Are you jumping over the internet looking to collect some of the finest Tattoo Designs? Well, look no further; like Kirby, we’ve inhaled some of the finest Nintendo Tattoo Designs to help 1-up your tattoo game. So come with us as it’s dangerous to go alone. Let’s-a go!
What Is Nintendo
Founded on September 23, 1889, in Kyoto, Japan, by Fusajiro Yamauchi, Nintendo originally was a company that produced handcrafted hanafuda playing cards in Japan.
Under the leadership of Hiroshi Yamauchi, Nintendo’s ambitious president in the 50s and 60s, the company started exploring other industries, such as Taxi services, Love hotels and Instant rice.
While some ventures flopped, Nintendo found success in toys, creating mechanical marvels like the Ultra Hand, designed by Gunpei Yokoi.
In the 1970s, Nintendo ventured into the video game industry, releasing its first console, the Color TV game series, in Japan.
In 1979, they created the Game & Watch, a handheld series featuring LCD screens that introduced the iconic D-pad.
By the 1980s, Nintendo became a household name worldwide, launching Donkey Kong and introducing the world to Mario.
They later released the Famicom in Japan, which became the Nintendo Entertainment System globally in 1985, delighting audiences with titles like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid, which redefined gaming.
In 1989, Nintendo introduced the Game Boy, the first massively successful handheld console.
A pivotal time for Nintendo, the 90s introduced the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, home to classics like Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
They then released the Nintendo 64, featuring revolutionary 3D games like Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and this decade also marked the release of the cultural phenomenon of Pokémon.
Since then, Nintendo has continued as one of gaming’s juggernauts, consistently releasing critically acclaimed video games and redefining console gaming.
Despite a hiccup with the WiiU, the Nintendo Switch revitalized Nintendo, selling over 146 million units worldwide, making it the third best-selling video game console in history as of now.
With the successor of the Nintendo Switch already officially mentioned by Nintendo and seemingly not long before its official reveal, it looks like Nintendo has a bright future ahead of it in the gaming market.
Best Nintendo Tattoo Ideas
Super Mario Nintendo Tattoo
Mascot of Nintendo and now considered more iconic than Mickey Mouse, Mario was created by legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and debuted in 1981’s Donkey Kong, where he was originally named Jumpman.
In 1985, Mario starred in his own game, Super Mario Bros., on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), and the rest is history!
Kirby Nintendo Tattoo
Created by Masahiro Sakurai and developed by HAL Laboratory in collaboration with Nintendo, Kirby debuted in 1992 in Kirby’s Dream Land for the Game Boy.
Initially designed as a placeholder character during the game’s development, Kirby charmed the team so much that he became the star.
Luigi’s Mansion Nintendo Tattoo
Often playing second fiddle to his brother, Luigi finally got to take centre stage with the release of his own video game in Luigi’s mansion.
After winning a mysterious mansion in a contest he never entered, Luigi discovers it’s overrun by ghosts, and Mario has been captured.
With the help of Professor E. Gadd and the Poltergust 3000, Luigi embarks on a quest to rescue his brother.
Yoshi’s Island Tattoo
Following the success of the character in Super Mario World, Yoshi would be given the chance to star in his own game known as Yoshi’s Island.
Most well-known for its gorgeous hand-drawn style, Yoshi’s Island acts as a prequel to all Mario games, following the dinosaurs of Yoshi’s Island, aiding Yoshi in reuniting baby Mario and Luigi with their parents.
Splatoon Nintendo Tattoo
A unique third-person shooter developed by Nintendo, first released for the Wii U in 2015, Splatoon allows players to control Inklings, humanoid characters that can transform into squids, battling it out with ink-based weapons.
Players aim is to cover the map in your team’s ink colour, and while combat is important, claiming territory is what wins the game.
Wario Land Tattoo
Rival to Mario, Wario is the greedy and mischievous antithesis of the famed plumber.
The Wario series began as a spin-off of the Mario franchise but quickly developed its own unique identity, focusing on treasure hunting, puzzle-solving, and Wario’s humorously self-serving antics.
While the Wario Land series had a number of main-line entries, including one for the failed Virtual Boy, the series has been M.I.A. since Wario Land: Shake It! from 2008, focusing more on the WarioWare series of mini-games.
With luck, perhaps one day, Wario Land will return to its roots, and we will finally get a new Wario Land game, particularly thanks to the popularity of games inspired by Wario Land, such as Pizza Tower and Antonblast, that have been filling the void.
Xenoblade Chronicles Tattoo
One of Nintendo’s Role Playing Game franchises, Xenoblade Chronicles, is a spiritual successor to earlier “Xeno” games, Xenogears and Xenosaga, but with its own unique lore and world-building.
Animal Crossing Nintendo Tattoo
Nintendo’s life-simulation series, Animal Crossing focuses on relaxed, open-ended gameplay, allowing players to fish, garden, decorate, and build friendships at their own pace.
The Animal Crossing series has sold over 77 million copies worldwide, and the latest in the series, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, became a platform for virtual meetups, including weddings, graduations, and even political campaigns.
The Legend Of Zelda Nintendo Tattoo
One of Nintendo’s most popular and long-running franchises, The Legend of Zelda is a series of action-adventure games where players control the hero Link (often allowed to be named by the player) as he battles the minions of the evil Ganondorf to save the Kingdom of Hyrule and the Princess Zelda.
Debuting in 1986, the series has since become a cultural phenomenon, known for its revolutionary gameplay and immersive worlds, with each game innovating while staying true to its roots.
Pokemon Nintendo Tattoo
A global and cultural phenomenon, the Pokémon series was created by Satoshi Tajiri and developed by Game Freak, Creatures Inc., and Nintendo, debuting in 1996 with the release of Pokémon Red and Green for the Game Boy in Japan.
Since its conception, Pokémon has had over 120 games, including about 38 main-line titles, remakes and enhanced versions (Pokémon Yellow and Emerald, etc.), and over 80 spin-offs and mobile games.
Metroid Nintendo Tattoo
A sci-fi action-adventure game series developed by Nintendo that debuted in 1986 on the NES, Metroid follows the adventures of Samus Aran, a galactic bounty hunter who explores alien planets, uncovers hidden secrets, and battles the sinister forces of Space Pirates and parasitic lifeforms called Metroids.
Metroid popularized the “Metroidvania” gameplay, where progression requires finding new abilities to unlock previously inaccessible areas.
Star Fox Nintendo Tattoo
Star Fox is a sci-fi action series developed by Nintendo and Argonaut Software.
Players take control of the leader of the Star Fox Team, Fox McCloud, as they pilot the Arwing spaceship through intense space battles to protect the Lylat System from threats like Andross.
F-Zero Nintendo Tattoo
F-Zero is Nintendo’s high-speed futuristic racing series set in a universe where anti-gravity vehicles race at extreme speeds on intricate tracks filled with twists, turns, and deadly hazards.
F-Zero debuted in 1990 as a launch title for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), showcasing the system’s Mode 7 graphics to create the illusion of 3D environments.
While F-Zero has been in stasis since 2004, let’s hope we get another entry with the Nintendo Switch successor.
Mother / EarthBound Tattoo
Mother, or EarthBound, is a series of role-playing games (RPGs) developed by Shigesato Itoi and published by Nintendo.
The Mother series has had three games in total, with only one (EarthBound/Mother 2) having been released at launch outside Japan.
After the localization process for Mother 1 had been completed, by the time it was ready, the NES was being phased out in favour of the SNES.
Nintendo decided not to release the game in the U.S. because it might have felt outdated on aging hardware.
However, Mother 1 finally got an official international release in 2015 as EarthBound Beginnings for the Wii U’s Virtual Console.
By the time Mother 3 was completed for the Game Boy Advance, the Nintendo DS had already launched globally.
Nintendo focused on promoting the DS rather than releasing a GBA game internationally, leading Mother 3 to remain a Japan exclusive.
Ice Climber Nintendo Tattoo
Ice Climber is a platformer that stars Popo and Nana, a duo of parka-clad mountaineers, as they ascend icy mountains to recover stolen vegetables from a giant Condor.
One of the NES’s original games, showcasing Nintendo’s knack for creative gameplay, Iceclimber is remembered for its co-op mode, where two players can inadvertently hinder each other on the path to victory.
While Ice Climber has only had a single entry in the series, they are a beloved member of the Super Smash Bros roster, which helped introduce the pair of Popo and Nana to a broader audience.
Fire Emblem Nintendo Tattoo
Fire Emblem is a series of tactical role-playing games developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo that debuted in 1990 with Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light on the Famicom in Japan.
The Fire Emblem series includes 17 mainline games and several spin-offs and remakes.
It has become infamous in the Smash community for having eight characters in the main roster, taking up nearly a tenth of the roster.
Game & Watch Nintendo Tattoo
The Game & Watch series is a line of handheld LCD games created by Gunpei Yokoi in the early 1980s.
The Game & Watch was Nintendo’s first foray into handheld gaming, with each device featuring a single game and a digital clock or alarm.
The Game & Watch series had over 60 games, including platformers, sports, and puzzle games.
Kid Icarus Nintendo Tattoo
Blending Greek mythology-inspired settings with fast-paced combat and lighthearted humour, Kid Icarus was first released for the NES in 1986 and later re-released for the Game Boy Advance and 3DS Virtual Console.
Kid Icarus was developed by Nintendo R&D1, the same team behind Metroid and the Game & Watch series, directed by Satoru Okada and produced by Gunpei Yokoi.
Developed alongside Metroid, Kid Icarus shares several similarities, including its engine, vertical progression, and emphasis on exploration.
Pikman Nintendo Tattoo
Nintendo’s real-time strategy game created by Shigeru Miyamoto, Pikman, revolves around guiding small plant-like creatures called Pikmin to explore alien worlds, solve puzzles, and collect resources, all while managing time and fending off dangers.
Inspired by his love of gardening, Miyamoto envisioned a game where small creatures worked together, much like ants or plants in a garden.
The initial prototype was called “Adam and Eve,” featuring human-like characters surviving in a hostile environment; however, the focus shifted to smaller, plant-like creatures, leading to the creation of Pikmin.
Chibi Robo! Nintendo Tattoo
Chibi-Robo! is a series of action-adventure games starring a small, cheerful robot named Chibi-Robo, whose primary mission is to assist humans by cleaning, tidying, and solving their everyday problems.
Chibi-Robo cleans a human family’s home, resolves their personal conflicts, and interacts with various household objects that come to life.
However, he has a limited battery life, requiring frequent recharges via electrical outlets.
Despite its originality, Chibi-Robo! didn’t achieve widespread commercial success but garnered a passionate fanbase.
Wii Fit Nintendo Tattoo
Wii Fit is a fitness game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii console and released in 2007 in Japan and 2008 worldwide.
Wii Fit aimed to make exercise fun and accessible for players of all ages.
The innovative Wii Balance Board, which was central to gameplay, tracked your weight, center of balance, and movement, allowing for precise interaction with the game.
Wii Fit offers over 40 activities across four categories, including yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balance games.
Punch-Out!! Tattoo
Punch-Out!! is a series of boxing games developed and published by Nintendo.
It debuted in arcades in the 1980s and gained massive popularity on the NES with Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!
The most famous entry in the series, Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!, lets players control Little Mac as he faces iconic opponents like King Hippo, Great Tiger, and Mike Tyson himself.
After Nintendo’s license with Tyson expired, it was re-released as Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream.
Duck Hunt Tattoo
Duck Hunt is a light gun shooter game developed and published by Nintendo for the NES in 1984.
Using the NES Zapper peripheral, players shoot at ducks that appear on the screen, aiming to hit a set number of targets to progress.
Duck Hunt was inspired by Nintendo’s experience with light gun games, which date back to the 1970s.
Nintendo had already experimented with electromechanical shooting games, such as the Laser Clay Shooting System and Wild Gunman, which laid the groundwork for Duck Hunt.
Mii Nintendo Tattoo
Miis are customizable characters introduced by Nintendo on the Wii console in 2006.
These avatars represent players in various games and applications, adding a personal touch to the gaming experience.
They are designed with a simplistic, cartoon-like style, allowing users to create versions of themselves, friends, family, or even fictional characters.
Mario Kart Tattoo
Nintendo’s iconic kart racing game, Mario Kart, debuted in 1992 with Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and has become one of Nintendo’s most successful franchises.
Super Mario Kart began as a multiplayer counterpart to F-Zero, where two players could race simultaneously.
The decision to include Mario characters was a late addition, which gave the game a unique identity and opened the door to creative, themed tracks.
Mario Tennis Tattoo
First released on Nintendo’s failed Virtual Boy in 1995, Mario Tennis later found more widespread success with its release on the Nintendo 64 in 2000.
The series of tennis games stars Mario and other beloved characters from the Mario universe, blending fast-paced tennis gameplay with power-ups, special moves, and a dose of Mario charm.
Mario Tennis is also where Waluigi made his debut, being designed as a doubles partner for Wario.
Dr.Mario Nintendo Tattoo
A falling-block puzzle game starring Mario in the role of a doctor, Doctor Mr. was first introduced in 1990 for the NES and Game Boy.
Nintendo were looking to create a game that would appeal to fans of popular puzzle titles like Tetris.
The idea of a “falling block” game with a medical theme came from blending the simplicity of puzzle mechanics with Mario as the lead, as he was already a global icon then, making it more recognizable and appealing.
Nintendogs Nintendo Tattoo
Nintendogs is a pet simulation game developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS.
The game allows players to adopt, care for, and play with virtual puppies.
Thanks to the DS’s touchscreen and microphone, players can interact with their pets in innovative and engaging ways.
Thanks to his experiences as a pet owner, Shigeru Miyamoto was sparked with the idea of a game that captured the joy of raising a dog by trying to replicate the bond between humans and pets.
Super Smash Bros Tattoo
Nintendo’s iconic fighting game featuring characters from across the gaming landscape, Super Smash Bros.
Legendary video game creator Masahiro Sakurai wanted to create a unique fighting game that emphasized accessibility over complexity.
Initially called ‘Dragon King: The Fighting Game,’ the prototype featured generic fighters with no connection to Nintendo characters before Sakurai pitched the idea alongside Saturu Iwada to Nintendo with recognizable characters like Mario, Link, and Pikachu.
Nintendo approved the idea, recognizing the potential of a crossover brawler and developing the game with a small budget and team.
However, its simple yet addictive gameplay led to its massive success.
Where To Get Your Nintendo Tattoo
Thigh With Nintendo Tattoo
The Thigh has a lot of fat and muscle, making it one of the least painful locations for tattoos.
This location is ideal for first-time tattooers; however, this area isn’t easy to show off and is best only for those who live in warmer climates.
Chest Nintendo Tattoo
The chest is a fantastic location to get your Nintendo Tattoo if you love to show it off with pride.
This location is less painful thanks to the pectoral muscle but will get more uncomfortable the closer you get to the collarbone and nipple line.
Nintendo Arm Tattoo
The arm is one of the most common locations to get your tattoo due to having a decent amount of space and being easily shown off and concealed.
This location is also one of the least painful locations to get tattooed, thanks to its muscle and fat, but it will get more painful the closer you get to locations such as the elbow.
Nintendo Tattoo On The Leg
Similar to the arm, the leg is another great place to get tattooed if you’re afraid of pain.
Areas such as the thigh and calf have a lot of muscle, which will help dampen the pain.
However, places such as the knee, behind the knee, and shin will be much more uncomfortable.
Keep in mind that if you live in a colder climate, it may be more challenging to show off tattoos on areas such as the thigh.
Forearm Nintendo Tattoo
Lastly, the forearm is excellent for those afraid of pain and for those who want to show off their ink at a moment’s notice.
However, this location can only be covered with a long-sleeved shirt, so if you live in a warm climate and need to cover your ink, this location may not suit you the best.
Conclusion
As we reach the flagpole, we hope that these Nintendo Tattoos have been super effective on your quest to acquire the perfect Tattoo Design. But hey, if Nintendo Tattoos aren’t powering you up, you can keep gaming by checking out these Video Game Tattoo Ideas, if you love Star Fox, then check out these Kitsune Tattoo Ideas, or for a different type of gaming tattoo, check out these Warhammer Tattoo ideas.
