N&B Block

N&B Block, also known in Japan as Nintendo Block, was a construction-toy brand developed and sold by Nintendo between 1968 and 1972. It belonged to Nintendo's expansion into toys during the company's pre-video-game era and was introduced after the commercial success of Ultra Hand, the mechanical toy that helped establish Nintendo as an important Japanese toy maker. The brand was positioned directly against Lego and represented one of Nintendo's early attempts to compete in a standardized, repeat-play construction category rather than with a single novelty toy. The blocks were broadly compatible with Lego bricks, allowing children to combine pieces from the two systems, but N&B Block used a different underside-tube arrangement for connecting the blocks. This structural distinction became important when Lego challenged Nintendo over alleged patent infringement. Nintendo prevailed because the connection system was sufficiently different from Lego's patented design. The blocks were also visually and mechanically differentiated by the use of rounded and cylindrical elements, shapes that were less common in Lego's product range at the time. Some sets incorporated additional mechanisms or electronic components, including clocks, extending the line beyond simple interlocking bricks. Price was central to the brand's market proposition. Nintendo used lower-cost, lower-quality plastic than Lego and sold N&B Block sets at comparatively accessible prices. A 1968 Garden House set, for example, was priced at ¥980. The lower retail price helped the product reach children and families who could not easily afford Lego, while the broad range of more than 40 sets gave the brand substantial variety. Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi supported the line with intensive television advertising, including advertisements that compared N&B Block directly with Lego. This was an unusually confrontational marketing approach for a Japanese toy brand of the period and made the competitive purpose of the product explicit. N&B Block also became an early training ground for Nintendo designers who later played important roles in the company. Satoru Okada began working on the line in 1969, his first assignment at Nintendo, and worked with Gunpei Yokoi on several sets. Among the best-known products was a 1969 set inspired by the Apollo 11 lunar landing. Yokoi designed a spring-loaded feature for the lunar rover that made it flip and come apart, adding play value beyond static construction. Nintendo stopped producing N&B Block in 1972. The company did not publicly establish a definitive reason for the discontinuation in the available references. Later commentary has suggested that continuing legal pressure from Lego may have contributed, but that explanation remains speculative. The brand nevertheless left a small trace in Nintendo's later entertainment history: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, released in 1992, included a level depicted as being constructed from N&B Blocks. Decades later, Nintendo and Lego became commercial collaborators, beginning with Lego Super Mario in 2020, a partnership that contrasted with their earlier competitive and legal relationship.

N&B Block emerged from Nintendo's expansion into toys during the 1960s. Following the success of Ultra Hand, Nintendo created a department in 1966 devoted to developing additional toys. The company subsequently pursued construction toys, a category dominated internationally by Lego, and released N&B Block in Japan in 1968. The name referred to Nintendo's block system, and the product was also known domestically as Nintendo Block. Nintendo designed the line to compete on both price and product differentiation. N&B Block used less expensive plastic than Lego, enabling a lower retail price and opening the category to families who found Lego sets relatively costly. A Garden House set released in 1968 sold for ¥980. Nintendo also invested heavily in television advertising under Hiroshi Yamauchi's leadership. The advertisements directly compared N&B Block with Lego, making the brand's competitive position a central part of its public presentation. The pieces could be combined with Lego bricks, but N&B Block did not simply reproduce Lego's construction system. Its underside tubing was arranged differently, and the range included rounded and cylindrical pieces that gave models a distinct appearance. These differences later formed the basis of Nintendo's successful defense against a patent lawsuit brought by Lego. The product line also experimented with features beyond ordinary blocks. Certain sets contained electronic elements such as clocks, while themed sets used recognizable subjects to encourage guided construction and imaginative play. Satoru Okada joined the work in 1969, making N&B Block his first assignment at Nintendo. He and Gunpei Yokoi contributed to multiple sets. Their Apollo 11 set, released during the period of public fascination with the first crewed lunar landing, included a lunar rover with a spring mechanism devised by Yokoi. The mechanism caused the rover to flip over and break apart, giving the set a playful kinetic feature rather than limiting it to static assembly. More than 40 N&B Block sets were released during the brand's short life. Despite its price advantage and broad assortment, Nintendo ended production in 1972. The surviving reference material does not identify a confirmed corporate explanation. Some later commentary has proposed that legal pressure from Lego influenced the decision, but this remains an interpretation rather than an established fact. N&B Block was not revived as a continuing toy line. It did, however, remain part of Nintendo's historical identity. In 1992, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins included a level represented as being made from N&B Blocks. The brand's history also provides context for Nintendo's later relationship with Lego: after decades in which the companies had been competitors in construction toys and had faced each other in litigation, they eventually collaborated on Lego Super Mario beginning in 2020.

1. 2020Nintendo and Lego begin a later collaboration

   Lego and Nintendo launched Lego Super Mario, marking a commercial partnership long after their earlier construction-toy competition and patent dispute.

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2. 1992Brand referenced in Super Mario Land 2

   Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins featured a level visually constructed from N&B Blocks.

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3. 1972Production ends

   Nintendo discontinued N&B Block after releasing more than 40 sets. The public record does not establish a definitive reason.

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4. 1969Satoru Okada begins work on N&B Block

   Satoru Okada joined Nintendo's N&B Block work as his first assignment at the company.

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5. 1969Apollo 11-themed set released

   Nintendo released a lunar-landing-themed set featuring a spring-loaded rover designed with contributions from Gunpei Yokoi.

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6. 1968N&B Block launches in Japan

   Nintendo introduced N&B Block as a lower-priced construction-toy competitor to Lego and released early sets including Garden House.

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7. 1966Nintendo establishes a toy-development department

   After the success of Ultra Hand, Nintendo expanded its toy operations and created a department for developing additional products.

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A lower-priced Japanese construction-toy alternative to Lego, differentiated by rounded and cylindrical pieces, a distinct underside connection system, themed sets, and selected mechanical or electronic features.

• Garden HouseConstruction set1968

  One of the early N&B Block sets released in 1968. It represented the brand's domestic-building theme and was sold at a lower price than comparable Lego products, supporting Nintendo's effort to make construction toys accessible to a wider group of Japanese children.

• Apollo 11 setSpace-themed construction set1969

  A 1969 set inspired by the Apollo 11 moon landing. Developed with contributions from Satoru Okada and Gunpei Yokoi, it included a lunar rover with a spring-loaded feature that made the model flip over and come apart, adding an active play element to the construction experience.

• N&B Block electronic-feature setsConstruction sets with electronic elements

  A subset of N&B Block products incorporated electronic components, including clocks. These sets broadened the line beyond conventional interlocking bricks and demonstrated Nintendo's willingness to combine construction play with mechanisms and simple electronic functions.

• 1968Direct-comparison television advertising

  Japan

  Nintendo invested heavily in television advertising that presented N&B Block as a direct alternative to Lego. The campaign emphasized the product's lower price and construction capabilities while making the competitive relationship unusually explicit.

  Outcome. The advertising supported N&B Block's visibility and helped position it as an affordable option for children who could not readily purchase Lego sets.

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• 1972Discontinue N&B BlockStrategy

  After a short product life and a patent dispute with Lego, Nintendo ended the N&B Block line.

  What changed. Nintendo ceased production in 1972.

  Aftermath. N&B Block became a discontinued brand, later referenced in Super Mario Land 2 but not re-established as a continuing construction-toy line.

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• 1968Launch a lower-priced construction systemProduct launch

  Nintendo sought to extend its growing toy business and compete with Lego in the construction-set category.

  What changed. The company introduced N&B Block in Japan, using less expensive plastic, distinctive rounded and cylindrical pieces, and a different underside connection system.

  Aftermath. The brand released more than 40 sets and became a notable part of Nintendo's pre-video-game toy history.

  • Lego — Lego later challenged Nintendo in a patent-related lawsuit.
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• Defend the N&B Block connection system in courtOther

  Lego alleged that Nintendo's construction blocks infringed its patent rights.

  What changed. Nintendo defended the product, successfully relying on the different tubing configuration on the underside of its blocks.

  Aftermath. Nintendo won the lawsuit, although later commentary has speculated that continuing legal pressure may have contributed to the eventual end of production.

  • Lego — Lego pursued the patent claim against Nintendo.
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• 1992N&B Block appears in Super Mario Land 2

  A level in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins was depicted as being constructed from N&B Blocks, giving the discontinued toy brand a later appearance in a Nintendo game.

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• 1972Nintendo ends N&B Block production

  Nintendo discontinued the construction-toy brand. The available reference does not give a confirmed reason, although later commentary has linked the decision speculatively to legal pressure from Lego.

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• 1969N&B Block receives Apollo 11-themed set

  Nintendo released a construction set inspired by the Apollo 11 lunar landing. The set included a spring-loaded lunar rover feature designed by Gunpei Yokoi.

  Product launch
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• 1968Nintendo launches N&B Block as a construction-toy competitor

  Nintendo introduced N&B Block in Japan as a direct competitor to Lego, emphasizing accessible pricing and a distinctive range of block shapes.

  Product launch
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• Lego challenges Nintendo over N&B Block patents

  Lego brought a patent-related lawsuit alleging that N&B Block infringed its construction-brick technology. Nintendo won after the differing underside tubing was recognized as distinguishing its system.

  Lawsuit
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1. N&B Block