If you are like me, a child growing up in the late 1980’s and early 90’s, you’ve spent countless hours hanging out with a middle-aged, mustachioed plumber. Finally, our friend gets his due in the book Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America by Jeff Ryan.
Super Mario traces Nintendo’s lineage from a second rate arcade company to the top of the video game industry. And in essence, the story of Nintendo is the story of Mario, the 8-bit plumber who became a 3D wunderkind (and even Nintendo’s slight move away from the plumber on the Wii).
The story of Nintendo is really the story of an innovative company that chose the path less traveled, staying out of the technological arms race, for the most part, in order to focus on engaging, addictive game play.
My last adventure with Mario was probably MarioKart 64, however, I still enjoyed learning little known facts (Mario’s last name? Mario) and hearing about the company’s impressive successes and dazzling failures.
Finally, the names behind the games get their due. What I enjoyed most about this book was that I believe it will be equally readable for a novice user who grew up with Mario (like myself) or the hardcore gamer who owns every system.
Super Mario is a very addictive read. My trip down memory lane with my favorite childhood plumber was enjoyable. If you’re a geek, you’ll love it.
This would be the perfect Christmas gift for your favorite gamer.
Follow Jeff Ryan at @dailymario on twitter.
If you’re interested in reading a better book regarding the history of Nintendo, try “Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered The World”.