Follow video game rock star and fanatic collector, Jay Barlett over 10,000 miles as he pursues his dream to own a complete library of original Nintendo games. There’s just one catch: he has to do it in 30 days, with no online purchases.

For thoughts on Nintendo Quest, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Nintendo Quest comes to Blu-Ray in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio from a very pleasant HD master. The film is primarily a mixture of interviews and fly-on-the-wall material captured over the months surrounding the quest along with some archival footage interspersed for additional context and history. The footage looks as fetching as the source will allow in high definition. The transfer does not suffer from issues with compression artifacts, banding, or other digital nuisances.

There is not too much archival footage from the days before you witness the journey being planned and executed. The new interview segments along with the roaming footage inside hobby shops appear crisp and clear with natural skin tones and detailed facial features. The colors featured in the film achieve a nice sense of depth and complexity. Black levels are solid and harness detail in shadows when the conditions allow for it. There is not much more you could have hoped for to improve this experience. ETR Media knows how to present documentaries like this to great effect.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that executes this material with ease. This is an early effort for director Rob McCallum but there do not seem to be any rookie mistakes when serving up the information. Dialogue is the key element of the film and it is balanced well with the competing sounds of the filming environment. The musical cues add some personality to the film, and it is resolved well here as it fills the room. Environmental sounds are numerous and are replicated perfectly. The surround channels are not put to the test, but they flesh things out naturally. Every audio element is in good shape. There are optional English SDH subtitles included for those who desire them.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Rob McCallum and subject Jay Bartlett provide a very informative commentary track in which they discuss the process of capturing the footage, additional background on securing some of the games, further details about some of the individuals, how things have changed since the production of the film and so much more that fans should take the time to check out.

Deleted Scenes: There are 16 scenes of unused material totaling nearly 83 minutes provided here that are worth checking out if you enjoyed the movie.

Extended Interviews: There are six unused interviews totaling 104 minutes provided filled with details that didn’t make the final cut.

Trailer: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here.

Nintendo Quest – The Power Tour: The complete companion series is provided in HD on the second disc in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio with optional English SDH subtitles.

- Episode 1 – Los Angeles (24:48)

- Episode 2 – Vegas (24:28)

- Episode 3 – Austin (22:04)

- Episode 4 – Houston (22:51)

- Episode 5 – Columbus (24:03)

- Episode 6 -Dubois (24:54)

- Episode 7 – London (22:15)

- Episode 8 – Portland (26:08)

- Episode 9 – Bonus Level (20:56)

- Series Trailer (2:05)

Final Thoughts

Nintendo Quest has the benefit of being about a subject that is of great interest to many. The wave of nostalgia you ride while watching this will take you very far as you reflect on all of these cool games you either played at some point or wanted to play. Yet, that only takes you so far, and the documentary itself is more of a mixed bag. Numerous amateurish additions are included for no reason, such as a pitch for the movie while you are already watching it and some emotional manipulation with an animal. The film also keeps you at arm’s length to this process, never giving you the budget they are working with to increase the dramatic stakes. It is still a fun watch, but there are many ways this could have been fine-tuned to flow better. ETR Media has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a welcome assortment of special features. If you a fan of old-school video games, you will have a blast walking down memory lane. Recommended

Nintendo Quest is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: ETR Media and OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.