Who Was the First Nintendo Character? Mr. Game & Watch (1980) Predates Mario

It depends on definitions, but the earliest Nintendo-created character in a Nintendo video game is Mr. Game & Watch (1980).

Timeline

• 1980 – Game & Watch series: Ball features "Mr. Game & Watch" (generic silhouette). Designed by Gunpei Yokoi at Nintendo R&D1.
• 1981 – Donkey Kong (arcade): Jumpman (later Mario) – created by Shigeru Miyamoto. First named, recurring protagonist.
• 1981 – Donkey Kong (character): Designed by Miyamoto, but originally a villain; not playable until Donkey Kong Jr. (1982).

Verdict by Criteria

• First Nintendo hardware character: Mr. Game & Watch (1980)
• First named protagonist in a Nintendo video game: Mario (Jumpman, 1981)
• First playable antagonist-turned-hero: Donkey Kong (1982)

Most historians cite Mario as Nintendo's first iconic character, but Mr. Game & Watch predates him by a year on Nintendo's own hardware.