Introduction
Nintendo fans, rejoice! Or…maybe almost rejoice. After decades of waiting, Nintendo has finally launched a music streaming app— Nintendo Music—to give us access to iconic soundtracks from the games we love. Imagine the possibilities: late-night Animal Crossing vibes, nostalgic Metroid melodies, and maybe even a little Mario Kart chaos thrown in. But don’t celebrate too soon! While the app has plenty of great features, it also comes with some puzzling limitations that leave us wondering if Nintendo just can’t help being, well…Nintendo.
So, what exactly is Nintendo Music, and is it the one-stop-shop we all dreamed of? Let’s dive in, press play, and explore the highs, the lows, and the downright odd choices that make this app the musical rollercoaster we didn’t quite expect.
1. Nintendo’s Music Dilemma: An App With Promise
For years, Nintendo fans have been scraping the internet for any possible way to enjoy soundtracks from their favorite games. Want some Animal Crossing tunes for a chill work vibe? Better find the right playlist on YouTube. In the mood for Metroid’s haunting background music? Good luck finding a reliable upload. For those of us who’ve resorted to this ad-filled scavenger hunt, the announcement of Nintendo Music sounded like a dream come true—a place to finally gather all of Nintendo’s beautiful game music in one convenient app.
And it seemed to have all the potential to be great. Exclusive to Switch Online subscribers and available on both iOS and Android, the app was meant to offer fans the kind of curated experience you’d expect from music services like Apple Music or Spotify, but with a Nintendo twist. At first glance, it appeared Nintendo Music might finally end our days of playlist-juggling and YouTube scavenging. But then we started digging around…
2. The Good Stuff: What the App Gets Right
Despite some surprises, Nintendo Music genuinely shines in a few areas, especially if you’re a fan of themed playlists or game-specific soundtracks. Nintendo took the time to make things feel familiar and user-friendly, while adding some unique features you won’t find anywhere else.
- Thematic Playlists: Nintendo gets full points for creativity here. Fans can explore hand-curated playlists tailored to different characters and themes. Love Pokémon battle tunes? They’ve got a playlist for that. Want an extended jam session with K.K. Slider from Animal Crossing? Oh yes, they’ve got you covered. This touch of whimsy makes the app feel like a real extension of Nintendo’s personality.
- Game-Based Organization: The app is organized beautifully by game, making it easy to find just what you’re in the mood for. Each game gets its own dedicated section, where you can dive into music that perfectly captures its universe. Splatoon 3 even has full “band pages” with bios for its fictional bands—proof that Nintendo understands the power of immersive world-building.
- Extended Loops: One of the app’s most unique features is its extended loop option, which lets you keep certain tracks going for 15, 30, or even 60 minutes. Perfect for long study or work sessions, you can immerse yourself in the zen of Breath of the Wild’s “The Great Plateau” for as long as you like. For anyone who’s spent hours looping tracks while working, this feature feels like a personal love letter from Nintendo.
3. The Letdowns: Missing Tracks and Odd Limitations
Just as we were getting into our musical groove, we hit a snag. While Nintendo Music has some fantastic tracks and features, it’s missing a lot of what we expected—and for some fans, it’s a bit of a letdown.
- Limited Game Library: With over 40 years of iconic gaming history, Nintendo could’ve created a massive library. Instead, we get a modest collection of only 25 games. If you’re a fan of the Legend of Zelda series, don’t expect a full lineup—there’s Breath of the Wild and Ocarina of Time, and that’s it. Love Fire Emblem? Hope you’re happy with just one Game Boy Advance soundtrack! And while the Wii Channels music is iconic, it doesn’t quite make up for the lack of many fan favorites.
- Absence of Iconic Tracks: Picture this: You open up Nintendo Music, eager to listen to Super Mario World’s unforgettable soundtrack. But wait—it’s nowhere to be found! Nintendo’s decision to include mostly recent tracks leaves fans of classic games a little heartbroken. And while more music is supposedly “coming soon,” the painfully slow pace at which they’re adding new tracks leaves us wondering if we’ll ever see the full treasure trove of Nintendo music.
- Drip-Feed Additions: Nintendo recently added tracks from Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Donkey Kong Country 2 to the app, but other classics are still noticeably absent. According to Nintendo’s promo video, Wii Sports, Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and more are on their way—at some point. So hang tight, folks. It seems we’ll be waiting for Nintendo to sprinkle in new songs over time, possibly with the same pace as their slow release of retro games on Switch Online.
4. The Quirky Bits: Lack of Real Credits and “Band Bios”
As is often the case with Nintendo, there are some delightfully quirky choices—and some baffling omissions. It seems that in the Nintendo Music universe, fictional musicians get more credit than the real people who composed these tunes!
- Credits? What Credits?: Shockingly, Nintendo Music doesn’t give credit to the real composers. Legends like Koji Kondo, who gave us the beloved music for Super Mario and Zelda, are nowhere to be found. Instead, fictional bands from Splatoon 3 get bios and dedicated pages, as if they’re real-life superstars. It’s a strange move, especially given how much Nintendo’s music has meant to fans.
- Missing Features on Select Songs: Here’s another odd choice: some tracks aren’t eligible for that glorious “extended play” feature. Want to loop Metroid Prime’s “Phendrana Drifts” for a solid 30 minutes? Too bad—it’s mysteriously absent from the list. Instead, Nintendo has left us to our own devices (aka the repeat button), which just isn’t the same. And when you do loop a song, it frustratingly starts over from scratch, interrupting the flow. Nintendo, why must you toy with our nostalgia like this?
5. A Desktop-Less Existence
Another puzzling choice: Nintendo Music is available only on iOS and Android. While that might be convenient for on-the-go listening, we can’t help but miss having a desktop version. Imagine the perfect gaming soundtrack streaming from your computer while you work! Sadly, there’s no way to make that happen—unless you want to go back to YouTube. Plus, it’s not compatible with CarPlay or Android Auto, so you’ll have to wait for Nintendo’s beats until you’re safely parked.
6. Final Thoughts: A Promising App That Needs More Substance
In a world where gaming music means so much to fans, Nintendo Music is a fun but incomplete offering. It’s charming and has some great ideas, but it’s also a bit of a letdown if you were expecting Nintendo’s entire musical catalog at your fingertips. Right now, Nintendo Music feels a bit like a starter course when we’re craving a full meal—a promising taste but nowhere near the full flavor we hoped for.
For now, die-hard fans will have to wait for more releases while still relying on trusty ol’ YouTube for the classics. And while the app has room to grow, it leaves us wondering if Nintendo has a few more tricks up its sleeve.
Conclusion
In the end, Nintendo Music is a well-intentioned, slightly puzzling addition to Nintendo’s lineup that could become something great. It’s like that first bite of cake—you know there’s potential, but you’re hoping there’s more than just frosting. So for now, while we wait for Nintendo to add more tracks, I’ll keep a playlist of Zelda and Mario themes handy on YouTube… just in case.