My music taste is Nintendo - yes, really!
By Bethany Dowell
When the topic of video games and nostalgia comes into conversation, I instantly turn to hours spent listening to various soundtracks of my childhood encased in the GameCube, Wii, and the DS - and it doesn’t even just stem from the games themselves. The iconic tune while contemplating which hairstyle to customize your Mii with is enough to be humming a particular tune for a week straight. Universally, the magical sounds that accompanied our childhood guided us through terrifying Zelda temples, agonizing Pokémon Elite Four battles, competitive Mario Kart sessions, and stressful levels of Cooking Mama. It is these exact soundtracks that elevate Nintendo’s legacy as timeless, reverberating through our core memories as symphonies that satisfy the warm memories of being curled up in our childhood houses with a DS.
My favourite franchise, Animal Crossing, is notorious for its harmonies, depending on the season and the hour of the day. However, Animal Crossing also has its own musical sensation - K.K. Slider. Even though the repetitive and inarticulate voices of the Villagers in Animal Crossing do become annoying occasionally, I will never skip a K.K. Slider song. Admittedly, I do have a Spotify playlist dedicated to his songs, which I would repeatedly collect and play throughout the entirety of 2013. Nintendo’s dedication to their world-building through music definitely doesn’t go unnoticed, with each song having a unique cover adorned with several characters and vibrant colours. Personally, it was his music that truly sparked my love for the charming franchise, as I will always vividly remember the first song I collected “K.K. Synth,” which both mesmerized and spooked me. Furthermore, each of the 413 unique Villagers that can move into your town has their own favourite Slider track adorning their distinctive houses.
Nostalgic Nintendo songs aren’t only useful for enhancing relaxation or studying, but often they can provoke an emotional response. Take the Pokémon games, notorious for their exhilarating battles and character themes. Nothing is more terrifying than being out of revives and having Cynthia’s erratic music blasting through your pitchy DS speakers in response. Universally, it’s hard to not feel a rush of warmness ricocheting through your body when hearing the Wii Sports opening theme, instantly taking you back to several injuries and arguments in your childhood living room. Thus, the soundtracks pursue core memories of our childhood, no matter how ridiculous, joyful, or painful they are.
Even if you have no association with or attachment to Nintendo presently or within your childhood, you will know the iconic tunes of the Mario franchise, whether that be the traditional and archaic theme tune of the original game, which revived the video game industry or the beautiful orchestral scores of the Super Mario Galaxy franchise. The cultural impact of Nintendo’s music has progressed to artists like Drake and Childish Gambino sampling melodies as an Easter Egg to die-hard fans.
Why are these tunes so unforgettable even when they play in the background of the exciting and chaotic landscapes of Nintendo? There isn’t one straightforward answer. Instead, Nintendo recognizes its audience and can read a room extremely well, anticipating which characters will be fan favourites, which wars we will find the most excruciating, and which conclusions will be the most tragic. It was truly worth being caught playing my DS past bedtime when I was younger if I got to listen to these incredible soundtracks for a few more minutes. Ultimately, Nintendo’s legacy has carried on throughout video game history and the history of the music industry. If they made their music more accessible on streaming platforms, it’s undeniable that playlists would flourish with nostalgic scores. Next time you find a catchy tune which is a hit on TikTok, it’s worth checking if it is a sample from a Nintendo game - there are a lot more than you think!