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Super Nintendo: How One Japanese Company Helped the World Have Fun
Not yet published
Expected 10 Feb 26A joyous exploration of the cultural phenomenon that created Mario, Zelda and Pokémon, and an ode to our love of gaming, by one of the most trusted voices in video games writing.
'This is a great book.'
CHARLIE BROOKER
'Among the best things ever written about Nintendo.'
TOM BISSELL, author of Extra Lives
'Delightful . . . a vivid picture of the most important company in video games."'
JASON SCHREIER, author of Blood, Sweat, and Pixels
From the instant classics to the hidden gems, Nintendo's video games occupy a special place in the hearts of hundreds of millions of people around the globe. Every player has forged a unique connection with a beloved game, feeling that rush of awe and wonder as they immersed themselves in a virtual world in pursuit of that most human of the desire to have fun.
Super Nintendo finds lifelong gamer Keza MacDonald exploring Nintendo's legendary roster of games - as well as consoles such as the SNES, Gameboy, Wii and Switch, and a host of other quirky inventions from the Power Glove to Nintendo Labo - drawing from decades' worth of exclusive interviews with their creators and the people whose lives have been changed by them. Along the way, she tells the story of how this unassuming playing card company, founded in Kyoto in 1889, became one of the dominant cultural forces of the twenty-first century.
Offering unparalleled access to the company and its fun-filled world, and written with warmth and wit, Super Nintendo captures the love that so many of us feel for video games - and reveals just what that love tells us about being human.
FEATURING CHAPTERS ON
Ultrahand, Donkey Kong, Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Pokémon, Kirby's Adventures, Wii Sports, Animal Crossing, Nintendo Labo, Super Smash Bros, Splatoon
'This is cultural history at its most Nintendo not as corporate monolith, but as dream factory, mythmaker, and companion to childhood.'
SIMON PARKIN, contributing writer for TheNew Yorker
'This is a great book.'
CHARLIE BROOKER
'Among the best things ever written about Nintendo.'
TOM BISSELL, author of Extra Lives
'Delightful . . . a vivid picture of the most important company in video games."'
JASON SCHREIER, author of Blood, Sweat, and Pixels
From the instant classics to the hidden gems, Nintendo's video games occupy a special place in the hearts of hundreds of millions of people around the globe. Every player has forged a unique connection with a beloved game, feeling that rush of awe and wonder as they immersed themselves in a virtual world in pursuit of that most human of the desire to have fun.
Super Nintendo finds lifelong gamer Keza MacDonald exploring Nintendo's legendary roster of games - as well as consoles such as the SNES, Gameboy, Wii and Switch, and a host of other quirky inventions from the Power Glove to Nintendo Labo - drawing from decades' worth of exclusive interviews with their creators and the people whose lives have been changed by them. Along the way, she tells the story of how this unassuming playing card company, founded in Kyoto in 1889, became one of the dominant cultural forces of the twenty-first century.
Offering unparalleled access to the company and its fun-filled world, and written with warmth and wit, Super Nintendo captures the love that so many of us feel for video games - and reveals just what that love tells us about being human.
FEATURING CHAPTERS ON
Ultrahand, Donkey Kong, Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Pokémon, Kirby's Adventures, Wii Sports, Animal Crossing, Nintendo Labo, Super Smash Bros, Splatoon
'This is cultural history at its most Nintendo not as corporate monolith, but as dream factory, mythmaker, and companion to childhood.'
SIMON PARKIN, contributing writer for TheNew Yorker
- GenresNonfiction
339 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 10, 2026
6 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 22, 2025
i genuinely don’t think i’ve been this touched by a book in years, i’m so emotional right now i feel slightly ridiculous
i think it’s interesting that this book touches on nintendo’s incredible ability to utilise nostalgia, whilst also highlighting the need for community, friendship and need to share joy with one another
all i could think about is my older brother letting me sit next to him whilst he played legend of zelda, mario, animal crossing etc - they’re some of my fondest memories and this book brought me back entirely to when he’d let me borrow his pokemon cards so i could show off at school
whether you’re a gamer or not, this book is a must read and I couldn’t recommend it enough. it was both informative and warm, the perfect setting for a book about the world’s sweetest gaming company
i think it’s interesting that this book touches on nintendo’s incredible ability to utilise nostalgia, whilst also highlighting the need for community, friendship and need to share joy with one another
all i could think about is my older brother letting me sit next to him whilst he played legend of zelda, mario, animal crossing etc - they’re some of my fondest memories and this book brought me back entirely to when he’d let me borrow his pokemon cards so i could show off at school
whether you’re a gamer or not, this book is a must read and I couldn’t recommend it enough. it was both informative and warm, the perfect setting for a book about the world’s sweetest gaming company
December 1, 2025
Thanks Faber Books for my advanced reader copy!
When people hear the word Nintendo, they fall into one of two camps: the first, complete joy and nostalgia for a fun gaming company, and the second, scoffing at a childish brand. I fall into the first, having played Nintendo video games for as long as I can remember. I grew up with Pokémon Red and brain-training my way through The Legend of Zelda with Link as my avatar. I befriended countless forest friends in Animal Crossing: Wild World and my siblings and cousins and I hosted endless Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. and Kirby championships. During lockdown, I built a community of over 400 devoted (and many new!) Animal Crossing: New Horizons players. Even today, you’ll find me curled up on the sofa with my Nintendo Switch, when I’m not reading, writing or cooking! As you can imagine, I was more than delighted when Faber Books sent me a proof of this upcoming book that is a love letter to Nintendo.
Super Nintendo is a joyous celebration of the Japanese company that helped the world have fun. Whether you’re a casual gamer or an avid Nintendo collector, this book contains all you need to know (and then some) about the legendary games company. I completely loved getting to know more about the origins of Nintendo, but also of each mastermind behind their keystone game franchises. Of course, I simply adored the Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, Animal Crossing and Super Smash Bros. chapters and their deep-dives, but the book as a whole is truly a wonderful, escapist and uplifting read. I am filled with endless nostalgia and whimsy, having finished this, and Super Nintendo has only served to deepen my adoration of this wall-breaking, generation-crossing, genre-defying gaming company.
When people hear the word Nintendo, they fall into one of two camps: the first, complete joy and nostalgia for a fun gaming company, and the second, scoffing at a childish brand. I fall into the first, having played Nintendo video games for as long as I can remember. I grew up with Pokémon Red and brain-training my way through The Legend of Zelda with Link as my avatar. I befriended countless forest friends in Animal Crossing: Wild World and my siblings and cousins and I hosted endless Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. and Kirby championships. During lockdown, I built a community of over 400 devoted (and many new!) Animal Crossing: New Horizons players. Even today, you’ll find me curled up on the sofa with my Nintendo Switch, when I’m not reading, writing or cooking! As you can imagine, I was more than delighted when Faber Books sent me a proof of this upcoming book that is a love letter to Nintendo.
Super Nintendo is a joyous celebration of the Japanese company that helped the world have fun. Whether you’re a casual gamer or an avid Nintendo collector, this book contains all you need to know (and then some) about the legendary games company. I completely loved getting to know more about the origins of Nintendo, but also of each mastermind behind their keystone game franchises. Of course, I simply adored the Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, Animal Crossing and Super Smash Bros. chapters and their deep-dives, but the book as a whole is truly a wonderful, escapist and uplifting read. I am filled with endless nostalgia and whimsy, having finished this, and Super Nintendo has only served to deepen my adoration of this wall-breaking, generation-crossing, genre-defying gaming company.
November 16, 2025
Super Nintendo is a book exploring the history of Nintendo and their consoles and games. Keza MacDonald combines a concise history of the company and its employees with personal reflections and a look at the cultural impact of Mario, Link, Pikachu, and more. Each chapter focuses on a particular development or game series, and the book is carefully structured to unfold Nintendo's direction from hanafuda cards to the Switch 2.
As someone for whom Nintendo has been the game company of choice ever since watching my friend play Pokemon Red on a Game Boy Colour as a young child, I really felt this was a love letter to the company that also taught me a lot about the development of the company and games. My interest in Nintendo has waxed and waned over the years (I read the official Nintendo magazine avidly c.2004, but didn't play a console between my family's Wii and finally buying a Switch in 2022), but this book felt like catching up with Nintendo across all of that time. I liked MacDonald's personal anecdotes, which felt similar to my own just a little earlier, and details like discussing the competitive playing of Super Smash Bros Melee that prevailed for a long time.
This is a book for fans, seeing a company as something bringing joy or sparking innovation rather than about the money. For me, it was an emotional read, thinking about my own history with these consoles and games and the fact that so many other people have these histories too.
As someone for whom Nintendo has been the game company of choice ever since watching my friend play Pokemon Red on a Game Boy Colour as a young child, I really felt this was a love letter to the company that also taught me a lot about the development of the company and games. My interest in Nintendo has waxed and waned over the years (I read the official Nintendo magazine avidly c.2004, but didn't play a console between my family's Wii and finally buying a Switch in 2022), but this book felt like catching up with Nintendo across all of that time. I liked MacDonald's personal anecdotes, which felt similar to my own just a little earlier, and details like discussing the competitive playing of Super Smash Bros Melee that prevailed for a long time.
This is a book for fans, seeing a company as something bringing joy or sparking innovation rather than about the money. For me, it was an emotional read, thinking about my own history with these consoles and games and the fact that so many other people have these histories too.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My review appeared at www.equinoxx.info on Saturday 3rd January 2026. Here's what I wrote:
I read a really cool book over the festive period.
Super Nintendo: How One Japanese Company Helped The World Have Fun by Keza MacDonald is a thorough look at the gaming juggernaut which started its life - in the late 19th Century - as a playing card company and has evolved into one of the most iconic worldwide brands.
MacDonald knits her book together by introducing us to Nintendo's main players behind games like Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda all the way through to some of the modern products and games like Nintendo Labo and the Splatoon series.
I can genuinely say I learned a lot from Super Nintendo. Even though it was quite an obvious thing in hindsight, I wasn't aware of the story about Universal Pictures - owners of the King Kong property - attempting to sue Nintendo for the likenesses used in 1981's Donkey Kong.
My eyes were opened further, a little later in the book, when I learned that the pink game character Kirby (my youngest nephew's favourite Nintendo character, by the way!) is named after John Kirtby - the attorney who successfully defended Nintendo in Universal City Studios, Inc .vs. Nintendo Co. Ltd.
With over twenty years working as a games journalist, MacDonald is unquestionably one of the most appropriate persons who can tell the story of Nintendo. She was able to introduce quotes from Nintendo's major names she was able to meet through her career.
There's more, however.
Some parts of MacDonald's book details her own experiences with Nintendo as a consumer. I found there to be a fair balance between telling the story of Nintendo and peeling the curtain back to share her own stories as a player. It's from those anecdotes the writer allows us to see her as one of us: fans having fun.
If you enjoy Nintendo products in any way, I urge you to see this out once it has been published.
I read a really cool book over the festive period.
Super Nintendo: How One Japanese Company Helped The World Have Fun by Keza MacDonald is a thorough look at the gaming juggernaut which started its life - in the late 19th Century - as a playing card company and has evolved into one of the most iconic worldwide brands.
MacDonald knits her book together by introducing us to Nintendo's main players behind games like Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda all the way through to some of the modern products and games like Nintendo Labo and the Splatoon series.
I can genuinely say I learned a lot from Super Nintendo. Even though it was quite an obvious thing in hindsight, I wasn't aware of the story about Universal Pictures - owners of the King Kong property - attempting to sue Nintendo for the likenesses used in 1981's Donkey Kong.
My eyes were opened further, a little later in the book, when I learned that the pink game character Kirby (my youngest nephew's favourite Nintendo character, by the way!) is named after John Kirtby - the attorney who successfully defended Nintendo in Universal City Studios, Inc .vs. Nintendo Co. Ltd.
With over twenty years working as a games journalist, MacDonald is unquestionably one of the most appropriate persons who can tell the story of Nintendo. She was able to introduce quotes from Nintendo's major names she was able to meet through her career.
There's more, however.
Some parts of MacDonald's book details her own experiences with Nintendo as a consumer. I found there to be a fair balance between telling the story of Nintendo and peeling the curtain back to share her own stories as a player. It's from those anecdotes the writer allows us to see her as one of us: fans having fun.
If you enjoy Nintendo products in any way, I urge you to see this out once it has been published.
December 17, 2025
Wow. What a trip down memory lane! 😍
I honestly can’t put into words how much of a nostalgic and heartwarming read this was.
Nintendo has been apart of my life since I was around 3 years old, and still to this day is a huge part of it. Nintendo games helped me through a really difficult time of my life when I was little, when I lost my mom. I really struggled as a kid to find joy in a lot of things, but playing on my GameCube, DS and Wii was something that always made me happy and distracted me from the hard times and feelings I was experiencing.
Growing up I developed a huge love for Zelda and Pokemon, and to this day Zelda is my all time favourite franchise. Animal Crossing helped me as well as many others during the events of COVID-19, when I was unable to be with my fiancé and my friends who lived very far away from me at the time. It kept us connected during a time where socialising was impossible in real life, and I love how much this book highlights just how much of a positive impact video games have on us and our experiences.
This is hands down an incredible book to read. I loved reading about the company that not only shaped my childhood but even my life to this day. Learning about the developers, worlds and consoles in more detail was so interesting. I couldn’t believe how much I didn’t know!
The author writes in such a fantastic way, and really encapsulates all of our feelings that we experience as gamers and does a fantastic job at explaining how games shape and move us in our lives.
Even if you don’t play video games, I 100% recommend reading this book!
Thank you so much Faber Books for sending me
an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I loved this read so much 🎮❤️
I honestly can’t put into words how much of a nostalgic and heartwarming read this was.
Nintendo has been apart of my life since I was around 3 years old, and still to this day is a huge part of it. Nintendo games helped me through a really difficult time of my life when I was little, when I lost my mom. I really struggled as a kid to find joy in a lot of things, but playing on my GameCube, DS and Wii was something that always made me happy and distracted me from the hard times and feelings I was experiencing.
Growing up I developed a huge love for Zelda and Pokemon, and to this day Zelda is my all time favourite franchise. Animal Crossing helped me as well as many others during the events of COVID-19, when I was unable to be with my fiancé and my friends who lived very far away from me at the time. It kept us connected during a time where socialising was impossible in real life, and I love how much this book highlights just how much of a positive impact video games have on us and our experiences.
This is hands down an incredible book to read. I loved reading about the company that not only shaped my childhood but even my life to this day. Learning about the developers, worlds and consoles in more detail was so interesting. I couldn’t believe how much I didn’t know!
The author writes in such a fantastic way, and really encapsulates all of our feelings that we experience as gamers and does a fantastic job at explaining how games shape and move us in our lives.
Even if you don’t play video games, I 100% recommend reading this book!
Thank you so much Faber Books for sending me
an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I loved this read so much 🎮❤️
November 3, 2025
Beware - this book may encourage you to go on a Nintendo buying spree...
The author's delight in Nintendo games shines through in this potted history of the company. Each of the chapters takes a key game/series/console and traces it through from origin to present day, covering the successes and any set-backs as well. There's also a quick run down of other games made by Nintendo not included in the main chapters.
A great read and proof that successful companies take a long term approach rather than chasing short term wins.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The author's delight in Nintendo games shines through in this potted history of the company. Each of the chapters takes a key game/series/console and traces it through from origin to present day, covering the successes and any set-backs as well. There's also a quick run down of other games made by Nintendo not included in the main chapters.
A great read and proof that successful companies take a long term approach rather than chasing short term wins.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 15, 2025
I highly enjoyed Super Nintendo as it is a very informative book about the company, consoles, and games. I would highly recommend this book if you enjoy Nintendo, it is both nostalgic and educational.
My first Nintendo system was a DS lite, therfore there's a lot I didn't actually know. I had heard of some of the previous consoles but to learn how they came about was so interesting to me. Each chapter went into different sections and games and had so many fun facts and personal anecdotes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review <3
My first Nintendo system was a DS lite, therfore there's a lot I didn't actually know. I had heard of some of the previous consoles but to learn how they came about was so interesting to me. Each chapter went into different sections and games and had so many fun facts and personal anecdotes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review <3
January 18, 2026
Super Nintendo: How One Japanese Company Helped the World Have Fun is a warm, nostalgic reminder that there is an important difference between being childlike and being childish.
The book celebrates play, creativity, and curiosity without ever dismissing their cultural or historical importance.
Ultimately, this book honors the joy of childhood while respecting the craftsmanship and innovation behind it, making it an engaging read for longtime fans and anyone interested in how games became a meaningful part of modern life. Thank you so much again to the team at Faber for gifting me this for review.
The book celebrates play, creativity, and curiosity without ever dismissing their cultural or historical importance.
Ultimately, this book honors the joy of childhood while respecting the craftsmanship and innovation behind it, making it an engaging read for longtime fans and anyone interested in how games became a meaningful part of modern life. Thank you so much again to the team at Faber for gifting me this for review.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews