Nintendo’s Playing Card History: A Look at the Risqué Origins Before Mario and the Switch

Nintendo’s Playing Card History: A Look at the Risqué Origins Before Mario and the Switch Long before Nintendo became a household name in global gaming with beloved franchises like Super Mario and revolutionary hardware such as the Nintendo Switch, the company charted a dramatically different course through popular culture.

Founded in 1889 in Kyoto, Japan, Nintendo’s initial claim to fame came not from electronic entertainment, but from the manufacture and sale of Hanafuda—traditional Japanese playing cards—and later, Western-style decks.

Recent revelations unearthed by the gaming history blog BeforeMario, curated by industry historian Erik Voskuil, provide fascinating insight into this lesser-known side of Nintendo’s heritage, which included adult-themed playing cards. A Rare Marilyn Monroe Deck and the Early Days of Nintendo In a striking piece published on the BeforeMario blog, Erik Voskuil shares the story of discovering a rare deck of Nintendo playing cards that features a now-iconic photograph of Marilyn Monroe.

This particular image, taken at the start of Monroe's career, achieved fame in 1953 as Playboy magazine’s inaugural centrefold, marking a pivotal moment in both pop culture and media history.

The deck, originally produced in the 1950s, reflects Nintendo’s ability to adapt to prevailing trends, aligning its products not only with traditional games but also with Western influences during Japan’s post-war era. Voskuil confirms that, while collectors were aware of such adult-oriented sets existing in records and reports, they rarely surfaced in the wild.

"Despite knowing of their presence in catalogues, I hadn’t personally encountered a physical set until now," Voskuil noted, referencing his acquisition of the rare Monroe deck for another Nintendo card enthusiast.

The cards demonstrate meticulous craftsmanship, featuring gold-edged finishes and presented in luxurious, embossed packaging—an early testament to Nintendo’s focus on quality, a principle that would later define its approach to video games and hardware design. Nintendo’s Adult Card Era in Context As the BeforeMario report notes, Nintendo took pride in its manufacturing prowess and international connections during its card-manufacturing heyday.

A company brochure from the mid-1950s—reproduced in the blog’s coverage—lists Nintendo’s founding year as 1889 (the 22nd year of the Meiji era) and details a workforce of over 400 employees split between Tokyo and Osaka.

The brochure, adorned with images of the company's bustling factories and stylish advertising, illustrates the scale and ambition of Nintendo’s pre-video game operations. Although times and tastes have changed—today Nintendo is synonymous with family-friendly entertainment and massive successes like the Mario franchise, Pokémon, and the Nintendo Switch—the company’s willingness to innovate and experiment has defined its legacy.

The existence of these rare, adult-themed playing card decks underscores Nintendo’s enduring adaptability and entrepreneurial spirit, echoing through every Nintendo Direct and eShop release to this day. For enthusiasts of both gaming history and collectible card games, the BeforeMario project offers a valuable portal into Nintendo’s multifaceted past, reminding us that even the most iconic brands have surprising stories waiting to be uncovered.

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