Unbeatable bugged console games.

[Slimedog]

I was trying to get a list of games that were released with bugs that make them unbeatable. These are just US titles, but I'd love to hear about bugged games from other regions too. I'd also like to know if the bug is present in all versions of the game or if later shipments were fixed. I would like to keep this to console games since, well, its more common to see in PC games that later patch it. The ones that come to mind are right off are:

Impossible Mission (Atari 7800) - Bug prevents you from getting a required item. Bug was fixed in the PAL version.

Boxxle (GB) - 3 or 4 levels have bugs that prevent you from finishing (and sometimes starting) the level.

Bionic Commando: Elite Forces (GBC) - Bug crashes the game a few levels in. Was this ever fixed?

Iron Soldier 3 (NUON) - Supposedly crashed after a short while. All were recalled an not reissued. Does anybody have any other details?

[stuffedmonkey]

I don't have one - but I hear the Vectrex built in Minsweeper game is unbeatable

[vultar]

I've never run into one either, but I've heard that one of the Lord of the Rings games on the GBA has a show-stopper in it.

[goatdan]

Iron Soldier 3 (NUON) - Supposedly crashed after a short while. All were recalled an not reissued. Does anybody have any other details?

If I recall correctly, IS3 had a bug that made it not load on one of the three NUON players that were released at the time (Toshiba, IIRC). Other than that, it functioned fine on the other units.

Someone else can tell me if I am recalling correctly.

[rbudrick]

And also, for any of these games, has anyone ever hacked them to see what happens when you DO finish them? I've always wondered this. Great thread idea, btw.

-Rob

[davidbrit2]

I don't have one - but I hear the Vectrex built in Minsweeper game is unbeatable

Kind of. Basically, the game is so hard that the developers didn't think they'd need to add more than 7 or 8 levels. So if you do somehow manage to clear all of those, the pointer moves past the end of the actual level table, and apparently the game starts doing strange things. Obviously I'm one of those people that doesn't need more than the included number of levels. ;-)

I think they later released a version that had a much larger level table, and maybe some other updates.

[Slimedog]

Well, I know Impossible Mission was fixed and released in ROM form as "Possible Mission".

Boxxle had a password save. When my mom (like I would ever have the patience for this game) got to a level that started you outside the maze, or had more dots than boxes, I called up the Nintendo hotline and got a password to get past the offending level. I would assume they got the password list from FCI. Eventually she did beat the game that way and for the record, all of the non-bugged levels have solutions. She also beat Boxxle 2, which had none of these problems.

Regarding GBA LotR, I was under the impression that it was easy to get the game to an unwinnable state, but it could be avoided it you knew what to look for. Anybody tried it first hand?

[Pantechnicon]

I seem to recall hearing about some sort of bug in the GBC release of "Crystalis" which prevented the game from being completed but I can't remember specifics. I think the bug may have been fixed in subsequent releases. I hope it has been fized anyway. I loved this game on NES and would very much enjoy a portable version, but only if I knew it was bug-free.

[heyricochet]

I slightly remember this, but this was also posted by someone somewhere else. Cool Spot has an impossibly large jump that you cannot make to continue on in the leve.

[rbudrick]

I slightly remember this, but this was also posted by someone somewhere else. Cool Spot has an impossibly large jump that you cannot make to continue on in the leve.

Cool spot does? I coulda sworn I've heard of people that have beaten it...

-Rob

[Slimedog]

I seem to recall hearing about some sort of bug in the GBC release of "Crystalis" which prevented the game from being completed but I can't remember specifics. I think the bug may have been fixed in subsequent releases. I hope it has been fized anyway. I loved this game on NES and would very much enjoy a portable version, but only if I knew it was bug-free.

I've never heard about this, but I can say I beat my GBC Crystalis without any problems. I waited a few months to get it, so it may or may not have been the first shipment.

I slightly remember this, but this was also posted by someone somewhere else. Cool Spot has an impossibly large jump that you cannot make to continue on in the leve.

I checked the archives and didn't see anything similar, but I apologize if this has already been discussed. So then nobody has ever beaten Cool Spot?

[digitalpress]

I slightly remember this, but this was also posted by someone somewhere else. Cool Spot has an impossibly large jump that you cannot make to continue on in the leve.

Cool spot does? I coulda sworn I've heard of people that have beaten it...

Maybe one of the handhelds. You can definitely finish the Genesis version.

[ddockery]

Bionic Commando: Elite Forces (GBC) - Bug crashes the game a few levels in. Was this ever fixed?

I though this was only on certain models, perhaps even just the GBA/SP.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

Although not exactly a console game, but I thought Jet Set Willy was worth a notable mention here, due to it's infamous bug which prevents the game from being completed.

[Slimedog]

Bionic Commando: Elite Forces (GBC) - Bug crashes the game a few levels in. Was this ever fixed?

I though this was only on certain models, perhaps even just the GBA/SP.

I know mine crashed on both a GBC and a GBA. Never tried it on my SP.

[ECWSandmanECW]

[Nevermind, I put a PC game]

[Kid Ice]

Gran Turismo 2 - you could not get 100% complete even if you did everything (it would stick at 98.1 % or something). I assume this was fixed in the GH version.

[vintagegamecrazy]

I finished Cool Spot for the genesis many times, definately beatable.

My friend told me that you cant finish Low G Man (NES) said there was a jump that was too wide towards the end of the game, can't confirm it though.

I don't remember which but Cheetahmen/II was unfinishable the whole rom on the game was corrupted before release and the game would turn into jibberish towards the end. Someone online hacked the rom and was able to find the later levels that weren't accessable on the cart.

I have also heard rumors of Commando and Conan.

[Capybara554321]

commando for the nes is beatable because my mother beat it along time ago when it first came out.Me i couldnt get past level 5

[rbudrick]

I have also heard rumors of Commando

I've beaten the NES and Arcade versions of Commando many times with never a problem.

My friend told me that you cant finish Low G Man (NES) said there was a jump that was too wide towards the end of the game, can't confirm it though.

I've beaten Low G man on every difficulty with never any problems like this. However, the super-difficult bonus difficulty level I have not beaten. I did get to the last boss and pummelled the ever-living shit out of him and always ran out of time....and this is without even allowing Low G Man to miss a single possible hit....in other words I hit him as many times as was humanly possible on that difficulty, with no room for another stike, and there's just not enough time. So, as far as I'm concerned, the last boss on that difficulty is probably impossible. And seriously, I was REALLY fucking good at that game, and could never beat that last boss on that difficulty. Weird.

Oh, and here's the site for "Possible Misssion."

http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~harvey/

Unfortunately, it doesn't say anything about it...was it ONLY the glitch he fixed, or did he change anything else? Is there a real ending for it?

-Rob