I doubt a star will make Nintendo lawyers go "ow nose, they didn't spell out emulator in full, we can't attack them! Damn those star armors!". I don't think it changes anything technically.
The only thing this kind of censoring does is countering basic censor bots I think, and somehow making swear words publishable in the US.
The asterisk would make it so they can't just search for "Nintendo emulator" online and find their comment.
Until I typed this, I guess...
Few results include "Nintendo emulator". Did you mean "Nintendo emul*tor"?
Look; if you want to risk your chipper little lifestyle explaining the various ways to run New Horizons, be my guest. I've insinuated enough already, anyone who cares about the discussion on-grounds wouldn't have anything else to ask.
My point is that you don't take any more risk if you write emulator instead of emul*tor. You already took the risk explaining what you explained. One character swap doesn't change anything to this.
I'm insisting because if you care about not being sued, the stars are not an adequate defense despite what you seem to believe it is, and false sense of security is dangerous.
Not that I think that what you wrote here is remotely likely to cause you troubles, but it won't protect you the day you actually document something illegal.
To rub it in:
> I'm covering my ass
No, not at all, and it's important that you realize this.
But you do you.