An exuberant ode to play and the epic story of a company that has redefined it—their quirky beginnings, their singular ethos, their endlessly innovative leaders and developers, their massive cultural impact, and most of all the video games themselves, which have inspired joy and creativity in millions

What magical mushroom could have turned an unassuming playing card company, founded in Kyoto in 1889—whose tile cards were closely associated with gambling and Japan’s criminal underworld—into one of the dominant cultural forces of the twenty-first century, with characters as memorable as any from the Disney or Marvel universe?

A lifelong gamer and a renowned video games journalist, Keza MacDonald digs down to Nintendo’s experimental roots, tracking the company’s rise with each new revolutionary product and exploring the driving force of these creative triumphs (and occasional failures!): Nintendo’s willingness to take risks, to place long-term goals over short-term profits.

Leaping from game to game, Super Nintendo tells the remarkable story of the people who brought us Super Mario Bros., Zelda, Pokémon, Animal Crossing, Splatoon, and more—not to mention the SNES, N64, Gameboy, Wii, Switch, and a host of other wacky gizmos, from the Power Glove to the Rumble Pack to Nintendo Labo—and charts the delights they’ve offered over the decades.

MacDonald draws on private interviews with the likes of Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario, who continues to leave his stamp on the company, and even a recent trip to the secretive Nintendo HQ—making her one of the few Western journalists ever to set foot inside the building.

A carousel of wonders, Super Nintendo whisks you back to the couch in the den, a controller in your hands for the very first time, staring up at a screen of infinite possibilities.