Super Nintendo

I've heard Keza MacDonald on podcasts before and know her to be well-informed video game writer and fan, and I've had her Dark Souls book “You Died” on my list for a long time. I just heard her on The Back Page Podcast talking about this new book about the world's most popular video game company, and sought it out immediately.

The book is a chronicle of where Nintendo comes from - from love testers and arcade machines through Super Mario, Zelda, Metroid, the Animal Crossing lockdown phenomenon, Pokemon Go and up to the Nintendo Labo cardboard kit. Each chapter is broken down by a specific character or series, and is a loving and charming depiction of the company's history.

Nintendo is famously a bit of a closed-shop, so access such as Keza draws upon in this book is very rare, and a great insight into who the people behind Nintendo are, from their jobs and attitudes to their quirks and eccentricities.

This is a great book for any video game enthusiast, and a remarkable story of a company that isn't solely focussed on profits and winning ‘console wars’, but in making charming and fun video games for the enjoyment of all the family.