An internet sleuth, @Gloomyfates, stumbled upon the discovery of an eighth NES game hidden within the N64 version of “Animal Crossing.” Originally released as a giveaway in Nintendo Dream magazine under the title Ice Climber, it was made available through a unique Controller Pak with a special sticker.

The game Ice Climber game is part of the Famicom Animal Crossing games that are playable on the original N64 version, titled “DĻobutsu no Mori.” The limited distribution of the giveaway means it’s difficult to locate and has been found by very few collectors. It probably works similarly to unused ROM loading in GameCube versions but uses a Controller Pak instead.

If you happen to have one of these rare 30-packs, you’re sitting on a piece of Nintendo history!

Considering the rarity and uniqueness of this discovery, what do you think it says about the importance of digital preservation strategies?