriber gain

[@CiggySnake]

I appreciate it man, that's very kind of you to say. This documentary is starting to get some traction/views, but hopefully it continues to do well.

[@Razoredge581]

Informative and very well made, also the Cruelty Squad music for the Wii U was fitting lol

[@Savannah_Simpson]

Love that you casually toss in jokes in such a deadpan way “Financial criminal, Yuji Naka” “Wario land 4, Wario’s greatest achievement” 😂

[@johnbone0115]

This is a very well made documentary, great work! My only real critique is the use of “objective generation numbers” thoroughout, which leads to weird things like Wii and Wii U being in the same generation.

[@CiggySnake]

I appreciate it man, thank you. When it comes to video game generations, it was used more as a time table in this context. Otherwise yeah it's a somewhat fuzzy categorization system, mostly because Nintendo is the odd man out compared to Sony and Microsoft.

[@hllyenaylleth9576]

Still got that old Game Cube and it still works! Same with the PS1 and PS2 and the OG Xbox.

[@simply_maple]

Beautiful video, one I'll come back to for years to come. Cheers, m8

[@CiggySnake]

I appreciate it man, I hope it continues to interest and entertain you

[@ProducerJS]

Bro, this deserves WAY more attention! You crushed this! ❤️

[@CiggySnake]

I'm glad you enjoyed the doc, and I really appreciate it man

[@jesserichards5582]

I think the fun & easy for non gamers as a family is why i came back to nintendo. To be honest been years since i came back but the satisfaction of letting a family memeber that doesnt have any experince in gaming be able to easily enjoy playing Mario Kart is priceless

[@CiggySnake]

True, Nintendo is easily the most approachable and non-gamer friendly studio out there. Sure, they release titles that are more capital "G" Gamer friendly (just like every other studio), but they also make games that anyone can participate in and enjoy. Quintessential example is Mario Kart, with Mario Kart 8 being one of the best selling games ever.

[@yagurl_]

Bonus music is a reason to watch the whole thing I swear

[@Zet237yt]

Came to this video from you-know-where and thought “haha nice joke, having such a long video called ‘brief’!” But then I watched it and realized: Damn, this actually is quite the brief history of Nintendo! Good job of summarising the events in a concise yet complete manner that is very enjoyable to watch. :)

[@CiggySnake]

I appreciate it, I wanted to tell as complete and concise a story as possible here.

[@MiguelSantos2002]

Great video man 👍

[@CiggySnake]

I appreciate it man

[@sorrymabbad]

1 hour of Ciggy Snake? Let's go Though I'll probably watch it in parts, but I know this will be good

[@NarutoOrganisation13]

Phenomenal listening experience. I put this video on and started what is usually pretty miserable yard work, and it genuinely made a difference. Thanks. The joke about Wii music at 1:06:50 was particularly funny. You also somehow reminded me of how I gave my Wii to my ex right before they broke up with me. I think it was mostly because your description of the Wii's history made me wish I had my Wii again. Haha. Definitely wasn't thinking about the sweat getting in my eyes then.

[@CiggySnake]

Well I'm glad you enjoyed the vid so and that it made your work a bit less miserable. Comments like this, those which really appreciate my work really make my day, so thank you in return. The Wii is such a unique and fun console. While it missed the mark in a few areas (weak hardware, somewhat lacking 3rd party suite), it just excelled with it's first party titles/actually good motion contrs and was simply fun. I know they're cheap and fairly easy to homebrew nowadays; maybe consider getting another sometime. Also if you enjoyed this vid and my style of content so, feel free to check out some of my other vids (gaming related or otherwise) whenever you have to toil in the yard 😉

[@jweb460]

the video is great. the algorithm is bad.

[@emperorhobbs555]

This video is astounding! Need more content about gaming history in my life, this shit is criminally underrated! Keep it up man, your channel is a gem that I’m glad I’ve found!

[@CiggySnake]

I really appreciate it, and glad you enjoyed the vid. Hope you like the rest of my channel's content, gaming related or otherwise.

[@foxxarie]

I loved this! Thank you so much for making it!

[@CiggySnake]

Hey thanks, glad you enjoyed it

[@brendanstealth]

Ciggy, my man, this vid is outstanding. I learned a lot here about Nintendo's rise to prominence during the early years of gaming that I had never heard before. The pacing was great and the production value was really top notch, I wish this video managed to go deeper into the ol algorithm because I think this is the sort of content anyone in the video essay niche would absolutely eat up same as me. At least I can help boost engagement lol. Seriously I hope you feel proud of this video because it is warranted.

[@CiggySnake]

Again, thank you for the incredibly kind words. Nintendo's early history is really interesting and unique, and it was really fun researching the topic. Another KZbinr actually shouted this video out in his most recent video essay which is going gangbusters atm, look up Jimmy McGee. It's helped a bit, hopefully this further engrains it in the algorithm and helps it reacher a broader audience. In any event, I appreciate every little bit of algorithmic support from my viewers/fans, it does ultimately help, so thanks. I am fairly proud of this vid, it was a massive undertaking and I think it provides a more than comprehensive history on Nintendo. I'm glad some people can appreciate it.

[@fetch300]

This video is missing about two million views.

[@alejandroheredia8882]

Excellent documentary, also I liked the totally real Yamauchi quotes

[@keithparker7412]

genuinely filled with good (NON-AI WRITTEN) information about a topic I am interested in. Very refreshing and well put together!

[@CiggySnake]

Thanks man, I really appreciate it. I wanted this doc to be something special and I'm glad you enjoyed it. (Also from that comment I'm guessing you came from Jimmy)

[@haleman1704]

You earned my sub, sir.

[@I_AM_A_AVOCADO]

Amazing video. This video should have more likes and views. Keep up the good work. 😄😄

[@RedStinger_0]

Well made and well structured video essay, good job! Pre-videogames Nintendo is quite interesting to learn about

[@CiggySnake]

I appreciate it man, thanks. Yeah, early Nintedo is really interesting, and it's cool they continue to reference their old toys in modern games.

[@Vincent-rd4rg]

great video as always cig!

[@DrBear-rk4qb]

I appreciate the immense amount of time and research it must have taken to make this video! Very well done and interesting!

[@CiggySnake]

Whole thing took me about 2 months from research and scripting, to production and editing. Glad you enjoyed it man.

[@creativeed6788]

This video sure does deserve a lot more views. I'm always on the lookout for these types of videos, I'm surprised I didn't get this on my suggestions. Thanks for taking the time to put this video together! Subscribed (hopefully we'll get a Square Enix, or Final Fantasy video at some point :D)

[@CiggySnake]

I'm glad you enjoyed it and thank you for the kind words man. In terms of major documentaries similar to this, I'd be open to doing a history of Sega at some point (absolutely no timeline on that, don't hold me on it). From what I've read into them thus far their history is similarly storied and all over the place.

[@creativeed6788]

@@CiggySnake Amazing! Looking forward to it if it ever comes out :) I'll keep an eye out for it for sure ;)

[@CiggySnake]

@@creativeed6788 Sounds good, in the meantime feel free to check out the rest of my library (gaming related or otherwise), would love to hear your thoughts.

[@creativeed6788]

@@CiggySnake For sure! I've already been watching some of them like the Steam one and the Golden Age of Indie games :) Loving it so far!

[@CiggySnake]

@@creativeed6788 Awesome, glad you like them then. Feel free to comment on those as well as it helps me in the algorithm.

[@jesusguillen5054]

Ahhh my friend, this reminds me a bit to the Videogame Historian video on Satoru Iwata (which is a compliment, for I love that video)... Everytime we get to that part of the story when Iwata leaves this world, I always shed some tears. You did a great job on this video, and I will be seeing it every now and then. Cheers! I hope you get more views and subscriptions over time!

[@CiggySnake]

That's very kind of you and I'm glad you enjoyed the vid, it was a labor of love that I'm happy others can appreciate.

[@abfg616]

Came here from Jimmy McGee, and was not at all disappointed! I look forward to your future work, you criminally underrated documentarian you

[@CiggySnake]

Jimmy is a friend and a real one for the shout out; I'm glad you enjoyed the doc man.

[@TylerA52903]

Yeah thanks for the brief video man. It was short and sweet 😁

[@carlosbraga9381]

What a video! Earned a sub

[@CiggySnake]

Thanks man, glad you enjoyed it and hoped you learned something from it

[@Vreidicus]

excellent video my dude :) played alot of nes and megadrive (and some SNES) growing up in the 90s. i suspect thats why i play alot of indie metroidvanias these days.

[@CiggySnake]

Metroidvanias are a fun genre, and indies are in something of a golden age atm. If you want a bit of both, check out Axiom Verge if you haven't already.

[@Vreidicus]

@@CiggySnake fully agree, from metroidvanias to boomershooters and beyond it is truly a exceptional time for indies. Stardew Valley and Axiom Verge two games i'm gonna buy in a near future. Besides the actual games i find a great selling point of indies, is that you don't need the most expensive hardware in your pc and that the games are quite cheap.

[@CiggySnake]

@@Vreidicus Oh for sure, and I actually cover the rise of indies in another video of mine. I personally appreciate a lot of the more lo-fi/stylized/retro aesthetics indies go for, it's much more artistic and a nice change of pace from the hyper realism often sought after in AAA titles. The fact they're less taxing on ones hardware and wallet is a nice bonus and also makes them more accessible for people with older rigs (like me).

[@ZelphTheWebmancer]

Great video. I never knew Nintendo was so old and sold cards, really interesting.

[@marawinter5924]

It's always a pet peeve of mine whenever people forget the Virtual Boy when they talk biggest failure for Nintendo, so glad you mentioned it and call Wii U the second biggest failure and not biggest

[@CiggySnake]

It was the biggest failure in that it was Nintendo's worst selling console. However, while the virtual boy was out, the GameBoy and GBC were going gangbusters, and the N64 was doing reasonably well. The virtual boy was basically a side offering from Nintendo; their mainline products were doing fine, and Nintendo itself remained profitable/successful during that mid to late 90's period. With the Wii U, while it did outsell the virtual boy, it was Nintendo's then main offering and intended to be their primary money-maker. Its failure contributed to Nintendo going into the red for the first time in decades. The fact it had such a massive, negative impact is likely why people call the Wii U Nintendo's biggest failure.

[@marawinter5924]

@@CiggySnake The Virtual Boy did only have a lifespan of a year while they supported the Wii U for more. But I do find it somewhat poetic the two failures resulted in two successful systems (the 3DS and the Switch). Maybe you could argue that the instant rice was Nintendo's biggest failure as they never did anything with that again.

[@TheRoblox140]

Thanks Jimmy for the start of Nintendo(任天堂)!

[@whitefibre841]

finally the first full-length feature film starring internet sensation ciggy snake and multi-dollar company mrs. nintendo. thank you executive producer and director ciggy snake for once more pushing the boundary of entertainment with this summer blockbuster

[@M64bros]

I always find the history of Nintendo really interesting!

[@CiggySnake]

It's a really interesting tale, and it's in many ways the story of the games industry as well

[@hllyenaylleth9576]

Also, one major point about the switch it's a pull towards large couch coop with smash. I still remember playing smash many others on the same system.

[@CiggySnake]

Good point, the switch is well suited for social play

[@reinaldothecringemaster3728]

Hello, I have subscribed to your KZbin channel

[@TheNess19]

nice vid scott

[@Fhazo]

I will watch this..later🗿 (I'm hyped tho🤙🏿)

[@CiggySnake]

Given the length that's perfectly understandable

[@DMMDestroyer]

Same, looking forward to it. Here's a algo boost comment until able to watch it.

[@hunchoquon60]

Ppl are finding secrets in the nes Mario to this day. This game is the ultimate game ever. And that’s why Mario is bigger than Mickey Mouse. Fact.

[@CiggySnake]

Yeah, gaming at this point makes more than film/television and has easily the same impact on culture as Disney or Marvel.

[@alexandriap.3285]

wow such documentary :3

[@PrettyNightmare69]

And Link has the Ultra Hand in TOTK.

[@wheeze_sanchez]

Fantastic documentary so far. You do the best I've seen at getting into detail on Nintendo's early history. I'm only confused about "Bandai Intellivision". I know the Intellivision name has been passed around, but judging by the timeline, you must be talking about the original Atari 2600 competitor, which was produced by Mattel.

[@hunchoquon60]

Pokémon turned me into a gamer. I love being a 90s baby 😅

[@Cloud-dt6xb]

I've been a fan of Nintendo since the Super Nintendo days and remain so now. The ridicule they and fans of them would often face was irritating as someone who greatly enjoyed not only their consoles but Playstations as well after I got the ps2. It's so refreshing to have them ontop for the second time since the Super nintendo era and actively being cautious to not repeat the mistakes of the Wii U. I also love that Iwata's last console was a major success and has helped Nintendo be bigger than they've ever been. I'm really looking forward to how the next system goes, they've made all the right decisions in regards to it and it has the potential to be the shake up the game industry needs right now.

[@monnicamii]

Jimmy sent me here. Good vid.

[@CiggySnake]

Jimmy is a real one and a friend. Glad you enjoyed the vid.

[@diggus88]

Really well-made video but I was surprised you didn't include the story of how Nintendo, the most anti-piracy video game developer ever, pirated Donkey Kong from the actual programmers at Ikegami Tsushinki (though Miyamoto was the one who designed the game) in the legal shenanigans section.

[@CiggySnake]

I appreciate it man, yeah this is actually the first I'd heard of Ikegami Tsushinki, I'd otherwise have mentioned it. If anything it fits with Nintendo's arcade ethos at the time, that being just blatantly copying those around you.

[@AnimeSlayxX32]

The low views is quite odd your videos are well made even if its just a voiceover on some visuals its better thwn what mostly rakes in views anymore and its informative :)

[@CiggySnake]

The algorithm is an odd beast, I'd certainly like for this vid to do better, but I'll take what I can get. I have a few other vids which are doing pretty well (at least for my size), so I'm thankful for that at the least. Thanks for the kind words, and of course feel free to share the vid around if you want to help out.

[@lachemoilcul]

I don't understand the views on this... What the hell happened thay a Nintendo video has less than 400 views?? I thought it was really well made and very informative. It was really cool to have this recap of the company's ventures and show their evolution through time. I liked the quality of the video as well, the editing and voice over was really good. I hope you find a way to hit the mark on KZbin soon, you deserve more views.

[@CiggySnake]

That's really nice of you to say man, thank you, and I'm glad you enjoyed the documentary. This video hasn't been going gangbusters or anything, hopefully it gets some more traction in due time, feel free to help share it around in the meantime though.

[@pickleimpressions263]

16:29 I see what you did there... 😏

[@startyournintengines]

This is a great video, although I wished you talked more about Fusajiro Yamauchi and the role the Russo-Japanese War played in Nintendo's history. Otherwise it was a great to see this and I hope to see more content from you!

[@CiggySnake]

Thank you for the kind words and glad you enjoyed it man. Curious, but what role did the Russo-Japanese war actually play in Nintendo's history? That conflict didn't really come up during my research.

[@startyournintengines]

It's not well known by most people, but it's quite an interesting story, In the early 1900’s, Fusajiro had monumental plans for Nintendo. Torempu cards (Trump cards) was the new product Fusajiro was curious about because they were western-style playing cards. It was gaining popularity in Japan because of the Russo-Japanese War. Japanese citizens were interested in the new possible games, but the real reason Japan desired them was because Russian prisoners from the war enjoyed playing cards, especially Trump cards. So, Fusajiro acquired a U.S. printing machine and began making his own Trump cards. This allowed Nintendo to sell their cards for a much lower price since the competitors could only import them. In order to fund the war effort, Japan taxed the playing card manufacturers with the Karuta Zei Tax in 1907. Competitors went out of business, but Nintendo barely survived. Also not many people talk about Karuta Zei Tax. If you our interested in some sources check out the KZbin channel: miiyouandmii2, he did an incredible video on the history of pre-video game Nintendo. @@CiggySnake

[@CiggySnake]

That's really fascinating, it's a shame I missed it, and I'll definitely check that video/channel out. Thanks for the bit of history.

[@SosaEscro]

It’s insane to me that this video has less than 300 views in 5 days. Such a good video..holy..

[@CiggySnake]

I appreciate it man and glad you enjoyed it. Feel free to share the vid around and help give it some legs, it would mean the world to me.

[@Isaax]

Don't be discouraged by the low views. You deserve more, the algorithm is simply unjust. At least I found you because of your algorithm boosted video. Please keep 'em comin Also RIP Iwata, it hurts just like it did almost 8 years ago Also FUCK current Nintendo

[@CiggySnake]

I appreciate the kind words man, and glad you enjoyed it. Feel free to share it around and help it out in the algorithm then, it would mean a lot. Iwata was a good man, and uniquely qualified to lead Nintendo (or really any games company for that matter). At least the company has done quite well since his passing bar Nintendo's total disconnect with their community.

[@koiyune]

No mention of the 'mistake' that was Nintendo Online? can't blame ya

[@Mangosteen-55]

Sounds like MagnatesMedia .

[@kolz4ever1980]

Never know why people say nes or SNES as a word when it's an abbreviation and not a word.. 😆

[@CiggySnake]

It's not unheard of to pronounce abbreviations as standalone words, and in a video context, saying "SNES" can just flow or sound better than saying "ess enn ee ess."

[@kolz4ever1980]

@@CiggySnake Never said unheard of it but it is weird as fuck. I am not calling my ps5 a piss5 because that flows too..

[@theBaka9]

""""""""""""brief""""""""""""

[@N238E]

Why doesn't Nintendo start stamping out quality AKs for the American market? I would buy a Nintendo AK.

[@CiggySnake]

I feel guns would be at odds with the family fun image they've cultivated.

[@WhizPill]

Nintendo Fanboys are gone love this one.

[@Yoshizuyuner]

consume

[@kolz4ever1980]

This is a really damn good history on nintendo. I always say they easily make the best first party games out of everyone. For the single reason they always focus on one thing above all else, the fun factor. If someone can't have fun on splatoon, mario kart, mario games in general, and more just because either the hardware is weak or cause its too kiddy like I can't take them serious. I am not picking up chicks left and right because I play diablo 4 or elden ring.. lol. Unlike the other two that focus on either woke ass forced agenda's aka fat aloy and man jaw aloy in western sony games of course.. and mediocrity for all first party games on shit box as a standard and obviously more woke shit nintendo here just focuses on damn fun games that can get played for years and still be fun. Then in todays age nintendo is the only to keep their system relevant by not pushing their games to the best platform like the other two, pc. You make your system utterly pointless with no real exclusives and we see the result of that from shit box having to go third party but that's more than just pc gaming making their system pointless which it does.

[@DrAnarchy69]

I wish Cops still played Pokémon Go instead of doing their job of being roaming Fascist murder gangs 😭

[@FellTheSky]

biggest anti consumer company yet

[@CiggySnake]

The lengths Nintendo goes to to protect their IP and crack down on any sort of unsanctioned competition is ridiculous, I agree. However, I feel Nintendo does actually put out quality products/games and has that as an earnest goal. That makes it leagues better than the now largely corporatized gaming industry to me.

[@FellTheSky]

@@CiggySnake Thats only the tip of the iceberg. Have you read the rules they tried to impose for FAN TOURNAMENTS? It's ridiculous. I will never in a million years support a company that hates it's fans so much.

[@CiggySnake]

Yeah, I read something about their absolutely ridiculous tourney regulations. I'm already seeing some push back to it or about there being logistical issues/impossibilities surrounding it at the least. Believe me, I know Nintendo's policies towards fans are egregious and easily their worst aspect as a games company.

[@VOAN]

@@FellTheSky You'll be surprise how many companies love their fans, literally none.

[@FellTheSky]

@@VOAN So? That's not what I'm asking. How about a company not actively pursuing legal actions their customers for stupid shit? How about let them have a tournament the way they like?

[@Hunt77]

I was recommended this video by an anti-capitalist so I better come out of this hating everything about video game creation.

[@Hunt77]

Surprisingly that was not case, great video!

[@CiggySnake]

Hey thanks man, glad you enjoyed it. I didn't cover it much here but Nintendo is unironically a respectable company in terms of their treatment/management of their employees. They do what they can to limit crunch, they aren't slave driving their employees, and from what I've heard from people actually in the industry their workers are well paid and have solid benefits packages. You can just look at recent articles on the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Wonder, they just let their devs come up with as many ideas/mechanics as they wanted and let them work on it at a fair pace, and in turn Wonder looks both incredibly promising and brimming with soul. The same cannot be said for basically every other major game developer out there, and I go into that in another video of mine (Gaming Isn't Fun Anymore).

[@Hunt77]

@@CiggySnake Yeah I loved how you took a real look at the important men in the company that made it what it is, it was quite fascinating. Also I didn't know that the face of the Wii had passed away :O Super respect for the toy maker guy to take a chance on starting small again to follow his passion. I didn't know they still produced those cards and Super Mario Land actually looks like it could be fun to visit.

[@soyborne.bornmadeandundone1342]

Yay I love that my precious nintendo games are from a long line of corporate craziness revolving around insta rice, cigs, and anti union mind sets lol.