As reported at the time, the creators of the ad were inspired by all sorts of things, an Amazon review was left under the game’s predecessor, Breath of the Wild. Written by a Japanese user, it tells the story of a “working adult” who spends his days “wondering why I’m still alive”.
I am a working adult, called entrepreneur. I was jostled by people rushing to and fro, bowing to customers and bosses, forced to train junior staff and do multiple things, and I ended up working overtime every day. Even the mountain I see on my way to work, which I don’t even know the name of, annoys me. When I got home, I was dizzy and didn’t have the energy to eat, so I just drank and slept. If I have time to play games, I should attend seminars or find a partner, which makes me more impatient than usual. I spent the whole day wondering why I was still alive.
I went to buy alcohol because I ran out and saw Switch for sale in stores. Then I remember that day. When I was a kid and was really into Mario 64, my friend said, “Playing Mario is lame these days! Now is the era of PlayStation!” and I feel ashamed. At that time, I didn’t want my friends to dislike me, so I also remember that I replied, “Yeah, you’re right. Mario is out of date!”
The beauty of FF7 at that time and the shock of hearing CDs on TV… kids these days probably don’t understand this feeling. That’s how engaging and creative it was for kids back then.
I’m still not sure why I chose the Switch at the time. I held a beer in one hand and bought a game console and a Zelda, thinking I could sell it if it was boring.
Yesterday, my workday, I looked out the train window at a mountain I don’t even know the name of and thought, “Looks like I can climb there.” At that point, I burst into tears and couldn’t stop. Entrepreneurs my age sitting next to me must have thought, “What the hell is this guy?”
I would recommend it to all my fellow entrepreneurs who are under time pressure and scrambling day in and day out to maintain the status quo, even if everyone hates you. Don’t say it’s just a game. We were born in the golden age of video games. Have you ever seen your family move their whole body when Mario dances? Remember playing Mario Kart or Smash Bros with friends who brought their own controllers? Have you ever discussed Chrono Trigger or FF7 strategies with your friends? Now I know. When I was a kid, my parents bought me expensive game consoles and software for my birthday, Christmas, etc. My parents, who nagged me all the time, managed to make money from their living budget to buy me expensive games.
I was moved to realize many things belatedly that I hadn’t realized due to being busy with my own life. I should have been more filial.
The 5 star reviews are all good reviews, so I have nothing to say now. This Zelda gives me a “challenge and reward” that I had forgotten about. I can freely explore the world without a map, it’s a fun adventure experience. People my age are sick every day to get through tomorrow. But don’t despair about your life. The adventure I want is in such a place.
Postscript I feel like thanking this Zelda and I want to apologize to the Mario 64 and Nintendo development team. I want to apologize for the lies I told that day, saying that Mario 64 is outdated, even though I love it. I’m really looking forward to Mario Odyssey being released this winter.
Postscript, May 7: After 180 hours of gameplay, I “restored my memory” and watched the ending. More than anything, I want to thank everyone who read my terrible, lengthy, messy, and embarrassing review written emotionally. I also want to thank everyone who rated it as “helpful”, not just for reading it. I have never been appreciated by so many people even at work. I really enjoyed the 180 hours running around Hyrule. I want to thank not only Nintendo but also all the Zelda fans who continue to support Zelda. Thank you for a great adventure.
For all the similarities between this man’s story and the commercial, the part where he apologizes for ditching Mario in the face of the PlayStation ad campaign—I did something similar with 3 . sound when my friends are playing WipeOut—hit hard.
