How Mario helped Nintendo break through and conquer the American market.

Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America tells the story of Nintendo’s rise in the United States and the unlikely mascot who made it possible. Beginning in 1981 with a small arcade game featuring a character leaping over barrels, the book traces how Mario grew into the most successful franchise in video game history.

Author Jeff Ryan explores how Nintendo, a distinctly Japanese company, managed to break through in the American market. The story includes legal battles, Hollywood involvement, devoted fans, and high profile rivalries with companies such as Sony and Microsoft. At its center is Mario, whose evolution mirrors Nintendo’s own transformation and growing cultural influence.

The book also introduces key figures behind Nintendo’s success, including Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario’s inventive creator, and Minoru Arakawa, the head of Nintendo of America, whose unconventional path helped shape the company’s fortunes. Accessible even to readers unfamiliar with video games, the book presents a broader story of ambition, reinvention, and perseverance.

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