Unwrapping the Rhythms of the Past: Discover NINTENDO's Melodious Leap into Streaming

Small as it is, in a time when technology and nostalgia feel perfectly suited for each other, NINTENDO had proved it could keep up with the march of the digital aesthetic, if only in its quirky, trailblazing way. But now, with the release of NINTENDO Music, an app that is not so much a voyage into a new future as a time machine back through NINTENDO’s aural history, the company was making its latest step towards reconnecting with its fans and music lovers more generally. This article breaks down NINTENDO Music, presents its features, quirks, and the possible ramifications for its fans and all listeners of video game music streaming.

NINTENDO's Digital Symphony: A New Dawn

With the release of its app NINTENDO Music (currently available on Android and iOS), fans are finally seeing a dedicated app for the official sound. This app is a resource for anyone who wants to habitually enjoy the best possible renditions of sounds and songs from a sprawling four-decade trek of video game history, from the tinny chirps of the NES to the orchestral sweeps of its most recent Switch releases.

The Symphony Comes with a Price Tag

The big surprise in the NINTENDO Music app was that it was nice to be surprised. The melody is happy, but there’s a moment of dissonance. It’s only available to those who subscribe to NINTENDO’s Switch Online (NSO) membership service. At $20 a year, the subscription allows owners of the popular NINTENDO Switch to play many games online, among other perks. So, this turned out to be an odd case for lovers of music who don’t have a Switch: essentially, we would pay for something we can’t use.

A Launch Quieter Than Anticipated

The music vault at NINTENDO was opened but, when the door swung wide, the sound was distinctly muted. At launch, the app featured music from 23 games—a rather modest roll-call: a pair of NES Metroid soundtracks, a compilation of every Wii menu song, and no Super Mario 64 tracks. Yet NINTENDO promises a steady enriching of its musical vault, as if the app’s catalogue will eventually match the sprawl of its console history.

Navigating NINTENDO's Auditorium

The NINTENDO Music app’s UI also feels distinctive: someone described its interface as ‘drug-free perfection’ when the app first arrived on the smartphone scene. The app packages up thematic compilations that encourage listeners to immerse themselves in the melodies, with playlists curated under themes such as boss fights and in-game levels. Taken together, these thoughtful design decisions speak volumes about how NINTENDO isn’t trying to simply port a music streaming service to a new platform.

The Exclusive Encore: Membership Has Its Perks and Quirks

The decision to tie the NINTENDO Music app to NSO membership, however, is classic NINTENDO, innovative and idiosyncratic. It also indicates NINTENDO’s larger goal of adding value for NSO subscribers, even at the cost of losing some of the potential user base. For fans who are already in the NINTENDO ecosystem, the new app is a cherry on top, and will provide a deeper level of engagement with NINTENDO overall.

The Melodic Road Ahead

Whether or not NINTENDO Music rises to be the definitive resource it seems destined to become depends on NINTENDO’s ability to curate and expand its catalogue. Fans will be eager to see both a broader palate of soundtracks and a deeper dive into the entirety of NINTENDO’s console history. In time, as NINTENDO Music’s library grows, it has the potential to become the most essential audio archive of video games ever created: the compositions and sounds that mark NINTENDO’s singular influence on the aural landscape of the gaming world.

A Crescendo of Community and Culture

NINTENDO Music is not just a strange addendum to its gaming media empire with which NINTENDO can sell video game soundtracks to a new generation of gamers. This app is a piece of cultural history that speaks to the part of gaming that our memories keep. Its music streaming service is not only a clever product, it is also a tangible way for NINTENDO to highlight music’s central role in creating memorable game moments, and at the same time it is an acknowledgement of the years of fan requests from gamers for an official music streaming tool.

About NINTENDO

Since the company’s early days, NINTENDO – a titan of the video-game industry that stans openness – has succeeded by innovating and bucking norms. From pushing the home console category with the NES to circumnavigating hardware generation gaps with the Switch, NINTENDO has cemented its prominity with as much innovation as with heavy doses of nostalgia. Similarly, with the launch of NINTENDO Music, the evolving ecosystem of user-centric offerings from NINTENDO reinforces the company’s overarching commitment to both celebrating its history and looking toward the future. Given all of this, what does NINTENDO’s continued commitment to a portable games future mean as we look further into that future ahead? Well, this much is certain: the journey of NINTENDO, and its iconic soundtracks, are only just beginning.