which game secret/easter egg remained hidden longest?

[pragmatic insanester]

usually after the release of a game, the same people/magazines who review it have codes and hidden stuff within the same or next few installments. there have been times where some have remained hidden from the public for a few months. would anyone like to guess at which secret within a game took the longest to be found and brought to attention?

[Crush Crawfish]

Wasn't there a red ring or something hidden in Zelda 2 that wasn't discovered until recently? Maybe it was a hoax....

[Dangerboy]

As least confirmed, that would be the Metroid code that Tips and Tricks kept secret unitl their anniversary issue. If memory serves me right, the designer buried a code password into the NES Metroid that allowed you to have infinite health and missile packs.

Jason

[GarrettCRW]

As least confirmed, that would be the Metroid code that Tips and Tricks kept secret unitl their anniversary issue. If memory serves me right, the designer buried a code password into the NES Metroid that allowed you to have infinite health and missile packs.

Jason

On that thread, I suspect this code has remained unknown for a great period of time:

FUCKME !!!!!!
!!!!!! !!!!!!

(Said code puts you in Tourian with nothing. And I mean *nothing*.)

[kainemaxwell]

Speaking of Metroid, how long until "Justin Bailey" was discovered?

[TheRedEye]

You can put strings of gibberish into the Metroid password screen, and you've got like a 50% chance of it doing something. "Justin Bailey" was a coincidence.

[Master Chu]

As least confirmed, that would be the Metroid code that Tips and Tricks kept secret unitl their anniversary issue. If memory serves me right, the designer buried a code password into the NES Metroid that allowed you to have infinite health and missile packs.

Jason

On that thread, I suspect this code has remained unknown for a great period of time:

FUCKME !!!!!!
!!!!!! !!!!!!

(Said code puts you in Tourian with nothing. And I mean *nothing*.)


Are you serious ? I thought the "fuck me code" was a Metal Gear exclusive! O_O

[Haoie]

For new games, all the secrets and such are discovered almost immediately after release.

I remember reading about the very first so called 'easter egg', in what I think was the VCS game Adventure. The guy who programmed it by himself created a room with his name in flashing colours, and to reach it you had to get an invisible object [a dot] and take it somewhere far off. That easter egg took several years to find, and it was discovered by a kid in Utah or somewhere.

Dunno much about that Metroid cheat though.

[pacmanhat]

As least confirmed, that would be the Metroid code that Tips and Tricks kept secret unitl their anniversary issue. If memory serves me right, the designer buried a code password into the NES Metroid that allowed you to have infinite health and missile packs.

Jason

On that thread, I suspect this code has remained unknown for a great period of time:

FUCKME !!!!!!
!!!!!! !!!!!!

(Said code puts you in Tourian with nothing. And I mean *nothing*.)


Are you serious ? I thought the "fuck me code" was a Metal Gear exclusive! O_O

I thought this was just Metal Gear as well. Are you sure about that?

[hezeuschrist]

In recent times, it was quite sometime before all the Skulls were found in Halo 2 and everyone figured out what they did. Most people still don't know they even exist.

[NE146]

As least confirmed, that would be the Metroid code that Tips and Tricks kept secret unitl their anniversary issue. If memory serves me right, the designer buried a code password into the NES Metroid that allowed you to have infinite health and missile packs.

Jason

On that thread, I suspect this code has remained unknown for a great period of time:

FUCKME !!!!!!
!!!!!! !!!!!!

(Said code puts you in Tourian with nothing. And I mean *nothing*.)

Think you got something wrong as I'm just popped it in now to see and there's not any "!" exclamation marks selectable in the password screen.

[Master Chu]

Yeah my cart is on loan to a friend, but i just ROM'ed it. Tried it with all 1's instead of !'s too and i got nadda.

[The_4th_Survivor]

Good topic.


From what I can recall, the original "Rogue Squadron" N64 game by Factor 5 and Lucasarts had the "Naboo Starfighter" password hidden for nearly a year and a half, until after the 1999 "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" craziness died down by Spring 2000.

Having thought to have unlocked 'everything' in that game myself, I would have never, ever fathomed the idea that a Naboo Starfighter was even in the game.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I think Goldeneye would have to be a contender here!

So many years RARE stated that there were "NO" secret codes which could be pressed to get things. They always said that to unlock the goodies you had to earn them by playing the game well enough...

But a few years ago (A few years after they announced the proverbial death of the N64) - Lo and behold, here were some cheats which surfaced for Goldeneye which allowed you to gain the bonus's via button presses!!!!

I think there is also the "Cidetal" level which is buried deep deep down in the game's code somewhere as well... At least, it' sthere in spirit, and only years of hacking has been able to get something resembling a Cidetal level...

[DDCecil]

Here's a code for Metroid, it makes you invincible, not sure about infinite Missiles:

NARPAS SWORD0 000000 000000
Game Genie version of code: ALLGKP

I'm pretty sure most of the secrets within my SMW hack will stay secret for a very long time... :evil:

[MegaDrive20XX]

Star Wars Rogue Squadron N64, after 6 to 7 months after this game was released, they finally gave out the code for "The Naboo Fighter". Which was good timing since Episode 1 was in theatres at the same time.

[ubersaurus]

For new games, all the secrets and such are discovered almost immediately after release.

I remember reading about the very first so called 'easter egg', in what I think was the VCS game Adventure. The guy who programmed it by himself created a room with his name in flashing colours, and to reach it you had to get an invisible object [a dot] and take it somewhere far off. That easter egg took several years to find, and it was discovered by a kid in Utah or somewhere.

Dunno much about that Metroid cheat though.

I could have sworn it had come up sooner. Soon enough that Atari encouraged other programmers to do weird stuff like that in their games.

Either way, there's like 3 games that had easter eggs beforehand that were just recently discovered. I'm willing to be that those Channel F carts went the longest without their easter eggs discovered.

[yuppicide]

I don't think that Adventure trick took 3 years to find. I remember doing it in my youth, I just don't remember when exactly.

[LocalH]

It's not an easter egg, but rather a code - about two years ago, I found a new code for Knuckles in Sonic 2. In Sonic 2 by itself, both the all emeralds code (4126) and the debug code (19921124) were known. However, in KiS2, the only known code was the debug code (19941018). I found that there was also an all emeralds code, and that it was 16777216. That was almost 10 years after S&K came out, so I guess it's up there in the running.

[le geek]

Star Wars Rogue Squadron N64, after 6 to 7 months after this game was released, they finally gave out the code for "The Naboo Fighter". Which was good timing since Episode 1 was in theatres at the same time.

The Alcatraz course in San Fransisco Rush (N64) wasn't revealed until later, in much the same fashion...

Cheers,
Ben

[Nesmaster]

I think Goldeneye would have to be a contender here!

So many years RARE stated that there were "NO" secret codes which could be pressed to get things. They always said that to unlock the goodies you had to earn them by playing the game well enough...

But a few years ago (A few years after they announced the proverbial death of the N64) - Lo and behold, here were some cheats which surfaced for Goldeneye which allowed you to gain the bonus's via button presses!!!!

God yeah i remember that. It pissed me off cause i earned everything myself :(

and i mean everything @_@. Damn unlocking invincibilty was hard LOL

[Queen Of The Felines]

Towering Inferno and Kool-Aid Man for the 2600 were kept hidden longer than the E.T. one.

Right Scott? ;)

Kristine

[Haoie]

I don't know really about Adventure, I was just trying to recall what I read about. But I'm still fairly sure it took more than 1 year, and it was discovered by a 12 year old, at least according to the book I read.

[NE146]

I don't know really about Adventure, I was just trying to recall what I read about. But I'm still fairly sure it took more than 1 year, and it was discovered by a 12 year old, at least according to the book I read.

Was that 12 year old, Joe of Digitalpress by chance? ;) -> http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30982&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=13

[Dr. Morbis]

The secret I discovered years ago on how to get 28 P-wings in SMB3 without having to beat the game first, has got to be the record. And no, I'm not telling anyone :evil: (and I hope no one else has discovered it and posted it on the net or else my harbouring of this secret for all these years will have been moot).

P.S.-here's one hint: you get the 28 P-wings (well it's technically 27 and a whistle) in the hidden mushroom house at the end of 1-3, IF you do all the right things leading up to that point. ;)

...And for the record, no I don't care if nobody believes me. I just think that it's beyond cool that I discovered a secret (glitch?) in an incredibly popular game that I have never read about or seen mention of in the 15 years since the game was released.

[Master Chu]

This is 100% true. I remember back in about '95 or '96 reading an issue of Game Players magazine where this guy discovered the most bizzarre secret i ever saw in my life. I'm almost positive it was on Contra-The Alien Wars for SNES...

There was like a long list of obscure events that had to take place and then you were transported to another dimension.....inhabited by dinosaurs..... :/

I wish i still had that mag but it's long gone, has anyone ever heard of this one ?

[Blackjax]

That actually sounds like Contra Hard Corps....

In the second level, there's a hidden room where you fight three bosses, one of which is a really bizarre simon belmont ripoff that uses a fish as a boomerang (he actually comes in the room and picks it up - then flashes like simon) and has a whip... there's two other bosses, and after beating the third, you're sucked through a portal into prehistoric times, where you become some kind of royalty... and the game ends.

[Master Chu]

That actually sounds like Contra Hard Corps....

In the second level, there's a hidden room where you fight three bosses, one of which is a really bizarre simon belmont ripoff that uses a fish as a boomerang (he actually comes in the room and picks it up - then flashes like simon) and has a whip... there's two other bosses, and after beating the third, you're sucked through a portal into prehistoric times, where you become some kind of royalty... and the game ends.


Thank you!

Now i gotta go look up what system that's for and ROM the hell out of it... LOL

[Blackjax]

That actually sounds like Contra Hard Corps....

In the second level, there's a hidden room where you fight three bosses, one of which is a really bizarre simon belmont ripoff that uses a fish as a boomerang (he actually comes in the room and picks it up - then flashes like simon) and has a whip... there's two other bosses, and after beating the third, you're sucked through a portal into prehistoric times, where you become some kind of royalty... and the game ends.


Thank you!

Now i gotta go look up what system that's for and ROM the hell out of it... LOL

Well, lemmie help out a bit....

Contra: Hard Corps is a Genesis game... and this all refers to the USA version.... the Japanese version of the game is quite a bit easier, but I have no idea if the easter egg is in it, but I'd have to think so.... (the japanese version gives you three hit points per life, instead of instant death on each hit on the USA version...)

Anyway, beat the first lever via either path (research lab or follow deadeye joe) and get to the second level. When you reach the midboss, this junky looking boss that comes out of the ground and spins his arms at you, defeat him. Normally, to continue with the game, you walk forward and drop down into the base that the cutscene guy was talking about. However, to do the egg, climb up on the last wall you reach before the dropdown. you should climb up a cliff for a while and will eventually reach a ledge that leads offscreen to the right. Inside here are the three bosses, and just beat them to get the bizarre ending...

[NE146]

Well... I forgot about this but I had never seen the 5th extra lives trick in Space Invaders Pt 2/Deluxe until I posted about it on the web about 3 or 4 years ago. Now it seems to be pretty well known.

I discovered that trick myself when I was a kid and only let it out of the bag then.. IF it was a secret easter egg (and one that no one else knew as far as I could tell), then it's an easter egg that had been kept secret for about 23 YEARS. That's gotta be the record :D

[gadz]

For all those wondering about the metroid code, it's :


NARPAS SWORD0
000000 000000


and thats for infinite life and missiles.


You're welcome =)

[Spycee]

There is also the Chris Houlihan room in Zelda : A Link to the Past. I don't know how much time it took to be discovered, but I remember it was discussed a lot around the end of 2003.

Here is a link about it :
http://www.angelfire.com/sk2/snesres/zelda/houlroom.shtml

[Oniudra]

Now does anyone remember a few years back in a magazine, one of the games programmers revield that if you collect the darts and go up to this certain room and use all the darts in front of the closet while pushing up, you warp to a furtur level! But the cool thing is that the warp zone screen is a picture of the programmer teling you you have just used his warp! But do not push any buttons while his message is on, because it will put you back on level 1!

Some say that this is for the snes version, but I am certain it is the nes version, and I cannot find anything about it online!

[Ed Oscuro]

This is 100% true. I remember back in about '95 or '96 reading an issue of Game Players magazine where this guy discovered the most bizzarre secret i ever saw in my life. I'm almost positive it was on Contra-The Alien Wars for SNES...
Everybody and their BROTHER has seen that! It's in the Genesis Contra; you go through the junkyard and climb up a wall above a door. Fight the three bosses and voila...

[Chuplayer]

The anchor in Mario 3. Seriously. Has anybody ever seen it? Where the fuck is it?

[Ed Oscuro]

Or the teapot in Castlevania. Probably just an unused sprite. On a multi-person project, it's not unusual for somebody to throw code into the game that's unused.

There's always the Citadel in Goldeneye for an example; it was nearly ten years before that was found (in the game!)

There's also a cool entry in the Rogue Squadron (II?) game on N64; that one included a Naboo Starfighter as a code-only entry. The game came out before Episode 1, too!

[sliop24]

The anchor in Mario 3. Seriously. Has anybody ever seen it? Where the fuck is it?

The anchor i have gotten as well as the white ship and the white house. I have 3 more of which im sure have been written but i seldom hear people talk about. the first is...

Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time:If you look into the windows at the area where u talk to young princess zelda at hyrule castle there are portraits of Mario and a Bob-omb
If you throw a bomb in there it says something like leave me alone.

Super Mario World-Special, if you beat the star road by getting all the keys u get a world called special if u beat special the whole world is diffrent it seems it has aged some.

Super Mario 3 when you are at Bowsers ship level instead of fighting the ships just fall into the "lava" u can swim in it and swim under the ships.

[Crush Crawfish]

Now does anyone remember a few years back in a magazine, one of the games programmers revield that if you collect the darts and go up to this certain room and use all the darts in front of the closet while pushing up, you warp to a furtur level! But the cool thing is that the warp zone screen is a picture of the programmer teling you you have just used his warp! But do not push any buttons while his message is on, because it will put you back on level 1!

Some say that this is for the snes version, but I am certain it is the nes version, and I cannot find anything about it online!

Erm...I'd love to try to help you out on that, but you kinda neglected to mention the game's title. Just letting ya know. :P

[mills]

When I was a kid I remember discovering debug modes for Sonic, and Jurassic park for Sega Genesis. Boy was that fun!

[AFGiant]

I know this is no record, but remember back when Nintendo issued statements that it was ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE to get the ice key in Banjo Kazooie? Then they later printed that you could get it with the code, as well as all these magic eggs (actual easter eggs, heh).

Also, there are still bugs and glitches being discovered in Super Mario 64. The board there on Gamefaqs has become this small civilized community of bug seekers. Its pretty cool, with some of the vids they have there.

[DDCecil]

For all those wondering about the metroid code, it's :


NARPAS SWORD0
000000 000000


and thats for infinite life and missiles.


You're welcome =)

Umm, I beat you to it a few posts up LOL

Speaking of a secret that has never been found (to my knowledge):

Run Saber (SNES)

There is a Game Genie code which unlocks an extra options menu. I'm thinking there has to be a button press to unlock it. Maybe the same one as Super Valis IV (or another Atlus published game)?!

[Slimedog]

KLOV mentions 2 secret codes for arcade NBA Jam that have yet to be revealed: http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=N&game_id=8813

• The original NBA Jam machines (with version 1.0 of the code) contain a secret Battlezone-style mini-game that can be played without using money! This secret was deemed unethical by many of the video game magazines of the time, and magazines like EGM and Gamepro were specifically asked not to publish the code. Both magazines agreed, and to this date it is the only video game code that is considered "taboo" by the press. This mini-game was removed in the next update of the machine code.

• It’s possible to enter a code that allows the cheerleaders to be playable characters, but the codes were intentionally made complex since their existence did not please the NBA. As a result, the information has never been released, and to date none have been found.

If these codes came out, it would be the coolest thing ever. Has anybody hacked the rom to look for it? I know thats how a lot of the more obscure codes are unearthed.

[MrSmiley381]

I had no idea so many codes had yet to be found...

And thanks for that Zelda link, but I think I remember hearing about it a long time ago, before 2003... but where did I hear it? Was it in my Zelda LTP guide?

No... it's not there...

Also must try metal Gear code. Funny bastards at Konami!

And yes, the Contra: Hard Corps secret is true. IT HAS BEEN FOR AGES. But you forgot to mention it plays Vampire Killer!

Still cool stuff, though. I like what you guys have shown me.

[Nirvana]

It took awhile for the Pokemon community to learn about the legit glitch in Pokemon R/B/Y to get Mew. That didn't involve the truck.

[sirhansirhan]

When I was much younger, I found out that if you put in the password "earlfartfart" on Toejam & Earl 2: Panic on Funkotron on the Genesis, the credits would play, before giving you the "bogus password" message usually associated with an incorrect password. I thought that was hilarious, until I later discovered that if you have either "tj" or "earl" at the beginning of a password, and then anything at all filling up the rest of the space, the credits would roll. Too bad it didn't require the "fartfart" part; that was my favorite.

[Zap!]

The one which took the longest is the code to unlock the four bosses in the Super Nintendo version of Street Fighter II. The game's been out since '92, and no one's discovered it yet.

[rbudrick]

You can put strings of gibberish into the Metroid password screen, and you've got like a 50% chance of it doing something. "Justin Bailey" was a coincidence.

50%...you are exaggerating, right? I know Metal Gear had some issues, but I have never gotten a Metroid code to accidentally work.

And the Justin Bailey code is no coincidence, iirc. I think IO remember reading that there is a crapload of codes that are "exceptions" to the checksum routines for valid passwords. I believe this is one of them.

Also, it has been said that the programmer put this in to mean "Just in bailey," meaning, "Just in bathing suit." Bailey is an oooold word for a bathing suit. A bit much for a coincidence. Of course, it can be argued that's a bunch of bull...I just think it's unlikely. I'm pretty sure I remember reading once that particular code was intentional, but I could be wrong.

-Rob

[Putney]

The one which took the longest is the code to unlock the four bosses in the Super Nintendo version of Street Fighter II. The game's been out since '92, and no one's discovered it yet.

Probably because it doesn't exist. There was a Game Genie code from a long time ago that allowed you to play as the bosses, but it didn't work right (i.e., the boss move sets were of whatever character you picked, not what they were in SF2CE).

[rbudrick]

I suppose if you linked about 1000 game genies together, you could "unlock" those bosses. LOL

-Rob

[§ Gideon §]

The secret I discovered years ago on how to get 28 P-wings in SMB3 without having to beat the game first, has got to be the record. And no, I'm not telling anyone :evil: (and I hope no one else has discovered it and posted it on the net or else my harbouring of this secret for all these years will have been moot).

P.S.-here's one hint: you get the 28 P-wings (well it's technically 27 and a whistle) in the hidden mushroom house at the end of 1-3, IF you do all the right things leading up to that point. ;)

...And for the record, no I don't care if nobody believes me. I just think that it's beyond cool that I discovered a secret (glitch?) in an incredibly popular game that I have never read about or seen mention of in the 15 years since the game was released.
Okay... I need a few answers: Are you lying? Which versions does the secret work on? Are you lying?

[rbudrick]

<coaxing to spill the beans>He's definitely lying.</coaxing to spill the beans> LOL LOL

-Rob

[dbiersdorf]

Getting Mew legititamitlly in Pokemon Red and Blue remained hidden for seven years. But then again that's more of a glitch then an easter egg.

[Dr. Morbis]

The secret I discovered years ago on how to get 28 P-wings in SMB3 without having to beat the game first, has got to be the record. And no, I'm not telling anyone :evil: (and I hope no one else has discovered it and posted it on the net or else my harbouring of this secret for all these years will have been moot).

P.S.-here's one hint: you get the 28 P-wings (well it's technically 27 and a whistle) in the hidden mushroom house at the end of 1-3, IF you do all the right things leading up to that point. ;)

...And for the record, no I don't care if nobody believes me. I just think that it's beyond cool that I discovered a secret (glitch?) in an incredibly popular game that I have never read about or seen mention of in the 15 years since the game was released.
Okay... I need a few answers: Are you lying? Which versions does the secret work on? Are you lying?
It works on all US versions. I've never tried the jap version. Coincidentally, some guy on the NES boards at Gamefaqs just recently stumbled upon it by accident but he couldn't duplicate it. He did however try and describe exactly what he did leading up to it *hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge*.

It's easy to replicate every time if you know how, but it's HELLA HARD figuring it out. When I initially stumbled upon it in my youth, it took hours and hours of replaying the game up to 1-3 over and over again just to make it happen a second time to convince myself it wasn't a one in a million glitch.

[Nirvana]

Getting Mew legititamitlly in Pokemon Red and Blue remained hidden for seven years. But then again that's more of a glitch then an easter egg.

True, but it was a secret that Nintendo knew about. 8-)

[NEOFREAK9189]

I got

JVC Turntable $20
Subwoofer AIWA $27.99
pokemon stadioum $2.99
gaiares for genesis $8.00
splinter cell chaos thedry game guide $15.99 x-box
splinter cell chaos thedry for x-box $26.99
sega genesis 2 for $24

[§ Gideon §]

It works on all US versions.
Even the All-Stars versions?

[Dr. Morbis]

It works on all US versions.
Even the All-Stars versions?
I don't know, but I doubt it. I'm talking about the NES game.

[Zap!]

The one which took the longest is the code to unlock the four bosses in the Super Nintendo version of Street Fighter II. The game's been out since '92, and no one's discovered it yet.

Probably because it doesn't exist. There was a Game Genie code from a long time ago that allowed you to play as the bosses, but it didn't work right (i.e., the boss move sets were of whatever character you picked, not what they were in SF2CE).

I dunno about that. To many it looks like the Game Genie partially unlocked the secret. Think about it, is there any other game ever where the Game Genie let you play as someone whom you couldn't normally choose from?

[Putney]

Probably because it doesn't exist. There was a Game Genie code from a long time ago that allowed you to play as the bosses, but it didn't work right (i.e., the boss move sets were of whatever character you picked, not what they were in SF2CE).

I dunno about that. To many it looks like the Game Genie partially unlocked the secret. Think about it, is there any other game ever where the Game Genie let you play as
someone whom you couldn't normally choose from?

I haven't tried it in a very, very long time, but I remember the colors were off, the animation was glitchy, etc. It struck me that the code simply replaced the sprites of the character you chose with the boss character you picked. If I remember correctly, there was a code for each character to use. I'm sure there would be codes out there to, say, swap Mario with Luigi, but no one would have really cared about that.

[ubersaurus]

The one which took the longest is the code to unlock the four bosses in the Super Nintendo version of Street Fighter II. The game's been out since '92, and no one's discovered it yet.

Probably because it doesn't exist. There was a Game Genie code from a long time ago that allowed you to play as the bosses, but it didn't work right (i.e., the boss move sets were of whatever character you picked, not what they were in SF2CE).

I dunno about that. To many it looks like the Game Genie partially unlocked the secret. Think about it, is there any other game ever where the Game Genie let you play as someone whom you couldn't normally choose from?

All game genie really did was replace the character sprite. SF2 bosses weren't playable, period, until CE.

[MattyXB]

Atari 2600 VCS Peter Penguin (http://www.digitpress.com/eastereggs/26peterpenguin.htm)
This site is still missing in the Easteregg Guide. Not sure why, but it was removed sometimes and not added again.

There I found a trick to get invulnerable forever. Not sure if I found it as I was a kid. And not sure if someone else ever found it out. So its maybe too a trick, which was unknown for a long long time (over 20 years).

There is only one error, the game doesn't end at 5,085 points, it end, when you don't press long enough the Joypad / stick. And the first time I try it it was at 5085 points. Maybe it takes 5 minutes till the game ends, not sure anymore.

[DDCecil]

$5 via PayPal and all my current meseta if you discover the Run Saber code (Look a few posts back). Oh yeah. The code has to actually work. ;)

[Queen Of The Felines]

Think about it, is there any other game ever where the Game Genie let you play as someone whom you couldn't normally choose from?

A Genie code for Final Fantasy III lets you play as General Leo, including his shock attack.

Kristine

[TEXASGAMEPLAYER]

How about the sega master system game "ASTRO WARRIOR" nobody has found the code to start with the two red fire power things. SMS fans should know what I am talking about!