The hidden NES emulator on Switch is actually a tribute to the late Satoru Iwata

A few days ago, we reported on dataminers discovering the NES game Golf hidden within the Switch's firmware. A lot of people were speculating if this was a bug, a placeholder for the eventual launch of Nintendo's Virtual Console service, or some hidden Easter egg that could eventually be launched. It turns out the last explanation was true, just it goes a bit deeper than a simple bonus.

Through ingenuity and probably a lot of trial and error, users of the forum GBATemp.net uncovered the very specific steps needed to get the emulator up and running through legitimate means. For starters, your console must be on the initial firmware version (1.0.0) and be set to July 11. For those unaware, that was the day that Satoru Iwata passed away in 2015.

Next, you need to recreate Iwata's pose from all of the Nintendo Direct videos with your Joy-Con. You can see this happening in the embedded video, but basically you start with your arms by your waist and then raise them in front of you. I'm not sure why he did this (if it represents something), but that is certainly a way to pay tribute to his quirky personality.