The NES Mini (a.k.a. the NES Classic Edition) is a little bundle of nostalgia. Though it looks just like an old-school Nintendo, it’s small enough to fit in your palm, pre-loaded with 30 classic NES games, and costs roughly the same as a lightly used PS4. They’re also notoriously hard to find. Almost as hard to find as the code hidden inside its diminutive frame.
According to Eurogamer, a band of hackers found a lovely surprise when infiltrating the system’s code, one that hearkens back to Nintendo’s roots. It’s not the message that’s notable, however, but the alias used to write it: The Hanafuda Captain. Those versed in Nintendo’s lore will know that this is a reference to the Japanese hanafuda playing cards Nintendo sold before a rotund Italian plumber entered their lives changed everything.
Here’s the code, which was shared by Twitter user bakueikozo: