Nintendo has tapped actor Paul Rudd to hype up the Nintendo Switch 2 in a brand new commercial that pays corny-yet-adorable homage to a beloved 90s commercial he did for the Super Nintendo.
The original commercial, which aired in 1991, shows Rudd in a long black jacket, beaded necklace, and really, uh, interesting hairdo stomping up to a drive-in movie theater, SNES in hand. He hooks it up and begins playing a number of favorites on the big screen: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, F-Zero, Sim City, and others, while a crowd of interested onlookers forms around him. The commercial ends with the famous SNES slogan: “Now you’re playing with power.”
In the new Nintendo Switch 2 commercial, Rudd is 34 years older but somehow looks…kind of the same? He’s still got the coat, and the necklace, and the hair. But this time, he stomps into a living room and hooks up a Nintendo Switch 2 to play with comedians Joe Lo Truglio and Jordan Carlos, as well as a kid that calls him “Uncle Paul.” They play Mario Kart World using the system’s new GameChat feature, and the others tease Rudd about his get-up and wacky 90s ad attitude, which includes the commercial lampshading a fog machine and a fan blowing to make the atmosphere look as intense as it did in the 90s. The commercial concludes with Rudd voicing that instead of playing with power, “Now we’re playing together.” The whole thing is cheesy as heck, but goes along with the bit and acknowledges the goofiness of the original commercial to what amounts to a pretty cute effect.
IGN had the pleasure of sitting down with Rudd to talk to him about his experience shooting a follow-up Nintendo hardware commercial over 30 years after his first crack at it. During our chat, we learned that Rudd suspects he was wearing his own beaded necklace in the original commercial, and that he kept playing Mario Kart World on the set in between takes. Unfortunately, he says, they didn’t let him take a Nintendo Switch 2 home with him. You can watch our full interview right here:
Just this week, we got word that Nintendo Switch 2 preorders are back on for April 24 this time, and the price is still $450, though accessory prices have gone up due to the impact of tariffs in the United States. We’ve got everything you need to know about where and how to get one of those sweet, sweet pre-orders in our guide.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to [email protected].
