Everyone remembers the first console that introduced us to the world of video games. Whether it was booting upSuper Mario Bros.on theNESorDonkey Kong Bananzaon theSwitch 2, Nintendo consoles have been the default system for kids for decades. However, Nintendo’s history dates back even further than the most passionate Nintendo fan might realize.
The Mario maker wouldn’t become a household name until theNESarrived in the mid-’80s, but Nintendo has been spreading joy through gaming for well over half a century now. While some hardware didn’t hit the mark, hit franchises likeZelda,Pokémon,and Mario always delivered enthralling experiences that helped define multiple generations of gamers. With such a rich history, I want to walk down memory lane with you to recall every major Nintendo console released from its origins up to today.
Note: I will be leaving out all the various versions and redesigns of consoles, such as the various Game Boy, DS, and Switch models.
Color TV-Game – 1977
Even the most hardcore Nintendo fan who is always at the ready to hit you with the fact that Nintendo began in the 1800s selling Hanafuda cards is unlikely to know that the first true Nintendo console was the Color TV-Game from 1977. Nintendo partnered with Mitsubishi to create a line of five different models over the course of six years. These consoles had a set of built-in games, most of them versions ofPong,with newer versions having slight upgrades in hardware. While quaint by today’s standards, Nintendo clearly knew what it was doing right from the start since it was the best selling system of the first generation.
Game & Watch – 1980
The good old Game & Watch is where most Nintendo historians will mark the start of Nintendo’s video game history. The story goes that designer Gunpei Yokoi was inspired to create a small, handheld game when seeing a businessman on a train entertaining himself by messing around with a pocket calculator. Thus, he designed a game that could be carried around in someone’s pocket to help pass the time on the train. Game & Watch consoles only played one very basic game each, but introduced a ton of important features for video games. Handheld games were the obvious, but this was the first time a D-pad was used to control a character.
Nintendo Entertainment System – 1985
As successful as the Color TV-Game and Game & Watch were overseas, it was the Nintendo Entertainment System that gained worldwide notoriety. Called the Famicom in Japan, the NES took all the learnings from other home consoles, such as swappable cartridges, and melded them withamazing franchisesthat are still going strong today. This was the birth of the modern 2D platformer inSuper Mario Bros., the introduction to theLegend of Zelda,and the hidden mysteries ofMetroid.The NES single-handedly revitalized the home console market thanks to its revolutionary controller and software lineup.
Game Boy – 1989
As great as the NES was doing in the home market space, Nintendo knew there was a massive market for gaming on the go that no one else was properly servicing. There were other handhelds out there before theGame Boy, but none as powerful and compelling as this. It wasn’t quite an NES in your pocket, but it was darn close. Plus, the Game Boy might have had the bestlaunch gameof all time withTetris.Even if it only played that, I suspect the Game Boy would’ve sold a ton. The fact that Nintendo kept this system going for over a decade with only minor upgrades is a testament to its understanding that fun trumps power.
Super Nintendo Entertainment System – 1991
Nintendo kept the naming convention simple and clean for its second major home console release. TheSNESwas, in every way, just a better version of the NES. We went from 8 to 16-bit graphics, got four face buttons and two bumpers, plus one of the strongest libraries of games yet. Other developers were starting to understand game design a lot more by this point, but Nintendo itself continued to make everything else look basic by comparison.Super Mario World, A Link to the Past,andSuper Metroidare all still regarded as some of the best in their series and totally playable over 30 years later.
Virtual Boy – 1995
It was only a matter of time before Nintendo stumbled, but thankfully the Virtual Boy was more of a side project than a core system. Nintendo had always been pushing the limits with new ways to play, such as motion controls and lightguns as far back as the NES, but virtual reality was a nut no one had cracked. Nintendo gave it a shot, but even the gaming titan couldn’t manage to pull it off. The black and red screen was a killer for most, but the awkward design of the hardware itself made it almost impossible to play comfortably. It also wasn’t even real virtual reality, but more of a simulated 3D effect.
Nintendo 64 – 1996
Speaking of 3D, the N64 is a strange case. On one hand, the Nintendo first-party games felt a full generation ahead of the others who struggled to grapple with 3D design. On the other hand, the library was woefully small and the system itself didn’t sell all that well. Again, this wasn’t the first time an analog stick was used to control games, but Nintendo was the first major company to include it in its controller by default, which would soon become standard. This was also the last major console to stick to cartridges while the competition, specifically PlayStation, opted for CDs.
Game Boy Advance – 2001
If the Game Boy was an NES in your pocket, theGBAwas the SNES in your pocket. This long-overdue handheld upgrade was superior in every way. Beyond the graphics, the design itself was much more comfortable and pleasing, especially the horizontal screen. What was most appealing about the GBA, and would become a highly requested feature to this day, was backwards compatibility. All original Game Boy games fit right into the GBA as well as the new titles. Nintendo even toyed with merging the handheld with the home console with an adapter that allowed players to connect to a GameCube in certain titles.
GameCube – 2001
That brings us to the good oldGameCube. This block of a home console was a bit hit and miss in retrospect. It was the weakest-selling compared to the Xbox andPS2, but had some of the more contentious first party games at the time. While they are more appreciated today,Super Mario SunshineandThe Wind Wakerwere both seen as a letdown compared to previous entries.
Nintendo DS – 2004
Rather than wait another decade to give us a handheld upgrade, Nintendo struck rather quick with theDS. That would normally be a recipe for disaster, but Nintendo sidestepped the controversy by once again allowing full backwards compatibility with the GBA. The dual screen design of the DS was another big risk, but one that paid off big time. A ton of unique games suddenly became possible using the two screen system and stylus, as well as built-in Wi-Fi support for online functionality. It skyrocketed to become one of the most successful systems ever made.
Nintendo Wii – 2006
Console sales had been declining after the SNES, which perhaps was the impetus for Nintendo to go weird with the next home console rather than fight head-to-head as it had before. Rather than embracing HD graphics like the others, theWiiremained in SD but revolved around motion controls. That idea didn’t come to fruition on the NES, but in 2006 the technology was good enough to make it work. And boy did it work. The Wii broke into markets no other game console had, suddenly appearing in nursing homes as well as young kids’ living rooms because anyone could hold the remote and know how to play.
Nintendo 3DS – 2011
This is technically part of the DS line, but I think the3DSdeserves a special mention because it did have exclusive games that set it apart. As you can guess by the name, this system is essentially the DS again but with more powerful guts and the ability to use stereoscopy technology to create the illusion of 3D without needing glasses. While not something that completely changed the way games were played, it was still a marvel to see and kept the handheld system relevant for another six years.
Nintendo Wii U – 2012
The only bigger stumble Nintendo took than the Virtual Boy is theWii U. The combination of a confusing name and marketing strategy, plus a weird Game Pad controller that ended up being more of a hindrance than a cool control method buried this system. I still maintain that the Wii U had a lot of potential if properly handled, but it sadly never managed to overcome its troubles. The only saving grace is that every amazing game released on the system eventually got a port to the next console.
Nintendo Switch – 2017
What’s there to say about the Switch? Nintendo had a lot to prove this time and made sure not to make any of the same mistakes it had with the Wii U. We knew right from the start what this system was and why it was special, but it also had the software to back it up. Launching with a Zelda game was massive, and combining all Nintendo’s development focus onto the hybrid system rather than splitting between home and handheld devices ensured a steady stream of amazing games. Even though its successor has hit the market, there’s a very good chance the Switch sales could creep their way up to become the best selling console of all time.
Nintendo Switch 2 – 2025
And that brings us to today, with the Switch 2. We’re still early on in its life, but it has already broken records as the fastest selling console in history during its first month. I don’t see that pace slowing down soon, either, with an incredible lineup of titles on the way to draw in fans from all over. This is just a more powerful Switch in almost every way, plus some minor tweaks like mouse controls, but Nintendo clearly didn’t want to fix what wasn’t broken. We’ll have to see how that plays out in the long term with its upcoming video games, like whatever newZelda gameis coming and the nextPokémon entries.
