Nintendo Just Dropped 26 Classic Game Soundtracks on Its Music App — And It’s a Retro Dream Come True

For generations of gamers, the sound of Donkey Kong’s opening jingle or Duck Hunt’s victory theme doesn’t just bring back memories — it unlocks a wave of nostalgia tied to the golden age of Nintendo.

Now, thanks to Nintendo's Music app (released on October 31, 2024), those iconic tunes are easier than ever to enjoy — no emulator, ROM, or dusty cartridge required.

The Nintendo Music app, exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, gives fans mobile access to a growing catalog of soundtracks from across Nintendo's decades-long gaming legacy. And this week, it just got a major retro upgrade.

🎮 Nintendo Adds 26 Old-School NES & Famicom Albums

In its biggest update yet, Nintendo has added 26 full game albums to the app — all from the legendary NES and Famicom era. This includes absolute classics like Donkey Kong, Duck Hunt, Excitebike, Balloon Fight, Ice Climber, Mario Bros., and even lesser-known gems like Devil World and Urban Champion.

Here's a taste of what just dropped:

• Donkey Kong (NES)
• Duck Hunt (NES)
• Mario Bros. (NES)
• Clu Clu Land (NES)
• Excitebike (NES)
• Ice Climber (NES)
• Balloon Fight (NES)
• Devil World (Famicom)
• (...and 18 more — full list below)

Whether you grew up mastering 8-bit platforms or you’re discovering these sounds for the first time, this update is a sonic blast from Nintendo’s most influential era.

📱 What Is the Nintendo Music App?

Nintendo Music is a mobile app available to active Switch Online members. Once downloaded and logged in, users can explore thousands of Nintendo tracks across generations — spanning from the NES and Game Boy to modern franchises like Zelda, Mario, Splatoon, and more.

Key features include:

• Custom playlist creation
• Smart speaker integration
• Background listening
• A weekly rollout of new albums

To use the app, you’ll need:

• A smartphone (iOS or Android)
• An active Nintendo Switch Online subscription

🧠 Why It Matters: A Musical Legacy Worth Preserving

Nintendo’s game music isn’t just catchy — it’s part of pop culture history. Composers like Koji Kondo (Super Mario Bros., Zelda) and Hirokazu Tanaka (Metroid, Balloon Fight) defined the sound of an entire generation of gaming. These chiptune tracks were created with serious technical constraints, yet they still live rent-free in fans’ minds decades later.

The fact that Nintendo is finally making this audio archive accessible — legally and in high quality — is a win for retro fans, music lovers, and game preservationists alike.

🎤 MainEvent.News | Backstage Take

Nintendo’s decision to open the vault and release full soundtracks from the NES and Famicom era feels long overdue — and perfectly timed. With retro gaming more popular than ever and physical media harder to come by, the Nintendo Music app could become the go-to nostalgia fix for millions of fans. But the real win here? These aren’t just background tunes — they’re the soundtrack to our childhoods.

🎧 Full List of Newly Added Albums:

• Donkey Kong (NES)
• Donkey Kong Jr. (NES)
• Mah-Jong (Famicom)
• Gomoku Narabe Renju (Famicom)
• Mario Bros. (NES)
• Baseball (NES)
• Donkey Kong Jr. Math (NES)
• Tennis (NES)
• Pinball (NES)
• Wild Gunman (NES)
• Duck Hunt (NES)
• Golf (NES)
• Hogan's Alley (NES)
• Donkey Kong 3 (NES)
• Devil World (Famicom)
• F1 Race (Famicom)
• Urban Champion (NES)
• Clu Clu Land (NES)
• Excitebike (NES)
• Balloon Fight (NES)
• Ice Climber (NES)
• Soccer (NES)
• Wrecking Crew (NES)
• Stack-Up (NES)
• Gyromite (NES)
• Mach Rider (NES)