You may think you know the Nintendo story: a plumber named Mario, a princess named Zelda… and didn’t they buy the Seattle Mariners at some point? We thought we knew it too. And then we started researching and were blown away.The lovable Disney-like Nintendo that we know today is a 130 year-old a playing card company (i.e. gambling), forged in the shadowy world of the Yakuza and shaped by a four-generation cycle of bitter family betrayal. And its unlikely transformation into a global multi-billion dollar media monopoly was led by an iron-fisted patriarch who — amazingly — never played a video game in his life! Get ready for one of our favorite stories Acquired has ever told — we couldn’t make this one up if we tried!Links:Our Atari episode with Nolan BushnellVideo of id Software’s legendary PC “port” of Super Mario Brothers 3Episode sourcesCarve Outs:Everything Everywhere All At OnceMichael Lewis on Tim Ferriss and on CSPANSponsors:WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25Sentry: https://bit.ly/acquiredsentryServiceNow: https://bit.ly/acquiredsnMore Acquired!:Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!© Copyright 2015-2025 ACQ, LLC
Full Episode
Oh, have I ever done my Mario impression for you?
No, I would not expect you to have a Mario impression.
I don't know where this came from. Maybe all the Super Smash I was playing in college on N64, but here it goes.
That is amazing. Wow. I had no idea you had that in you. I'm very impressed.
See, I've been storing that up for this episode.
Wow. When Charles Martin moves on from this mortal coil, I think Nintendo knows who the replacement is going to be.
That is so good. i'm never gonna be able to look at you the same good that was the goal all right let's do it let's go who got the truth is it you is it you is it you who got the truth now is it you is it you is it you sit me down say it straight another story on the way who got the truth
Welcome to Season 12, Episode 3 of Acquired, the podcast about great technology companies and the stories and playbooks behind them. I'm Ben Gilbert.
I'm David Rosenthal.
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