Nintendo Punchbuoy (パンチブイ, 1975)

Most of Nintendo's toys and games from the 1960s to 1980s were for use in-house. But there were some exceptions, like the vintage outdoor game we will take a look at today.

Nintendo Punchbuoy (1975)

It is called the Nintendo Punchbuoy (パンチブイ) and dates from 1975.

Over 100 posts...

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Check out this list of previous posts. Which one did you like most?

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Nintendo Jumping Bottle (ジャンピングボトル, 1970)

One of the coolest targets in Nintendo's Kôsenjû SP (光線銃SP) series of light beam toys, is the so-called Jumping Bottle (ジャンピングボトル).

Gun practice often seems to involve shooting at cans and bottles, and this toy delivers just that, without the messy shattered glass.

The Jumping Bottle was sold as loose target, to be used together with a Kôsenjû SP Gun or Riffle sold separately, as well as in a set with a gun.

Jumping Bottle was the only Kôsenjû SP target that was available in such a set; all other targets (like Electro Safari and Electro Bird, and Electro Poker) were sold loose only.

The Jumping Bottle was released in 1970. The set shown here was called the Gun - Bottle Set (ガン・ボテル セット), and cost ¥3,480 at the time.

Nintendo Kôsenjû SP Gun - Bottle Set (1970)

Contrary to the idea given by the image on the front of the box, the set contains only a single bottle, not three.

Nintendo Osomatsu-kun Game (おそ松くんゲーム, 1966)

I recently found the fifth of the Nintendo board games from 1966, based on popular television shows. It is called Osomatsu-kun Game (おそ松くんゲーム).

Osomatsu-kun is a famous manga series created in 1962 by Fujio Akatsuka (赤塚 不二夫). It is drawn in a very comical cartoon style.

In 1966, this manga was turned into an anime for television.

Nintendo Mamaberica baby stroller (ママベリカ, 1970)

At the start of the 1970s, Nintendo briefly tried its luck in the baby gear market, with two products. One was a plastic seesaw called Twins. The other was a foldable baby stoller.

The stroller was called Mamaberica (ママベリカ). Japanese people are fond of contracting words, like 'persacon' for 'personal computer' or 'pokemon' for 'pocket monster'. Mamaberica apparently is a contraction of 'mama baby car'.

Nintendo Paper Model series - Introduction (ペーパーモデル シリーズ, 1974)

From around 1977 onwards, Nintendo would specialize more and more in video games. But in the first half of the 1970s, their strategy still was about branching out in many areas of the game and toy business, and to seek revenue and profitability from a broad product portfolio.

This portfolio included the light beam toys, action toys (like Lefty RX, Mach Rider and Shot Racer), board games and the series of Mini Games, to name a few.

One of the areas which Nintendo also tried was handy craft. After a first attempt in the 60s (with the Picture Cutter), a more elaborate product line was introduced in 1974, in the form of a series of paper craft models.

Nintendo Paper Model (1974)

At first glance, this may appear a surprising market for Nintendo, but with in-house printing presses available for mass cardboard printing (an inheritance from Nintendo's playing cards roots), producing paper model kits was actually not that farfetched.

The series was called Paper Model. The katakana name (ペーパーモデル) was written in a very 'papery' font.

Nintendo Game & Watch Multi Screen (ゲーム&ウォッチ マルチスクリーン, 1982-83)

Yesterday's post on my second ever Nintendo game (Game & Watch Mario Bros.) got me so excited about these great little handhelds, that I decided to continue with this topic.

Nintendo Game & Watch Multi Screen Mario Bros., Rain Shower and Lifeboat

The first two Game & Watch Multi Screen games (Oil Panic and Donkey kong) were released close to each other in May and June of 1982.

[Video uploaded by Youtube user ksoik]

Two more were released at the end of 1982, just in time for Christmas: Mickey & Donald and Greenhouse.

[Video uploaded by Youtube user ksoik]

Donkey & Kong II followed in March of 1982, bringing the total to five.

My second Nintendo game - Mario Bros.

The other week I told you about my first, ever Nintendo game I owned. Now, a single item obviously can't be called a collection. But two, that is starting to look like something.

My second Nintendo purchase, which I bought in the Summer of 1983, was Game & Watch Mario Bros.

My collection artefact #2 - Game & Watch Mario Bros. (1983)

Where the ColecoVision Donkey Kong cartridge was cool because it provided an approximation of the arcade experience at home, in a way this one was even more special, as it delivered a totally new experience for me: portable electronic gaming.

Without knowing it at the time, these two items where my introduction to the genius work of both Gunpei Yokoi and Shigeru Miyamoto. The former as the creator of Game & Watch, and the latter as the father of Mario.

Nintendo Paper Model series - Overview (ペーパーモデル シリーズ, 1974)

The 1974 Nintendo Paper Model (ペーパーモデル) line of papercraft sets consists of 39 sets in total.

Nintendo Paper Model series (1974)

These sets are grouped in four themed series:

• Vehicle Series
• Building Series
• Zoo Series
• Panorama Series