There is no denying that Nintendo is one of the most well-known and successful video game companies of all time. Founded in 1889, the history of Nintendo in many aspects is synonymous with the history of the gaming industry itself. Initially selling playing cards, the company later found much greater success in the gaming industry and shaped it along the way with some of the most iconic consoles and game characters coming from

Nintendo. That’s not to say they didn't have their challenges though. In recent years they have faced some stiff competition, their modern consoles have not lived up to the greatness of their classic counterparts and the market is getting exceedingly competitive. Aside from the competition within the console market, Mobile gaming is exploding and the PC gaming market is having a huge resurgence. Recently, Nintendo has also made one of their biggest mistakes ever, if you want to know more, read on since we are getting ahead of ourselves here.

We don’t know what the future holds for Nintendo but whatever happens they will always be remembered as one of the companies make the gaming what it is today. On a less serious note, with such a rich history, unique game characters and a loyal fan base, the Nintendo franchise is no stranger when it comes to memes. Apart from their game characters, some of the company staff members are quite interesting characters in their own right and attract memes like magnets. So without further ado, let’s take a look at 15 of these hilarious Nintendo memes.

15 The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction

We have probably all come across that guy that says his uncle works for such and such a company and usually they are just lying to somehow make their opinions have greater importance. Nintendo obviously has a presence in various different countries around the world, however, it doesn't employ that many people when you start to consider how much money is involved. Employee numbers are in the thousands around the world so the chances of one of your family members, for example like your uncle, working for Nintendo is pretty slim. That being said you have to consider this: what if your uncle really did work for Nintendo? Would anyone believe you? We very much doubt it. Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction, so there is always that small possibility. If it really were the truth than it is probably best to keep it to yourself since we have all heard that story way too many times.

14 The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Wii

The Wii Mini was released in 2012 and is a more compact and affordable version of the original Wii. It was first released in Canada then in the United States and never released in the rest of the world. The reason why Nintendo released the mini version was supposedly to promote low cost gaming. The console wasn't very well received amongst gaming enthusiasts, with its limited games and limited features. It feels too watered down and it is probably best suited for those who are not serious about gaming (it is also debatable whether the original Wii is for serious gamers). It seems apart from the name similarity the Wii mini or Mini-Wii is quite different from Mini-Me, who is a very potent version of Dr. Evil even though he is only one eighth his size. Nintendo should have taken more tips from Mini-Me before releasing its quite feeble mini console.

13 A Helping Hand

The Nintendo 64 was released in 1996 and was the last major Nintendo console to use game cartridges. It was named after its central processing unit, 64 denoting a 64-bit core. The console was quite successful, at least in North America. It was in many ways what was expected of Nintendo at the time, with the console having enough of the classic console feel that people loved, but also combining this with the modern technology of the time. The only awkward feature about it was the controller, which very much resembles some kind of a dinosaur footprint. It seems at this time Nintendo started to break away from the classic controller that it had helped to standardize. It would be the start of its attempt to revolutionize gaming consoles and controllers in general. Innovation has risks though, as people don’t always want change and sometimes it is best to just stick with what works.

12 A Case Of Mistaken Identity

If you are a The Legend of Zelda fan boy or just well informed, then you have probably heard many people mistakenly call Link by the name of Zelda. This case of mistaken identity probably gets your blood boiling since it shows just how ignorant and uninformed people are about the game. If you can work past the feelings of anger though, you can understand why this happens. Most of the time the ‘the legend’ part of the title is written quite small and the ‘Zelda’ part is huge. So you have this picture of a character with a huge name written on it, the logical thing to assume is that it must be their name. Add to that the fact that Link doesn't have the most masculine face (or body) and you get a recipe for confusion. It might be upsetting, but sometimes you just have to let it roll off your back and laugh about it.

11 It’s On Like Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong is one of the oldest Nintendo games, with the first version released as early as 1981. It was Nintendo’s first major gaming success and had it not been for Donkey Kong, history might have been much different for Nintendo. It opened up the way for the development of Jumpman, an early version of what would later become Nintendo’s most famous video game franchise: the Mario franchise. The Donkey Kong franchise itself would also end up being quite successful in its own right, with multiple games being released in the series and it is still going strong. The game doesn't feature any donkeys though and it is uncertain if it ever will. You know that a game is popular when it has its own saying: It’s on like Donkey Kong.

10 No Man Is Perfect

Mario is arguably the most well-known video game character of all time. Featuring in hundreds of games, films, comic books and memes, it comes as no surprise that he is the official Nintendo mascot. Who would have thought that a simple Italian plumber could be such a superstar? But with fame also comes critique, scrutiny and, more importantly, funny memes. Mario’s ultimate goal in life, or at least in games, is to save Princess Peach from her castle captivity. Saving her obviously ends the story, so Nintendo doesn't want that to happen too quickly. This means that more often than not Mario ends up in the wrong castle and legend has it that Princess Peach has started to question his intelligence for being in the wrong castle seven times out of eight. It doesn't take away from his bravery though and we hope that his endurance will prove his love to her once and for all.

9 Nintendo Consoles At A Glance

Nintendo has released some of the most iconic game consoles in its long history. It started with the Color TV-Game in 1977, the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1983, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990, the Nintendo 64 in 1996, the GameCube in 2001, the Wii in 2006, the Wii U in 2012 and lastly the Nintendo Switch has recently been released. And those are only the home consoles. Nintendo has stuck closely with their original game concepts and characters through all the years though. Mostly what has changed is the processing capabilities and, therefore, the graphics of the consoles. We think the above meme is great since it is not only funny, but it also gives an overview of Nintendo’s consoles, even if it is just in a light-hearted way. Seems like a lot of effort went into the making of the meme.

8 In The Shadow

We have already looked at the exceedingly great fame of Mario and how he is one of the most iconic game characters of all time. Which also brings us to probably the most underrated sidekick of all time: poor old Luigi. With the immense stardom of Mario, it also casts an equally immense shadow on Luigi. Luigi originally followed in the exact footsteps of his brother, since in the original game he was basically just a different color copy of Mario. Later though, he would find his own unique persona, being taller than Mario and being able to jump higher and farther. Talk about making a name for yourself and sibling rivalry. Unfortunately for Luigi, even though he was in essence a better choice than Mario, players still seem to choose Mario above Luigi. Must be his fame or his all-important birth right.

7 Chinese Restaurant

If you have ever played Duck Hunt or read our post about 15 Forgotten Video Games Only ’80s Kids Will Remember, then you already know about the infamous Duck Hunt dog. Going down in history as the most hated video game character of all time, well at least in our opinion, the pesky dog angered more '80s kids than the disappointment of not having proper hover boards yet. We suggest watching the movie Back to the Future II on Netflix to get that one. In light of this, it is with some satisfaction that we present this meme to you. It is some kind of revenge on the Duck Hunt dog for all those in-your-face laughs. It seems after the public outcry against the dog, Nintendo had to fire him. Since no game company would take him, he had to get a job working in a Chinese restaurant. Seems he still has his smile though.

6 Click Click

Mario's archenemy is a turtle-like creature named Bowser who is neither in his teens nor a ninja and evidently doesn't have a famous Italian name. So what makes him so special then? Well legend has it he can breathe fire and that he has razor sharp claws, so be careful around him. Since Mario has been fighting Bowser for decades, you would think that he would have figured out an easier way to kill him by now. This is the modern era after all. What if he could kill Bowser with the click of a button? What if Mario could kill Bowser by just clearing his history, his "Bowser" history? The meme has a nice play on words, but what we like the most is the impressive graphics. Just look at Bowser's expression!

5 The Sound Of Silence

The original Nintendo Entertainment System, shortened as NES, also known as the Famicom in some countries, is one of the most influential consoles of all times. It was released way back in 1983 and has since reached legendary status. It set the standard for consoles and firmly established Nintendo as one of the leading video game companies. You can imagine that the NES consoles that have been in use have taken a few shots over the decades. We can only assume the one in the meme had a custom paint job since we are not aware of any dark themed configurations and, since the controller is still standard, it has to be the case. The custom black paint does look nice though (Tip: If for some reason you didn't get the meme, then you seriously need to brush up on your Simon & Garfunkel songs).

4 Ants Like Games Too

The Nintendo Switch, the latest console from Nintendo, was released in 2017. It is somewhat of a hybrid between a home console and a handheld console. It can be used with a television via a docking station or it can be used in the way a tablet PC is used. The console has two wireless controllers which are also hybrids too. They can be used in the way a traditional game-pad is used or they can be used similar to the way the Wii Remote is used. It seems that Nintendo set out to have the best of both worlds with the Nintendo Switch, but the question seems to be: can you have your cake and eat it too? It seems like the controllers are quite small especially for home use and those with big hands might struggle. It always seems that Nintendo keeps changing their controllers and it never ends up being quite as good as their original NES controllers. The upside though is that ants will have a ball time playing Super Mario with the Nintendo Switch controllers.

3 Rules Are Meant To Be Broken

If you have ever done some serious gaming on a cartridge-based console with well-worn games, you will have encountered the old problem where the game doesn't load up anymore. When trying to load it, you might see nothing or some distorted graphics. The well-known quick fix is to forcefully blow the dust off and this solved the problem nine times out of ten, or so we thought. However, you might not know that Nintendo doesn't seem to be very approving of our quick fix. So much so that they have even specifically stated not to blow on any of the connectors. They state that blowing on the connectors might actually damage the cartridge and/or console. We don't know whether or not anyone will heed their warning since it seems it is just one of those rules that are meant to be broken.

2 Separated At Birth

Reggie Fils-Aimé, currently the President of Nintendo of America, started working for Nintendo in 2003 and was appointed President in 2006. His personality, quirky phrases and interesting face makes him a meme magnet of sorts and has made him somewhat of a celebrity. It all started in 2007 when he had to introduce the Wii Balance Board. He reportedly said: "My body is ready. " instead of the simple and generally accepted "I'm ready". Some of his other most popular quotes include: “My name is Reggie. I'm about kicking ass, I'm about taking names, and we're about making games.”, "I feel just like a purple Pikmin", "Being the puppet master, it's like running Nintendo of America." and "My name is Reggie, and I, am happy.". You see why there are so many Reggie memes floating around and the above meme of apparently Reggie's twin sister comes as no surprise.

1 Sale Now On

The NES Classic Edition is probably the most anticipated console Nintendo has ever released. It is a pleasant, albeit miniature reproduction of the original version released back in 1983. The Classic Edition aims to harmoniously bring together the old and the new. It features a number of built-in games since you can’t insert cartridges. It has the ability to save, enhanced controller and output support. Naturally, demand for the console is huge, far more than supply, and it has already sold out, as the meme so adequately portrays. Actually, the truth of it is no laughing matter, so you might have to sit down before I break it to you. Ready? Not only has it sold out already, Nintendo has also announced the discontinuation of the NES Classic Edition in North America and other countries are probably soon to follow. What? But…but most people haven’t even had a chance to buy one and they are already stopping it? This might go down in history as the cruelest Nintendo decision, ever.