Toby Fox's indie RPG Undertale took the Internet by storm when it released last year on Steam, quickly creating a rabid fanbase that can't get enough of the game's quirky world and colorful characters. It's one of the most talked about RPGs in recent memory, so perhaps it was only a matter of time before talk of the game jumping from PC to consoles came about.
That's what appeared to happen a few days ago, when Akinwale Lakeru, a member of Nintendo of America's developer support team, tweeted the following to Fox: Hey, @FwugRadiation! Are you available for me to reach out to you when you get a chance? Let me know if that's cool :)
The tweet has since been deleted, but not before it caused an Internet firestorm of speculation. Could Undertale be coming to the Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS? Maybe even the NX?
Maybe. Fox previously told the Game Informer Show in October that he "might" bring the game to consoles, saying he planned on discussing it in the future. However, while he would love to bring Undertale to Nintendo platforms (Undertale is heavily inspired by Nintendo's own Earthbound, after all), Fox says it's nearly impossible thanks to him using Game Maker, rather than a real programming language, to create the game.
Now, Fox himself is responding to all of the speculation. Here's what he tweeted earlier today:
It's surreal that it's newsworthy that a Nintendo rep tweeted at me. I actually already talked to Nintendo about a port months ago... ^^;;
— toby's Fox (@FwugRadiation) February 4, 2016
But Game Maker (what I use) doesn't export to any Nintendo platforms. In most cases, the game would have to be reprogrammed from scratch. — toby's Fox (@FwugRadiation) February 4, 2016
So I'm concerned about accuracy/bugs. I've reached the point of "might as well try it" though. This isn't an announcement or promise.
— toby's Fox (@FwugRadiation) February 4, 2016
BTW, I wouldn't do the porting/reprogramming myself. It'd be up to someone else. I don't know any actual programming languages LOL — toby's Fox (@FwugRadiation) February 4, 2016
ALSO if there was a Wii U port do you think all the UNDERTALE Miiverse posts would finally have a home? Or would it just spread them more?
— toby's Fox (@FwugRadiation) February 4, 2016
Seems like Undertale arriving on a Nintendo platform is a definite possibility, then. Even if the game doesn't release for the Wii U or 3DS thanks to Fox's use of Game Maker and all the work that would need to be done to port it, perhaps the NX will be different.
However, considering how popular Undertale is, it wouldn't be too surprising if Nintendo or some other interested party was willing to throw down some cash to have the game reprogrammed from scratch. We'll have to wait and see what comes of all this, but for now, Undertale fans can dream.
