The Link Between Assassin's Creed Shadows and Nintendo's Creation

With the recent release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows a good opportunity came up for us to talk about the creation of one of the most loved and hated gaming companies: Nintendo.

Creators of countless successful games, such as the Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, Super Mario and Donkey Kong franchises has a strange connection with the time period in which the Ubisoft game is set.

And do you know what’s that connection? We’ll explain it in this article about the creation of Nintendo and, if you have any questions, leave a comment.

You may remember from history class that Portuguese navigators arrived in Latin American countries-to-be such as Brazil in the year 1500, right? Well, these navigators weren’t apparently just after spices from India, as some of them ended up “on the other side of the world”, arriving in Japan.

At the beginning of the 16th century, Japan was undergoing a period of intense transformations. In 1543, the Portuguese arrived in the “Land of the Rising Sun” starting what became known as the Nanban Period.

These first contacts weren’t just limited to the spices and silk trade, but also brought a series of cultural and technological influences to the country, such as firearms, new navigation techniques and, of course, elements of Western culture, such as the Christian religion. The idea was precisely to spread Christianity among Japan.

However, those weren’t the only things introduced there. Sailors from both sides also began to exchange other cultural customs, including gambling. More specifically, card games.

During this period, Japan, which was divided into several feuds in constant conflict, looked with interest at the novelties brought from the West. Portuguese sailors, with their custom of playing and gambling, also brought to the country the European card decks with suits and numbers, in addition to a series of well-known games, such as poker.

These card games got the curiosity of the Japanese, who found the decks of cards with their suits and numbers very interesting, as well as the social aspect of the games, or, in other words, the possibility of making money by betting. Ultimately, as we know today, christianism didn’t become popular there, but the influence of card games and betting remains strong to this day!

At first, these games were played both by the merchants and the samurai, and soon spread throughout every social class and were often associated with the act of gambling, which aroused considerable interest, especially among those of the lower classes.

Card games began to be played in informal settings, but also in places with more visibility, such as entertainment halls and festivals. The excitement of the games and the possibility of winning a quick buck helped spread gambling among the Japanese population, marking the beginning of a custom which, despite the controversies, would last for centuries.

The games became social events, where bets could involve large amounts, making gambling an addiction for everyone. And it was this new addiction that caught the attention of the authorities, who saw in gambling the potential for social disorder and the degradation of traditional values.

This period, in 1579, is when we have the arrival of the Jesuit priests in the country, alongside our protagonist in the Ubisoft game, the samurai Yasuke, who arrived in Japan as a servant of the Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano. It’s very likely that he traveled on Portuguese ships, since Valignano was a visitor from the Company of Jesus responsible for supervising the missions in the East.

During the long sea travels, it was common for sailors, merchants, and even servants to pass the time by playing cards to distract themselves, especially with European-style decks (such as those of Portuguese or Spanish origin). So, even though there’s no specific historical record of Yasuke playing cards, it’s quite plausible that he got familiar with these games during his voyage.

With the increase in gambling and the problems arising from the excess of it, the Japanese authorities, especially during the Tokugawa Shogunate period, started to adopt strict measures to contain excesses. The centralized and authoritarian administration aimed to maintain social order and, to this end, saw gambling activities as a threat to the balance and morals of the society.

Japan was going through a period full of several wars and conflicts, as shown in Assassin's Creed Shadows, and it was necessary to maintain traditional and conservative values, with the aim of unifying the people, blocking out the influence of foreign countries that had ideas and government models very different from those desired by the powerful and local rulers.

During the Shogunate, several prohibitions were imposed on gambling. Western card decks, which had gained popularity, were associated with addiction and instability, and so began to be prohibited or severely restricted. These restrictions meant not only to curb gambling, but also to preserve Japanese customs and traditions, which were seen as essential elements for maintaining the feudal order.

In 1579, the year in which Assassin's Creed Shadows is set, the most popular games among Europeans were Ombre, Triunfo and Primero.

Ombre was a sophisticated and strategic game, played with a Spanish deck composed of 40 cards. Triunfo involved the use of a trump suit and was simpler, similar to modern truco, and was popular in taverns and among sailors. Primero is considered the grandfather of poker, with bets and combinations similar to pairs and flushes, which attracted players who enjoyed risking their luck. Although less well-known, Landsknecht was also popular among Europeans, working as a betting game against the banker.

However, the prohibition wasn’t enough to put an end to card games. Creativity, the desire to gamble and the need to break the laws led the Japanese to find alternatives. So, the players and manufacturers themselves started to reinvent the decks, creating designs and rules that made them different from the European models. This adaptation was the way they found to escape the prohibitions.

One example of these adapted decks was Karuta, which emerged as a mix of traditional Japanese playing cards and Western influences. The name "karuta" comes from “carta”, the Portuguese word for “card”. There were different types of karuta, but one of the oldest and most popular was Tenshō karuta, created in the 16th century, that still preserved much of the European aesthetics and format.

The main difference was in the artistic nature of the cards, which began to move away from traditional European figures, but still maintaining the logic of the four suits: spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs.

The games played with Tenshō karuta were basically local versions of European games, such as Triunfo and Primero. Just like Western decks, it was also used for bets and gambling, with rules that varied according to the region or group of players.

Among the exclusively Japanese games that were created to circumvent the ban was Uta-garuta, which used cards with poems instead of numbers or pictures. This game consisted of matching excerpts from classic poems from Japanese literature, especially from Hyakunin Isshu (an anthology of 100 poems by 100 poets). Players had to find the card that corresponded to the recited bit, requiring both memory and poetic knowledge.

However, each new game and each new type of card came with a new prohibition. Cards with suits were prohibited. Cards with numbers were prohibited. Cards with letters. Each new attempt to go around the system generated a reaction.

It was in this context of prohibitions and reinventions that the Hanafuda decks appeared. The name "Hanafuda" literally means "flower cards", a direct reference to the detailed and colorful illustrations that adorned each card. Unlike European decks, Hanafuda didn’t have conventional suits, but rather a set of figures that represented elements of nature, such as flowers, birds and other traditional Japanese symbols.

Made up of 48 cards divided into 12 sets, each representing a month of the year and illustrated with different flowers or plants. Hanafuda has several game modes, but the most common one is Koi-Koi, where players have to form combinations of cards to accumulate points.

By changing the appearance and symbolism of the cards, the Japanese were able to continue gambling without attracting the attention of the authorities. The new cards, in addition to escaping censorship, started to be valued for their artistic beauty and cultural content, which turned them into a luxury item and a source of national pride.

Hanafuda games became popular among various levels of society. They were played at family gatherings, local festivals and even at get-togethers with friends, always accompanied by gambling - but now with a symbolism that referred to the Japanese culture itself.

The success of the Hanafuda deck led to the cards being seen as works of art, reflecting the tradition, aesthetics and spirit of the Japanese people. Until, in 1889, a man wanted to open a company to make Hanafuda decks and named it after the strongest hand in the Hanafuda game. Guess the name of that hand?

In 1889, Fusajiro Yamauchi, a Japanese entrepreneur, founded Nintendo Koppai, initially with the purpose of producing Hanafuda decks. This business choice wasn’t by chance: the card game market was booming and had already won over the Japanese public. The name Nintendo comes from the strongest hand in the Koi-Koi game, known as "Nin-Ten-Do". The explanation lies in the sound and interpretation of the characters:

1. Nin (任) - Means "responsibility" or "duty".

2. Ten (天) - Means "heaven" or "paradisiac".

3. Do (堂) - Means "hall" or "temple".

The full expression "Nin-Ten-Do" (任天堂) can be interpreted as "Leave luck to heaven" or "Leave fortune in the hands of fate".

In its early years, Nintendo was dedicated exclusively to the artisanal production of the decks. Each set of Hanafuda was carefully crafted, with illustrations that combined traditional painting and graphic design techniques, making sure to deliver a final product that combined aesthetics and functionality in games, which helped Nintendo consolidate itself in the national market, gaining notoriety and respect among players.

The legacy of card games, which had its origins in the arrival of the Portuguese navigators, seen throughout the gameplay of Assassin's Creed Shadows, and the subsequent banning of these games, ended up providing the basis for the beginning of one of the most recognized brands in the world of video games. Did you know this story? Do you have any more interesting facts to add? If so, just leave a comment.