Playing with Power: The Nintendo Story

1h

Documentary

Peel back the curtain on the famously secretive Japanese company that would eventually take the global videogame industry by storm. Discover the humble beginnings of a gaming business that began many decades before the invention of television, and ride along the bumpy road of hits, misses, and wild ideas that turned Nintendo from a local playing card maker into a worldwide household name.

Episodes

Cast

Play Your Cards Right

1. Play Your Cards Right

1h

1st Mar 2021

The birth of Nintendo begins in 19th-century Japan, when a young entrepreneur finds a way to sidestep local gambling laws. His scrappy family business holds fast through war, cultural revolution, and a run-in with Disney to bring the world a certain barrel-hurling ape.

A Trojan Horse

2. A Trojan Horse

1h

1st Mar 2021

The once-mighty U.S. gaming industry is reduced to a pile of rubble. But unbeknownst to the world, the “Donkey Kong Company” is quietly developing a machine that could revive gaming in a big way. But can they convince retail giants to buy back into a market they just escaped?

A Sleeping Giant

3. A Sleeping Giant

1h

1st Mar 2021

Somewhat shaken after a tussle with Sega, Nintendo confidently presses forward into the '90s. The invention of CD technology gives way to new gaming possibilities, but as Nintendo buys into this exciting new paradigm, they inadvertently create their own worst enemy.

Forward Motion

4. Forward Motion

1h

1st Mar 2021

As PlayStation and Xbox wage war on the industry, Nintendo faces an identity crisis. Do they keep treading water with the diminishing returns of the GameCube? Or is it time for a hard left turn? A revolution is brewing.

Reset Button

5. Reset Button

1h

1st Mar 2021

Plunging stock, natural disaster, a death in the family, and yet another failed console plague Nintendo. Not to mention a seismic industry shift led by Apple. Nintendo faces their most difficult decade since 1889, yet the Donkey Kong Company is never afraid to switch things up.

First air date

1st Mar 2021

Last air date

1st Mar 2021

Status

Ended

Type

Documentary

Original language

en

Networks