Crows Crows Crows went above and beyond for the Nintendo Switch port of The Stanley Parable, even adding an in-game achievement system to mock achievement hunters in an authentic, true-to-the-original way. But it also pokes fun at the console it's on.There are little tweaks like moments when the narrator mentions what platform you're on, saying "PlayStation" or "Switch", but there are also little easter eggs like a painting of a panda with a gun pointed at its head in the boss' office. Normally, it's just that, and you probably never noticed, but on Switch, the hand holding the gun is subtly swapped out with Mario's, big white glove and all.You can see the red sleeve of his shirt - Mario has it out for this poor panda. And it came to people's attention after Crows Crows Crows shared a Tumblr post claiming to have unearthed this little secret, asking, "Is this real?" You're the developer - you tell me. But other sleuths booted up the game to find out, discovering that yes, Mario has it out for this poor panda.
In the other versions, the man holding the gun is a generic businessman. Or it could be Mario in one of his many Odyssey costumes but, for legal reasons, it's just a generic businessman. It's only Mario - or at least, Mario-like - in the Switch version. I'm sure the narrator can find a way out of this legal quicksand.
This has many others now pouring over the game on Switch and other platforms, trying to find any other potential little differences and easter eggs. Maybe there's some unique reference on the PlayStation port somewhere. Or maybe there isn't. Maybe the only reference and change is Mario pointing a gun at a panda.
That senseless hunt for more certainly feels like Stanley Parable, whether it leads anywhere at all. But if you want to find out, you can always boot up the game and run it side-by-side with another device, checking every little detail. Just know there's no reward.