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Nintendo Unveils 'Close to You' Animated Short (Updated)

Nintendo began streaming on Tuesday an animated short titled "Close to You." The nearly 4-minute video follows a baby who chases a seemingly magical pacifier around a room. Nintendo did not confirm at release the production studio or how the video related to any of its games or franchises. Update: Nintendo uploaded a new, more complete version of the video a day after on its Nintendo Today! app with Pikmin from the titular franchise. The company then confirmed two days after that Nintendo Pictures produced the short film as its first work.

There are musical motifs similar to songs from Nintendo's Pikmin series. A small red thing is moving around in the blurry background at about 1:39 in the video as well. The more recent video confirms the connections to Pikmin.

Nintendo acquired 100% of the outstanding shares of Tokyo-based visual production company Dynamo Pictures (Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV) for 34.5 million yen (about US$245,000) in October 2022. Dynamo Pictures became a full subsidiary and changed its name to Nintendo Pictures Co., Ltd. Dynamo Pictures worked on Nintendo's Pikmin Short Movies CG film anthology, which debuted in 2014.

Nintendo unveiled "My Mario," a new line of Mario-themed products aimed at young children, in August. The brand line includes kid-friendly, one-minute stop-motion animation episodes, available on the My Mario website and Nintendo's YouTube channel.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Nintendo and Illumination's sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, will open in April 2026. The Super Mario Bros. Movie opened in the U.S. and in over 60 markets worldwide on April 5, 2023.

Update: Nintendo confirmed in a new version of the video that it was related to Pikmin. Source: Nintendo Today! app

Update 2: Nintendo confirmed that Nintendo Pictures made the short. Source: Nintendo's X/Twitter account

Source: Nintendo's YouTube channel