Nintendo just released a surprise new iOS app: Nintendo Music, a music player that draws on Nintendo’s decades of videogame soundtracks.
The iPhone-only app is an exclusive perk for Nintendo Online members. Once you sign into your account, you’re greeted with a deep catalog of classic Nintendo music. You’ll find old favorites from the biggest titles, but there are also many, many more obscure songs. A prime example is the Globe: Daytime Forecast song from the Wii Forecast Channel. It turns out it’s an excellent tune for writing.
There’s a lot here, and I’ve barely scratched the surface, but I’m impressed with how much thought has gone into the app. The app’s design has a lot in common with Apple Music, featuring rows of rectangular and square artwork divided into categories that include:
- Highlights, which currently displays a playlist called Nintendo Music Selects,
- Recently Played
- Top Recommendations
- Find Your Favorites
- Character-based collections
- Mood based playlists
One of the most interesting sections for anyone who likes to work with background music playing is called Extend Your Enjoyment. It includes songs like the Wii Forecast Channel music that you can loop for 15, 30, or 60 minutes.
That’s just the Home tab of Nintendo Music. The two other tabs feature Search and My Music. In addition to the ability to search for a particular title, the section displays songs from the games in your games library, allowing you to extend your obsession with certain games beyond playing them. My Music includes any track or playlist you’ve marked as favorites.
Songs and playlists can be downloaded for offline playback, AirPlayed to compatible speakers, and shared via the share sheet. Nintendo Music also features full playback controls, queue management, and playlist-building tools, similar to Apple Music.
So, that’s a quick look at Nintendo Music. It’s packed with endless classics to explore and is delightful. I love it, although I’d love to see Nintendo add support for widgets.
Nintendo Music is available as a free download on the App Store but requires a Nintendo Online account.
