New codes for old games

Aug 22, 2024
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Logo credit: Ashlyn Anstee

Approximately 20% of my mental capacity was dedicated to finding, using, and thinking about cheat codes when I was a kid. I first submitted a code to SegaSages.com when I was 11, and you can still find some cheats credited to me (using my father’s e-mail address) in various places (e.g.).

A few decades later, I picked up the cheat code hunting hobby again. Here are the previously-undocumented cheat codes that I’ve found since I started working on the content on what would turn into this blog.

Sonic 3D: Flickies’ Island

A “cheat mode” code for the Saturn version of Sonic 3D was long-known for the PAL and NTSC-U versions of the game, but not the later NTSC-J version. I found it!

Clockwork Knight 2

The U.S. version of Clockwork Knight 2 was long rumored to have the entirety of the first Clockwork Knight game hidden it it, but the code was never disclosed.

See the writeup here. I also found a much less exciting version string code.

Three Dirty Dwarves

This game has a password system, but for many years only one valid password was known. I found another: SUPERHERO MODE. I also discovered a set of other non-working passwords that correspond to streets in Bronx, NY.

See the writeup here.

Shinobi Legions

This game has the most convoluted cheat code I’ve ever seen: you need to adjust multiple items on the settings menu, then enter a 40 button sequence. The effect, debug mode, is well worth it, however.

Here’s the writeup.

Gale Racer

Gale Racer is the answer to some esoteric Sonic Trivia questions: which game features Mighty, Ray, and Metal Sonic? What was Mecha Sonic’s first Saturn appearance?

Several Sonic characters make cameos in this adaptation of Rad Mobile. I found another, Flicky! Here’s the writeup.

Titan Wars / Solar Eclipse

This game has 60 cheat codes! Is that a record? Most of the ones I found were previously undocumented.

Here’s the writeup.

Gex

There were cheat codes known for the 3DO and Playstation versions of Gex that didn’t have analogs on the Saturn version. I found them, however, along with some debug features from the original version.

I wrote up the details here.

Fighting Vipers

I found an unused costume for one of the characters in Fighting Vipers. In working on a patch to make it available to play with, I found a cheat code for a “backup debugger” utility. Who knew that Fighting Vipers could communicate with the Saturn floppy drive?

Here’s the writeup.

Fighter’s Megamix

What if I told you that you could unlock the hidden characters and bonus options without having to play for hundreds of hours? It’s true! The game has codes for most of its unlockable features.

The writeup is here.

Sakura Taisen, Sakura Taisen 2, and Hanagumi Taisen Columns

These three games all have very similar codes that unlock some hidden menus. They’re hard to pull off, however!

See the details here.

Dungeon Master Nexus

A reader gave me a tip for this one: there are strings for a debug menu in the game data. I checked them out, and found that the menu can be unlocked with a button code.

Here are the details!

Savaki

https://segaretro.org/images/f/f2/Savaki_Saturn_JP_SStitle.png

This mixed martial arts fighter has some cool debug features hidden behind cheat codes. The 3D model viewer is particularly neat.

The writeup explains the cheat codes as well as some other things I found when looking into them.

Hardcore 4x4

I found a debug mode code and some little developer easter eggs in this off road truck racing game from Gremlin! See the writeup for details.

Alien Trilogy

The Internet knew about three out of four passwords for Saturn, and one out of four passwords for PlayStation. I filled in the missing bits here!

Ghen War

A few cheat codes for this game were hiding out on the Japanese language Internet. I found some additional ones and brought the whole set to light here.

Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future

This was one of my favorite reverse engineering adventures. The writeup describes how to break the encoding scheme the game uses to hide the special initials that unlock extra features.

Off-World Interceptor, Off-World Interceptor Extreme

https://segaretro.org/images/7/72/OffWorldInterceptorExtreme_title.png

This game tells you about one of its cheat codes in its staff roll, but it has a bunch of other hidden ones. By examining the original 3DO version, I was able to discover what they are and what they do.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2

I found a two new cheats for the PlayStation version of this game and one for the Dreamcast version. These were tough to crack, as the game obscures them! Check out the writeup for details.

And the rest