Nintendo released a new Zelda Tears of the Kingdom trailer, and it’s hitting fans right in the feels. It’s also a much different approach to promotion than we usually see from the company.
The trailer opens with an adult man in work wear sitting on a bus, looking tense and generally unhappy. He glances out the window at the dusk-lit sky and finds no joy in it. He comes home late, to a partner who immediately goes to bed, and then he sees the new Zelda game sitting on the coffee table.
The sad man becomes a little less sad as he loses himself in the wilds of Hyrule, creating outlandish contraptions and exploring the sky. He plays on the bus – without headphones, as some commenters noted with displeasure – gets absorbed in fighting Moblins, and looks out the window, this time with a smile on his face.
Nintendo called the trailer “recapture your sense of adventure,” and it certainly struck a chord with Zelda fans.
“Jesus lmao I mean they certainly know their audience,” one Twitter user said in a quote-retweet.
“Dude, we know we’re sad adults [sic] no need to make it rougher,” another said.
“Ngl this is what BotW did for me,” JediJenna wrote on Twitter. “I was going through a low point in life and it pulled me through bc I had something to look forward to and some beauty to appreciate. It made me shift perspectives. I have no doubt ToTK will do that for many others.”
Ngl this is what BotW did for me. I was going through a low point in life and it pulled me through bc I had something to look forward to and some beauty to appreciate. It made me shift perspectives. I have no doubt ToTK will do that for many others.
— JENova (@JediJenna) May 9, 2023
“It’s not the usual ‘family bonding over crazy game moments’” another user said. “They show what the game can do for YOU as an adult, emotionally, this is such a radical demographic setting for a Nintendo game.”
Several referenced the “He just like me for real” meme, and one even posted it. Others said it made them outright tear up, and one said it was heartwarming to see the man find simple joy again.
— Jared (@Jaredrealtalk) May 9, 2023
This two minute commercial genuinely brought a smile on my face not just because I am excited for the game, but also because the pure bliss this man showed while playing it.
— ToBeDetermined (@TBD_64) May 10, 2023
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launches for Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF