Huge leak reveals source code for prototypes of SNES-era games

A “gigaleak” of Nintendo data has revealed the source code of prototypes of many games for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System that ultimately never saw the light of day. The leak also contains source code for classic games.

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In May, a security breach hit Nintendo. Data on the Nintendo 64, Wii and GameCube had then leaked. This new leak is even bigger, hence its name “gigaleak”. It contains the source code of many classic games released in the mid-90s sur la SNES : Mario Kart, Super Mario All-Stars, The Legend of Zelda : A Link to the Past, etc.

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No slippage in Super Mario Kart, a Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Bros. 5…

The source code of cult games is not even what fascinates Internet users the most. The most interesting part of this leak is the source code of prototypes of many games. These have never seen the light of day and have never been talked about until now. Secrets are very well kept at Nintendo, well almost.

First of all, there is le prototype de Yoshi’s Island : Super Mario Bros. 5. As you can see in the video below, the interface, soundtrack and graphics are quite different from the Super Mario World 2 we know from the SNES. Also, from the source code and amazing as it sounds, there was no slip possible in the turns of Super Mario Kart released in 1992.

The leak also reveals to us the full source code of Star Fox 2 which missed its release in 1996 after being discontinued by Nintendo. It was launched anyway 21 years later on the SNES Classic Mini. In the code, a human pilot is present in one of the levels. Even better, a development tool created by its author Dylan Cuthbert has resurfaced. He himself confessed on Twitter that he had not seen him for almost 30 years.

This gigaleak surely does not please Nintendo who may have it withdrawn very soon, but it allowed us to learn more about the development of its games at a crucial period in video game history.

Source : Engadget

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