The mystery of the hidden NES game discovered in the Nintendo Switch has finally been solved, with the secret feature apparently being a tribute to the late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata.
The hackers who worked on finding out everything about the secret feature have also detailed what Nintendo Switch owners need to do to play the 1984 classic game of Golf on the hybrid console.
The Hidden NES Game In The Nintendo Switch
The hidden presence of Golf in the Nintendo Switch claimed the headlines recently, with modder yellows8 claiming that the game is present in all units of the hybrid console worldwide.
Making the news more interesting is the fact that the NES game has actually been updated to support the modern features of the Nintendo Switch, including playing through motion controls.
Surprisingly, news on Golf in the Nintendo Switch actually first appeared back in July. A GBATemp forum user who goes by the name Setery claimed that when he returned to his Nintendo Switch after leaving it, the hybrid console display the NES game of Golf. Setery's post drew skepticism, but he was apparently on to something.
Setery's story raised the possibility that unlocking Golf on the Nintendo Switch does not need an unofficial method, which is how yellows8 confirmed that the NES game was indeed inside the hybrid console. Gamers all over the world went to work, trying out different configurations, button presses, and other methods that could possibly allow access to the secret feature.
How To Unlock 'Golf' In The Nintendo Switch
After just a few days, the method of unlocking Golf in the Nintendo Switch has finally been discovered, though it requires a very specific series of steps.
First, the date on the Nintendo Switch must be set to July 11. Simply changing the date on the hybrid console will not work on most cases though, as it knows the real date as long as it has connected to the internet at least once. Gamers who want to access Golf will either have to wait for July 11 next year, or acquire a Nintendo Switch unit that has never connected to the internet.
Unlocking Golf then requires players to recreate Iwata's gesture from all of his Nintendo Direct videos. After doing so, the Nintendo Switch screen will turn black before loading the Golf home screen.
A Tribute To The Great Satoru Iwata
Satoru Iwata, considered as a legend in the video game industry, was the sole programmer for Golf, which explains his connection to the NES game. The July 11 date necessary to unlock it, meanwhile, is the date that he passed away in 2015.
As for why the tribute to Iwata takes this form, Kotaku East reporter Brian Ashcraft explained that it resembles the Japanese tradition known as Omamori, which uses various objects to channel spirits that will guide the owner of the Omamori. It is possible that Nintendo coded Golf into the hybrid console to ask for Iwata's spirit to ensure Nintendo Switch success.
