The NintenTone Video Game Jazz Orchestra performed for a packed audience at the New Ulm Library. It was standing room only, with dozens of families in attendance.

The NintenTones specialize in performing jazz versions of video game music. The band opened with a melody of themes from the first three Super Mario games. The hour-long concert featured jazz arrangements of several popular video game themes including “Legend of Zelda,” “Tetris,” and “Animal Crossing.”

The NintenTones were formed by Ryan Rader of Mankato through a Creative Individuals Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. Rader began organizing the six-member jazz band 18-months ago. Rader plays drums along with Evan Bierer on saxophone, Tom Bierer on trumpet, Dave Stordalen on trombone, Eric Zimmerman on bass and Peter Jacobs on piano.

Rader said the idea to combine jazz and video games was nothing new.

During a standing room only performance of the NintenTones, a young child holds up a Super Mario toy. The NintenTones play jazz versions of video game songs. The performance opened with a melody of themes from the first three Super Mario games.

“The marriage of video games and jazz has been around for a while,” Rader said. “The 8-Bit Big Band was my inspiration.”

Rader and several other jazz musicians believe the two mediums blend well together. This is because many of the older video game melodies already resemble classic jazz standards.

Rader said he belongs to a generation that spent their childhood playing video games in the late ’80s and ’90 only to become a professional musician as an adult. There are many who have a nostalgia for it and appreciate hearing it in a new context.

Asked which video game theme was the most challenging to play, Rader said the hardest was “Floral Fury,” from the Cuphead video game. Rader said the song had a Latin flavor to it and their trumpet player Tom Bierer had to really work to play it.

The NintenTones will perform six concerts in Southern Minnesota hosted primarily by regional libraries. Each concert will last about and hour and are free and open to the public.

Rader said The NintenTones hope to continue to improve each piece. Currently, the band has arranged an hour show, but in the future hopes to expand the show to two hours and play more theaters.