Nintendo Co., Ltd. (任天堂株式会社 Nintendō Kabushiki-gaisha) is a multinational electronics and video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. The company did business with Disney as early as 1959.
Nintendo is well known for their mascot, Mario, who is the main protagonist of his own series and also one of the most famous video game characters in history.
History[]
Founding[]
The company was established on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi as Nintendo Playing Card Co., Ltd. (任天堂骨牌株式会社 Nintendō Karuta Kabushiki-gaisha). Hiroshi Yamauchi took over the company after Fusajiro's death.
In 1956, Hiroshi visited the U.S. to talk with the United States Playing Card Company, the dominant playing card manufacturer there. He found that they were using only a small office. Yamauchi's realization that the playing card business had limited potential was a turning point.
The company changed its name to Nintendo Co., Ltd. in 1963.
Association with Disney[]
In 1959, Hiroshi acquired the license to use Walt Disney Productions' characters on playing cards and board games to drive sales.[1]
Later on, many Disney-themed video games would be created for Nintendo's gaming systems by third party developers and publishers. Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck hold the distinction of being some of the few licensed characters (the others being Popeye and Snoopy) to feature in Nintendo's Game & Watch line, through the Mickey Mouse and Mickey & Donald titles, released on October 9, 1981 and November 12, 1982 respectively.
Disney has also had history with the Pokémon franchise, which Nintendo co-owns with GameFreak. From 2002 through 2005, Disney distributed four Pokémon movies through Miramax Family in the United States upon their original release. These films included Pokémon 4Ever – Celebi: Voice of the Forest, Pokémon Heroes, Pokémon: Jirachi—Wish Maker, and Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys. The US rights were held by Disney until 2010, when they sold Miramax and its catalogue to Filmyard Holdings.
In 2008, Disney introduced the Disney Magic Connection software, an interactive tour guide for Magic Kingdom which ran off special Nintendo DS Lite units. Randomly selected test users throughout the park could use the application to view maps, details on wait times at various attractions, directions, available character meet and greets, and other park information. It was quickly discontinued due to a lack of interest from park attendants, mainly because of its high security deposit fee required to rent a unit out.[2]
A Mii character walking alongside Mickey Mouse in the Disney Magical World 2 video game
Dance Dance Revolution Disney Grooves, Disney Channel All Star Party, Disney Magical World, and Disney Magical World 2 all feature Mii characters; Nintendo's own customizable avatars that are used on several of their systems and mobile apps. This makes the Mii characters the first Nintendo characters to ever interact with Disney properties in-universe.
Nintendo also lent some of its characters to Disney for the 2012 film Wreck-It Ralph, Bowser being the most prominent, as well as a Super Mushroom making a small appearance in the scene where Ralph is looking for a medal. During the production of its sequel, Disney expected to include Mario at various scenes, but the plan was ultimately scrapped due to Nintendo not allowing the use of its character for the film (around the same time, Illumination was already in-negotiations with Nintendo to produce a new CGI animated film based on their most successful franchise, which was later revealed to be known as The Super Mario Bros. Movie).
In a 2015 interview, Disney Interactive Studios vice president of production John Vignocchi shared the company's hopes for a possible crossover with Mario and Mickey Mouse, stating "hopefully, the day Mario meets Mickey Mouse is not that far away.”[3]
On October 5, 2021, it was announced that Sora, a Disney-owned character and the main protagonist of Disney and Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts series, would become the 82nd and final fighter to be added to the Fighter Pass Vol. 2 paid DLC in Nintendo's crossover fighting game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, after being the most requested character from the Smash Bros. Fighter Ballet that occurred in 2015. He was finally added to the game later the same month on October 18.
Disney games developed or published by Nintendo[]
Connections[]
The following actors, who have appeared in Disney productions, have voiced or portrayed Nintendo characters in various adaptations.
- Laura Bailey voiced Princess Lucina in Fire Emblem Awakening.
- Eric Bauza voiced a Koopa Troopa soldier, Diddy Kong, and the Toad General in The Super Mario Bros Movie.
- Jack Black voiced Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
- Dan Castellaneta provided the narration at the beginning of the live-action Super Mario Bros. film.
- Cam Clarke voiced Male Corrin and Arthur in the Fire Emblem game series.
- Peter Cullen voiced Mario in the Donkey Kong segments on Saturday Supercade.
- Charlie Day voiced Luigi in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
- Jessica DiCicco voiced a Yellow Toad in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
- Jeannie Elias voiced Princess Peach in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
- Tabitha St. Germain voiced Wendy O. Koopa in the DIC Entertainment Super Mario cartoons and Spryte in The Legend of Zelda cartoon.
- Kate Higgins voiced Pauline since Super Mario Odyssey and Princess Lissa in the Fire Emblem series.
- Ali Hillis voiced Lady Palutena in Kid Icarus: Uprising.
- Amber Hood voiced Soleil and Nyx in Fire Emblem Fates.
- Bob Hoskins portrayed Mario in the live-action Super Mario Bros. film.
- John Leguizamo portrayed Luigi in the live-action Super Mario Bros. film.
- Dennis Hopper portrayed King Koopa in the live-action Super Mario Bros. film.
- Keegan-Michael Key voiced Toad in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
- Natalie Lander voiced Princess Elise and Nina in the Fire Emblem series.
- Erica Lindbeck voiced Princess Celica and Myrrh in the Fire Emblem series and Ashley in WarioWare Gold.
- Yuri Lowenthal voiced Prince Marth in the Fire Emblem series since 2015.
- Samantha Mathis portrayed Princess Daisy in the live-action Super Mario Bros. film.
- Matthew Mercer voiced Prince Chrom, Prince Ryoma, Shigure, and Azama in the Fire Emblem series and Lao in Xenoblade Chronicles X.
- Kathryn Newton portrayed Lucy Stevens in the live-action film Pokémon: Detective Pikachu.
- Bill Nighy portrayed Howard Clifford in the live-action film Pokémon: Detective Pikachu.
- Khary Payton voiced the Penguin King in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
- Chris Pratt voiced Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
- Ryan Reynolds voiced Detective Pikachu in the live-action film Pokémon: Detective Pikachu.
- Kevin Michael Richardson voiced Kamek in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
- Eden Riegel voiced Sumia, Genny, Female Kana, and Fleche von Bergliez in the Fire Emblem series.
- Cindy Robinson voiced Princess Hinoka, Princess Minerva, and Libra in the Fire Emblem series.
- Seth Rogen voiced Donkey Kong in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
- Roger Rose voiced Prince Takumi, Niles, and Hisame in Fire Emblem Fates.
- Michelle Ruff voiced Female Robin, Noire, and Soleil in the Fire Emblem series.
- Tara Strong voiced Iggy and Lemmy Koopa in the DIC Entertainment Super Mario cartoons.
- Anya Taylor-Joy voiced Princess Peach in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
- Kari Wahlgren voiced Dark Lord Gaol and Lightning Flash Phosphora in Kid Icarus: Uprising.
- Hynden Walch voiced Viridi in Kid Icarus: Uprising.
- Frank Welker voiced Donkey Kong Jr. on Saturday Supercade, Game Boy on Captain N: The Game Master, and Yoshi and the Goombas in the live-action Super Mario Bros. film.
References[]
pt-br:Nintendo
sv:Nintendo