Nintendo Hid NES Golf on Your Switch

Modders have found an emulator and a digital copy of Golf installed on the Switch hardware.

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The exact fate of Virtual Console on Switch hardware remains a mystery, but new information revealed by modders suggests Nintendo has at the very least put serious thought into what it might want to do with its back catalog of gaming hits. Within the Switch hardware’s file system, modders discovered an emulator and the NES sports title, Golf.

As noted by Polygon, the team at Switchbrew was going through a dumped file system and discovered a file named “flog,” which corresponds to Golf. The game is apparently included with every copy of the Switch OS, dating back to version 1.0.

Another interesting bit of information is that the game includes instructions for use with the Joy-Con controllers. Along with the presence of the emulator, this suggests Nintendo has—or at least, at some point had—big plans for classic games on the Switch hardware.

Golf, the game that has the honor of being a trailblazer, isn’t generally regarded as a classic of yesteryear. Though developed by Nintendo and produced by Shigeru Miyamoto himself, the title is for the most part remembered fondly only compared to its sparse competition at the time.

The eShop thus far has been stuffed with indie games (which sell very well on Switch, compared to on competing platforms), and with ports of NeoGeo games. It’s possible Nintendo had grand plans for Virtual Console but has since scrapped them, or perhaps it is simply gathering resources to introduce them to the new platform in a bolder, more memorable way. In any case, we’ll likely know more in the coming year, when Nintendo makes its online service available and starts charging subscription fees.

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