Nintendo has unwrapped its own version of the year-end review but exclusively for music and it is surprisingly appealing. The Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can now access the most played songs and playlists of the past year from their Nintendo Music app on their mobile phones. It has already begun, and you will have your chance till January 5th to visit. It is almost the same as saying, ‘Hey, do you remember all those times the Splatoon soundtrack was on repeat? Here is the proof.’ You can listen and check your stats by following their link.
In fact, it is a very nice gesture from Nintendo to make players a personalized year-in-review of game music. It is just like Spotify Wrapped but for games. And if we go by the way people are responding to it, the public is totally in on it. The tweet announcing this by Nintendo of America has opened up an entirely new group of gamers who are disclosing what their 2025 sounded like.
So how did the most people’s years turn out? Quite mixed indeed. The player, brandon lee raske, just shared a screenshot of his results with a caption ‘This is what I got’ and nothing more. Others were a bit more detailed, though, and more specific. A.M. news flash said that their top track was “Jump Up, Super Star!” from Super Mario Odyssey which is a total winner of a choice, to be honest. Another user, Rad, was talking about ‘Till Depth Do Us Part’ from Splatoon 3 calling it the best thing that has ever come from that game along with the stone-faced emoji. That is quite a vibe.
However, it was not only about excitement. Some comments showed how the app is really being used by people. The mention of ‘Sleep’ was a very common use. Quite seriously. A number of users were treating it like their relax/meditation music. Catfish named his ‘dumb sleeping playlist tracks’ but Joey confessed ‘I slept with it playing a lot…’ and shared a screenshot. Another user, Roninisbest, called it ‘Amazing sleeping music’ and attached a picture of his listening stats. So it looks like gentle Animal Crossing or ambient Zelda tracks for sleeping are indeed the new white noise. Who knew?
And of course, features flood on demand with the news of this Nintendo app. Scott wanted music from Xenoblade Chronicles and remarked, “It’s literally all bangers,” which he is absolutely correct about. Mateo asked for a desktop or web version since not everyone is comfortable streaming music from their phones. Mr. Sir suggested adding Android Auto and CarPlay support, which is a reasonable idea. The most hilarious request came from LOSTLEAD8R who messaged over and over, ‘Nintendo Switch 2 Achievements Please,’ like dude, seriously, this is a music app announcement, but we still value your enthusiasm. This mention of the Switch 2 was off-topic but passionate.
However, there was some confusion. MatteoDracoLeon inquired, “So there’s no Nintendo Switch wrap-up this year?” while referring to the usual annual statistics for gaming. This is an excellent question. Perhaps the musical wrap is taking the place of the gaming one, or it is just an additional feature. Nintendo did not specify. And CrystalTikal had the same problem many of us can relate to: ‘None. My favorites haven’t been added to the app yet so it’s gone unused on my phone.’ So the library of avid fans still has some gaps that need to be filled.
The most entertaining part might be the people’s reactions. Taste from TasteLabsAI hit the nail on the head: ‘wild how nintendo just dropped their own wrapped and everyone’s acting like mario personally curated it.’ It is absolutely right. The interaction is massive. Tío Zay mentioned they were ‘pleasantly surprised at the number of people heavily engaging with VGM like myself.’ This not only mirrors the idea that game soundtracks have been granted the same status as other music forms but also that they are no longer regarded as mere background noise for players.
In a follow-up tweet, Nintendo announced that there are two new playlists in the app, one containing songs added in 2024 and another one for 2025. So even if your wrap-up is just the Animal Crossing bell sounds for 300 hours (thanks to Min for that hilarious claim), you still have new stuff to listen to now.
To put it simply, it is a very straightforward and user-friendly feature. Just a summary of your listening data. Yet it has the potential to generate conversation, sharing, and requests for more. It brings the Nintendo Music app, which occasionally feels like it is overshadowed by, you know, the actual game releases, to the limelight. However, for the hardcore gamers, who use these soundtracks for exercise, concentration, or even falling asleep, it turns out to be a charming little end-of-year gift. A fresh way to look at your gaming habits. Now if
