How about this for a Nintendo Switch secret feature: a copy of the 1984 classic NES game Golf is hidden inside the hybrid console's operating system, and it appears to be completely playable.
As owners of the hybrid console wait for the launch of the Nintendo Switch Virtual Console, there is already apparently an emulator in the device, with a decades-old game that comes with a massive upgrade.
Hidden 'Golf' In Nintendo Switch
News of Golf hidden in the Nintendo Switch surfaced from SwitchBrew.org, which collects hacking and file system analysis for the hybrid console. Users discovered a title in the Nintendo Switch system named "flog" in July, which the website described as possible containing a NES emulator.
Apparently, flog is not a NES emulator, but rather an emulation of the classic Golf game, with its title only spelled backward. According to a modder who goes by the name yellows8, a copy of Golf is hidden inside all Nintendo Switch units in the world, as it has been discovered even in the original version 1.0 firmware of the hybrid console.
What is even more amazing, however, is the fact that the classic NES game has been updated to work with the modern controls of the Nintendo Switch. Not only can two players play Golf using Joy-Con controllers, but the game also apparently supports motion controllers.
This is a big deal because previous Nintendo consoles that offered classic games through the Virtual Console were direct ports, and were not changed in any way. Golf, however, was updated to work properly with the Nintendo Switch.
How To Play 'Golf' In Nintendo Switch
According to yellows8, he was able to personally test Golf on the Nintendo Switch, confirming that the classic game was playable using the Joy-Cons and was compatible with motion controls.
However, yellows8 did not reveal exactly how he was able to access the game, only describing the method as an "unofficial" one. This likely means that the average Nintendo Switch user will not be able to play Golf on their hybrid console.
Golf in the Nintendo Switch, however, could be a secret feature waiting to be found. Who knows? Maybe there's a secret combination of button presses or a hidden achievement that unlocks access to the classic game. It could also be a free game once the Nintendo Virtual Console launches.
Whatever the case may be, the secret game of Golf in the Nintendo Switch is just one of the many perks of owning the hybrid console — at least, for gamers who have been able to get their hands on it despite the Nintendo Switch supply shortage.
