Nintendo Switch Super Bowl LI commercial features new 'Zelda' footage

By Danny Cowan Published February 1, 2017

Nintendo has unveiled a Super Bowl LI commercial promoting its new Switch console, giving fans a fleeting glimpse at boss battles in its upcoming game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

An extended cut of the advertisement also features in-game footage from Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and other highly anticipated games scheduled to hit Nintendo’s upcoming console in the months ahead.

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Launching worldwide in March, the Nintendo Switch is a hybrid system that serves as both a portable gaming unit and a home console via an included docking peripheral. Players can enjoy Switch games at home and on the go by attaching a pair of wireless “JoyCon” controllers to the device’s detachable touchscreen.

The Nintendo Switch will launch alongside The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the latest entry in Nintendo’s decade-spanning Zelda series. Breath of the Wild promises to take the franchise back to its roots with an exploration-oriented quest that features a massive overworld with countless items, weapons, and dungeons scattered throughout.

Nintendo’s Super Bowl LI commercial focuses on the Switch’s portable nature, demonstrating how players can keep close tabs on their in-game progress while performing day-to-day activities. Nintendo’s ad also shows how quickly the Switch can transform into a home console while giving an early look at the device’s optional Pro Controller.

The extended cut of Nintendo’s Super Bowl LI ad features multiple first-party Switch games, including the one-on-one fighter Arms, territory-grabbing shooter Splatoon 2, multiplayer racer Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and minigame compilation 1, 2, Switch. Third-party publishers Ubisoft and Capcom also make an appearance with their upcoming Switch games Just Dance 2017 and Ultra Street Fighter II, respectively.

The Nintendo Switch launches in North America on March 3.

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