Super Mario Bros. ranks among the most important and influential video games of all time. This book attempts to break its design down, stage by stage, exploring not only the way its challenges build on themselves, but also how the game communicates its expectations and Mario's capabilities to new players. And it's not just that NES classic that goes under the microscope: All of Mario's adventures before Super Mario Bros. are dissected as well, painting a picture of how Nintendo's designers built up to this groundbreaking creation. This book is not endorsed or licensed by Nintendo.