The information that data miners have found inside the Nintendo Gigaleak has gotten pretty weird recently. Images of beloved Nintendo characters committing heinous acts, haunting sprites dug up from classic game files, and a very strange beta version of Yoshi are only a few the odd assets data miners have managed to get their hands on. What started out as a treasure hunt for Nintendo's lost secrets has quickly become a horrifying showcase of sprites Nintendo never intended for anyone to see.
The leak started when a massive number of Nintendo game files were dumped online. Due to the sheer amount of source code that had been made available, the leak was named the Nintendo Gigaleak. It contained the source codes containing unreleased assets for Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 games including Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Star Fox 2, and many more games. At first, the leaks were really interesting, and some of the information helped solve some of the oldest video game mysteries. But when the well of fascinating leaks ran dry, a flood of weird and unsettling leaks followed shortly after.
Data miners and Nintendo enthusiasts took to Twitter using the hashtag #NintendoLeaks to share their discoveries. Users such as IsoFrieze dumped sheets of unused sprites from Super Mario World, one of which contained the sprite for the beta version of Yoshi. Beta Yoshi's derpy design won the hearts of Nintendo fans and spawned a wave of fan art and support for the gangly lizard. However, beta Yoshi was only the beginning of the hideous unused sprites.
NintendoMetro posted an image of a pixel art apartment complex that contains some strange imagery of Nintendo's most beloved icons. To start, Princess Peach appears to be nude and sharing an apartment with Bowser, and next-door to them appears to be a similarly unclothed Mario. Yoshi has removed his saddle, while various other Nintendo characters are dotted around minding their own business in their own domiciles. Then there's for Toad, who's taking a smoke break on his balcony. Another post from NintendoMetro shows an unused version of Giant Baby Bowser from Yoshi's Island which can only be described as something that could haunt the dreams of children. Thankfully, the final version of GBB is far less ominous and players can sleep at night knowing that beta GBB only exists hidden inside the game's files.
Another very horrifying image comes from user LukeWholey who posted a collage of unused expressions from Starfox 2. The image depicts Fox, Falco, Peppy, and Slippy expressing some sort of anguish. Is it pain? Is it horror? Regardless, these images were never used in the actual game and it's easy to see why. The still images alone are enough to give someone nightmares.
These Nintendo Gigaleaks may be strange and sometimes disturbing, but they are also pretty entertaining. While the first wave of leaks brought the discovery of Luigi in Super Mario 64, the more interesting lore is knowing that Toad smokes a cig every now and then. Sure, maybe some sprites are too heinous to include in a children's video game, but it's thrilling to know that somewhere deep inside the files of beloved retro games lies a series of dark secrets waiting to be discovered.
Sources: IsoFrieze, NintendoMetro, LukeWholey