Hidden Switch NES Golf Is Apparently A Tribute To Late Video Game Legend Satoru Iwata

Recently, reports of the Nintendo Switch having a hidden NES Golf game in its codes started circulating. At the time, it was thought to be a fun little detail in a console that’s simply rocking the industry with its popularity. However, it has been revealed that the game might actually be a tribute to video game legend Satoru Iwata in the form of an extremely elaborate Easter Egg.

Following a complicated set of steps, which includes having a Switch console with the firmware 1.0.0 and the date of the device being set to July 11th, hackers were able to play the game as the developers intended. July 11th is also when Iwata passed back in 2015, Destructoid reports.

Once fiddling with the software is done, the hackers then had to perform some rather specific poses using the Joy-Con. For anyone interested, a video on what types of poses are involved has been posted on YouTube. Having done all of that, the players can access the NES Golf game that’s been hidden in the console’s codes.

Now, it’s worth pointing out that all of these elements are incredibly important in actually unlocking the game. If the firmware of the Switch is updated beyond what it came with during launch, for example, the date can no longer be reset, Kotaku reports.

As to why the secret game is the classic 8-bit Golf, it’s apparently due to the fact that the game’s code was largely the work of Iwata himself. By adding the game into the Switch, the Nintendo team is paying tribute to the legend’s contributions.

In any case, this is an example of a major video game company paying respect to an industry icon in a way that is unique to the community. Iwata has been a monumental figure to a lot of developers and gamers, and his passing was treated as a huge loss for the industry.