For some reason, Nintendo always hides a few easter eggs in the interface of their consoles. For example, on Switch, when you unlock it, depending on the button you press, it will sound in a different way… And, actually, this is something that dates back 23 years, since the release of GameCube, with a couple of absolutely amazing surprises that you probably didn’t know about and will make you dust off the console.
The game cube
While all eyes may now be on Switch 2, it’s worth taking a look at the past: try turning on the console. If you press the Z button in the meantime, the famous G made up of cubes won’t have its usual xylophone-based tune: instead, it will sound like one of those squeaky children’s toys that make noise when you squeeze them and end with a childish laugh.
Nice, yes, but there’s more! If you connect four controllers and press the Z button on all of them at the same time, the startup screen will sound this time with a reminiscence of ‘Donkey Kong’, with jungle sounds that culminate in a desperate monkey scream. Why? What is the reason for Nintendo hiding this secret in broad daylight? Who knows. The truth is that a TikTok video from the Secret Castle Toys store has revealed it and now I can’t stop thinking about a weekend alone with the GameCube.
In Nintendo 3DS, blowing into the microphone made the logo on the screen start spinning at full speed, and in Nintendo DS, when the game ‘Mario & Yoshi’ was inserted, the console would shout “Yoshi!” when opened and the sound of the dinosaur swallowing when closed. When developers get playful, things like this happen: tricks that you only discover decades later. And, whether you like it or not, it’s really enjoyable.
