Nintendo might be synonymous with video games today, but the company actually got its start as a playing card company. Founded in 1889, Nintendo originally produced Hanafuda–a type of card used to play a variety of games dating back to the 16th century. Playing cards are obviously no longer Nintendo’s main attraction, but the gaming giant hasn’t forgotten its humble playing card roots. Nintendo has continued to release card decks, albeit not as many these days, including traditional 52-card Legend of Zelda- and Mario-themed decks as well as unique hanafuda cards featuring characters from the Mushroom Kingdom.
Nintendo playing cards are primarily sold in Japan, though a bunch of imported decks have popped up on Amazon over the years. Prices tend to change often because you’re buying from resellers with limited stock, but the decks typically ship from Amazon and some even have Prime shipping. We’ve rounded up all of the Nintendo playing cards we could find on Amazon.
All of the 52-card decks below are packaged in a clear plastic case with a Nintendo logo, so you can display the cool artwork when you aren’t playing.
$10
Released back in 2011 to commemorate The Legend of Zelda’s 25th anniversary, this charming 52-card deck features a mix of character and item artwork spanning from the original NES game to Skyward Sword. If you’re wondering who nabbed spots on the face cards: Link is the Jack, Zelda is the Queen, and Ganondorf is the King. The Triforce can be found on Aces, and Tingle is the Joker, which feels like the perfect choice.
Each card has a green back with a Triforce pattern, Hylian Crests, and a large Triforce in the center featuring four different versions of Link through the ages. Note: The image shown above is how the back of the cards look; the image on Amazon is brighter and overly saturated.
$13.80
This 52-card deck features the modern designs of well-known Mushroom Kingdom characters. Mario himself is on the back of the cards. The red and gold color scheme includes a border of Super Stars. Unfortunately for Bowser, he is the Joker in this deck, while Mario is the King. That probably doesn’t make King Koopa too happy.
$15
Nintendo’s Game Stage 52-card deck has a checkerboard design on the back featuring retro and modern artwork of Bowser’s underlings, power-ups, and coins. Each full-color card features a section of a level from the original Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, or New Super Mario Bros. U.
$11.80
For retro gaming enthusiasts, this 52-card deck is one of your best options if you want Super Mario Bros. playing cards. Mario’s character model from the original Super Mario Bros. game for NES is on the back, and each card has 8-bit artwork of characters or items/objects such as power-ups and warp pipes. And yes, Mario is always king, and Bowser is once again the Joker.
$13.40
The artwork on the front of these cards is very similar to the “Standard” deck listed above, while the backs of the cards have vibrant neon Super Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, Super Stars, bricks, and coins set against a solid black background. Mario’s 3D character model is jumping in triumph (wahoo).
$17
The other ideal option for retro Mario fans is this 52-card deck. This is one of two Super Mario decks with full-color backgrounds on the front of the cards. You’ll find character art from the NES era, with an emphasis on Super Mario Bros. 3. The King, for instance, is Mario with his Frog Suit. The back of each card shows Mario mid-sprint, with his hat fluttering above him, against a multi-colored background.
$13.77
Nintendo also created an appropriately colorful deck of Splatoon cards. The back of cards is splattered with paint, while the fronts have gray backgrounds featuring characters from the Splatoon franchise, including Judge Kun, Anemo, Atarime, and the squid logo.
$20 for Black | $21 for Red
Smaller and thicker than the playing cards you’re probably used to, Hanafuda (Flower Cards) are designed to play a variety of traditional Japanese card games.
Nintendo’s Super Mario-themed Hanafuda deck features unique character artwork you won’t find on the 52-card decks listed above. Each card has a different character or object from the Mushroom Kingdom and a floral background. Along with various cards featuring Mario wearing his classic suits, you can admire cards with art showcasing Bowser Jr., Yoshi, Princess Peach, Rosalina, Daisy, Toadette, and more characters. There are even Yoshi’s Island cards with Baby Mario and Kamek as well as Donkey and Diddy Kong.
$13
Though also manufactured by Nintendo, this particular deck features scenic landscape art, rivers, and vibrant foliage. You won’t find video game characters on these cards, but they still look great.
$16
This Hanafuda deck ditches the clear plastic case in favor of a more traditional storage case. Like the other two sets, each card features scenic nature artwork.
All of the traditional playing card decks above were manufactured by Nintendo, but they aren’t the only card games themed around the publisher’s hit franchises. There are officially licensed Mario and Zelda editions of UNO as well as various matching games.
