NeoGAFstumbled upon a rather interesting little slice of history that may very well be Nintendo’s first ever mention in North America. It’s a section of theNew York Timesfrom 1955, way back when Nintendo was still making playing cards. It talks about Nintendo using a trademark for a word meaning “happiness, fortune or wealth.”
The report also delves into the meaning of the name Nintendo, stating that the three characters making up its name are a “fanciful” expression roughly meaning “a company whose fortune or prosperity should be left to the mercy of Heaven.” TheNew York Timesimplies that Heaven indeed seems to be smiling upon the company, and given its good fortune in this generation, Heaven is still doing so.