As you know, Nintendo hasnât always made video games. Before the dawn of the home entertainment era, the company made everything from love testers to fake LEGO to shooting galleries. Did you know, though, that amidst all that fun stuff, Nintendo also made a vacuum cleaner?
This is it. The Nintendo Chiritorie. Released in 1979 (so really, after the âvideo gameâ era at the company had already begun!), it wasnât your average home appliance. Seeking to be both unique and a little fun, it resembled a Roomba that wasnât quite as smart (or expensive) as the robot vacuum cleaners of today.
It was remote-controlled and tiny, measuring only 16cm across. It was also practically useless, as at that size it was not only severely under-powered, but because it was also slow, it would take you days to clean your house with it.
Still. Thatâs not the point. It was never intended as a serious vacuum cleaner. Itâs almost a toy, a gadget-lovers indulgence, which is reflected in the fact Nintendo included some adorable little stickers with the Chiritorie, which let you turn it into something a little more personable.
While it barely sold, making it quite the collectorâs item today, it was remembered by Nintendo in 2003âs Wario Ware Inc. on the Game Boy Advance, starring in one of the titleâs mini-games
You can read more technical info on the Chiritorie at Before Mario, linked below.
Nintendo Chiritorie (çĄç·ăŻăȘăŒăăŒ ăăȘăăȘăŒ, 1979) [Before Mario]
Total Recall is a look back at the history of video games through their characters, franchises, developers and trends. Youâll find Total Recall stories every Tue-Fri between 1am -2am Eastern.
