Close Menu
Technology Mag

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    What's Hot

    Why AI researchers are getting paid like NBA All-Stars

    July 31, 2025

    This Smart Basketball Tracks Data About Every Shot. It Could Be Headed to the NBA

    July 31, 2025

    Oakley Meta HSTN Limited Edition review: a polarizing choice

    July 31, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Subscribe
    Technology Mag
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    • Home
    • News
    • Business
    • Games
    • Gear
    • Reviews
    • Science
    • Security
    • Trending
    • Press Release
    Technology Mag
    Home » The first US Nintendo commercial might not have been from Nintendo at all
    News

    The first US Nintendo commercial might not have been from Nintendo at all

    News RoomBy News RoomJune 15, 20242 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp Email

    Nintendo is a gaming juggernaut today, but it wasn’t really on anyone’s radar in the United States in 1980. And what was possibly the first US commercial for hardware produced by the company — a handheld called Toss-Up, from its “Game & Watch” series — certainly didn’t help, as a newly-restored copy shows. That’s because there’s no mention of Nintendo at all, or even Game & Watch.

    Game & Watch games were simplistic standalone handheld LCD games not unlike the cheap licensed Tiger Electronics games seemingly every kid had in the 1990s. And in the US, those games were initially licensed to a company called Mego (pronounced “mee-go”), and sold as a series called “Time-Out” instead, according to The Video Game History Foundation in a blog post Time Extension spotted.

    The ad was dated June 25th, 1980 — only “a couple of months after Nintendo of America was incorporated,” Gaming historian Chris Kohler, who found the 16mm reel containing the ad on eBay, told the foundation. The hardware was still apparently embossed with a Nintendo logo on the back.

    The commercial entreats mostly older, trendy youths (except for the goofy nerdy one because ha, ha, nerds) to enjoy an “electronic sport” when they can’t do real ones. You know, like when you’ve got fallen arches or tennis elbow, or you’re entirely wrapped in a full-body cast. That’s pretty different from Nintendo’s own commercials a few years later! Those tended to focus on kids and families and certainly didn’t have close-ups of butts in skin-tight shorts. Like this one:

    The Game & Watch games also came in other form factors besides the one Nintendo resurrected for its standalone collectible versions of the NES Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda games a few years ago. Like this dual-screen one:

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleThe iPad should fold in half
    Next Article Our Favorite Gender-Neutral and Inclusive Clothing Brands

    Related Posts

    Why AI researchers are getting paid like NBA All-Stars

    July 31, 2025

    Oakley Meta HSTN Limited Edition review: a polarizing choice

    July 31, 2025

    DJI’s first 360-degree camera can continuously capture 8K footage for over 100 minutes

    July 31, 2025

    Uber Eats is adding AI to menus, food photos, and reviews

    July 31, 2025

    Hey Microsoft, is it “Xbox PC” or “Xbox on PC”?

    July 31, 2025

    Meta is playing the AI game with house money

    July 30, 2025
    Our Picks

    This Smart Basketball Tracks Data About Every Shot. It Could Be Headed to the NBA

    July 31, 2025

    Oakley Meta HSTN Limited Edition review: a polarizing choice

    July 31, 2025

    DJI’s first 360-degree camera can continuously capture 8K footage for over 100 minutes

    July 31, 2025

    How Apple’s New Spotlight Compares to Raycast

    July 31, 2025
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Vimeo
    Don't Miss
    News

    Uber Eats is adding AI to menus, food photos, and reviews

    By News RoomJuly 31, 2025

    The menus on your next Uber Eats order may be embellished using generative AI. The…

    Hey Microsoft, is it “Xbox PC” or “Xbox on PC”?

    July 31, 2025

    15% Off Theragun Promo Code for August 2025

    July 31, 2025

    Meta is playing the AI game with house money

    July 30, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of use
    • Advertise
    • Contact
    © 2025 Technology Mag. All Rights Reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.