This is a history, review, and business analysis book, covering the Mario games by Nintendo, on various sytemes. It gives a overview of the companies history, as well as a game by game analysis of the gameplay elemts that changed from one game to the next, from games like Donkey Kong, to the Super Mario, and spinn off series. There are also reviews of the Super Mario Bros., film and the cartoons. It looks at the series characters, as well as his team-ups with Sonic the Hedgehog. There are no illustrations, only text. There is a hardback version ISBN: 9781591844051 {Hardback} released on August 4, 2011. Audio book version, Blackstone Audiobooks, narrated by Ray Porter (August 31, 2011). And a Paperback version ISBN: 9781591845638 {Paperback} September 25, 2012, for $16.00 US, $17.00 Canada, and £9.99 UK.
It's only fitting if I'm going to devote this much time to gaming that I should re-familiarize myself with the difficult business narrative of how gaming in North America really came to be. My favorite book on this subject is David Scheff's GAME OVER, from which this book heavily borrows its first-half structure. (Ryan cites Scheff's work at least one time, indicating that yes, he read it, and decided to follow the timeline almost exactly).
I was familiar with a lot of the history covered here but still found this to be an enjoyable read. While the style is not as entertaining as 'Console Wars' for example, I still found myself burning through each chapter. A fun exploration of Nintendo's past, and due to its publication, and interesting prediction of what may be to come. If you are looking for a quick read and want to pledge yourself to the Shrine of Miyamoto, why not start here?
