An ode to play and the 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.
The tone of Super Nintendo is effervescent but insufficient. Enthusiasm alone is not enough to distract from grating clichés ... For all the talk of fun, there’s a strange medicinal feel ... An endless sunny cutscene, inoffensive but interminable.
A deep dive ... Because Nintendo can be famously tight-lipped about its financials, the book lacks broader context around the gaming industry. Still, MacDonald digs up some insights from designers and enthusiasts, and if the book generally shades toward corporate hagiography, it chronicles a company that has time and again delivered games that have enchanted millions. Gaming history written with a fan’s verve, for better and worse.
