Nintendo fan theory about potential announcement debunked by a 2001 magazine article

Nintendo Game Boy Advance 2021 key art
(Image credit: Nintendo)

An utterly wild Nintendo Fan theory has surfaced and speculated that Nintendo was to announce something today.

Despite recently hosting a Nintendo Direct, one Reddit user Enryx25 has got their whiteboard out and come to the conclusion that Nintendo is due to announce something today. Yesterday, Nintendo was celebrating the 20th-anniversary of its Game Boy Advance handheld console, but Enryx25 took a closer look at the promotional art. They noticed that the game on the screen is Super Mario Advance and is playing through World 1-1 with an absurdly high lives count of 96 and a score of 1222360.

For most, these details would often go overlooked, but Enryx25 found that by rearranging the score, you can get the date 23/6/2021. They also noted Mario's odd number of lives, which when combined with the date, points to 23/6/96 which is when the Nintendo 64 released in Japan. These dates and "hidden clues" are certainly interesting.

However, one user highlighted that the screenshot on the official tweet actually appeared in an issue of Game Boy Xtreme Magazine. This was a UK magazine that ran from 2001 to 2002, and the particular article about Super Mario Advance looks to have been published in 2001 around the release of the game in that same year. So really, it just seems as if Nintendo has that particular asset lying around in their archives and threw it on for modern marketing.

Despite the debunk that Nintendo was slyly teasing an announcement through jumbled scores and lives through promotional material, it's still interesting that the dates line up. But alas, it all seems coincidental. 

For now, Nintendo doesn't appear to be indicating that they have plans to reveal anything. But speculation is understandable seeing as the company announced a new Game and Watch for The Legend of Zelda's 35th-anniversary, and last year it did the same for Super Mario Bros.

Nintendo is currently said to be planning to reveal a new Nintendo Switch Pro and was said to be revealing it around E3 2021 but nothing came from that. Nintendo president, Doug Bowser has recently side-stepped commenting on the rumors and instead talked about the company being dedicated to "looking at tech".

If you love retro consoles, don't miss our round-up of the best retro consoles in 2021. 

Ben Bayliss

I'm partial to an action adventure RPG such as Skyrim and Cyberpunk 2077. I enjoy the occasional open-world driving games and even those skateboarding titles. But really, if any game I'm playing has a photo mode, I'll likely be found snapping pictures of anything and everything.

Read more
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
After its supposedly accurate Switch 2 mock-up went viral, accessory maker says it "didn't expect this much media attention" because it thought all the information had already leaked
Super Mario Odyssey - Mario underwater
Nintendo fans are convinced this supposed Switch 2 Joy-Con leak is real, but one piece of evidence isn't as compelling as it first seems
A screenshot of Mario Kart 9, shown during the Switch 2 reveal trailer.
Nintendo Switch 2 fan notices musical Super Mario Bros Easter egg in reveal trailer, indicating just how badly everyone needs more details about the new console
A screenshot from Super Mario Odyssey showing Mario throwing Cappy in New Donk City.
As Nintendo remains quiet on Switch 2 lineup, retailer lists "New 3D Mario" and "Legend of Zelda Remake/Remaster" under 2025 games
Photo of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom OLED Switch sitting on top of the LCD Switch.
Nintendo "don't like what's happening" with Switch 2 leaks, former marketing lead suspects, but it won't affect plans: "A lot of this is going to be in the rear-view mirror"
Mario
As the Nintendo Switch 2 nears its big reveal, 'leaks' of the new console are at an all-time high - and they're more convincing than ever
Latest in Nintendo Switch
Fortnite's Lara croft skin in front of a building
Fortnite has had Tomb Raider's Lara Croft locked away in battle pass exclusivity jail for almost 4 years, but she's reportedly getting a new skin very soon
Skyrim
It took Skyrim players nearly 15 years to discover ingenious loot hack that completely changes the game and, uh, requires you to desecrate a couple corpses
an ai chatbot plays a modded verion of pokemon red and jumps down a ledge to talk to an npc
An AI's mission to 'teach' itself Pokemon Red is going as well as you think - after escaping Cerulean City after tens of hours, it went right on back
Pokemon Legends Z-A screenshot showing Mega Charizard
Pokemon Legends Z-A's visuals aren't "great" say former Nintendo marketing leads, but hope Switch 2 could allow Game Freak to "go back to the drawing board" and add more detail to future RPGs
Image of the Nintendo Switch box art for Princess Peach Showtime, Ys X Nordics, Unicorn Overlord and Super Mario Jamboree on a GamesRadar pink background.
Mario Day's colossal savings on these games is enough to make me forget about the Switch 2 for now
Suikoden
Suikoden lead hopes to expand the cult JRPG series "beyond where it ended" and would happily follow Zelda to the silver screen: "If you have any friends in Hollywood, please let us know"
Latest in News
True Detective
Matthew McConaughey still thinks his own season of True Detective is the best one: "It was one of the great events in TV"
Diego Luna in Andor season 2
Andor season 2 showrunner Tony Gilroy calls Cassian “Star Wars Jesus” ahead of the show’s return on Disney Plus
Fortnite's Lara croft skin in front of a building
Fortnite has had Tomb Raider's Lara Croft locked away in battle pass exclusivity jail for almost 4 years, but she's reportedly getting a new skin very soon
Mind Rot card art (showing a human screaming in agony) with two meme Spongebob Squarepants Secret Lair cards laid over top
MTG's meme-filled Spongebob Secret Lair is enough to kill the average player from the 1990s
Julian McMahon as Doctor Doom in 2005's Fantastic Four
The Doctor Doom actor from 2005's Fantastic Four thinks Robert Downey Jr.'s take on the role in the next Avengers movies will be "pretty extraordinary": "I love watching his work"
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes trailer
My Hero Academia prequel series lands streaming date and brand new trailer, and it looks just as action packed as the original show