I grew up loving Nintendo and this book was a fascinating in-depth exploration of the company, its games, its ethos, its people and its rise to greatness. It's full of anecdotes and quotes from people within Nintendo and its partners and is just a really rich and eye-opening reading experience. I was hooked from start to finish (and had to constantly hide the book away from my son who loves gaming and Nintendo and was desperate to get hold of it).

Super Nintendo: How One Japanese Company Helped the World Have Fun is a fascinating journey through the history of Nintendo.

From the early days producing hanafuda cards, through to the Switch 2 console release, this book covers the toys, software, and hardware that Nintendo have become famous for, and provides additional insight from key members of staff over the years.

The author’s passion and knowledge for Nintendo shines through the pages, with anecdotes from her youth shared in several chapters.

This book was a pleasure to read, and is a must for anyone with a passing interest in Nintendo or the early years of video game creation.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

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.

This is a gem! I love Nintendo, been playing on it all my life, starting with the NES console. When I got my SNES i was so happy and it still is my favorite console to date. I was overjoyed when I got to read this book before publishing.

The book is everything I wanted. I learned so much more about the console and everything around it. The level of research must have been over the roofs because this is filled with good stuff!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this free eARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Faber.

My review of Super Nintendo by Keza MacDonald was published 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.

Super Nintendo is a joyful, thoughtful celebration of one of the most influential creative forces of modern culture. Keza MacDonald captures not just the history of Nintendo, but the feeling of growing up alongside its games, the wonder of discovery, and the quiet emotional resonance that gaming can hold across generations.

What I really appreciated is how this book balances personal reflection with cultural and historical insight. MacDonald moves effortlessly between her own experiences as a lifelong gamer and the broader story of Nintendo’s evolution, from its humble beginnings as a playing card company to becoming a global creative powerhouse. Each chapter focuses on a particular era, console or franchise, making the book feel both structured and inviting, whether you read it in one go or dip in and out.

There is a real warmth to the writing. This is not a technical deep dive or a nostalgia trip for its own sake, but a thoughtful exploration of why these games mattered and still matter. The book reflects on creativity, play, and the emotional connections people form with games like Mario, Zelda and Pokémon, without ever becoming self indulgent. I especially enjoyed the way it highlighted the people behind the games, their philosophies, risks and quiet brilliance.

What makes Super Nintendo stand out is its accessibility. You do not need to be a hardcore gamer to enjoy it, but if you are, it feels like a love letter written with care and intelligence. It reminded me how deeply games can shape identity, comfort us, and connect us to others across time and place.

Warm, insightful and genuinely joyful, this is a book that understands why play matters. A must read for gamers and non gamers alike.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This was so interesting as someone who loved and played and still plays Nintendo games!! It was so fascinating to learn the story of how they did it and the interviews. Would absolutely recommend as a gamer!!!