Nintendo’s Mid-Life Crisis Ad for ‘Tears of the Kingdom’ Is Strangely Sentimental
Nintendo’s Mid-Life Crisis Ad for ‘Tears of the Kingdom’ Is Strangely Sentimental
by badfantasyrx
26 Comments
Man_CRNA
It’s very nice. Comes across way less as an ad and more of a short film. And it is strikingly poignant too. Everyone’s been dealing with shit since Covid happened and burnout in the workplace is as real as ever. So a mid forties dude who’s burnt out on life and work is very much a real thing and a little zelda can absolutely alleviate that.
I think this piece is targeted towards those people who are late thirties to maybe fifty who at one time played and loved games and would have a rush of nostalgia playing something like this again.
jbraden
35, laid off, and a dad to a two year old. I haven’t smiled in over a month until I turned on TotK. I could feel the depression leaving my body. Thank you for a masterpiece, Nintendo!
tabby51260
Just watched the commercial and dang did it hit. I’m only in my 20’s but.. I think a lot of us can relate to the dude in the video.
SPQR1999
I can relate to this video however i would be more happier if my game card hasnt given up on me after one and a half day of playing yesterday.
UraniumRocker
I didn’t get a chance to play until yesterday afternoon, and it was a relaxing thing to do after a long work week.
CoriolisSTORM88
As a 35 year old who is burned out on work and life, this was a nice ad.
dafffytaffy
Perfect, thanks for sharing the ad op
lilipurr
That was cute. I don’t know I haven’t been excited about TotK because I didn’t really like Breathe of the wild. This ad is very good tho.
drunkentenshiNL
Watching my wife play through TotK first is both amazing and absolute torture. She loves playing through these games but often loses interest when someone passes her in progress (usually me), so I said I wouldn’t touch the game until she either beats it or she loses interest in it somehow (which is doubtful).
Help…
crazyrebel123
When you’re in your 50s and can’t do anything at work or in life right, just put on a video game where you can restart as much as you want 🙂
Miss__Archivist
Not gonna lie, I teared up at the end of the article. Between Covid, working two jobs while in grad school, two health scares for my dad in 2021, and my mom being diagnosed with stage-3 breast cancer (and kicking it’s ass!) in 21-22, I’ve been beyond stressed. Spent almost all day yesterday playing TotK and it was just such a beautiful, relaxing experience (besides the whole opening scene XD) that it just made my shoulders untense and my jaw relax. We’re so lucky to have such wonderful, creative, beautiful games these days.
Jibade
40, dealing with unemployment due to the impact of the writer’s strike, working graveyard that caused depression, and other issues…. this game and others in the series are such zen for me.
Rydden
My Grandfather passed away shortly after BOTW released, and my Grandmother shortly before TOTK. Everything I’ve played recently has just been mundane, ‘following the motions of what is expected of me, the player’, but TOTK really pulled back that sense of wonder and just plain fun walking around to see what I’ll find around the next corner.
BonJovicus
Far too relatable as a working professional in my thirties. Coming home after a long day, but staying up an extra hour to fit in some time to do an activity you actually enjoy. Kudos to the actor for accurately portraying how I mutter to myself while playing games haha.
eatdogs49
I’m wanna cry but I won’t. This is totally me right now. 38 years old, wife and 3 kids and very lonely. Arguments everyday, kids misbehaving, no sleep, demanding job etc.
I picked up Zelda on Friday and have tried my best to find those quiet moments to just sink in and live in this games world for a couple of hours at a time.
I hate that I have to rely on a video game to get me through the hard times, but dangit that’s how I grew up and I’m still doing it now.
Ploosse
I posted in another thread about this ad but it definitely hit me with emotions. I’m 39 and Zelda has been a part of my life since NES. Adulting is at times a tedious grind. Zelda has always been a great escape.
My only gripe with these, is the actor always looks like they’ve never played video game before when they’re sitting on the couch, holding the controller up mid-chest. After a shitty day, the last thing I’m doing is sitting up on the edge of my couch. I’m leaning back, feet up and losing myself in this amazing world.
TheFcknVoid
I thought this commercial was… really weird.
Mr_Lumbergh
I’m a dude in my 40’s so I grew up with NES and SNES and now working an office job. Been messing around with emulation for a bit and had that nostalgia hit.
I’ve been holding out on the Switch thinking a new console was just around the corner, but when this was announced along with a special edition OLED model, I went ahead and placed a preorder. The console was available two weeks ago and even though I had the GC version of Metroid Prime running flawlessly in emulation I went ahead picked up remastered on the Switch, which sucked me in pretty well for the last couple weeks.
Friday I get the text that my copy of Tears is ready to pick up along with an art print for those that preordered. I pick up my homie along the way home from work and we head to Best Buy. Fortunately they hadn’t sold out yet so he gets a copy also.
We’ve now spent most of the weekend side by side on my couch playing Tears on each of our consoles. We’re seeing different things at different times because our play styles are different and have had more than a few moments “dude check *this* out.”
Despite it being only one player it’s reminded me of those times back in school days when you had a sleepover, a console, a pizza, and soda and be up til the wee hours just playing and having a good time.
So yeah, this is relatable. A game like really can transport you to a better place.
Bazzatron
Maybe I’m too cynical at this point, but I read the whole thing as “life is shit, you hurt, dull the pain – buy product”.
It shouldn’t be an acceptable vignette of modern life. It’s sad.
emceelokey
Remember when ads for games was mostly game footage and the rest of it was dudes dressed in mascot suits?
si3ge
Starring Stewart from big bang theory.
nekoken04
My wife and I are way past the far side of 40. She is having a blast playing the game, and I’m enjoying watching her. This is really a great commercial.
megamanxoxo
I think it would’ve been a nice touch if they showed clips of him recalling playing as a kid playing the original Zelda on NES and then Link to the Past on SNES, Ocarina of Time on N64, and maybe Link’s Awakening on Gameboy. Then that way it makes sense why he’s so happy to play this game.
Akeylight
This commercial made me feel anxious, I personally hate that it’s such a normalized reality to, that immersing ourselves in Zelda is needed. It should be a cherry on top, not the breath of fresh air. Some of this is out of our control but not most of it. I want to make the best of my life
26 Comments
It’s very nice. Comes across way less as an ad and more of a short film. And it is strikingly poignant too. Everyone’s been dealing with shit since Covid happened and burnout in the workplace is as real as ever. So a mid forties dude who’s burnt out on life and work is very much a real thing and a little zelda can absolutely alleviate that.
I think this piece is targeted towards those people who are late thirties to maybe fifty who at one time played and loved games and would have a rush of nostalgia playing something like this again.
35, laid off, and a dad to a two year old. I haven’t smiled in over a month until I turned on TotK. I could feel the depression leaving my body. Thank you for a masterpiece, Nintendo!
Just watched the commercial and dang did it hit. I’m only in my 20’s but.. I think a lot of us can relate to the dude in the video.
I can relate to this video however i would be more happier if my game card hasnt given up on me after one and a half day of playing yesterday.
I didn’t get a chance to play until yesterday afternoon, and it was a relaxing thing to do after a long work week.
As a 35 year old who is burned out on work and life, this was a nice ad.
Perfect, thanks for sharing the ad op
That was cute. I don’t know I haven’t been excited about TotK because I didn’t really like Breathe of the wild. This ad is very good tho.
Watching my wife play through TotK first is both amazing and absolute torture. She loves playing through these games but often loses interest when someone passes her in progress (usually me), so I said I wouldn’t touch the game until she either beats it or she loses interest in it somehow (which is doubtful).
Help…
When you’re in your 50s and can’t do anything at work or in life right, just put on a video game where you can restart as much as you want 🙂
Not gonna lie, I teared up at the end of the article. Between Covid, working two jobs while in grad school, two health scares for my dad in 2021, and my mom being diagnosed with stage-3 breast cancer (and kicking it’s ass!) in 21-22, I’ve been beyond stressed. Spent almost all day yesterday playing TotK and it was just such a beautiful, relaxing experience (besides the whole opening scene XD) that it just made my shoulders untense and my jaw relax. We’re so lucky to have such wonderful, creative, beautiful games these days.
40, dealing with unemployment due to the impact of the writer’s strike, working graveyard that caused depression, and other issues…. this game and others in the series are such zen for me.
My Grandfather passed away shortly after BOTW released, and my Grandmother shortly before TOTK. Everything I’ve played recently has just been mundane, ‘following the motions of what is expected of me, the player’, but TOTK really pulled back that sense of wonder and just plain fun walking around to see what I’ll find around the next corner.
Far too relatable as a working professional in my thirties. Coming home after a long day, but staying up an extra hour to fit in some time to do an activity you actually enjoy. Kudos to the actor for accurately portraying how I mutter to myself while playing games haha.
I’m wanna cry but I won’t. This is totally me right now. 38 years old, wife and 3 kids and very lonely. Arguments everyday, kids misbehaving, no sleep, demanding job etc.
I picked up Zelda on Friday and have tried my best to find those quiet moments to just sink in and live in this games world for a couple of hours at a time.
I hate that I have to rely on a video game to get me through the hard times, but dangit that’s how I grew up and I’m still doing it now.
I posted in another thread about this ad but it definitely hit me with emotions. I’m 39 and Zelda has been a part of my life since NES. Adulting is at times a tedious grind. Zelda has always been a great escape.
Youtube link so you can skip the article site: [https://youtu.be/wIJODMsYbkc](https://youtu.be/wIJODMsYbkc)
That was a really nice ad for the game.
My only gripe with these, is the actor always looks like they’ve never played video game before when they’re sitting on the couch, holding the controller up mid-chest. After a shitty day, the last thing I’m doing is sitting up on the edge of my couch. I’m leaning back, feet up and losing myself in this amazing world.
I thought this commercial was… really weird.
I’m a dude in my 40’s so I grew up with NES and SNES and now working an office job. Been messing around with emulation for a bit and had that nostalgia hit.
I’ve been holding out on the Switch thinking a new console was just around the corner, but when this was announced along with a special edition OLED model, I went ahead and placed a preorder. The console was available two weeks ago and even though I had the GC version of Metroid Prime running flawlessly in emulation I went ahead picked up remastered on the Switch, which sucked me in pretty well for the last couple weeks.
Friday I get the text that my copy of Tears is ready to pick up along with an art print for those that preordered. I pick up my homie along the way home from work and we head to Best Buy. Fortunately they hadn’t sold out yet so he gets a copy also.
We’ve now spent most of the weekend side by side on my couch playing Tears on each of our consoles. We’re seeing different things at different times because our play styles are different and have had more than a few moments “dude check *this* out.”
Despite it being only one player it’s reminded me of those times back in school days when you had a sleepover, a console, a pizza, and soda and be up til the wee hours just playing and having a good time.
So yeah, this is relatable. A game like really can transport you to a better place.
Maybe I’m too cynical at this point, but I read the whole thing as “life is shit, you hurt, dull the pain – buy product”.
It shouldn’t be an acceptable vignette of modern life. It’s sad.
Remember when ads for games was mostly game footage and the rest of it was dudes dressed in mascot suits?
Starring Stewart from big bang theory.
My wife and I are way past the far side of 40. She is having a blast playing the game, and I’m enjoying watching her. This is really a great commercial.
I think it would’ve been a nice touch if they showed clips of him recalling playing as a kid playing the original Zelda on NES and then Link to the Past on SNES, Ocarina of Time on N64, and maybe Link’s Awakening on Gameboy. Then that way it makes sense why he’s so happy to play this game.
This commercial made me feel anxious, I personally hate that it’s such a normalized reality to, that immersing ourselves in Zelda is needed. It should be a cherry on top, not the breath of fresh air. Some of this is out of our control but not most of it. I want to make the best of my life