Nintendo dropped the very big one when it put 26 NES era classic soundtracks on the NintendoMusic app. From Donkey Kong, Ice Climber, Duck Hunt, and beyond, these were those tunes from the 8-bit era that resonate with the ears of today. The internet pretty much went mad about it.
The announcement came through from Nintendo America on Twitter, linking to download this app and playing the retro tunes. The tweet read: “The songs are retro, but their time is now!”—Actually, this is true! These were tracks that defined an entire generation, and now, in their comeback, seem as if they were never really gone.
The replies then piled up in the hype, confusion, and utter chaos manner that is customary of any Nintendo announcement. Some, like mBitCasino, were all for it, calling the soundtracks “forever timeless”; Conor Bennett replied to the “time is now” line with, “My time is up?”—so very much mood.
There came the requests. So many requests. One player begged for the Goonies soundtrack (not even a Nintendo game, but okay). Another requested a new collection of Zapper games like Duck Hunt for the rumored Switch 2. Then somebody asked if the app could come to the Switch itself—because, why listen on your phone when you could blast DK beats through your TV, right?
Not everyone was pleased, though. Several were in their own trouble with regional-locking issues, and a disgruntled gamer was demanding to know why it wasn’t available in his location despite having Switch Online. Nintendo’s response? The silence of the gods-there’s never been a time Nintendo dared to explain regional decisions.
So far, the really wise in the comment section have been MVPs. One user named a load of third-party NES titles with crazy-good soundtracks from the era: Mega Man, Contra, Castlevania—basically saying 8-bit was really packed with bangers. Another one clobbered him with the reply “Yeah that’s called YouTube,” which was basically saying these tracks could be found online for free. But where’s the fun in that?
And then came the random drama. One reply thread turned into a back-and-forth about Palworld’s player count (??), whilst another user was roasted for suggesting Ice Climber’s music was mid. Spoiler: It was not.
Most players are mostly just glad to see these soundtracks all together meanwhile. Another player said it best, “Thank you for releasing these all at once. Legendary move.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.
If your heart aches with nostalgia or you’re just curious, snag all the 8-bit jams via the NintendoMusic app. Just don’t come knocking at our door when Duck Hunt germinates in your mind for three days.
