Nintendo Just Launched a Music Streaming App, and It’s Surprisingly Good

Nintendo’s connected an unusual streak going into the process extremity of the year. Its large hardware merchandise for 2024 turned retired to beryllium a big, large alarm clock. Anybody who pays for Nintendo Switch Online tin download Nintendo Music to perceive to euphony from the Japanese crippled maker’s astir beloved properties. What’s adjacent much unusual than the information this present exists is however bully the app is, adjacent astatine this aboriginal stage.

Nintendo Music is disposable on iOS and Android starting today. The app includes tracks from a fistful of properties, including the Mario games, Metroid, Pokémon, Legend of Zelda, and Starfox. There are besides tracks from lesser-known franchises, like Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade for the Game Boy Advance oregon Nintendogs for the Nintendo DS.

After a speedy perusal done the list, I couldn’t find immoderate existent heavy cuts, arsenic overmuch arsenic I wanted to find the songs from the Mother (AKA, the EarthBound) games. However, determination is so the Wii Shop Channel music, which, successful this writer’s humble opinion, is the champion paper taxable ever created. Once you leap in, you’ll apt find yourself disappointed that 1 of your favourite games isn’t connected the list, adjacent though determination are inactive bangers similar the Metroid Prime soundtrack.

Nintendo Music includes much curated playlists for circumstantial characters, similar Bowser oregon Yoshi; different playlists should lucifer your temper with titles similar “Good Night” oregon “Powering Up.” You tin make your ain playlist arsenic well. There’s adjacent a diagnostic that lets you fell songs from definite games if you don’t privation to spoil the game’s tunes. However, the champion summation whitethorn beryllium the quality to widen tracks to up to 60 minutes for erstwhile you privation to perceive the opening taxable to Animal Crossing: New Horizons advertisement nauseam (because, look it, of course, you do).

I wrote this nonfiction listening to the themes from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and yes—if you were wondering—it’s a existent travel down representation lane. For each track, Nintendo includes a screenshot from the conception of the crippled erstwhile you privation that “oh, I retrieve the Deku Tree theme” sensation. Hell, there’s adjacent a abstracted playlist lodging each the ocarina songs from the 26-year-old Nintendo 64 game.

Nintendo Switch Online is usually $4 oregon $20 annually. It unlocks features similar unreality saves and online gaming connected the Nintendo Switch. It besides grants entree to Nintendo’s backmost catalog of prime past titles from the NES, SNES, Game Boy, and Nintendo 64. Whether you deliberation immoderate of that is simply a bully woody is up to you, but Nintendo Music has nary further outgo to subscribers, truthful you mightiness arsenic good effort it retired if you’re already paying.

The app leaves a bully woody of headroom for Nintendo to adhd adjacent much euphony from its long, agelong library. Of course, you tin inactive hunt for the aforesaid opus enactment done YouTube, but Nintendo Music adds capable extra, exclusive features that it’s really worthy trying. However, if I privation fantabulous remixes, like Radiohead’s In Rainbows, which is made wholly of foley from Super Mario 64, I’ll inactive person to look elsewhere.