A new rumor suggests that Nintendo Switch Online may soon offer support for the long-forgotten SNES Mouse, a peripheral that was once bundled with Mario Paint. Recent updates to the SNES app on the Switch Online service have sparked speculation, with dataminers discovering potential changes that hint at a revival of the classic accessory.
A Blast from the Past: The SNES Mouse
Originally launched in 1992, the SNES Mouse was a unique two-button device packaged alongside Mario Paint, one of the era’s most iconic creative games. The mouse, with its light gray body and purple buttons, connected to the first controller slot of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and provided a new way to interact with select games. However, despite its potential, the peripheral was limited in scope, with only a few titles ever supporting it. The SNES Mouse was even sold separately for under $30 at the time, though its proprietary connector made it incompatible with standard PCs.
Over the years, third-party companies have attempted to revive the peripheral. Notable examples include Hyperkin's Hyper Click Retro-Style Mouse, which tried to capture the nostalgia for classic gaming hardware. Despite these efforts, the SNES Mouse has largely remained a niche item—until now.
Dataminers Uncover New Details
According to LuigiBlood, a well-known dataminer, recent changes made to the September 17 update of the SNES app for Nintendo Switch Online might be paving the way for SNES Mouse functionality to return. LuigiBlood's findings suggest that Nintendo reworked the SNES Mouse functionality that had been present since the app's initial launch, making it compatible with either controller port, as opposed to only the first. This adjustment could hint at the potential for a broader integration of the peripheral.
The September 17 update, which introduced games like Battletoads/Double Dragon, also included code that may allow users to configure the SNES Mouse’s behavior. This suggests that Nintendo could be planning to bring SNES Mouse-compatible games to the Switch Online service, reviving classics that required the peripheral.