For as long as there have been video games, people have been hiding secrets in them. Sometimes they're meant to be found (like Easter eggs or hidden side quests), but other times not so much (such as backdoors left by the programmers). Some secrets aren't even really that secret since it seems like everyone knows them. For example, you probably already know that in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, you can bypass locked doors with the Fairy spell. Or in Kid Icarus, most people already know that entering the code ICARUS FIGHTS MEDUSA ANGELS gives you unlimited lives. Or in Donkey Kong Country, you can start off with 50 lives by proceeding like you're going to erase a game, but then entering the code BARRAL (I see what you did there, Rare).
And that, of course, touches on a sticky aspect of these secrets: a lot of the time, they're cheating. Should the pure gamer avoid these glitches and secret codes that offer an advantage? Not necessarily. As I said, not all secrets are cheats; often they bring you to even harder challenges than can be found in the regular game. Also finding the secrets is almost always a challenge in and of itself, so how can it be cheating if you had to work so hard for it? Rules are made to be broken, and secrets are made to be found. So without further ado, here are 25 secrets from classic games that you STILL haven't found.
25 Gaming The Glitch 💟
Sitting at #26 on the Guinness World Record's Pokemon Red and Blue were staples of every kid who owned a GameBoy. With diligence, you might've been successful enough to catch all 150 Pokemon, but did you know there's a secret 151st Pokemon?
You can catch Mew by exploiting a glitch. Start over if you've played past Cerulean City. Once there, go North on Nugget Bridge, but leave the Jr. Trainer standing left on the grass. Capture the wild Abra, and return to the Jr. Trainer, but just as he sees you, press start and use your Abra to teleport. Next, proceed to the Youngster on Route #25 but don't engage him. Stand well above him until he approaches you. Defeat the Youngster's Slowpoke and return to Route #24. Your Start menu will randomly appear; dismiss it with B, and you'll find yourself battling Mew!
24 Just One M🦩ore Thing...
If you're old enough to remember when Nintendo 64 launched in 1996 with Super Mario 64, It. Was. Mind-blowing. To switch from a lifetime of side-scrollers to a 3D open-world playground was like seeing color for the first time. The possibilities were endless. Per usual, Mario needed to rescue Peach from Bowser, but this time he had🦩 to navigate not only enemies in the new open world, but also varying missions, puzzles, and races, all while collecti♑ng stars.
After you've collected all 120 stars and defeated the third Bowser, you probably think you've beaten the game, but there's one more thing left to do. Head straight out of the castle to the cannon by the water. Jump into the cannon and shoot yourself to the roof. There you'll find Yoshi, who rewards you with 100 lives.
23 It's A Marathon, Not A Sprint
Getting Biggoron's Sword in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a CHORE, so let's jump right in. To start: grow up, rescue Epona, get the Fairy Bow, unfreeze King Zora. Then talk to the Cucco lady at Kakariko Village. Hatch the egg and use the Cucco to wake Talon. Return it to Cucco lady. Head to the Lost Woods; show your blue Cucco to the sitting guy. Race Epona to Kakariko within the time limit. Give the Weird Mushroom to the Secret Potion Shop lady. Back to the Lost Woods; give the Potion to the girl. Still with me? Then to Gerudo Valley; give the Poacher's Saw to the Craftsman, get Broken Biggoron's Sword. Go to the top of Death Mountain to find Biggoron. He sends you to King Zora. Quick to the laboratory at Lake Hylia. Trade frog for eyedrops, then race to Biggoron. Warp time forward to FINALLY get Biggoron's Sword!
22 Navy Seals?🅘
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent was a multi-platform release in 2006. The game features Clancy's character Sam Fisher, a black-ops NSA agent, as he attempts to infiltrate a terrorist group. You can play single-player or co-op, and certain levels and features are slightly different when playing on different platforms, which might explain how this whopper of a secret stayed hidden for so long.
In 2010, a bizarre side quest was finally uncovered in co-op mode on the Xbox version of the game. If players can find a gold piece in a locker, they can insert it into a vending machine to free a talking seal named Muffin. Muffin sends you on various quests to rescue her friends Cookie, Buddy, Pepperoni, and Vanilla. It's hard to maintain that tough-guy image when you're fetching snacks for a birthday hat-wearing baby seal.
21 Reཧady, Aim, Fire!
Along with Super Mario 64, Pilotwings 64 launched with the Nintendo 64 in 1996 (if you happened to live in Japan or Europe at the time, you could also get a third launch title, Saikyō Habu Shōgi). The game put the N64's new 3D technology to full advantage in this flight simulator game as players attempted to complete various types of missions in order to earn their pilot's license. Plus it included a super cool Easter egg.
In the Midwest of the Little States, locate Mount Rushmore (remember your geography?). You'll notice something a little strange, however: Mario's face replaces George Washington's. And since you've got a cannon, why not fire it at Mario? If you do, Mario's face transforms into Wario. You can change the faces back and forth at will, but each change requires an increasing number of shots.
20 Why The Mona Lisa Smiles ℱ
Released in North America in 1990, Super Mario Bros. 3 is the third best-selling NES game ever (behind the original Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt). Despite being called "," Super Mario Bros. 3 did get one thumbs-down from critics, however: it lacked the ability to let players save their game. If only we'd all known this little secret back in the '90s.
If you run out of lives Super Mario Bros. 3, you don't have to start completely over from the beginning. Hold down A from the Game Over screen. Keep holding A as you return to the title screen and press start. You'll return to the first level of whatever world you were in when you died!
19 ඣ An Attitude Adju⛎stment
In 2001, Wave Race: Blue Storm was released for GameCube as a follow up to the series' previous titles on Game Boy and N64. In the jet ski racing game, players maneuver around courses, objects, and the weather, to win against the computer or up to three other players, and the game is well-known for its superb weather graphics.
But after a while, regular jet ski racing can get a little boring. Fortunately, there's a secret to help you liven things up a little, and it wasn't even discovered until eight years later. From the Options menu, go to Audio Settings. Tap Z repeatedly until the waveform looks like fog. Then enter code UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, A, X, Z. You'll get a confirmation and, from that point forward, an announcer with a snarky new attitude.
18 🍬 The Truth Is 🎃Out There
The third installment in the Hitman series, Hitman: Contracts, was released for Xbox, PlayStation 2, and PC, in 2004. In this stealth game, players guide Agent 47 through various levels and missions as he attempts to bring down a child slavery ring. The gameplay is flexible, and players can proceed through missions more or 💙less however they choose: with🍷 a run-and-gun style or a more subtle approach.
There is something a little ghostly in the Thermal Bath Hotel, however. If you go down the hallway to the right on the ground floor, you'll come across a closed area (which, of course, means you should go inside). As you explore the rooms, peek in the mirrors if you dare; it turns out the rooms aren't unoccupied after all.
17 ꧒ Save More Than The Princess
Since its release in 1986, The Legend of Zelda has been one of the most successful video game franchises of all time (rivaling both Final Fantasy and anything else Nintendo has ever come up with). Players guide our hero Link around the kingdom of Hyrule, helping him to rescue Princess Zelda. The original Legend of Zelda takes , which is an eternity in NES time. Fortunately, the game does let you save, but only when you die. Assuming you prefer living over dying, however, you're probably interested in an alternative method of saving your game.
Wish granted. First, you need two controllers. Whenever you want to save, hold start on the first controller, then press up and A on the second controller. Magical secret save tim🐟e!
16 A Race🅘 Against The Clock 📖
If you've ever wished you could defeat evil space pigs with your killer kart racing skills, Diddy Kong Racing is your game. Released in 1997 for Nintendo 64, the game lets players choose between several characters and types of vehicles, as well as a handful of different race modes. Progress through Adventure Mode successfully to race the boss WizPig; win and you unlock Drumstick as a playable character. But did you know there's one more character you can unlock?
In the game, TT is an anthropomorphic clock who saves your best lap times. Once you find all the Challenge Keys, you'll have the option of racing TT in Time Trial mode. It'll take lots of practice, but if you beat TT's time on all 20 tracks, you unlock him as a playable character.