Super Nintendo
The Game-Changing Company That Unlocked the Power of Play

Quotes

“MacDonald has done something no English-speaking reporter has before her: told the story of Nintendo, in detail, from beginning to end. She has gotten inside the mind of Miyamoto, the doors of Nintendo’s headquarters, and the intangible miasma that has made Nintendo and video games what they are today.” —Chris Plante, Vulture

"A joyful celebration of the gaming giant. . . . Winsomely enthusiastic. . . . MacDonald’s conversations with all the gifted (and often eccentric) creative people who actually make the games are full of such wholesome insights, as are her own superb analyses of favourite games." —Steven Poole, The Guardian

"[A] spirited new history [that] offers acute and entertaining analysis of the company’s many game franchises . . . Nostalgia abounds." —Nathan Smith, Washington Post

“Super Nintendo inspired me to break out my old Switch and dig into a few hours of ‘Mario Kart.’ Now that I’m a dad, no one can tell me when I have to stop.” —Will Leith, The Wall Street Journal

"A breezy, colorful trip through the history of Mario, Zelda, Metroid and much more. Keza MacDonald adroitly weaves personal observations with original reporting to tell a fascinating story that's packed full of delightful anecdotes (did you know that Splatoon's stylish squids started off as blocks of tofu?). This book paints a vivid picture of the most important company in video games." —Jason Schreier, New York Times bestselling author of Play Nice, Press Reset, and Blood, Sweat, and Pixels

“MacDonald writes brilliantly about videogames, and this is a great book.” —Charlie Brooker, creator and writer of Black Mirror

“Fluently written, deeply informed. . . . You won’t find anyone with a better insight into the nuts and bolts of these games. . . . Here is a book bursting with love. Bop your head against it and see if a shower of gold coins comes out.” —Sam Leith, The Times (London)

“What better guide through Nintendo history than MacDonald? . . . I can’t help but wonder if she peeked into my head when writing her retrospective Super Nintendo book. After all, these are all the very memories I associate with my Nintendo-obsessed childhood: little, trivial activities that define my nostalgia even more than grand adventures, unforgettable characters, or towering beasts. . . . Being one of the few journalists who’s stepped foot into Nintendo headquarters, it’s not just [MacDonald’s] fountain of knowledge and years of experience that makes Super Nintendo a riveting read—her remarkable profession ensures us we’re in the right hands.” —Anthony Pelone, Gaming Trend

“Comprehensive but never too dense, informative but approachable, and packed with an unwavering passion for Nintendo that I'd wager even the company's biggest detractors would find infectious. In short, if you want to learn about Nintendo, this is the book to do it.” —Jim Norman, Nintendo Life

"I thought I knew everything there was to know about Nintendo before I read Keza's book—and I literally used to work there. It's fun, it's fascinating, and it only makes me love Mario even more." —Mike Drucker, author of Good Game, No Rematch

“I’ve read and admired Keza MacDonald’s work for years, so it’s no surprise that this book ranks high among the best things ever written about Nintendo. She’s incisive about its corporate history and revelatory about what it actually took—culturally and technically—to create its incomparable games. Anyone who cares about interactive entertainment will be surprised and delighted by this book.” —Tom Bissell, author of Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter

"Keza MacDonald pulls back the curtain on the Nintendo dream factory, providing a fascinating look into the minds and culture that defined my childhood and so many others." —Walt Williams, author of Significant Zero

“Nobody knows Nintendo like Keza MacDonald. This engrossing book is both a personal history of playing the greatest games in the world and a fascinating, insightful look at what makes this company tick. An absolute must for all gamers.” —Keith Stuart, author of A Boy Made of Blocks

“This is cultural history at its most generous: Nintendo not as corporate monolith, but as dream factory, mythmaker, and companion to childhood. Keza MacDonald presents an electrifying blend of criticism, reportage, and affectionate storytelling about the company that shaped not only how we play, but also how we imagine.” —Simon Parkin, author of The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad

“I can think of few writers better equipped to tackle a book like this. [MacDonald’s] bona fides are beyond reproach. So, happily, is the book itself. . . . Elegant, coherent, and relentlessly engaging. . . . It has genuinely changed the way I think about certain games . . . and it has deepened my understanding of how Nintendo works and thinks, why it does the things it does. . . . [An] esteemed tome.” —Nathan Brown, Hit Points

"Gaming history written with a fan’s verve." —Kirkus Reviews