Fans baffled after discovering when Nintendo was actually founded
Rhianna Benson
Featured Image Credit: Nintendo/Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images
There are certain aspects of life we often take for granted as having been around forever - socks, music, knitting, Hugh Jackman - mainly because we can't seem to remember when they were invented/founded/born.
On the other hand, other things are relatively new - AirPods, electric cars, Prime energy drinks and Nintendo consoles.
Apparently, however, the last item on this list is the subject of much contention this week, after fans of the much-loved Japanese gaming firm discovered that the founding of Nintendo actually dates back over a century.
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That's right, the tech bosses didn't conjure up the company in the 2000s like many of us Nintendo DS owners might think.
Which means it was definitely founded long before release of 2010 devices, like Nintendo Switch's and Wii's - sorry, Gen Z.
What many customers of Nintendo consoles have failed to realise until recently, however, is exactly how old the company is.
It turns out that the Nintendo actually established the global firm over 135 years ago, with craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi rolling out their first product in 1889.
And by the sounds of things, fans and customers of the tech corporation can't seem to fathom just how long ago Nintendo was kickstarted.
Taking to social media, one baffled fan asked: "How if electricity didn’t exist back then?"
Another teased: "Ottoman Empire used to play Nintendo lol," while a third joked: "Crazy the switch has been going since back then."
A fourth went on: "Still peddling childhood addiction since 1889"
Back then, the company looked vastly different to the billion-pound video-game empire it does now, however.
Naturally, therefore, Nintendos first line of products were lightyears away from the high-tech devices we see together.
What, therefore, did the firm produce, and how was it able to make a profit?
Well, it turns out, that Fusajiro Yamauchi first became a house-hold name after producing hanafuda, a type of Japanese playing cards, which became popular after Japan banned gambling across several districts of the country.
According to Nintendo's website, by the 1950s, the playing cards had reached global fame, and in 1959, Nintendo - whose name supposedly means 'leave luck to heaven - entered into a partnership with Disney to incorporate its characters into playing cards and sell the products in toy stores all over the world.
In the 70s, Nintendo produced Japan's first ever toy gun and an arcade simulator was released alongside a batch of simple video game consoles.
First came the hand-held system of the 1980s - along with a series of iconic characters, including Donkey Kong and Maria - before Game Boys and Super Nintendo Entertainment Systems were released.
In 1993, the Nintendo 64 was released, just 11 years before the famous Nintendo DS came out in 2003.