Super Mario

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 gaming history, has plot twists worthy of a video game. Jeff Ryan shares the story of how this quintessentially Japanese company found success in America. 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; Minoru Arakawa, the son-in-law of Nintendo's imperious president; and the approach that allowed Nintendo to reinvent itself as the gaming system for nongamers, especially 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.