Nintendo's Pikmin Shorts Were About Showing Off Its Animation Studio's Chops

Nintendo has cleared up nan biggest enigma since Arthur Conan Doyle’s past Sherlock Holmes communicative by revealing what nan 2 animated shorts it released this week were each about. The institution says these are nan first short films from Nintendo Pictures, which it bought successful 2022 (the accumulation location was antecedently called Dynamo Pictures).

“We dream you enjoyed nan 2 ‘Close to You’ videos released connected October 7 and 8. The 2nd video is disposable connected Nintendo Today!, a free app disposable connected your smart device,” nan institution said successful a station connected X. “These are nan first short films created by Nintendo Pictures Co., Ltd. Nintendo Pictures will proceed to research caller imaginative possibilities done video content.”

The station implies that, astatine slightest for now, nan institution doesn’t scheme to merchandise the 2nd short extracurricular of its Nintendo Today! app. It seems that Nintendo didn’t make nan films to beforehand a caller Pikmin crippled either — though 1 is astir apt coming aft Pikmin 4 quickly became the best-selling introduction successful nan series.

The shorts are some very cute. It was clever of Nintendo to make a type wherever you could spot nan Pikmin and 1 wherever they were invisible (save for 1 of nan creatures scurrying underneath a tot’s crib successful nan background).

To date, Nintendo Pictures has functioned mostly arsenic a section that supports games its genitor institution makes and publishes, by helping pinch things for illustration animation, art, creation and cinematics. It’s besides worked pinch outer studios, arsenic it carried retired mobility seizure activity for Death Standing 2.

Nintendo teamed up pinch Universal Pictures and Illumination to make nan Mario movies (and perchance a Donkey Kong spinoff), and Sony Pictures to nutrient nan live-action The Legend of Zelda film. On this evidence, though, Nintendo appears to person nan chops to make movies chiefly in-house, a measurement it whitethorn good beryllium considering arsenic it continues to grow into areas of intermezo beyond games.