Thank you to Nintendo who invited me to participate in this interview as well as sent a gift package including a gift card.
Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in an exclusive interview with actor, filmmaker, activist and Nintendo Switch fan Brie Larson. When she’s not saving the world from imminent doom, Brie Larson likes to unwind on set with her Nintendo Switch- she keeps it on hand to play between takes and likes using it to pass the time during long days on set. She also uses it to connect with friends and family near and far, and has been connecting with family over Nintendo games for years.
Last year, she shared that she had jumped on the Animal Crossing: New Horizons craze, but her love of gaming extends beyond the shores of her virtual island!
Along with a few other bloggers and publishers, I had the chance to ask Brie all about her gaming habits. Read on to find out some fun facts about her love of Nintendo Switch, including her favorite Animal Crossing villager, what Nintendo character she’d love to voice act for, and more!
1. Brie thinks Luigi is often underestimated. “I feel like there’s been a bit of a movement and I think Luigi’s Mansion obviously really reframed things for some people, but it’s still like- he’s in the horror space. He’s not really at the forefront in some of these and I just think it’s important to recognize that you can be Luigi and guess what- you jump higher. I just feel like we’re not talking about that enough. And we’ve never talked about it enough. Luigi is really coming in there and doing some heavy lifting and we’re not talking about it.”
2. Luigi isn’t the only one Brie wants to see more of- she thinks Peach needs her due, too. “I’m going to say- I want Peach representation as well, I’m sitting here going ‘When’s Peach getting a stand-alone game?’ I think there’s a lot more to go in terms of these characters having their own worlds that we can enjoy.
3. As for which Nintendo character Brie connects with the most? The answer may surprise you: “Samus. Metroid. I get to be everything and I just think that first Metroid game is really iconic and I’ve always loved it.”
4. Brie is more used to playing handheld, especially since she takes her Nintendo Switch with her everywhere she goes. “It’s in my Animal Crossing backpack right now and it goes with me everywhere. I have the dock set up at home so that when I get home I can play on a bigger screen, but I’m actually really accustomed to using the handheld version just because that’s what I end up using so much. I take it with me at work and it what’s I use in between takes. Some of the most dramatic roles of my career I’m playing video games in between takes just as a way to stay in the flow and to keep my focus and to just be present while also loosening up and having a good time.”
5. Brie’s love of Animal Crossing isn’t new. She has a history with Animal Crossing that has only grown since New Horizons came out. “Animal Crossing just has really deep roots with me and my sister. When the game first came out a decade ago we were obsessed with it, so the timing of it coming out in particular at a time when we couldn’t physically be together it was just a huge point of connection that we could get on a virtual plane and go to each others’ islands and see each other that way. I got a lot of my friends into Nintendo and Animal Crossing in particular during the pandemic because they realized it was our hangout spot. We’d go shopping together, we’d go fishing together, we’d go on adventures, and it was just the source of a lot of fun.”
6. Brie’s favorite animal crossing villager is Soleil the hamster. “My favorite neighbor is Soleil. Soleil is a fabulous hamster, really just doing the most. I’ve found her to be a real fashion inspiration.”
7. What is Brie’s favorite way to spend her Animal Crossing time? “I don’t know if it’s just because it was very prominent in the very first Animal Crossing but I’ve been very diligent about my museum and I’ve gotten really into the finding art aspect and the game of ‘Is it real or is it fake? Have I been fooled?’ Building out my museum- I’ve focused on that more than anything to be honest because that’s what I like in real life.”
8. Like many people, Brie played a lot of Animal Crossing: New Horizons in quarantine. But she played a lot of Fortnite, too. “I feel like they weirdly compliment each other because they’re both communal games. Of course I play them on my own, but they’ve been ways of connecting with my family, with my friends when I couldn’t see them.”
9. Brie’s go-to game when playing against friends is Fortnite. “I think it’s amazing because it brings up a lot of deep moral questions. You have to really talk through not just the strategy but sticking together and where you start and where you go and reviving your teammates; when your teammate’s down and your health is low- do you take care of yourself first and shield up or do you just risk it and go revive your teammate? Tears have been shed over this game- there’s obviously been a lot of celebration too but like, I think for my family and friends it’s led to really deep conversations about care and teamwork in a way that I think is rather surprising for a battle royale game. I’ve put in too many hours, I’d say, of that game.”
10. Brie had a hard time choosing a favorite Nintendo game of all time, but ultimately went with Breath of the Wild. “I do think that Breath of the Wild is just beautiful. and emotional, very soothing but also not. I’m a huge Zelda fan as well, so that one just felt like it took it to this whole new level and I feel like that game is a masterpiece. There’s a lot of games that I love- Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Sunshine.”
11. If Brie could join the Nintendo Universe as the voice of any character, she’d face a unique challenge: “Well that’s very confusing, because I would say Samus but there’s no Samus talking.” So who would she choose then? “I want Peach to have a moment, I want Peach to have a chance here. So maybe I’d say I would voice Peach because I want to give voice to Peach. I want a Peach journey- I don’t want Peach to be the end destination, I want a Peach journey.”
12. Now that people are starting to be able to get together again, what games does Brie recommend for in-person gaming together? “I love Smash Bros, Mario Kart; Mario Party I throw in the mix- it’s very fun, but it’s also like, get ready to get mad at each other. Mario Party gets for real, but I think it’s super fun. I also love 1-2-3 Switch, it’s a very good in-person game.”
So do you have the same video games preferences at Brie? Did she inspire you to try a new game, or see your favorite game in a new way?
Thanks again to Nintendo for having me for this special chat, and to Brie Larson for taking the time to share with us her thoughts on all things Nintendo!
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