Nintendo hid a copy of the NES game 'Golf' on every Switch
In the long history of weird Nintendo moments, this one stands out.
Tucked away deep within the Nintendo Switch operating system is the data for an NES original, Golf. It's playable by one or two players using Switch Joy-Cons and it even appears to support motion controls... or it would, if anyone knew how to unlock it.
For now, knowledge of Golf's existence on Switch comes entirely from SwitchBrew.org, a wiki focused on hacking and analyzing the software powering Nintendo's latest console. It's not a piracy thing, however; "homebrew" programmers try to crack the code on gaming machines primarily to install software that wouldn't otherwise be supported.
It's been known for some time -- since July, in fact -- that there's a built-in NES emulator buried in the Switch OS code, called "Flog." What no one realized at the time, however, was that Flog (which is "Golf" spelled backwards, ICYMI) isn't a general-purpose emulator; instead, it appears to be one specific game, emulated.
More than that, Golf appears to have been updated specifically for Switch play. It supports two players using Joy-Con controllers, but data-mined screenshots appear to also show support for motion controls.
That's actually a first. Past Nintendo consoles have offered up legacy games via the "Virtual Console" section of the eShop, but none so far have updated older games to the point that they support new-fangled control schemes offered by motion controls.
Golf apparently does. It's just too bad there's no way to know for sure. Although the game's code has been discovered in the Switch OS, no one knows how to actually unlock it and make it playable.
Maybe there's some arcane button combination, or a ritual blood sacrifice that no one's puzzled out yet. Maybe it's just an easter egg that no one was ever expected to discover. Hell, it could even be something that's supposed to unlock as a freebie for everyone whenever Nintendo gets around to launching Virtual Console for Switch.
We've reached out to Nintendo for more information, so stay tuned for further updates.
Topics Gaming Nintendo Nintendo Switch
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
