''Nintendo Quest: The Most Unofficial and Unauthorized Nintendo Documentary Ever!'' is a 2015 Canadian/American
documentary road film
A road movie is a film genre in which the main characters leave home on a road trip, typically altering the perspective from their everyday lives. Road movies often depict travel in the hinterlands, with the films exploring the theme of alienatio ...
directed by
Rob McCallum about
Jay Bartlett and his quest to acquire all 678 licensed
Nintendo Entertainment System games within the span of 30 days, without purchasing any games online.
Plot
The starting point of the film is when Jay Bartlett's friend Rob McCallum (executive producer) challenges him to acquire every one of the 678
NES
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
games officially released in North America in just 30 days. The only caveat is that Jay can't buy anything from internet retailers. The film then follows Jay and Rob and the film crew as they travel south through the States visiting various second-hand stores and basements, some impressively stocked with mint-condition gaming relics. With online purchasing disallowed, Jay meets a world of persons sharing his enthusiasms, some who are more than happy to aid in his quest, while others comically get in the way. As his quest develops, the viewer is given a history lesson on
Nintendo, and learns why this company's gaming software means so much to the filmmakers and the development of video gaming.
Reception
Robert Workman of
Geek & Sundry points out that in ''Nintendo Quest'', "the industry takes a backseat to instead focus on one man’s ultimate nostalgia trip, in a tale that’s just as much about the journey as it is the destination."
Mike Diver of ''
Vice Magazine
''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. Founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, the founders later launched the youth media company Vice Media, ...
'' describes the film as "a documentary on collecting with a difference", noting it "focuses exclusively on the catalogue of the Nintendo Entertainment System, probably the most important games console of all time, responsible for righting the industry's course after a colossal financial slump in the early 1980s and ultimately becoming a fixture in more American homes during the decade of
Ronald Reagan and
Molly Ringwald
Molly Kathleen Ringwald (born February 18, 1968) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and author. She was cast in her first major role as Molly in the NBC sitcom '' The Facts of Life'' (1979–80) after a casting director saw her playing an o ...
than casual racism," and that "it features a fantastically passionate Nintendo fan at its core, one Jay Bartlett, a Canadian with
Bowser
, or King Koopa, is a fictional character, the primary antagonist in Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise, and the arch-nemesis of Mario. In Japan, the character bears the title of . Bowser is the leader of the turtle-like Koopa race. Despite the ...
and
Bomberman
is a video game franchise originally developed by Hudson Soft and currently owned by Konami. The original game, also known as ''Bakudan Otoko'' (''爆弾男''), was released in Japan in July 1983 and has since spawned multiple sequels and sp ...
in his blood."
References
External links
Official website*
{{Nintendo Entertainment System
2015 films
Documentary films about video games
Video game culture
2015 documentary films
Films about video games
Nintendo Entertainment System
2010s English-language films