Footnotes: Nintendo Cereal Commercial
I sadly never got to try Nintendo Cereal, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still check out the commercial. The cereal itself looks like your teeth might rot just from staring at it too long, but I really do appreciate the packaging. This box is more of an NES vibe, and while I was a Nintendo 64 kid through and through – shout out to gems like Super Mario 64, Harvest Moon 64, and the fascinatingly weird Rocket, Robot on Wheels – I still dig the retro Nintendo feel.
Fun fact: this spot is as old as I am. Ho boy. Let’s dive in.
Mario’s Here! And Zelda, Too, I Guess
I admire the repetitive “Nintendo” throughout the ad’s song. You can’t say you don’t know what you’re getting into by eating this, that’s for sure. It’s Nintendo Cereal, and you won’t forget it. But it does feel like Link is thrown in as an afterthought. It’s like “whoa, look! Mario!” and then they think, “huh, I guess there are Zelda bits in here, too.” I don’t think Zelda is even in the cereal. It’s just Link.
By 1988, Mario already had about 15 games under his belt, including a handful of Donkey Kong appearances and the wonderfully named I Am a Teacher: Super Mario Sweater, sadly only released in Japan. Meanwhile, the Zelda franchise only had The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link to roll with. Perhaps it’s not surprising that Mario seems to be more of the highlight of this commercial.
Nintendo Cereal Dancing?
Let’s forget about the apparent need to wear a television on your head while eating Nintendo Cereal. The most spectacular part of this commercial is the teenagers dancing. Specifically, the part at 14 seconds, when “Zelda” gets introduced. What in the world are any of them doing? These are three dance moves I have never seen, and three dance moves I need to try immediately on my next trip to a dance floor.
I also chuckled at one of the YouTube comments about having to blow in the box of cereal in order to eat it. Anyone who’s ever had to resurrect a cartridge via blowing on it can relate.
