Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America by Jeff Ryan
When someone mentions video games, the last thing you think about is a book. But that’s not true for author Jeff Ryan and his book Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America. That’s why when we saw his display at the Too Many Games convention this past June, we had to stop by and chat for a bit.
Jeff Ryan brings a true fan’s perspective to the history of video games and the inner workings of Mario and Nintendo’s rise to fame in the industry. Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America gives a glimpse into Nintendo and how a little Italian plumber helped save the struggling company and become one of the most recognizable mascots, not only in video games, but in all of pop culture. It also looks into the story of Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and the meteoric success of Nintendo’s Wii console, amongst other topics. The book offers plenty of interesting information about Nintendo’s most popular character and the history of the company itself.
With enthusiasm, plenty of research, and some pop culture references, this book is definitely not your typical historical analysis or work of journalism. However, don’t think this is a work of fanboyism, Jeff Ryan kept us intrigued with surprising details and little known facts, such as the fact that Tom Hanks was originally considered for the role of Mario in the infamous movie adaptation. “Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America” should be on the radar of any Nintendo fan.
If you’re interested in purchasing the book, head over the Amazon page. But in the meantime, you can check out our interview with Jeff Ryan in the video below.
If you like this video, make sure to check out the whole playlist of all our Too Many Games antics on YouTube.
Michael is new to the podcasting scene, with The Crispy Noodle Podcast marking his first foray into the world of internet radio. He also enjoys playing video games, reading, criticizing the Philadelphia Eagles, and being Italian. Currently, Michael is enrolled in Rosemont College's Masters of the Fine Arts program for Creative Writing. He one day hopes to traumatize people of all ages with his writing. Until then, Michael will continue to bring his unique perspective to The Crispy Noodle.
