Nintendo's Mysterious Short Sparks Super Mario or Pikmin 5 Speculation

Nintendo has dropped a mysterious animated short without any context, sparking fan theories about whether it teases the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy movie or hints at a new Pikmin game.

Titled "Close to You," the nearly four-minute, dialogue-free animation follows a young blonde child taking their first steps, as their pacifier is lifted by an unseen presence.

Fans of the Pikmin series will recognize familiar musical cues as the pacifier appears to be carried away—though no Pikmin are visible. Meanwhile, some speculate the child could be Rosalina, the cosmic princess expected to appear in next year’s Super Mario Galaxy film.

With no official word from Nintendo, fans are left to interpret the short on their own—though IGN has reached out to Nintendo for details.

The way the pacifier moves certainly resembles how a group of Pikmin might carry an object, and past Pikmin games have involved collecting everyday items. Pikmin 4 even featured a mission inside a human home.

The Pikmin series is set on Earth, with the creatures often portrayed as just beyond human sight. Is Nintendo suggesting that Pikmin are invisible to people?

Beyond the Pikmin references, others believe the child may be Rosalina, whose backstory—like Princess Peach’s—may be explored in the Super Mario Galaxy film. Could this scene be from the movie? The animation style differs from Illumination’s, making it unusual for Nintendo to release an unrelated short so close to a major film’s debut.

Whatever the case, we’ll share updates as they emerge.