Paul Rudd Hypes Nintendo Switch 2 With Playful Throwback to Infamous 90s SNES Commercial - IGN

The Super Mario Bros. movie star plugged the Switch successor in an ironically outdated ad worthy of the defunct 90s Nintendo ads featuring Rudd himself. Paul Rudd may be best known these days as an avowed supernerd himself in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he previously attained 90s kid icon status by famously appearing in a series of goofy Nintendo commercials starring iconic characters from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System era. So it was welcome news for gamers and nostalgic adults alike when Rudd popped up in a new Nintendo ad, albeit in a way that pays homage to the famously awkward previous ads that thrust him into the limelight. In a promo that debuted during The Game Awards 2022, Rudd appears as himself (sort of) in a faux infomercial pitching the upcoming Nintendo Switch successor. The hilarious ad mimics the tone and cheesy visuals of the earlier spots (which you can see below) while also taking jabs at the outdated aesthetics, complete with low-resolution pixel art and CGI that wouldn't be out of place in a 1990s Saturday morning cartoon. It's no surprise that Rudd was game for a takeoff on his most memorable commercials, though this promo also hints at something more under the surface. A quick glimpse at the IMDb page for the Paul Rudd-led Nintendo commercial trilogy reveals that the first spot debuted in November of 2002, with the next two following in 2003 and 2004. 2002 was a lifetime ago in terms of technological progress, but 2022 also marks 20 years since the debut of that first ad. The world was a different place back then, but Nintendo has leaned hard into nostalgia in recent years, culminating in the release of the Super Nintendo World theme park and interactive gameplay experiences in Universal Studios locations. So far, the company hasn't indicated when the next Nintendo Switch system will arrive, but a release in the next anniversary year of Rudd's first commercial isn't out of the question. We also don't know what the next Nintendo system has in store, but previous rumors have indicated that it may introduce some kind of hybrid VR/AR capabilities to replicate the success of the seemingly ubiquitous Pokémon Go AR mobile game on home consoles. Nintendo fans have been waiting with bated breath for any hint of information about the Switch's successor, but in the meantime, this throwback promo is a fun reminder of the good old days and the entertainment value that the upcoming system should deliver, however it turns out. For more, check out our roundup of the best Nintendo Switch deals ahead of Black Friday, where you can find discounts on many of the top games coming to the system.