A Rare Nintendo Company Guide from 2000 Surfaces Online

11/07/2025

A recently digitized 44-page company guide from Nintendo, dating back to the year 2000, has been brought to light, providing a captivating glimpse into the company's past. This document, primarily in Japanese, showcases Nintendo's vibrant state at the turn of the millennium, highlighting the peak popularity of Pokémon, the success of the Game Boy Color, and the anticipation surrounding titles like The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. It also features early conceptual designs for the Game Boy Advance and includes an introduction from the esteemed late Hiroshi Yamauchi, alongside a dedicated section for the developer Rare, all offering a unique historical perspective on the gaming giant.

Vintage Nintendo Company Guide Reveals Insights into 2000s Gaming Era

In a delightful journey back to the year 2000, gaming enthusiast Andrew Wolf, known as the 'Nintendeal guy', has meticulously scanned and uploaded a rare Nintendo company guide online. This 44-page Japanese publication, while light on text, is a treasure trove of images and iconic visuals that offer a profound understanding of Nintendo's self-presentation and strategic direction at the time. Enthusiasts will find particular intrigue in a curious image depicting individuals interacting with the Nintendo logo as if it were a pair of binoculars.

A standout feature of the guide is an early, rather rudimentary depiction of the Game Boy Advance on page eight. Accompanying this image, the text hails it as "Nintendo's futuristic Game Boy, a complete model change for the 21st century", foreshadowing the console's revolutionary impact. The guide further enriches its historical narrative with a brief introduction from the late, visionary Hiroshi Yamauchi, and dedicates a segment to the renowned developer Rare. Additionally, it provides a visual feast of consoles and games that were defining the gaming landscape of the period, making it an invaluable piece of gaming history. Wolf's efforts are commendable, ensuring this significant archival material is preserved and accessible to a global audience.

This rediscovered company guide serves as a powerful reminder of how far the gaming industry, and Nintendo specifically, has evolved. It underscores the foundational innovations and the prevailing cultural landscape that shaped the company into the powerhouse it is today. For current and aspiring game developers, historians, and fans alike, such archival materials are not merely nostalgic artifacts but crucial documents that offer lessons in brand evolution, technological foresight, and consumer engagement. They provide a tangible connection to the past, inspiring future innovations while honoring the legacies of the pioneers who built the industry.