You probably have ever learn up on the historical past of Nintendo, you recognize that earlier than it went into the online game enterprise, the corporate started life by making playing cards and different novelties. The hanafuda and taking part in playing cards which Nintendo produced from its formation in 1889 took a again seat following the recognition of toys just like the Extremely Hand within the Nineteen Sixties, and the corporate would quickly transfer into digital video games and, finally, arcade and video video games.
However this isn’t to say that the corporate left playing cards behind fully. Nintendo-branded Japanese Menko playing cards have been launched in Japan within the early Nineteen Eighties and collector Ben Gilmore has a sizeable colletion of those lesser-known Nintendo-branded playing cards. This milk cap/Pog-like tabletop sport is older than Nintendo itself, and there are Nintendo Menkos with Mario designs that date from the plumber’s pre-NES arcade days.
Gilmore has simply launched his web site, Mario Menko, which paperwork these Mario and Nintendo playing cards. Eager to be taught extra about this area of interest a part of the corporate’s licensing historical past, we caught up with him to debate the historical past of Menko playing cards, his assortment, and simply how Mario comes into all this.
Nintendo Life: Beginning with the fundamentals, what are Menko playing cards?
Ben Gilmore: Menko playing cards have been solely launched in Japan. They have been fabricated from thicker card inventory and just a little smaller in measurement in comparison with an American baseball card. They have been collected as playing cards and performed as a sport.
The historical past of Menko begins in the course of the Edo Interval (early 1700s) when Menkos have been fabricated from dried mud or clay. Paper or cardboard Menkos started within the mid-Eighteen Nineties. Baseball Menkos turned very talked-about in Japan within the Thirties and ’40s, whereas 1945-1964 have been the golden years for Sumo-related Menkos. All through the ’70s and early ’80s not as many Menkos have been produced as kids have been now spending extra time watching tv and utilizing digital units.
Menko was not simply card accumulating, but it surely was additionally a sport. Gamers would put a bunch of Menkos on the bottom or on a desk, then you definately would take a card in your hand and slam it down within the hope you’ll flip some Menkos over. Those you flipped over, you possibly can hold. The one with essentially the most Menkos on the finish was the winner. After all, there have been many variations of the way to play Menko, however this was the overall thought.
What first attracted you to those playing cards?
Once I first found these playing cards, I used to be instantly drawn to the colourful colors and creative parts. The opposite interesting side is the very fact these have been produced earlier than the Famicom got here out in 1983 and the NES in 1985. A Nintendo card of Donkey Kong and Jumpman in 81 and Donkey Kong Jr in 82 might be one thing that even most Nintendo fanatics dont realise exists.
How massive is your assortment now?
I at the moment have round 200 Menkos. My assortment will proceed to develop, however I’m choosy about which playing cards I purchase. Moderately than shopping for giant a lot of playing cards in dangerous form, I select to attend and discover those I need in good situation. Though there are some uncommon ones In poor health purchase in any situation as a result of they dont come up on the market that usually.
Might you inform us just a little extra about Nintendos relationship with Menko playing cards?
I do know that Nintendo employed an organization known as Amada within the early Nineteen Eighties to provide video game-related Menkos for them. In Japan, there was not good document protecting on specifics and manufacturing of Menkos, so this data is troublesome to search out. Even when looking out Amada on-line, there may be nearly nothing.
Alongside this Menko journey, I’ve made just a few buddies in Japan. They’ve helped me get hold of some particular Menkos I wished to purchase prior to now. My good friend Shinnosuke helped me determine that Amada continues to be in enterprise. They’re at the moment a dad or mum firm of Ensky Plus in Japan. I’ve contacted them, and I hope to accumulate particular data from them (issues just like the years they produced Menkos for Nintendo, portions, and so forth.). If I will get the fitting data from them, In poor health be capable to share this with card grading corporations to allow them to lastly grade online game Menkos.
A number of of those playing cards predate Marios breakout position in Tremendous Mario Bros. When did the Nintendo mascot first enter your life and what are your fondest recollections of the companys video games and consoles within the years since?
I first skilled Mario on Atari. I spent many hours taking part in Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. I briefly performed Mario Bros. on Atari as effectively, however In poor health always remember my expertise getting a NES. One in all my buddies received a Nintendo earlier than I did someday in 1986. I went over to see if he wished to cross baseball and he invited me in and confirmed me his NES. Once I noticed the Zapper, I wished to play Duck Hunt first. Capturing the geese was enjoyable. Despite the fact that I nonetheless wished to shoot extra geese, he rapidly shut it off and stated let’s play Tremendous Mario. I had heard about it however hadnt performed it but. We began a two-player sport, he was Mario and I used to be Luigi. All it took was taking part in World 1-1 and I used to be hooked for all times.
We’d do paper-rock-scissors to see who could possibly be Mario. We saved taking part in all day and it rapidly turned darkish exterior. I didnt need to, however I needed to give up and go dwelling earlier than I received in bother. I went dwelling and informed my dad and mom in regards to the NES and the way badly I wished one. It didnt take lengthy and I had a NES of my very own. I used to be fortunate to have dad and mom that searched out the video games I wished for my birthday or Christmas. I virtually had Tremendous Mario Bros. 2, Mario 3, and Tremendous Mario World the day they got here out. I miss these online game departments from the ’80s. A lot cool stuff. Anytime my mother went procuring, I went together with her. If I could not speak her into letting me get a sport, I’d a minimum of attempt to get a Nintendo Energy or one thing.
Then, on Christmas of 1989, I obtained the most popular toy that yr, a Sport Boy. After I used to be informed to go to mattress, I spent many hours underneath the covers taking part in Tetris (with a Mild Boy put in, after all). There have been by no means any extra arguments with my sister on lengthy holidays because of my Sport Boy.
The final system I had earlier than I left dwelling was a Tremendous Nintendo. I’ve to say I most likely performed Tremendous Mario World greater than another sport. The 16-bit graphics and attempting to finish my map with all of the secrets and techniques saved me busy for a very long time. There have been many Friday and Saturday nights I had buddies over to spend the night time. We ordered many pizzas and performed Mario till 3 or 4 within the morning. These have been the times. I nonetheless have a Wii U with a whole lot of classic video games downloaded on it, in addition to about each Mario sport you’ll be able to consider. However, I nonetheless have all my unique classic tools and video games In poor health by no means half with them! Too many good recollections and I nonetheless play them to at the present time. Nothing beats taking part in them on my 36 CRT TV.
Again to Menko, the artwork on every card is wonderful and so they present how a lot Marios design modified between 1981 and 1985. Is there a specific design that you just like essentially the most and why?
It’s troublesome to choose just one design as I like all of them. I feel I can solely slim it right down to Marios design in Mario 3 and Tremendous Mario World. Mario 3 modified a lot. Mario can now fly and all of the cool fits. Identical in Tremendous Mario World. As Ive gotten older, I discover myself going again and taking part in the unique Tremendous Mario Bros. loads. Its a basic that may all the time be enjoyable.
Given your ardour for the retro type, what do you make of Marios latest design in video games like Tremendous Mario Odyssey or Mario + Rabbids?
I like the way in which Mario seems these days. Hes cool and up-to-date with the instances. Im positive as time goes on, he’ll proceed to alter and keep present. I hope Nintendo continues to not let him develop stale and all the time finds one thing new he can do. That’s what has all the time made Mario video games so enjoyable. With that stated, I nonetheless love my old-school Mario video games one of the best.
Alongside Mario, Nintendo additionally licensed Menko playing cards to be made with pictures of different video games like Excitebike and Duck Hunt. What do you assume made these playing cards so interesting for Nintendo?
The colors and artwork virtually popped off the playing cards. How they represented the photographs on the playing cards remained true to how they regarded within the video games. If you happen to have been conversant in the video games, if you noticed the playing cards, you knew precisely what it was.
How have you ever approached constructing a set when information of every playing cards manufacturing are so onerous to search out?
I principally purchase what’s interesting to me. If you happen to purchase what you want personally, probably you’ll be proud of it. Through the years I’ve found out which of them are rarer than others, so I all the time have my eyes peeled for these.
Is there a very uncommon card that you’re nonetheless hoping so as to add to your assortment?
To my information, I imagine I’ve acquired the rarest. What I’m at the moment on the lookout for are the pre-1985 Menkos in glorious situation. My aim is to try to discover one of many ’81s, ’82s, or ’83s. Discovering one which has good corners, floor, and [is] centered is sort of unattainable. I’ve a 1981 that’s gradable, but it surely nonetheless isnt what I’d take into account good. Does an ideal one even exist? Who is aware of! I’ll all the time be trying and my buddies in Japan will probably be on the lookout for me, too.
What are your favorite playing cards in your assortment (each Nintendo-themed and in any other case)?
By far, my favorite is the 1981 Donkey Kong Menko card. It has Donkey Kong, Pauline, and Jumpman. It’s the similar picture that’s on the aspect of the unique arcade machine. To my information, that is Jumpmans (Mario) first look on a buying and selling card. That is what I take into account Marios rookie card and the Holy Grail of Nintendo Menkos. It has taken me a few years of looking out to accumulate those I’ve. Looking for one in good situation is subsequent to unattainable due to how they have been performed with. I’ve been fortunate and have managed to search out two which are in actually fine condition and are value grading as soon as it turns into obtainable.
The 1982 Donkey Kong Jr. card is particular, too. Jumpman is now formally Mario and, for the primary and final time in Nintendo historical past, he’s a ‘villain’. This might be his first look on a card as Mario.
The 1983 Mario Bros. is one other one in every of my favourites. This might be Luigis first look on a card. To my information, that is the one Menko card that Mario and Luigi seem on collectively.
The pictures on these three playing cards are the identical pictures that have been on the arcade cupboards and on the Famicom cartridge field. For my part, these three playing cards are a very powerful to the historic significance of Mario and Nintendo historical past. There may be nothing sooner than these. These have been the primary!
My different favorite is the 1985 Menko with Mario, Bowser, and Peach. That is the primary Menko I purchased. At first, I believed I purchased a Mario rookie card however we now know that isnt so it could be a Peach and Bowser rookie card although. It is cool to see how Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Bowser have modified their seems in comparison with these early pics of them.
These playing cards make up a distinct segment a part of Nintendos historical past. Why do you assume it will be significant that we protect objects reminiscent of these?
These are the earliest items of Nintendo historical past that got here out within the very starting. Not solely displaying the success of Nintendo however commemorating these unique video games and the preferred mascot on planet Earth.
It’s believed that the online game Menkos weren’t made in the identical portions as baseball playing cards within the US, so it’s unclear what number of have been made and what number of have survived. Because of the approach the sport Menko was performed, I cant think about giant portions of the pre-1985 playing cards are left, not to mention in good situation. These are the earliest playing cards produced by Nintendo, which included Marios rookie. That is why I really feel they need to be preserved.
Discovering information of Menko playing cards looks as if a troublesome job, how will you recognize when you’ve got the total set?
Im nonetheless ready to search out out extra data from Amada in Japan. Possibly they will shed some gentle on what number of of those playing cards they made. Till then, I simply purchase what I like or dont have.
Do you’ve got any recommendation for individuals seeking to accumulate Menko themselves? What are one of the best locations to purchase and do you discover any forgeries or reproductions on {the marketplace}?
At all times purchase what you want. If you happen to do, it’s best to all the time be proud of it. If the situation is essential to you, all the time make sure that to look at the pics of the cardboard. If the pics arent that good, request higher ones from the vendor. Watch out for bulk Menko card tons on the market. Numerous instances these giant tons have Menkos which have seen higher days. It’s doable to search out good playing cards in first rate situation in a big lot, simply be cautious and people pics are essential.
I keep in mind years in the past when eBay would solely have two or three particular person Mario Menkos listed for months on finish. These days there are a dozen or extra pages of Nintendo Menkos. With regards to Menkos, if you happen to see one thing you want, you higher get it. Prior to now, I’ve waited too lengthy and let one cross me by. That was a grave mistake as a result of it took a number of years earlier than I noticed one other one come up on the market. That could be a mistake I solely made as soon as.
I havent seen any forgeries or reproductions of Mario and Nintendo-related Menkos. As soon as youve held a Menko in your hand, you’ll know. Even in photos, they’re unmistakable if you’re conversant in them.
This interview has been edited for readability.
Due to Ben for taking the time to speak to us and share pictures of his Menko assortment. You’ll be able to go to his web site, Mario Menko, for extra photos and knowledge on…effectively, Mario Menkos, after all.
