For several years, Nintendo has been evolving its Switch to offer the most competitive console possible. In addition to exclusives, the Japanese giant relies on services, like Microsoft and Xbox. And with the Nintendo Switch Online additional pack, Nintendo wants to encourage retrogaming enthusiasts to get their hands on the wallet. A new leak suggests that this subscription should expand soon, with the arrival of games from two famous consoles.
Towards the arrival of two new emulators?
Backwards compatibility and retrogaming have been on the rise for a few years now. While Microsoft and Xbox remain the kings of the console category, Nintendo wants to seduce lovers of old consoles with emulators for NES and Super NES. Included in the Nintendo Switch Online Additional Pack, these emulators could well turn to other consoles of the past. In any case, this is what a leak seen on 4chan and presented by the twittos known as @Trashbandatcoot suggests.
According to these documents, Nintendo has developed, via NERD, aka its Nintendo European Research & Development branch, two new emulators. One would focus on the Game Boy, the other the Game Boy Advance. Respectively known as “Hiyoko” and “Sloop”, they would be in the same vein as the previous emulators offered by Nintendo.
This is already starting to do numbers thanks to random lookups so I’ll bring in some extra context in case anyone has any doubts:
4 files were leaked so far onto 4chan: 2 NSP’s with a 7z archive that has loose NCA’s. The 2 NSP’s is a Nintendo developed GBA emulator… (1/?) pic.twitter.com/t5yaJWzHHV
April 18, 2022
…called Sloop, and the 7z archive is called Hiyoko, which is a Game Boy emulator, with all Game Boy games being separate applications. These emulators are developed by NERD (Nintendo Europe Research & Development), and are both functional, albeit with a few bugs. (2/?) pic.twitter.com/RRUAVvz2BX
April 18, 2022
“Nintendo’s official Game Boy Advance emulator for the Nintendo Switch just leaked. Now we just have to wait for the NSO to add the GBA.
It’s already starting to pull in numbers from random searches, so I’ll provide some additional context in case anyone is in doubt:4 files have leaked so far on 4chan: 2 NSPs with a 7z archive that contains loose NCAs. The 2 NSPs are a GBA emulator developed by Nintendo called Sloop, and the 7z archive is called Hiyoko, which is a Game Boy emulator, with all Game Boy games being separate apps. These emulators are developed by NERD (Nintendo Europe Research & Development), and are both functional, although with some bugs.
The list of games tested by Nintendo for its emulators has also been shared. As MondoMega explains in the tweet below, these games have been tested and it is therefore possible that they are not all part of the available catalog.
The library of GBA games they’ve tested for this thing is massive. Tested is the key word; doesn’t mean they’ll all actually launch on the service. Yellow = in the rom folder at some point but not in the leaked build.
There’s one other game with evidence of being tested though- https://t.co/QQDBDcdAZp pic.twitter.com/lGSB4Mg7Gt
April 18, 2022
For now, these emulators have been revealed through leaks. This information should therefore be taken with a grain of salt. The use of a cartridge EZ Flash, used by hackers to circumvent Nintendo systems, is further clouding the issue. Nintendo will not fail to confirm, or deny, the existence of these two new emulators on the occasion of yet another Nintendo Direct.
On your side, do you want this leak to materialize? Would you like to see emulators for the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance? Do not hesitate to answer us via the survey below and the comments section.
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