Trivia Browser
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The Cutting Room Floor article:
https://tcrf.net/Doki_Doki_Literature_Club_Plus!#Version_Differences
YouTube video showcasing the scene in the PlayStation 4 & 5 versions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRCIG11T534
YouTube video showcasing the scene in all other versions of the game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w1gNV6pOgg
https://tcrf.net/Doki_Doki_Literature_Club_Plus!#Version_Differences
YouTube video showcasing the scene in the PlayStation 4 & 5 versions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRCIG11T534
YouTube video showcasing the scene in all other versions of the game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w1gNV6pOgg
subdirectory_arrow_right Ranma ½: Chounai Gekitou-hen (Game)
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Street Combat was originally released in Japan as Ranma ½: Chounai Gekitou Hen, a tie-in with the anime adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi's 1987 manga Ranma ½. The American release stripped out all references to the source material due to its obscurity in the United States at the time, though the in-game sprites for Street Combat's cast are visibly traced over their Ranma ½ counterparts. Additionally, Happosai and Cologne are merged into a single character, Happy, in Street Combat.
The Cutting Room Floor article:
https://tcrf.net/Street_Combat
Hardcore Gaming 101 article:
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/street-combat-ranma-%C2%BD-chounai-gekitouhen/
YouTube video comparing the Japanese and US versions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pttH2daFIjM
https://tcrf.net/Street_Combat
Hardcore Gaming 101 article:
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/street-combat-ranma-%C2%BD-chounai-gekitouhen/
YouTube video comparing the Japanese and US versions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pttH2daFIjM
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The original release of the 1988 DOS version of Tetris features an animation on the title screen where a white Cessna airplane flies over the title logo; after the opening scroll, it reappears while dragging a banner that reads "PLAY TETRIS!" This sequence references Mathias Rust, a West German teenager who illegally piloted a Cessna from Uetersen Airfield to Moscow the previous year in an attempt to relieve tensions between the United States and Soviet Union, landing near Red Square.
Rust's flight was a major embarrassment for the Soviet military due to him disproving the notion that their defenses were ironclad. Consequently, later revisions of the game removed the animation on orders from ELORG, the Soviet Union's state-sponsored computer company and the owners of the Tetris license at the time.
Rust's flight was a major embarrassment for the Soviet military due to him disproving the notion that their defenses were ironclad. Consequently, later revisions of the game removed the animation on orders from ELORG, the Soviet Union's state-sponsored computer company and the owners of the Tetris license at the time.
The Cutting Room Floor article:
https://tcrf.net/Tetris_(DOS,_Spectrum_HoloByte)#Title_Screen
Smithsonian Magazine article:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/the-notorious-flight-of-mathias-rust-7101888/
BBC article:
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20609795
https://tcrf.net/Tetris_(DOS,_Spectrum_HoloByte)#Title_Screen
Smithsonian Magazine article:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/the-notorious-flight-of-mathias-rust-7101888/
BBC article:
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20609795
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Within the data for Chapter 2 is a placeholder graphic for Queen's arcade cabinet that depicts it with green paneling and the word "XBOX" crudely written on the marquee. Despite the fact that it was never intended to be featured in the normal course of play, the sprite was altered in the version 1.06 update to remove the "XBOX" text, presumably to avoid potential trademark issues.
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In the release build of Super Mario Maker, there were text strings relating to 13 unused Mystery Mushroom costumes:
• BabyMario
• BalloonFight
• EGadd
• GoldenRetri (presumably short for "golden retriever")
• MarioUs (presumably Mario's appearance from what is known in Japan as Super Mario Bros. USA)
• Mashiko (Japanese name of Mary O.)
• MrSaturn (from EarthBound)
• Muncher
• Nabbit
• Popo
• Tetris
• WindowsLogo
Baby Mario, Balloon Fighter, E. Gadd, Mary O., Mr. Saturn, and Nabbit would eventually be added in updates, as would an Ice Climbers costume featuring Popo alongside his friend Nana, while a power-up that turns Mario into his Super Mario Bros. 2 self would be introduced in an update to Super Mario Maker 2.
The most notable names are "Tetris" and "WindowsLogo", two non-Nintendo franchises that otherwise go unrepresented in Super Mario Maker. Tetris was formerly published on handheld and home consoles by Nintendo between the 1980s-1990s, and has been featured through music and Spirits in the Super Smash Bros. series, which is used as the basis for Super Mario Maker's base-game third party costume selection. WindowsLogo seems to be some kind of remnant of a Microsoft Windows operating environment being used to develop the game, as Nintendo has never been involved with the Windows line of software.
• BabyMario
• BalloonFight
• EGadd
• GoldenRetri (presumably short for "golden retriever")
• MarioUs (presumably Mario's appearance from what is known in Japan as Super Mario Bros. USA)
• Mashiko (Japanese name of Mary O.)
• MrSaturn (from EarthBound)
• Muncher
• Nabbit
• Popo
• Tetris
• WindowsLogo
Baby Mario, Balloon Fighter, E. Gadd, Mary O., Mr. Saturn, and Nabbit would eventually be added in updates, as would an Ice Climbers costume featuring Popo alongside his friend Nana, while a power-up that turns Mario into his Super Mario Bros. 2 self would be introduced in an update to Super Mario Maker 2.
The most notable names are "Tetris" and "WindowsLogo", two non-Nintendo franchises that otherwise go unrepresented in Super Mario Maker. Tetris was formerly published on handheld and home consoles by Nintendo between the 1980s-1990s, and has been featured through music and Spirits in the Super Smash Bros. series, which is used as the basis for Super Mario Maker's base-game third party costume selection. WindowsLogo seems to be some kind of remnant of a Microsoft Windows operating environment being used to develop the game, as Nintendo has never been involved with the Windows line of software.
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The international logo for the game contains a tiny vectoring error at the bottom of the first "R" of "Riders". This mistake can't be seen on the title screen due to the lower resolution used, but it can barely be seen on the cover art for differing releases of the game.
Sonic Riders American and European title screens:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7rVMMUSKzQ?t=183
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdtLpm_kcc0?t=114
Sonic Riders different box arts with logo error:
https://www.mobygames.com/game/21419/sonic-riders/covers/
Sonic Riders high quality logo with error:
https://www.steamgriddb.com/logo/15129
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7rVMMUSKzQ?t=183
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdtLpm_kcc0?t=114
Sonic Riders different box arts with logo error:
https://www.mobygames.com/game/21419/sonic-riders/covers/
Sonic Riders high quality logo with error:
https://www.steamgriddb.com/logo/15129
subdirectory_arrow_right Epic Games (Company)
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In May 2024, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) fined Epic Games €1,125,000 for using "unfair commercial practices" aimed at children in Fortnite. The investigation found that Epic Games "exploited [the] vulnerabilities" of children through design choices in the game's Item Shop. Examples include the use of demanding phrases like "get it now" or "buy now" on certain advertisements, which the ACM deemed an "illegal aggressive commercial practice", as well as countdown timers that were used on some ads for items still available in the shop after the countdown ended, exploiting a fear of missing out by making items that were still available for sale falsely seem scarce. Epic Games immediately made changes to the game in response to this report, including removing countdown timers worldwide and adding time indicators for shop refreshes and item removal dates. As of May 24, 2024, players under 18 years of age in the Netherlands can only see items available for 48 hours or more in the store. However, the company still planned to appeal the decision, claiming that the ACM's findings contain factual errors about how Fortnite and the Item Shop operate.
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The first small patch for Crow Country released on May 10th, 2024 merely states "Fixed xenophobic mushroom boys. Ask me about it some time." Tom Vian, technical director at SFB Games, elaborated on this in a Twitter thread stating a bug had been reported through the Steam forums regarding the "mushroom boys" found throughout the game. As it turned out, the config settings regarding the mushroom boys' trigger distance had been stored as text, with said distances using fractional values. This caused issues regarding the computer's native regional style. For example, a French computer would read a "0.4" value as simply "0", making the trigger range impossible to enter. Similarly, a German computer would turn the value into "4", meaning the trigger range could reach halfway across the room. The glitch was fixed by updating the game so that it only used the United Kingdom's configuration settings, as this was how the devs' settings were written, and was why the glitch was never encountered during playtesting (the playtesters were mostly from the UK aside from a few US playtesters).
May 10 patch notes:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1996010/view/4201372769980619454?l=english
Tom Vian Twitter thread:
https://www.twitter.com/SFBTom/status/1789295729883726332
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1996010/view/4201372769980619454?l=english
Tom Vian Twitter thread:
https://www.twitter.com/SFBTom/status/1789295729883726332
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The Dragon Quest-esque overworld area, colloquially known as FC World, features a large island on the right-hand side of the map that is not accessible during the normal course of play despite taking up the majority of FC World's land mass. No events or exits are associated with this island, popularly known as FC World C, meaning that hacking the game to place Madotsuki there would prove fruitless.
Despite this, there is evidence that this area was meant to be explorable at one point in development. In the Version 0.09 build (the last one before the "final" Version 0.10 release in 2007), the Dense Woods and Windmill World areas feature the player character from the minigame NASU as an NPC; however, a flag is set to render it invisible (and therefore non-interactable). If the player uses RPG Maker 2003's debugging tools to render the character visible, interacting with it teleports Madotsuki to another unused area in FC World, a small island with four statues on it and an exit at the bottom. Going through this exit takes Madotsuki to FC World C.
While FC World C is still as barren as in other versions of the game, the unused chain of events leading up to it in Version 0.09 indicates that the area was intended to play some kind of role in the final game and that Kikiyama continued to try implementing it late into the game's update history.
Despite this, there is evidence that this area was meant to be explorable at one point in development. In the Version 0.09 build (the last one before the "final" Version 0.10 release in 2007), the Dense Woods and Windmill World areas feature the player character from the minigame NASU as an NPC; however, a flag is set to render it invisible (and therefore non-interactable). If the player uses RPG Maker 2003's debugging tools to render the character visible, interacting with it teleports Madotsuki to another unused area in FC World, a small island with four statues on it and an exit at the bottom. Going through this exit takes Madotsuki to FC World C.
While FC World C is still as barren as in other versions of the game, the unused chain of events leading up to it in Version 0.09 indicates that the area was intended to play some kind of role in the final game and that Kikiyama continued to try implementing it late into the game's update history.
The Cutting Room Floor articles:
https://tcrf.net/Yume_Nikki#FC_World_C
https://tcrf.net/Proto:Yume_Nikki/Version_0.09#NASU_Link
YouTube video showing the unused NASU event in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH-jHO4vqLI
https://tcrf.net/Yume_Nikki#FC_World_C
https://tcrf.net/Proto:Yume_Nikki/Version_0.09#NASU_Link
YouTube video showing the unused NASU event in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH-jHO4vqLI
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Sexualization complaints:
https://www.denofgeek.com/games/stellar-blade-controversy-explained/
South Korean rating:
https://en.as.com/meristation/news/stellar-blade-gets-an-adults-only-rating-due-to-nudity-and-explicit-gore-n/
Design choice quote:
https://fandomwire.com/hyung-tae-kim-stellar-blade-avoid-controversy/
Day 1 patch censorship:
https://esports.gg/news/stellar-blade/players-outraged-at-unexpected-stellar-blade-outfit-censorship/
Compilation of outfits in base game before Day 1 patch (uncensored versions of Cybernetic Bondage at 2:30, and Holiday Rabbit at 4:52):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMT6z9xejeA
Compilation of outfits after Day 1 patch (censored versions of Cybernetic Bondage at 1:03, Holiday Rabbit at 2:19, and Moutan Peony at 3:02):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAcvYBGPoGk
Nano Suit tutorial pop-up montage with uncensored Moutan Peony costume (this is the only footage I could find of anyone sitting through this video start to finish):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHJhViruQKM?t=3761
Stellar Blade uncensored claim tweet:
https://twitter.com/StellarBlade/status/1781976139688534449
Video of Hyung-Tae Kim defending update changes:
https://www.reddit.com/r/stellarblade/comments/1cdlllp/directors_answer_to_the_change_in_the_outfitvideo/
GameAbout interview with Kim (article in Korean):
https://www.gameabout.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=87017
Holiday Rabbit and Cybernetic Bondage costume reversal:
https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/05/stellar-blade-ps5-quietly-adds-uncensored-new-costumes-in-controversy-aftermath
IGN interview with Yoko Taro and Kim:
https://www.ign.com/articles/stellar-blade-x-nier-automata-taro-yoko-hyung-tae-kim
https://www.denofgeek.com/games/stellar-blade-controversy-explained/
South Korean rating:
https://en.as.com/meristation/news/stellar-blade-gets-an-adults-only-rating-due-to-nudity-and-explicit-gore-n/
Design choice quote:
https://fandomwire.com/hyung-tae-kim-stellar-blade-avoid-controversy/
Day 1 patch censorship:
https://esports.gg/news/stellar-blade/players-outraged-at-unexpected-stellar-blade-outfit-censorship/
Compilation of outfits in base game before Day 1 patch (uncensored versions of Cybernetic Bondage at 2:30, and Holiday Rabbit at 4:52):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMT6z9xejeA
Compilation of outfits after Day 1 patch (censored versions of Cybernetic Bondage at 1:03, Holiday Rabbit at 2:19, and Moutan Peony at 3:02):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAcvYBGPoGk
Nano Suit tutorial pop-up montage with uncensored Moutan Peony costume (this is the only footage I could find of anyone sitting through this video start to finish):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHJhViruQKM?t=3761
Stellar Blade uncensored claim tweet:
https://twitter.com/StellarBlade/status/1781976139688534449
Video of Hyung-Tae Kim defending update changes:
https://www.reddit.com/r/stellarblade/comments/1cdlllp/directors_answer_to_the_change_in_the_outfitvideo/
GameAbout interview with Kim (article in Korean):
https://www.gameabout.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=87017
Holiday Rabbit and Cybernetic Bondage costume reversal:
https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/05/stellar-blade-ps5-quietly-adds-uncensored-new-costumes-in-controversy-aftermath
IGN interview with Yoko Taro and Kim:
https://www.ign.com/articles/stellar-blade-x-nier-automata-taro-yoko-hyung-tae-kim
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When fighting the final boss Spoiler:Sigma, the music that plays in the fight, Spoiler:"Sigma 1st" (where the cloaked and uncloaked form fight occurs) & Spoiler:"Sigma 2nd" (where the final form fight occurs) is oddly swapped in the PC version of the game. This is due to mislabelled filenames, and can be easily fixed by manually swapping the filenames within the data for the PC version.
PC version footage of music swap:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imlfTxaTyzE
PlayStation version footage with correct music order:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kkpf6f7J5Xc?t=13788
The Cutting Room Floor article:
https://tcrf.net/Mega_Man_X4#Windows_version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imlfTxaTyzE
PlayStation version footage with correct music order:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kkpf6f7J5Xc?t=13788
The Cutting Room Floor article:
https://tcrf.net/Mega_Man_X4#Windows_version
subdirectory_arrow_right The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition (Game)
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A major bug in The Witch and the Hundred Knight that can occur at seemingly any time will force the game to return to the system menu, losing all unsaved progress as a result. This became a common critique in the game's reviews, leading it to not be received as favorably by some. While The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition did not fully fix this glitch, it occurs much less frequently, with playing for extended periods of time being noted as a possible factor.
Cubed3 review of the original version:
http://www.cubed3.com/review/1420/1/the-witch-and-the-hundred-knight-playstation-3.html
Cubed3 review of the Revival Edition:
http://www.cubed3.com/review/2786/1/the-witch-and-the-hundred-knight-revival-edition-playstation-4.html
http://www.cubed3.com/review/1420/1/the-witch-and-the-hundred-knight-playstation-3.html
Cubed3 review of the Revival Edition:
http://www.cubed3.com/review/2786/1/the-witch-and-the-hundred-knight-revival-edition-playstation-4.html
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IGN article:
https://www.ign.com/articles/sony-says-racist-phrase-in-stellar-blade-was-unintentional-will-be-patched-out
Kotaku article with updated graphic:
https://kotaku.com/stellar-blade-ps5-racism-day-one-patch-1851432185
Wikitionary and Urban Dictionary entries for "Hard R":
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hard_r
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hard+R
Discovery tweet:
https://twitter.com/manfightdragon/status/1783133869912539521
Patch tweet:
https://twitter.com/manfightdragon/status/1783158271400182223
Stellar Blade uncensored claim tweet:
https://twitter.com/StellarBlade/status/1781976139688534449
https://www.ign.com/articles/sony-says-racist-phrase-in-stellar-blade-was-unintentional-will-be-patched-out
Kotaku article with updated graphic:
https://kotaku.com/stellar-blade-ps5-racism-day-one-patch-1851432185
Wikitionary and Urban Dictionary entries for "Hard R":
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hard_r
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hard+R
Discovery tweet:
https://twitter.com/manfightdragon/status/1783133869912539521
Patch tweet:
https://twitter.com/manfightdragon/status/1783158271400182223
Stellar Blade uncensored claim tweet:
https://twitter.com/StellarBlade/status/1781976139688534449
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Following the scene where Diane Spoiler:is crushed by Lin, who found out she was a dirty cop, the player is given a dialogue prompt that can lead to a bad ending with two possible death scenes. Originally, it was not possible to trigger the bad ending after finishing the scene, but on February 26, 2024, a series of updates was released (versions 7.0.4 to 7.0.7), each one claiming to have made it possible to obtain the bad ending by talking to Lin again after the scene occurs. Exactly which one made it possible is unknown, as each of the version updates have the exact same description regarding the addition.
Diane crush scene (note: does not include either death scene):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-iCYjPwkbU#t=514
All version updates:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2385720/view/4155203895337298570?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2385720/view/4155203895337743884?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2385720/view/4155203895337771404?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2385720/view/4155203895337789003?l=english
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-iCYjPwkbU#t=514
All version updates:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2385720/view/4155203895337298570?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2385720/view/4155203895337743884?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2385720/view/4155203895337771404?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2385720/view/4155203895337789003?l=english
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In the original release of the game, the monster that the player could summon to attack the city was a thinly veiled parody of Godzilla, right down to using the character's iconic roar from the film series; the sound effect is even named "God" in the game's files, furthering the reference. The Godzilla parody is also depicted on the game's box art, gleefully waving at the viewer.
According to programmer Don Hopkins, who notably ported SimCity to numerous versions of Unix, Maxis ended up getting sued by Toho, the owners of the Godzilla franchise; additional details were recounted to him by Maxis CEO Jeff Braun:
As a result of this suit, the monster was redesigned in the v1.2 release to resemble a giant orange salamander. The creature's roar is also changed and the game's box art is redesigned to replace the Godzilla parody with a tornado. In the v1.3 release, the salamander is given a slightly larger and more detailed sprite to fit the revised art style, but its roar (now internally renamed "Monster") is corrupted.
According to programmer Don Hopkins, who notably ported SimCity to numerous versions of Unix, Maxis ended up getting sued by Toho, the owners of the Godzilla franchise; additional details were recounted to him by Maxis CEO Jeff Braun:
"We never referred to the name Godzilla, our monster on the box cover was a T-Rex looking character, but... a few magazine reviews called the monster, Godzilla. That was all it took. Toho called it "confusion in the marketplace". We paid $50k for Godzilla to go away. In all honesty, Toho liked Maxis, they said $50k was the minimum they take for Godzilla infringement."
As a result of this suit, the monster was redesigned in the v1.2 release to resemble a giant orange salamander. The creature's roar is also changed and the game's box art is redesigned to replace the Godzilla parody with a tornado. In the v1.3 release, the salamander is given a slightly larger and more detailed sprite to fit the revised art style, but its roar (now internally renamed "Monster") is corrupted.
The Cutting Room Floor article:
https://tcrf.net/SimCity_(Mac_OS_Classic)#Godzilla_vs._Notzilla
Don Hopkins testimony in a Hacker News post:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40050799
MobyGames gallery showcasing the different box art designs:
https://www.mobygames.com/game/848/simcity/covers/
https://tcrf.net/SimCity_(Mac_OS_Classic)#Godzilla_vs._Notzilla
Don Hopkins testimony in a Hacker News post:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40050799
MobyGames gallery showcasing the different box art designs:
https://www.mobygames.com/game/848/simcity/covers/
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In 2019, Studio MDHR and the multinational automotive company Tesla announced that a special port of Cuphead would be released for the Tesla Arcade digital store and would be playable on the company's Model S, Model X, and Model 3 vehicles. Due to storage limitations with the cars, the Tesla Arcade version only includes the stages in Inkwell Isle I. The game can only be played with a controller plugged into each vehicle's USB port, but can be played cooperatively with two players controlling Cuphead and Mugman. As part of the announcement, Studio MDHR released commemorative artwork of Cuphead and Mugman standing with a Model 3 car.
Articles about Cuphead being added to Tesla cars:
https://gamerant.com/cuphead-tesla-vehicles/
https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/09/28/you-can-now-play-cuphead-on-your-tesla-car
https://www.eurogamer.net/you-can-now-play-cuphead-in-a-tesla
Studio MDHR and Tesla announcements:
https://twitter.com/StudioMDHR/status/1177305158470029314
https://www.tesla.com/blog/introducing-software-version-10-0
Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQGKvVVEB2I
https://gamerant.com/cuphead-tesla-vehicles/
https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/09/28/you-can-now-play-cuphead-on-your-tesla-car
https://www.eurogamer.net/you-can-now-play-cuphead-in-a-tesla
Studio MDHR and Tesla announcements:
https://twitter.com/StudioMDHR/status/1177305158470029314
https://www.tesla.com/blog/introducing-software-version-10-0
Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQGKvVVEB2I
subdirectory_arrow_right Nintendo Switch (Platform)
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Within the Nintendo Switch firmware prior to Version 4.0.0 (for Japanese, US and European systems only), there is a hidden NES emulator stub called "flog" that can be unlocked under very specific conditions. flog can only be unlocked on the Home Screen and when the console's internal clock is set to July 11th (if the date is changed in System Settings, but the console is connected to the internet and can see the actual date, this method will not work). The method to unlock it involves detaching the Joy-Cons from the console, holding them pointing forwards/downwards, then moving them to a vertical position and holding it for a few seconds. This gesture may take some time to hone due to it being a specific movement tracked by the Joy-Cons, but when it is matched, the system will check to see if flog is installed. When checked, an audio clip of a man saying "chokusetsu" ("直接"), the Japanese word for "direct", will play and the screen will cut to black and launch the 1984 NES title Golf. This emulator is unique in that it includes specific instructions in English and Japanese on how to play depending on how the Joy-Cons are held, and has a more stripped-down and simplistic appearance than the emulators that would be used for NES games on Nintendo Switch Online. Pressing the Home button while playing Golf will return you to the Home Screen without any visible software running there.
With Version 4.0.0, Nintendo removed all of the code required to launch flog and play Golf, but the company seemed unusually hesitant to even acknowledge its existence when asked by news outlets. One month before its removal, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Amie released two statements regarding it when asked by Kotaku:
While this seems to allude that the secret emulator and Golf's inclusion were not authorized within Nintendo, this all but confirms that their purpose was to act as a tribute to Nintendo's late CEO Satoru Iwata. Iwata, who programmed Golf and previously hosted the company's Nintendo Direct showcase series, passed away on July 11th, 2015, with the method to unlock the emulator mimicking a gesture he used during Nintendo Directs. Japanese fans on social media referred to the Easter egg as an "omamori", an amulet purchased at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan that if kept close are said to protect the bearer and bring good luck, speculating that Golf was included by Iwata as a secret charm to watch over every Nintendo Switch unit after his death.
With Version 4.0.0, Nintendo removed all of the code required to launch flog and play Golf, but the company seemed unusually hesitant to even acknowledge its existence when asked by news outlets. One month before its removal, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Amie released two statements regarding it when asked by Kotaku:
"So, two comments on this. It was identified by folks playing around in the firmware. We've got nothing officially to announce for that content or what the plans are for that content. So that's that. Certainly anything that pays respect to my friend Mr. Iwata is something that is near and dear to me personally, but in terms of that execution and what it was meant to do or what the plans are, we've got nothing to announce."
"I'm struck whenever I go back to Kyoto and spend time in our headquarters and spend time in the offices where Mr. Iwata, myself and others would be meeting. It's always personally touching. And so, again, no comment on that particular execution."
"I'm struck whenever I go back to Kyoto and spend time in our headquarters and spend time in the offices where Mr. Iwata, myself and others would be meeting. It's always personally touching. And so, again, no comment on that particular execution."
While this seems to allude that the secret emulator and Golf's inclusion were not authorized within Nintendo, this all but confirms that their purpose was to act as a tribute to Nintendo's late CEO Satoru Iwata. Iwata, who programmed Golf and previously hosted the company's Nintendo Direct showcase series, passed away on July 11th, 2015, with the method to unlock the emulator mimicking a gesture he used during Nintendo Directs. Japanese fans on social media referred to the Easter egg as an "omamori", an amulet purchased at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan that if kept close are said to protect the bearer and bring good luck, speculating that Golf was included by Iwata as a secret charm to watch over every Nintendo Switch unit after his death.
Video demonstrations:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGN6QXv7sfs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmkAvnnFICE
Polygon articles covering the discovery and removal of Golf:
https://www.polygon.com/2017/9/17/16323452/nintendo-switch-golf-emulator
https://www.polygon.com/nintendo-switch/2017/9/20/16338508/nintendo-switch-golf-iwata-theory
https://www.polygon.com/2017/12/27/16822340/nintendo-switch-golf-game-hidden-removed
Reggie Fils-Amie statements:
https://kotaku.com/nintendo-is-still-oddly-tight-lipped-about-the-switch-s-1820050815
The Cutting Room Floor article:
https://tcrf.net/Nintendo_Switch#Golf
Chokusetsu definition:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ちょくせつ#Japanese
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGN6QXv7sfs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmkAvnnFICE
Polygon articles covering the discovery and removal of Golf:
https://www.polygon.com/2017/9/17/16323452/nintendo-switch-golf-emulator
https://www.polygon.com/nintendo-switch/2017/9/20/16338508/nintendo-switch-golf-iwata-theory
https://www.polygon.com/2017/12/27/16822340/nintendo-switch-golf-game-hidden-removed
Reggie Fils-Amie statements:
https://kotaku.com/nintendo-is-still-oddly-tight-lipped-about-the-switch-s-1820050815
The Cutting Room Floor article:
https://tcrf.net/Nintendo_Switch#Golf
Chokusetsu definition:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ちょくせつ#Japanese
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