Game, movie or something else – Nintendo’s mysterious short film raises questions
On October 7, 2025, Nintendo uploaded an animated short film titled Close to You to YouTube. Running just under four minutes, the emotionally charged video appeared without any prior announcement. The absence of a description and the decision to disable comments seem like deliberate moves to spark curiosity among fans. As a result, speculation is running wild about what the film might be hinting at.
The video tells the story of a mother and her child. When someone knocks at the door and the mother steps out, the baby’s toys come to life. Overjoyed, the baby drops its pacifier, which then takes on a life of its own. It floats upward and lands in the mobile above the crib, inspiring the child to take its first steps. Just as the baby begins to stumble, the mother returns and catches it in her arms. The short ends with the two embracing, accompanied by gentle piano music that underscores the scene’s emotional tone.
Pikmin, Super Mario Galaxy or something completely different?
A new game? An animated movie? No one really knows what the video is about yet. But on Reddit, it’s already fueling intense discussion. The most popular theory so far centers on Pikmin. Many fans point out that the music and overall mood strongly resemble the Pikmin series. Some even claim to have spotted a red dot under the bed at 1:40 – what they believe to be a clear sign of a Red Pikmin. Since Pikmin are invisible to humans according to the lore, this would fit perfectly with the events shown. Theories range from a new Pikmin game or short film to a full-fledged animated project from Nintendo Pictures – possibly in the style of a Pixar movie.
Other fans see similarities to Super Mario Galaxy and speculate that the baby might be Baby Rosalina – citing the soft color palette and the strong mother-child theme as clues. However, this theory has its skeptics, as there’s little concrete evidence to support it. Some ideas are even more far-fetched, ranging from a Metroid flashback featuring Baby Samus to the video being a test submission for the Academy Awards. And of course, the internet hasn’t missed the chance to join in with running jokes like “Smash Bros. reveal” or the tongue-in-cheek title Nintenbabies.
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