In 1991, Nintendo featured an unknown actor named Paul Rudd in its United States launch commercial for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Fast forward to 2025, and Paul Rudd is more than 30 years deep into an acting career that has seen him star in films like Wet Hot American Summer, I Love You, Man, and the Ant-Man franchise, as well as fight with Captain America and Iron Man in blockbusters like Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame. To pay homage to the now-famous actor’s early work as just a guy who’s Playing with Power, Nintendo brought the movie star back in the first US commercial for Switch 2.
This commercial’s release coincides with the announcement of the United States preorder date, which was initially scheduled for April 9. However, the tumult surrounding President Trump’s tariffs on foreign goods delayed Switch 2 pre-orders in both the United States and Canada. Last week, Nintendo revealed the new United States preorder date as April 24.
You can see the new Switch 2 commercial starring Paul Rudd below.
The ad, which emphasizes the Switch 2’s online multiplayer and GameChat social features, plays with the SNES’s “Now You’re Playing with Power” tagline. Instead, it uses the line, “Now You’re Playing Together.” To provide the context to its YouTube subscribers, Nintendo also uploaded the original 1991 SNES ad featuring Paul Rudd, which you can see below.
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System arrived on US shelves on August 23, 1991. The Nintendo Switch 2 launches worldwide on June 5, 2025, with the delayed preorders finally starting this Thursday, April 24. For more on Nintendo Switch 2, check out our in-depth hands-on impressions here. You can also read our impressions of Switch 2 games like Mario Kart World, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Donkey Kong Bananza, Drag X Drive, and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour.
