100: Universal Sues Nintendo (Part 2)
From An Old Timey Podcast by An Old Timey Podcast
April 22, 2026 · 1h 22m · Episode 100
About this episode
This episode discusses the legal battle between Nintendo and Universal over the Donkey Kong arcade game and its implications in video game history.
Nintendo couldn’t believe their luck. Their latest arcade game, Donkey Kong, had become a surprise hit. But then Universal, one of the largest media companies in the world, came knocking. They claimed that Donkey Kong infringed on their King Kong trademark. Even worse? They were ready to go to war. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: Audureau, William. The History of Mario . Pix’n Love, 2014. Internet Archive. “Universal v. Nintendo Court Documents.” 2026. https://archive.org/details/universal-v-nintendo-court-documents . Sheff, David. Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children . Random House, Inc., 1993. Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast . At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.
People in this episode
Host: Norm
Topics covered
- Nintendo
- Universal
- trademark dispute
- arcade games
- video game history
- legal battles
Keywords
- Nintendo
- Universal
- Donkey Kong
- King Kong
- trademark
- arcade game
- video game history
- legal dispute
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Nintendo, Universal
Books & works: Donkey Kong, King Kong, The History of Mario, Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children
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