A Catchy Launch Anthem for Switch 2: Neglecting the Ordinary

I have been advocating for the ‘Theme’ concept for such a lengthy period that my fingers have started to ache. It no longer makes any sense to me that every Switch menu resembles a track-less graveyard when Nintendo has produced gems like the Wii Shop Channel, 3DS Theme Shop, and a plethora of other hits in the past.

Still, there is one more tune missing from Switch that not enough people, including myself, have been hoping for over the past eight years. If Nintendo is going to fix one of its musical oversights for Switch 2, I eagerly wish for it to be this: it’s time for start-up jingles to return.

This idea struck me recently when I powered on my GBA for a round of Pokémon Emerald, and the start-up ‘brrrrrrrng, be-ding!‘ elicited a genuine gasp from my brother who was sitting nearby. He, like anyone who grew up with a Nintendo console at home, recognized the sound instantly, triggering a deep-seated rush of joy that chaotic gaming moments were about to unfold.

And I feel the same way. Every Nintendo start-up tone, no matter how brief, holds a special place in my heart. The DS’ fading ‘ba-dum ba-dum ba-dum‘ takes me back to days of impatiently yelling ‘Mr. Biscuits’ into the mic, hoping my Nintendog would finally learn it this time.

The Wii’s ‘waluhluhluh luhluhluhluh‘ sets me up for the Super Mario Galaxy menu theme. Even the Game Boy (and Game Boy Color’s) simple ‘ding!’ accomplishes something significant.

Of course, all of these pale in comparison to the GameCube start-up, a jingle so powerful that Luigi made it his ringtone in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Sure, it may be longer than most, yet