In early 2023,
The sequel once again sees the Sad Adult Man – aka New Zealand actor Gareth Reeves – playing through Tears of the Kingdom to rediscover his sense of adventure. As it turns out, he’s still playing the game five months later – a reality for anyone who balances a demanding full-time job with their hobbies – and this time, his wife joins him.
While she starts their shared evening reading a book, she soon steps in to help our intrepid hero to solve a Shrine puzzle, giving him advice on how to use the Ultrahand ability and construct his boards to best cross a length of rail. With the puzzle completed, the man sits back, satisfied. But there’s another neat twist in this new trailer.
Read: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review – Sky’s The Limit
After briefly dipping into the world of Zelda, the man’s wife later sits on the couch and pulls out her own
It’s a very sweet advertisement for the game – and one that will likely resonate with adults of all ages. Video game advertisements so often cater to younger audiences, that when working adults are depicted, it feels like a genuine breath of fresh air.
For many people who grew up playing games, it’s still an enjoyable hobby – particularly, as the ads depict, as a brief escape from the responsibilities of adulthood. Video games allows you to stretch your mental muscles, experience new sights and sounds, and embrace a sense of creativity and fun that may feel lacking in the real world.
Nintendo has captured that experience perfectly in its dual ads, with the Sad Adult Man serving as the perfect representative of the power and potential of video games, at all stages of life. We’re glad to see this hero return, and to see a happy ending to his story.
