Nintendo got its start making playing cards, and, incredibly, still makes playing cards to this day. I guess there’s always money in the banana stand.
A service Nintendo offered, and even more incredibly still offers, is to make customized playing cards for people, anyone, although the stated purpose is to promote products. The blog beforemario tells all about the service, and even links to Nintendo’s page where you too can order custom playing cards, and all you have to do is order them in a batch of at least 3,000 decks, oh and also navigate through the entirely-Japanese order site. Or you could just buy non-customized cards, some with Nintendo character art.
Lest the domain name not convince you that this is the same Nintendo, one of the example decks pictured uses Pikachu in its art (along with the appropriate copyright notices, as Nintendo doesn’t actually own the Pokémon characters).
beforemario has mentioned before that Nintendo still runs a large sideline in making traditional Japanese gaming equipment like Go and Shogi sets, or Chinese Mah Jong sets.
