Do my ears deceive me? Or is that Percy Grainger’s Irish Tune from Country Derry serenading my sound-drums as I watch this Japanese ad for Mario Kart 8? I don’t know how or why this spot came to be, but someone at Nintendo has superb musical taste. Whether this is the first time Grainger has made it into a gaming trailer I’m not entirely sure, but it’s certainly the first example I’ve ever seen. Kudos all around, Nintendo ladies and gents. This must be some kind of milestone.
For the rest of us, the trailer marks another landmark as well; the self aware use of Luigi’s renowned death stare on the part of Nintendo of Japan. The trailer is a mashup of hilarious slo-mo replays from Mario Kart 8, all leading up to the ultimate scornful look from the formerly-lovable plumber as he hurtles past a helpless Baby Rosalina. At least the sensuous vibrato of Irish Tune’s melody is present to keep things from boiling over.
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Mario Kart 8 has dominated the sales charts of late, selling 470k units last month alone. Its total global sales now hover around 2.1 million, and with about 100k being added to the sum each week, it doesn’t appear as though the game’s momentum is slowing.
Here’s an idea, Nintendo — to keep the Grainger kick going, how about a trailer backed by his seminal “Shepherd’s Hey” to celebrate the 3 millionth copy sold? There can be death stares, dramatic slow-mo finishes, exploding Xbox Ones — the works. I’m not asking for compensation, either; you can have that idea for free. Just mute the video on the right for best results.
