Nintendo

Nintendo surprises us with a 4-minute short film that apparently has nothing to do with its characters

A simple story of a baby taking his first steps has turned into one of Nintendo’s biggest mysteries of the year.

Update: Oct 7th, 2025 17:34 CEST

Update: Mystery solved with the short film released yesterday by Nintendo. One of the theories was correct, and it is a short film related to Pikmin. A new version was presented on Nintendo Today, where the Pikmin can now be seen and heard. For now, this version is only available on the company’s news app, but it is expected to reach other platforms. But is this the announcement of a new game? The return of Pikmin animated shorts? Maybe Nintendo will reveal it to us on another random Tuesday morning.

Nintendo surprises us with a 4-minute short film that apparently has nothing to do with its characters

The original story follows:

Nintendo has taken its foray into the world of entertainment outside of video games very seriously. From special areas at Universal Studios to animated films, music services, and more, it seems that the Kyoto-based company always has a surprise or a new area to debut. This morning, without warning, both the Nintendo News app and its YouTube channel released a short animated film that has nothing to do with Mario, Zelda, or Metroid... although some suggest it could be connected to Pikmin.

Entitled “Close to You,” this animated short film lasts about four minutes and shows a baby in his room, where his pacifier begins to move on its own. The baby tries to retrieve it, and when his mother returns, she discovers his first steps. You can watch it below:

What does the community say?

It is certainly very strange to see a short film by Nintendo that does not feature any of the brand’s characters. However, some theories have emerged in this regard.

On the one hand, there are some references to Pikmin, from the way the pacifier rises and begins to move (although there are no Pikmin in sight), to the opening notes of the music at the beginning of the short film, or even at 1:39, where you can see a small red creature, blurred under the crib.

On the other hand, there are those who suggest that the baby is the space princess Rosalina, who will surely appear in Super Mario Galaxy Movie next year. Details such as eye and hair color are very similar to the character. Even in the first game, the books that tell a little of her story revolve around her being lost in space and waiting for her “Mama,” who never comes.