Curious Kids Every Day: A Daily Educational Podcast · Curious Kids Every Day

How Did Nintendo Get Its Name?

March 26, 2026·12 min·1 clip

Josh explains how Donkey Kong introduced a character originally called Jump Man, who would later become the mustachioed plumber Mario.

Host Josh explores the surprising history of Nintendo, revealing that the video game giant started in 1889 as a Japanese playing card company called Nintendo, which may translate to 'leave luck to heaven.' The episode traces Nintendo's evolution from traditional Hanafuda cards to Game & Watch devices, Donkey Kong arcade games, and eventually the Nintendo Entertainment System that introduced Mario to the world.

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