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When Nintendo Played Matchmaker
Before it revolutionized video games, Nintendo dabbled in toys and novelties. One of the most infamous was the Love Tester, released in 1969. Designed by Gunpei Yokoi, the creator of later classics like the Game Boy, the Love Tester claimed to measure the romantic compatibility of two people through simple electronics. Each person would hold a sensor, clasp hands, and the device would give a score from one to one hundred.
It was marketed as Nintendo’s first electronic toy, and it quickly became a cheeky party gag. The fun was not in accuracy but in the excuse it gave people to touch hands. Yokoi himself once joked that the numbers improved if couples kissed while holding the device, leaning into the playful scandal.
The Love Tester was one of many experiments that set Nintendo apart during the 1960s and 1970s. It showed that the company was willing to innovate in surprising ways long before Mario or Zelda ever existed.
From Novelty Toy to Pop Nostalgia
The Love Tester did not sell in massive numbers, but it left a lasting impression. As Nintendo moved on to arcades and then the Famicom, the toy became a quirky piece of trivia for fans who enjoyed tracking the company’s stranger experiments. It is often grouped alongside other oddities from that era such as the Ultra Hand and the Ultra Machine.
Its place in Nintendo history was cemented decades later when the company allowed the device to be reissued for collectors. Retro fans snapped them up as a reminder that Nintendo’s DNA was never just about safe, family friendly products. It also included mischief, humor, and oddball ideas that pushed boundaries in their own way.
The Love Tester’s notoriety has been amplified by its appearances in retrospectives, Easter eggs, and fan collections. It has even shown up in Nintendo’s own games, with a replica appearing as an item in Pikmin 2.
A Quirky Place in History
The Love Tester matters today because it highlights the spirit of playfulness that has always defined Nintendo. The toy was not about technology or accuracy, it was about creating an experience people would laugh about and remember. That sense of fun became a hallmark of Nintendo’s later success in video games.
It also demonstrates how even a small gimmick can leave a cultural footprint. The Love Tester had no screen, no controller, and no software, yet people still talk about it more than fifty years later. It represents the power of simple interaction and shared moments.
For retro fans and gaming historians, the Love Tester is not just an oddity but a piece of the larger story. It reminds us that Nintendo’s creativity has always reached beyond pixels and cartridges, rooted in a willingness to try something bold and unusual.
