Recently it was discovered that on every Nintendo Switch console there is a hidden game in the form of the NES classic “Golf”. Its existence was unclear and led to a bit of speculation, such as whether an NES emulator could be eventually launched for the console, but as it turns out the reason could be a lot more touching than you think.
In an update on the SwitchBrew.org website, user yellows8 who made the initial discovery stated that it seems that the game could be an Easter Egg of sorts, and also a tribute to the late Nintendo President Satoru Iwata who passed away back in 2015. According to yellows8, the game can only be launched on the 11th of July which was Iwata’s date of passing, and that the Joy-Cons must be held the same way that Iwata typically holds his hands during Nintendo’s presentations.
Note that because the time and date on the Switch is server side, users trying to adjust the clock manually won’t work, meaning that if you missed out on checking out the game this year, you’ll have to wait until 2018 to try again, although there could be a way to bypass it as there have been some videos uploaded online showing users activating it.
As to the significance of the Golf game, apparently this is a game that was programmed by Iwata himself back at his time in the HAL Laboratory, so it makes sense that they chose this game to pay tribute. Nintendo has yet to confirm this particular theory, but it does make sense and we have to admit that if true, it is a very clever and touching tribute indeed.