Yesterday, Nintendo unexpectedly unveiled a short yet captivating and deeply enigmatic video entitled “Close to You,” a release that immediately sent waves of fascination rippling across online communities and provoked an energetic frenzy among internet sleuths determined to uncover its true meaning. The clip presented viewers with an apparently innocent and whimsical scene: a wide‑eyed baby placed in a softly lit nursery, gently surrounded by toys and familiar childhood trinkets, while objects around the room appeared to shift and float as though touched by an unseen hand. This curious imagery quickly spurred an avalanche of theories. Many speculative fans proposed that the video might serve as a discreet prelude to the long‑rumored Super Mario Galaxy Movie, suggesting that the child at the center of the tableau represented a youthful Rosalina and that the mysterious movements hinted at the awakening of her cosmic powers. Others, however, with sharper ears and keener eyes, noticed faint musical motifs—delicate sound cues reminiscent of the Pikmin series—and even claimed to glimpse the small, leaf‑topped creatures cleverly hidden in the background, partially obscured behind the nursery clutter.
After a brief but intense period of conjecture, Nintendo has since confirmed what many had begun to suspect: the video was, in fact, intricately tied to Pikmin. For the moment, however, the newly updated version of “Close to You” can only be accessed through the Nintendo Today app, a restriction that has left curious fans waiting for its eventual upload to more public platforms such as YouTube. (I will make sure to revise this post once it becomes available there.) In the refreshed version—which retains its original title and nearly all of its visual structure—the story’s perspective is subtly transformed. Rather than relying on implied magic or mythical influence, the moving nursery objects are now clearly revealed as the handiwork of the lovable, plant‑like Pikmin. These tiny, endearing beings bustle through the room in charming disarray: soaring from a baby’s rattle as if carried by invisible winds, laboriously transporting colorful toy blocks from one corner to another, and even engaging in miniature squabbles over the prized pacifier.
This reinterpretation offers viewers a delightful alternative lens to experience the same narrative, yet it simultaneously opens the door to deeper questions about the Pikmin universe itself. One particularly intriguing possibility arises: are these creatures visible only to children, or is their existence normally concealed from adult human perception? Nintendo has, in previous entries and interviews, indicated that Pikmin are “invisible to the naked eye,” a statement that implies their world usually overlaps ours unnoticed. If that remains canonical, the baby’s awareness of them introduces a fascinating variance—or perhaps even an evolution—in established lore. It invites whimsical yet slightly unsettling contemplation: if Pikmin truly inhabit our environment yet remain unseen, could they be inhabiting the quiet corners of our own homes as we speak, busily organizing unseen bits of daily life while we remain oblivious?
Accompanying the new release, Nintendo also provided a link to the original version of “Close to You,” allowing fans to compare the two and appreciate how subtle alterations in perspective can transform the emotional tone and interpretive scope of a story. Yet beyond this playful reveal lies a larger mystery that continues to tantalize the gaming community. What exactly is Nintendo hinting at through this experiment in visual storytelling? Could the company be planting the seeds for a new cinematic adaptation—perhaps a feature‑length Pikmin movie designed to expand the franchise’s whimsical mythology into theaters? Might it be a prelude to an anticipated technical update or special edition of Pikmin 4, optimized for a potential new iteration of the Switch console? Or perhaps it heralds an extensive content expansion for Pikmin Bloom, the mobile experience that blends reality with exploration? Even the most humorous possibilities cannot be dismissed outright—such as a merchandising line inspired by the video itself, one featuring Pikmin‑shaped pacifiers and baby toys. And yet, there remains a real chance that this entire endeavor exists purely as a self‑contained creative exercise: a charming, narratively rich vignette produced solely to delight fans and remind them of the imaginative versatility that defines Nintendo. In any case, the world will be watching closely, eager to discover whether tomorrow brings clarification, continuation, or yet another layer of delightful mystery.
Sourse: https://www.theverge.com/games/796094/nintendo-close-to-you-video-pikmin
