What magical mushroom could have turned an unassuming playing card company into one of the dominant cultural forces of the twenty-first century?

“Keza MacDonald pulls back the curtain on the Nintendo dream factory.” —Walt Williams, author of Significant Zero

Super Nintendo is an exuberant ode to play and the epic story of the company that has redefined it—Nintendo’s quirky beginnings in 1889, its singular ethos, its endlessly innovative leaders and developers, its massive cultural impact, and, most of all, the video games themselves, which have inspired joy and creativity in millions.

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. She draws on private interviews with icons like Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario, who continues to leave his stamp on the company, and takes readers on a trip to the secretive Nintendo HQ—making her one of the few Western journalists to have set foot inside the building.

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, Game Boy, Wii, Switch, and a host of other wacky gizmos—and charts the delights they’ve offered over the decades. Along the way, MacDonald uncovers the driving force behind these creative triumphs: a willingness to take risks and place long-term success over short-term profits.

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.