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Paul Rudd returned to Nintendo advertising in 2025, echoing the look and slogan of his 1991 Super Nintendo Entertainment System commercial. The newer spot recalls the SNES ad but shifts the pitch: instead of emphasizing console power, it highlights Switch 2 multiplayer and GameChat.
What was the Paul Rudd SNES commercial?
The original was a 1991, 30-second SNES commercial set at an abandoned drive-in theater, according to TechSpot’s April 21, 2025 report. Its power-focused pitch was built around the new console and its games. TechSpot identifies F-Zero, Super Play Action Football, Pilotwings, SimCity, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past among the titles featured; that is a reported selection, not an exhaustive frame-by-frame inventory.
Why is Paul Rudd back in a Nintendo ad?
Nintendo’s 2025 Switch 2 commercial deliberately recalls the earlier spot. Nintendo Life called it Nintendo’s “first Western Switch 2 commercial” and described Rudd’s retro look, online friends—including Joe Lo Truglio—questioning it, and a revised version of the old slogan that turns the focus toward playing together. That “first” description is Nintendo Life’s characterization of the Western campaign, not a claim about every Nintendo ad worldwide.
The callback is more than a casting repeat: the older commercial sells the SNES through a message about power, while the newer one showcases GameChat and Switch 2 multiplayer. TechSpot likewise described the 2025 spot as emphasizing multiplayer. The SNES game titles listed above belong to TechSpot’s description of the original ad, not a claim that those games appear in the Switch 2 commercial.
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What did Rudd say about revisiting the commercial?
In an interview with IGN’s Brian Altano, as summarized by Nintendo Life on April 21, 2025, Rudd said, “Well, Nintendo reached out to me,” and that he “got a real kick out of this idea” of returning to the old commercial. Nintendo Life also reported him describing the new ad as nostalgic “in all of the right ways.” Read Nintendo Life’s report on the interview for the full context.
How the two Nintendo ads differ
| Aspect | 1991 SNES commercial | 2025 Switch 2 commercial |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign moment | SNES-era advertising in 1991 | Pre-launch Switch 2 advertising in 2025 |
| Paul Rudd’s role | Appears in the original spot | Returns in a callback to the earlier ad; the reports do not establish a continuing fictional character |
| Creative link | Power-oriented slogan and presentation | Echoes the older look and reworks the slogan around playing together |
| Main message | Console power | Multiplayer and GameChat |
| Reported game references | TechSpot lists F-Zero, Super Play Action Football, Pilotwings, SimCity, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past | These reports do not establish that the SNES titles appear in the newer spot |
When did the Switch 2 launch?
The campaign ran ahead of the Switch 2’s June 5, 2025 launch, the date reported at the time by Nintendo Life and TechSpot. That is historical launch context: the commercial was a 2025 pre-launch promotion, not a newly released ad in 2026.
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- Includes everything needed to play
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- From your first ride on Yoshi to the final heart-pounding escape from Planet Zebes, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System is pure 16-bit retro gaming perfection.
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