Last week, a Nintendo Switch update made it possible to share short videos of select first-party games on social media. The feature isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t matter. Right now, despite being in the middle of fall game season, many video game fans are talking about months-old Nintendo releases instead.
Zelda, unsurprisingly, is the most popular shared game on Twitter’s #NintendoSwitch video tab. The most prominent trend I’ve seen has players confronting disguised members of the Yiga clan, only to kill them immediately after the conversation is over in increasingly absurd ways:
二番煎じ #ゼルダの伝説 #BreathoftheWild #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/vMXxwPOVGH
— やまはむ (@mWi1ME) October 22, 2017
#ゼルダの伝説 #BreathoftheWild
#NintendoSwitch
イーガ団への制裁 爆撃 pic.twitter.com/65hTRlieSN— 切れ端のショコラ (@Cutend_Syokora) October 22, 2017
Thanks for the bananas #BreathoftheWild #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/q12BM2hwVM
— ZeldaMaster Luke (@ZeldaMasterLuke) October 24, 2017
イーガ団30秒クッキング #ゼルダの伝説 #BreathoftheWild #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/0eHRmbol7e
— やまはむ (@mWi1ME) October 19, 2017
It doesn’t always go as planned, however:
Saw all these cool vids of people taking out Yiga assassins with boxes so I figured I’d make my own!#BreathoftheWild #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/vm1aMxeWmw
— mattjvgc (@mattjvgc1984) October 22, 2017
Really, there are all sorts of Zelda clips floating around that showcase the beauty, hilarity, and randomness of the open-world game. Here’s a taste of what people are sharing.
A wonderful moment
流星群作ってみた
#ゼルダの伝説 #BreathoftheWild #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/2pfK7uMPxu— 留守番するスキャッター (@sc8I4LjG6djc26e) October 23, 2017
Heartbreak
i’ve been playing a bit more botw and this shattered my heart last night #BreathoftheWild #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/QMX2jIqhmI
— sploggles 🍂 (@sploggles) October 21, 2017
#BreathoftheWild #NintendoSwitch Top 10 Saddest Anime Deaths pic.twitter.com/eHqMUsOIWy
— Isaiah (@chargerupgaming) October 23, 2017
Badassery
Thanks for the ride #BreathoftheWild #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/yMB6SyWG9t
— ZeldaMaster Luke (@ZeldaMasterLuke) October 22, 2017
when you don’t have arrows #BreathoftheWild #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/XjnbDFuNDH
— Max (@MaxT1lt) October 24, 2017
This game just keeps getting better. #BreathoftheWild #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/OK5qP4vunK
— Aaron (@ErnHernande) October 23, 2017
GUARDIAN’S und PANZER 1on2 (part2) #ゼルダの伝説 #BreathoftheWild #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/bGkbFaPZ3V
— DARJEELINK (@DARJEELINK) October 22, 2017
I think it’s time for my special move! #BreathoftheWild #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/iLJa8RGzVh
— Daniel Otaigbe (@daniel_as_frick) October 24, 2017
Whaaaaat.
Wh… what?? #BreathoftheWild #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/pFYkY1QYV6
— Nothing Special (@Tobiscut) October 23, 2017
マジでムカつくシリーズ…#ゼルダの伝説 #BreathoftheWild #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/bfFL5gGVx0
— 神谷英樹 Hideki Kamiya (@PG_kamiya) October 23, 2017
Silliness
#ゼルダの伝説 #BreathoftheWild #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/zuPkpoSFW1
— やまはむ (@mWi1ME) October 19, 2017
Zelda might be the biggest Switch game making the rounds since the update, but folks are using the video share for other games too, of course.
When you think you’ve messed up terribly but pull it back together. #Splatoon2 #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/Ru0wqmcsDO
— Jason (@NeonYoshi83) October 23, 2017
Welcome 2 Art w Marie
My students are so talented ♡
#Splatoon2 #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/XjJIAXmaK3— monster (@frostykat_ray) October 24, 2017
if someone asks me if i believe in a god, i will show them this clip from my replays #MK8D #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/1xPcTo1dRu
— the Sniper Squib (@SeanYAH) October 21, 2017
Cone Flip Challenge #Splatoon2 #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/7LayZxEpwP
— Λ¢»Xavier (@Ac_Xavier100) October 21, 2017
The Switch is the hottest console out there right now, without question. What this phenomenon of viral social media posts suggests is that the Switch exploded with one hand practically tied behind its back. Remember: the Switch blew up despite having no simple way to share in-game moments from the biggest games. Sure, savvy players could always hook up a video capture device to the Switch, but the ease of having a built-in feature still makes a huge difference. This is why we’re getting more Nintendo Switch footage on social media than ever before. And every clip shared basically acts as an advertisement for the console. With Mario Odyssey just days away, I have a feeling that the Switch is about to dominate social media in full force very soon.