Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

A copy of NES game ‘Golf’ is reportedly found hiding on the Nintendo Switch

By Garrett Hulfish Published June 15, 2022

Beginning with the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo has celebrated its history through the Virtual Console. The service has also existed on the Wii U and 3DS, but fans have been left eagerly awaiting its arrival on the Nintendo Switch. As it turns out, an NES emulator may have been on the console the whole time.

According to hacker YellowS8 (via Engadget), a hidden game called Flog (golf spelled backward) has been deep inside the

Nintendo Switch

‘s main binary. The Flog emulator was first discovered in July, but these screenshots mark the first glimpse at it. The screenshots that accompany the reveal look identical to the 1984 sports sim Golf. It is still unknown what triggers the title officially, but YellowS8 says it can be run using unofficial methods. Flog has supposedly been lurking inside the console since version 1.0.0 of the firmware.

Recommended Videos

Even more curious is the supposed inclusion of multiple control methods. As expected, the default controls scheme appears to use the Joy-Con control stick and face buttons. The screenshots suggest that by holding the ZL or ZR button activates motion controls. Users would be able to swing physically to play shots.

Nintendo has previously stated that Virtual Console is on its way to the

Nintendo Switch

, yet the company has never made any indication of adding motion controls. No prior official NES ROMs have used the control method and Nintendo appears to be tight-lipped on the subject.

In addition to the Virtual Console, Nintendo also touted the Classic Games Selection as part of next year’s online subscription for the Switch. These classics will include Switch-specific upgrades like online play.

With each iteration of Virtual Console, Nintendo has added more and more console emulators. On the original Wii, it was limited to NES, SNES, and Nintendo 64 titles. With the Wii U and 3DS, the service added Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, and Nintendo DS entries. The Nintendo Switch has been rumored to go even further, suggesting the addition of Gamecube games on Virtual Console.

While these rumored remain unconfirmed by Nintendo, its latest Direct stream revealed that classic Nintendo titles are incoming, starting with Mario Bros. later in September.

Topics

Garrett Hulfish

Contributor

Garrett is the kind of guy who tells you about all the tech you haven't heard of yet. He also knows too much about other…

Gaming

One week later, this is what still surprises me most about Nintendo Switch 2

Mario Kart World appears on a Nintendo Switch 2 screen.

Last week, Nintendo gave us a whole wealth of Nintendo Switch 2 details. We learned about its games, its mysterious C-button, and got more details on how its mouse controllers worked. It was a presentation filled with surprises too, from a shocking Kirby Air Riders reveal to the announcement that GameCube games are coming to Nintendo Switch Online. I experienced some real shockers of my own when I went hands-on with the Switch 2 and found myself enamored with its new control scheme.

I've had a lot of time to process all the news since then, and even changed my tune on things I was initially critical of, like GameChat. Sitting down to reflect, there's one thing that still surprises me more than anything: just how next-gen the system actually feels.

Gaming

Switch 2 woes cross the border as Nintendo delays preorders in Canada

The Nintendo Switch 2 is being held in a pair of hands.

Nintendo Switch 2 troubles have been extended to our neighbors north of the border. Pre-orders for the highly-anticipated hybrid console have been delayed in Canada just before they were slated to begin.

Jonathan Ore, senior writer for CBC Radio Online, shared a statement from Nintendo of Canada on Bluesky on Tuesday saying pre-orders for the Switch 2 have been delayed in the country to "align with the timing of pre-orders" in the United States. The statement reads as follows:

Gaming

Switch 2 vs. Switch Lite: is the upgrade worth the heavy price?

The Switch 2 next to a TV with Mario Kart.

Each video game console generation is getting longer and longer, with the Switch hanging on for 8 years before we got official information about the Switch 2. Over that time, we got a couple of different versions of the original Switch with some distinct differences, but how does each one stack up against the Switch 2? We can look at the Switch 2 vs. Switch for a baseline, but what about the Switch 2 vs. Switch OLED and Switch Lite? With this console costing quite a bit more than the current systems, and upcoming Switch 2 games also getting a price increase, should you hold on to your Switch Lite, or is the Switch 2 worth the heavy cost?

If you're more of a PC player who likes playing handheld, we have also compared the Switch 2 vs. Steam Deck to see which is the king of the handhelds.

nproxy.org