Golden arches

Do yourself a favor and watch this video about a lost McDonald's DS game

We're lovin' it.

Pixel art of a McDonald's soda.
Hello Pixel Art

Nick Robinson is an American video game YouTuber most famous for once traveling to Japan to personally beg the CEO of Domino’s Japanese arm to re-upload a commercial featuring Hatsune Miku that he really liked. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, he’s hilarious and passionate and generally goes above and beyond the call of normal fandom. He has a particular skill for getting viewers deeply invested in the stories of random gaming ephemera they would never otherwise find themselves even pondering.

Which is why it’s no surprise that he’s taken up the cause of tracking down a limited edition training game for Japanese McDonald’s employees that was once published for Nintendo’s DSi console. Before you roll your eyes at his mission and close this browser tab, I beg you to hear me out.

He recently uploaded a nearly hour-long documentary following his efforts to find the “game,” unlock its mysteries, and show the world exactly what it was missing. This journey spans ten years, multiple continents, requires several technical experts in their field, and involves literally smuggling goods illegally over international waters. And, yes, there’s a final twist that will make you literally gasp.

If you can make the time — and since I trust that no Input readers will be traveling this Thanksgiving season because they are all model citizens and upstanding, ethical people, you can — take an hour and go with Nick on this bizarre, hilarious, confounding journey into McDonald’s and Nintendo history. You will not regret it.

Well, you’ll regret it a little. But only because you’ll end up craving fast food. Trust me, it’s worth it.