Super Mario

How Nintendo Conquered America

By: Jeff Ryan

Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

The story of Nintendo’s rise and the beloved icon who made it possible

Nintendo has continually set the standard for video game innovation in America, starting in 1981 with a plucky hero who jumped over barrels to save a girl from an ape.

The saga of Mario, the portly plumber who became the most successful franchise in the history of gaming, has plot twists worthy of a video game. Jeff Ryan shares the story of how this quintessentially Japanese company found success in the American market. Lawsuits, Hollywood, die-hard fans, and face-offs with Sony and Microsoft are all part of the drama. Find out about: Mario’s eccentric yet brilliant creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, who was tapped for the job because he was considered expendable; Minoru Arakawa, the son-in-law of Nintendo’s imperious president, who bumbled his way to success; and the unexpected approach that allowed Nintendo to reinvent itself as the gaming system for the nongamer, especially now with the Wii.

Even those who can’t tell a Koopa from a Goomba will find this a fascinating story of striving, comeuppance, and redemption.

©2011 Jeff Ryan (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“One of America’s favorite pastimes is covered in exhaustive, enthusiastic detail.” (Publishers Weekly)

I learned so much

I loved this book. Much like the Nintendo Power magazine we coveted as kids this is packed with information. Mario will always be a hero in the gaming world and once you read or listen to this book you will fully know why. The book is now coming up on 10 years old and you never know it. I feel chapter's could just be added to the end to catch us all up on what Mario has been up to behind the scenes.

nostalgia and history play well together

very fun read. talks about the history of Nintendo, from beginnings, to Donkey Kong, to wii. fun to read about video game developments, including interactings with Sega, Sony, Microsoft, and Apple.

SUPERb

The level of nostalgia this generated was significant enough for me to download Super Mario Kart on an iPhone otherwise unadulterated by games. Thoroughly enjoyable and well-written.

Nostalgic, informative, and entertaining.

I wasn't sure what to expect but I really ended up enjoying it. It's a fun trip down memory lane and great insight into the economic world of Nintendo.

Riveting

I love this type of book and this one blew me away. Performance is spot on content moves quickly and I had to listen to all in a day or two. From beginning to end I was engaged in a way I have rarely been across hundreds of audiobooks. Bravo on all counts

Amazing!

I enjoyed every minute of this book. I’ll be listening to it again. Ray Porter did great as always.

I wish I had read this in 2011

Unfortunately, I listened to this 12 years after it was released and I know what happened in the video game in the world. Regardless, this is an excellent history especially of Nintendo.

Do you like Nintendo?

Great book
I was a fan of Nintendo but then the games got expensive. I never realized that they tried to make them quality but cheap.

Superb!

Funny, clever, interesting writing with energetic poise narration. I often found myself laughing aloud and being refilled with a long lost desire to revisit my favorite Nintendo games as I continued to listen to this great audiobook. Well worth the time and money!

Starts strong, struggles to finish

A fascinating look into the history of Nintendo, viewed mostly through the prism of the various roles Mario has played for them. The book starts very strong with Mario's formative years, sharing a lot of insights that belong just as much in a management book as one about video games. But, as the tale moves toward the modern day, the thesis just gets rehashed and the insights get fewer and further between. Still, a nuanced performance by the narrator makes this an enjoyable listen to the end.