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Castlevania
(NES)

   GENERATE POINTS AND DOUBLE AND TRIPLE
   SHOTS QUICKLY

Castlevania's creepy crawlers come out at Simon Belmont relentlessly. Fortunately, the game's creators have given you — the player — a special trick that, if performed correctly, can exponentially multiply your points, while increasing your abilities to collect the Double and Triple Shot items.

To achieve this, Simon will need one of the following special weapons — the Axe or more ideally, the Boomerang or the Fire Bomb — and an area where multiple enemies spawn rather frequently. Once you find a nice location, lure out a number of foes to chase you, then try to hit many of them with one usage of your special weapon. (See illustrations below ↓.)

A well-aimed launch of an Axe (harder to accomplish), Boomerang or Fire Bomb that clears a path of enemies will score high points. The points aren't the only plus; Double and Triple Shots are dropped when 10 consecutive enemy hits and/or Candles are struck with a special sub-weapon.

Line up several foes when Simon has, preferably, the Boomerang or Fire Bomb. Make sure you have hearts to use the special weapons.

When they are within striking range, let off a shot.

When they are hit, the points will double into the thousands, getting Simon closer to the next 1UP. The Fire Bomb, which burns for a time, and the Boomerang that flies to one edge of the screen and back, have ample time to inflict multiple defeats.

The Legend Of Zelda
(NES)

   SECOND QUEST

Once The Legend Of Zelda is defeated, a bonus quest awaits those gamers who didn't get enough of Hyrule the first time. To bypass all of the hard work and to skip to the hard quest from the beginning, though, just start a new game and enter ZELDA as your sign-in name.

If done correctly, Link will be pictured, holding his White Sword, on the Registration Mode screen (see picture ↑). Congratulations on the new adventure!

Shovel Knight
(WII U)

PLAGUE OF SHADOWS MODE Did you know that Shovel Knight isn't the only hero that you can play as in Shovel Knight? That's right! The generous developers from Yacht Club Games have thrown in a whole new game within the game — play as Plague Knight in Plague Of Shadows! At the title screen: Hold A (or the attack button), press ▲, ▲, ►, ▼, ◄, ◄ and release A (or the attack button). Hold cursor over the controller image below to see an animation of the code. A short confirmation tune will play, followed by the screen seen below. Congratulations on the new adventure!

Double Dragon (NES)

  INVISIBLE WILLIAMS LEVEL-BUILDING

This exploitable glitch allows Billy Lee to quickly and safely accumulate points until he fully maximizes his Technical Skills to know every attack available. This can all be achieved from an invisible enemy from Stage 2 (Industrial Area):

Once you cross the large hole on this stage, climb down the fence and lure out the Williams. One will be holding Dynamite, so be careful avoiding it. Once they begin closing in on you, climb up the fence to freeze the Williams in their steps. (Be sure to take note of the exact areas where the Williams last stood.)

Walk across the ledge and return to the left. Either climb down the fence or jump down to the ground on the left side of the hole once again.

Now go back to the right side, past the pit. Be careful.

Now, here is the important step! Be sure to find one of the exact, last locations where the Williams formerly stood. (In the animated image above (↑), see the ghostly image of Williams. It represents the place that his movements froze before he disappeared.)

Once you have, have Billy Lee start attacking the "empty space". If you are in the correct spot, you should start hearing the sound effects that usually accompany an enemy when they are being hit. If done correctly, for each strike, your score should rise. Every time you pass 999 points, another heart will be tacked on and another Technical Skill will be learned!

Double Dragon (NES)

  WEAPON GLITCH

This glitch can be exploited anywhere a weapon is lying on the ground and when the thumb icon flashes to move you to the next screen of play (except at the end of the game: in that screen, there will be no thumb icon flashing, you will have to wait until the final enemy in a set is down and flashing before he disappears.).

To activate this trick, your timing will have to be precise and there will have to be a weapon left behind on the ground.

Here are the steps. Make sure that there is a weapon resting within reach nearby. As soon as Billy knocks down the final foe on screen, rush over to position yourself above the item. Once that last enemy begins to flash a few, quick times—and if timed correctly (possibly on the fourth blink)—have Billy pick up the weapon by repeatedly pressing the A button. If done correctly, the item will transform into an odd jumble of pixels that Billy can carry into the next screen and swing, similar to a Bat. (Be aware that this exploit may take a lot of practice or luck to work.)

(See the series of pictures below (↓) to view the strange transformation.)

EarthBound
(SNES)

  INFINITE ROCK CANDY TRICK

This special trick is an exploit that can boost any one of the following statistical attributes permanently, by one point: Speed, Guts, Vitality, IQ or Luck. Note that the specific attribute is randomly chosen per attempt.

In order to perform this glitch, your party will need Rock Candy and a number of condiments - preferably Sugar Packets because of their compatibility and low price. Stock up on your chosen condiment, but be sure to leave one, remaining slot at the end of your items. Fill that last spot (the bottom-right position) with your Rock Candy.

Next, enter a battle and use your Rock Candy on a member of your team. The EarthBound's Player Guide does a good job in explaining the rest:

"When he or she [any member of your party] uses the Rock Candy, the condiment [one of your supply] will be spent instead of the candy. Pretty sweet. In using the Rock Candy, you will experience a lift in any one of your attributes such as IQ."

Note that you can use this strategy repeatedly in battle—just make sure that you always have, at least, one remaining condiment in your stash when you use your Rock Candy and make sure that your Rock Candy is positioned in the last slot of your list of items. (The final slot will shift, as you use up condiments... just be sure that there are no items occupying the last, available spot in your list or any items positioned after your Rock Candy, or the trick will end.)

This tactic can help your party to attain high levels remarkably fast.

Ghosts 'N Goblins
(NES)

  TIP FOR BATTLING RED DEVILS

The Red Devils are arguably the toughest foes in this game. Their speed is unmatched and once they swoop at you, there is no way to avoid damage, unless you happen to hit them enough times to defeat them in mid-descent. They are so frustrating that some sorry souls may feel willing to sell theirs', just to pass. Use this tip instead.

To pull off this strategy, you will have to have fast reflexes and will have to be ready to run immediately.

Whenever you encounter a Red Devil, slowly inch, or scroll, him into the right edge of the screen. Once his elbow is barely visible, fire off a shot and wait until you see a spark and hear an audible strike. Once the hit is made, immediately run to your left for quite a distance.

If you accomplish the task correctly, the Red Devil will have tried to pursue you, but you will have escaped him, and as your reward, upon returning to the area formerly guarded by him, he will have disappeared.

If not done correctly, upon your return, the Red Devil will be levitating high in the sky, ready to swoop in on you.

This technique takes some practice because of the rigid controls of the Knight (remember that you can turn in midair after letting off a shot, and that little extra help can make all of the difference), but if you are able to master it, it will go a long way in helping you to succeed.

See the animated sequence below, for some assistance:

When trying this approach yourself, be sure to try to reveal less of the Red Devil's elbow (than seen here) before you attack. Also, have a quicker reaction time when running away, after you see the spark — this will better ensure that the trick actually works.

The Legend Of Zelda
(NES)

  LEVEL-1 DOOR OPEN GLITCH

There is an exploitable glitch to be found in the first room of LEVEL-1. Upon entering the room, the north door is locked.

If Link immediately exits the labyrinth, returns outside to the Overworld and then, goes back down the steps into the entrance room, once again, the locked door will be suddenly opened — without the need for a Key!

Mega Man
(NES)

  SLOW MOTION

By repeatedly, pressing SELECT, the game pauses and resumes at a slow pace; if an enemy is being struck by a blast from Mega Man, this trick will register several strikes per beam. But, beware: Mega Man can also receive damage per pause.

Metal Gear
(NES)

  USING SELECT FOR HELP

Press SELECT, A to display the transceiver screen when a pit opens. Press SELECT again to resume game play. The pit will now be closed. Still take caution, however, because the actual area that you saw open before you paused the action will still cause Snake's death, if he walks over it — it is simply invisible.

To more quickly collect your maximum load of Rations or Ammunition, simply touch the item to collect it. Next, press SELECT and A to display the transceiver screen. Then, press SELECT again to resume game play. The item should reappear to be collected over again.

A boss' initial position will reset, if you press SELECT to summon either the transceiver or weapon screen. This can be used to your advantage during battle.

  WARP TO FINAL BOSS WITHOUT BATTLING
  THE SUPER COMPUTER

When entering the Super Computer's room, stay in the door frame and push right on the control pad. You'll automatically warp to the final boss and won't have to worry about the base's self-destruction countdown that the computer's destruction usually starts. Now you have all the time you need to beat the last boss.

Super Mario Bros. 2
(NES)

  INFINITE COIN TRICK

The role of the Coin in Super Mario Bros. 2 is completely different than what it was in the original Super Mario Bros. Cashing in 100 Coins in the first game would get you a 1UP and there seemed to be no shortage of change.

However, the scarcity of Coins in Super Mario Bros. 2 does come with the chance to reap high fortunes. Finding this currency in Sub-space proves invaluable, as it can be used on the Bonus Chance mini-game that follows completion of each World. The Bonus Chance slot machine takes one Coin per play, but with precision timing, one can collect a bounty of either 1UP, 2UP or 5UP per play.

There is one clear problem, though. Sub-space can normally only be entered twice per World, before its special effect of rewarding Coins wears off. However, there is a tweak that can be made — if your Player dies, while in Sub-space, the game doesn't register that death as one of the two times you can enter to get Coins. So, theoretically, you could repeatedly enter a particularly-fertile parcel of Sub-space, grab several coins and then, perish before Sub-space reverts back to normal play in SubCon.

Once you reach the end of your extra players, defeat the world and you will have several Coins for the Bonus Chance. Luckily, we have scouted out some especially Coin-abundant areas in different worlds for you to exploit. See the examples below: (Special Note: Toad is typically, the Player of choice, to use for gathering coins because his strength and speed make it easiest for him to pull up all of the sprouts.)

World 1-3:

World 2-2:

World 4-1:

World 4-2:

World 4-3:

World 5-1:

World 5-2:

To find the Magic Potion, you must first go down the Jar pictured below (↓). Pull up a Bomb and safely place it onto the stone floor to blast an opening. Drop down and carefully dodge the Porcupos as you pull up the tuft of grass on the right side — it holds the Magic Potion. Safely escape the Jar.

Use the Magic Potion here, grab your Coins and drop off of the screen before Sub-space disappears. Repeat.

Castlevania:
The Adventure
(GAME BOY)

  SECRET 1UP

At the beginning of the game, if you ignore striking the first ten candles, a special trick will occur. Upon reaching the 11th candle, if your hero whips it, he will find the rare 1 Up On The Count, or just 1UP. See below (↓):

Ninja Gaiden
(NES)

The 1UP on 5-3 will repeatedly respawn, once Ryu leaves the screen and returns. A maximum of 9 1UPs can be held in reserve.

  5-3, Third Floor (1UP):

Castlevania
(NES)

  SHORTCUT ON STAGE 5

By Level 2, the Count makes it much more obvious that he is pulling back the welcome mat. Deadly drops with moving platforms appear for the first time and with them, the boss of this level, Queen Medusa, makes her presence felt by dispatching the dreaded Medusa Heads.

These flying projectiles try to fly into Simon to push him backwards and into the abyss below. However, there is one spot where Simon can use this bounce back against the Medusa Heads and actually expedite his exit from the stage.

At the specified area in Stage 5, if Simon times his jump correctly and leaps straight up, right as the Medusa Head bumps him, he may be bounced to the floor above. This tiny sacrifice of energy can save Simon a number of players, as well as a lot of frustration. However, it does take some practice to perfect. See the illustrations below.

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
(NES)

  13 CLUES

The villagers in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest drive the narrative and propel you throughout Transylvania in search of Dracula's dreadful body parts and the end of his jinx.

Through conversation and by finding the occasional book hidden away, Simon is fed a steady slurry of misinformation, rumors, red herrings and half-truths with the occasional smattering of truths. Oh, and to add to the confusion... mistranslations. The trick is to declare which clue is true and which is conjecture:

If this villager is to be believed, here is a list of the "13 clues" that seem to be most helpful; without revealing the actual solution for each, we will provide the degree of veracity. Hopefully these will assist you, if you get stuck (and without the annoyance of spoilers):

Clue #1:

CONFIRMED:

Clue #2:

CONFIRMED:

Clue #3:

CONFIRMED:

Clue #4:

CONFIRMED:

Clue #5:

CONFIRMED:

Clue #6:

CONFIRMED:

Clue #7:

CONFIRMED:

Clue #8:

CONFIRMED:

Clue #9:

CONFIRMED:

Clue #10:

CONFIRMED:

Clue #11:

CONFIRMED:

Clue #12:

CONFIRMED!!!:

Clue #13:

CONFIRMED!!!:

Double Dragon (NES)

  SKIP INDUSTRIAL AREA BOSS

At the end of the Industrial Area (Stage 2), martial arts master, Chintai, awaits. He can prove to be a tough boss. Thankfully, there is a secret move to avoid him altogether.

After you defeat all of the Lindas on the building, continue to climb upward.

Once you reach the top floor, Chintai will come out to fight. Quickly retreat and go back down the ladder.

Chintai's chase should stop and he should be frozen in place. Climb down the second ladder on the left side. About halfway down, you will hear a victorious tune and will get to advance to Stage 3... without having to fight the boss!

Double Dragon (NES)

  STAGE 4 WALL TRAP TIP

The Hideout of the Boss Stage starts off with a devious trap that is comprised of a set of stone walls. Each wall has large stones that slide out in what seems to be random patterns that are hard to predict, and harder still, to react to and pass quickly.

This notorious section lives on in infamy in the minds of many gamers who have had their games cut short in their attempts to save Marian. However, there may be a tip to help advance past these momentum crushers.

There are a few things to note first:

1. it takes four hits to actually cause you to lose a player, so you will not die instantly (However, once you are hit, sometimes it is hard to avoid taking multiple hits in rapid succession.); and
2. each wall section is divided into four, stacked sets of vertical, sliding stone segments (highlighted in green in pictures below); each resets upon Billy standing immediately before one. (If the following tip is carried out correctly, it essentially means that there are actually four instances of sliding stones that you will have to pass, not all eight.)

Let us begin.

When the stage starts, do NOT move Billy Lee up or down—this will misalign him, negatively affecting his ability to dodge the upcoming obstacles.

Next, walk forward. Line Billy up with the left edge of the first brick wall as pictured above. (Notice how his hair extends into the black space between the stone bricks on the second row.) If done correctly, he will not get hit by the sliding stones here.

     

Once the bottom stone starts to slide out, jump kick over it and run slightly to the right to line Billy up to the third "column" of bricks. (Note the green blocks in the image above (↑) to see where he should be standing.) If done correctly, he will avoid getting hit by the sliding stones here and will skip past the second "column" without activating it.

Repeat the process - jump over the bottom, moving stone and run to the safe space between the two wall traps. Next, line Billy up like he was at the start of the first wall and repeat the whole process again.

If timed and lined up correctly—and if Billy has not moved up or down from his original position—in many cases, you should be able to get past the wall traps with most, if not, full energy intact. Congratulations!

EarthBound
(SNES)

  ENEMY ENCOUNTER STRATEGIES (COLOR SWIRLS)

In many RPGs of the era, random enemy encounters provided frequent frustration for gamers. EarthBound introduced a system to help alleviate some of the aggravation.

On the map, the gamer can change the rules of engagement with the enemy at the point of contact.

• If Ness and his party bumps the enemy sprite from the side or behind, a green swirl will spin upon the screen, signifying a successful, sneak attack and early chance to strike the foe first.
• If Ness and his party and the enemy touches facing each other, a black swirl will indicate a fight beginning on neutral ground.
• If the enemy collides with Ness and his party from the back or side, a red swirl will appear and the enemy will strike first.

EarthBound
(SNES)

  ROLLING HP TRICK

EarthBound innovated another aid to improve the chances for survivability in RPG gameplay: the Rolling HP (Hit Points, or health).

Essentially, in other role playing titles of the time, whenever an enemy would land an attack on any member(s) of your party, the damage would be deducted from their health immediately. If a powerful enough blow would hit, the effects would prove fatal and could instantly end the game.

However in EarthBound, landed attacks cause damage to roll, or count down, over a small frame of time. If a critical hit strikes, your character's/(s') HP will tick down to zero. But, instead of an instant death—like what was the norm in other games—if you are able to take your turn in battle and provide a boost of health or even defeat the enemy before your life reaches 0 HP, you will survive the encounter and can avoid the need of reviving your unconscious party member(s)!

EarthBound
(SNES)

  INFINITE MAGIC BUTTERFLIES

If Ness and the party touches a Magic Butterfly, the PP, or Psychic Points, will be restored. However, if you need more PSI Power to max out your levels, simply exit the room or area where the Magic Butterfly is fluttering in and re-enter to find another one in its place. Repeat as needed.

EarthBound
(SNES)

  ONE PERSON'S TRASH (CAN) IS ANOTHER'S TREASURE

There are several Trash Cans found throughout the towns and environs of EarthBound. Even though it isn't always advisable to do so in our real world, if Ness examines the contents of these receptacles, he may find that another person's trash is, indeed, treasure.

Food, like the Hamburger above (↑), and other useful items, like broken gadgetry for Jeff, may be under that next Trash Can lid.

EarthBound
(SNES)

  JEFF'S SPY TECHNIQUE SHORTCUT

As was previously discussed, we learned that each of our team members possess unique abilities. It seems that Jeff's being "really near-sighted" is a blessing, not a curse.

During a battle, if Jeff uses his exclusive Spy ability, he will be able to reveal the weakness of a foe or see if an enemy—alone or in a group—is holding an item that will drop after defeat. In the case of the latter, the item will be taken automatically.

(NOTE: Any item obtained by the Spy command will not be able to be used until after the completion of the battle.)

EarthBound
(SNES)

  POO'S MIRROR TRICK

Similar to Jeff's unique power, Poo possesses the ability to Mirror, or copy the attacks of an enemy during battle. (A random enemy may be chosen, if there are more than one foe in a fight.)

Mirroring an enemy could produce a myriad of outcomes depending upon which character is copied and which of its inherent attacks is mimicked, so the gamer should take heed and plan accordingly. Also, the gamer cannot control Poo's attacks. Finally, Poo cannot mirror a boss.

EarthBound
(SNES)

  SKIPPING EVERDRED BATTLE

Once Ness reaches Twoson, it is entirely possible to avoid battling Everdred as long as Ness doesn't get too close to Everdred's house within the far reaches of Burglin Park.

EarthBound
(SNES)

  FREE MONEY IN TWOSON HOTEL

Early on in your adventure, Ness can gain a quick boost of cash by breaking rules of etiquette in the Twoson Hotel. If you find the guest pictured below (↓) and keep pestering him by repeatedly trying to talk to him, he will eventually pay you to go away.

EarthBound
(SNES)

  GRAPEFRUIT FALLS PASSWORD

Once you visit the Saturn Valley Village, one of the Mr. Saturn characters will reveal the secret to accessing a secret base found behind the Grapefruit Falls.

Mr. Saturn says, "Base... Secret. Base behind Grapefruit Falls. Password? I tell. Belch man say 'Say password.' Then stand still, wait for 3 minutes."

According to Mr. Saturn, once you reach Grapefruit Falls, you will be prompted to "Say the password!"

Once you see this message, you literally just need to stand still and not move Ness for three minutes. Your patience will pay off after the three minute break... you will be permitted to enter the secret base then.

The Legend Of Zelda
(NES)

  LEAVE ONE ENEMY BEHIND

If Link finds himself in a screen full of enemies that he has to cross through multiple times, there is a way to make it more passable. Simply defeat all of them, except one. Now, every time Link returns, only one foe will be present.

The Legend Of Zelda
(NES)

  WAY THROUGH LOST WOODS

The Lost Woods in The Legend Of Zelda can be a frustrating lesson to learn. With a combination of four directions that can be taken, multiplied by the number of screens you must cross, some become lost from their quest for days.

There are no compasses outside of the Underworld labyrinths, but who needs one when you can use these directions right here:

Lost Woods: Up, Left, Down, Left

A chiming tune will confirm the correct direction out of the Lost Woods.

The Legend Of Zelda
(NES)

  WAY THROUGH LOST HILLS

The Lost Hills, like their southwestern counterparts, the Lost Woods, can throw Link off the path, but with our directions below, no hope is lost:

Lost Hills: Up, Up, Up, Up

A chiming tune will confirm the correct direction out of the Lost Hills.

Metal Gear
(NES)

  MAZE SOLUTIONS

There are two mazes to be found in Metal Gear. No hints are given, as to how to find your way through them. And if you become lost within them, you will soon notice that the screens will loop endlessly. To successfully find the right path through the mazes, you must choose 1 of 6 correct directions, 4 screens in a row. Below you can see the solutions — to see an animation of the correct routes, hold your cursor over the maps below:

Lower Maze in Jungle: Left, Left, Upper Left, Left

Upper Maze in Jungle (after Desert): Lower Left, Lower Left, Up, Lower Left

A special tune will confirm your success, upon taking the proper path.

Metal Gear
(NES)

  RESET TIMER AT GAME'S ENDING

When you escape the Final Level, have your character use the cigarettes and the time will be reset.

Ninja Gaiden
(NES)

  RESTORING PHYSICAL STRENGTH

Losing energy from the swarming attacks of enemies in Ninja Gaiden may seem demoralizing, but in a few areas in the game, you can boost your morale and chances by filling and refilling up on Restoring Physical Strength potions. Check out the areas below where the Restoring Physical Strength potions can be repeatedly gotten:

5-2, Fourth Floor (Restoring Physical Strength):

6-2, Fifth Floor (Restoring Physical Strength):

6-3, Fourth Floor (Restoring Physical Strength):

Ninja Gaiden
(NES)

  SAFE ZONE WHILE FIGHTING KELBEROSS

Jaquio's pet dog, Kelbeross, guards the path at Stage 4-4 that eventually leads the way to the Temple Of Darkness — a very similar parallel to Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guards Hades in Greek mythology. Two Kelbeross appear and bounce from the walls and floor, spitting forth deadly globules, making for a frantic battle with little room for dodging and/or mistakes.

However, there is a relatively safe space hidden within the room where Kelbeross rarely invade (Notice that they rarely invade, meaning that they don't always enter the space, but they can and might at times, so stay alert!). Standing within the left pillar — the one set aglow in white in the illustration below — provides the buffer zone for Ryu to stage his attack.

Super Mario Bros. 2
(NES)

  SECRET SHORTCUTS

Warp Jars are the most ideal way to take large, safe strides over several Worlds at a time in Super Mario Bros. 2. Unfortunately, there are only a few of these to be found.

However, for those with some diligence, there are some Worlds that offer secret shortcuts that will slide Mario and his fellow Players past large sections and/or tough stretches. They are discussed below: (Special Note: Luigi is typically, the Player of choice, to use in these shortcuts because his high jumping ability makes him easiest to reach tall ledges.)

(World 1-1)

There are two options to use here, but they both result in the Player leaping to the high plateau to avoid the interior room.

Option 1: Time a Power Squat Jump from the back of Tweeter when it bounces on its highest hop.

Option 2: Use Luigi and Power Squat Jump from the red log that lies across the waterfall.

Either way, the end-goal is to reach the higher path, in order to skip past using the open door in the hillside.

(World 1-2)

To avoid having to find a Key and working your way through the locked door, Luigi comes in very handy here. Jump onto the Ninji pictured below, duck down to Power Squat Jump and leap up, when Ninji reaches the height of his jump. The plateau above cuts down on a lot of time.

(World 3-1)

This special shortcut exploits a quirky quality that Mushroom Blocks hold in this title, and could be performed by any one of the four Players with a lot of effort and luck. However, to more easily take advantage, Princess or Luigi would be the best choices.

Once your Player reaches the top of the vine pictured below, you will notice that there seems to be a large region of sky, dotted with clouds, to your immediate left. To your right, you will find a number of Mushroom Blocks and a Panser.

Now for a shocking surprise — if you toss a Mushroom Block onto any one of the small, oval clouds, the block will actually rest on top!

If you are using Mario or Toad, you can progress slowly and with care to the left until you are able to reach the secret shortcut door that lies at the screen's edge. If you are using Princess or Luigi, you can accelerate and levitate or jump across the bottomless sky with ease.

Now, enter the secret door and follow the arrows in the diagram below to reach the boss. Bomb through the first rocky wall and leap above the actual screen of play, running left to drop a surprise ambush on Birdo!

(World 3-2)

From the start, have your Player run all of the way right across the overground region, taking care to avoid Ostros and other obstacles along the way. Once your Player reaches the rocky wall, pick up a Bomb and blast your way through the rock covering found above the underground entrance. Work your way to the left until you encounter a ladder. Climb down it.

Using Luigi and his Power Squat Jump, you can bypass a tough tunnel of rocky walls and Bombs ahead.

Kneel down at the edge of the cliff pictured below and use the Power Squat Jump to leap above the rocky ceiling to your left.

Run across the top of the screen until you reach the left-most ladder - the fifth ladder over (See illustration below.). Go down that ladder.

Climb back up the same ladder. Enter the door to reach Birdo.

(World 4-3)

After riding across a large body of water on Birdo's egg near the beginning of this stage, your Player will encounter a door. If you are using Princess or Luigi, skip that door and simply accelerate and leap to the right. Your Player will land on another stretch of land at the second tower. Run past that first door and keep right to bypass most of the ice and spikes that are contained within the tall towers. Get the Crystal Ball and face Fryguy.

(World 6-3)

There are two options to use here, but they both result in the Player passing a tall, rocky wall that conceals a shortcut that shaves several minutes from your stay.

Option 1: Climb up the ladder at the start of the stage. Using Luigi, run to the right to lure a Pokey to follow you back to the tall wall. Jump on top of the Pokey, duck down for the Power Squat Jump and when you approach the wall, leap above the screen to land on top of it. Run left and drop down to take the door. (See illustration below.)

Option 2: Climb up the ladder at the start of the stage. Run left until you reach the quicksand that is in front of the tall wall. Continuously move left against the wall. As you sink lower into the quicksand, be sure to jump, so that your head never falls too low below the surface. If you perform the trick correctly, your Player will slowly trudge underneath the wall and through the sand, until you reach the other side. Hop out and take the door. (See illustration below.)

Carefully hop across the cloud platforms to your left and land down in the pyramid area. Enter the opening to fight Birdo, followed by main boss, Triclyde.

World 7-1:

The multilayered cloud platforms, crawling with Ninji, Shyguys and Snifits, makes for a tedious stretch of play. But, with Luigi and a well-timed Power Squat Jump from the back of Tweeter over the pillar, an easier escape to that elusive ladder on the other side will be your reward.

Wrath Of The Black Manta
(NES)

  INFINITE LIFE REFILL

The Black Manta has to face a lot of hostile members of DRAT, as he tracks down Taro and rescues all of those missing children. It's not always easy to stay healthy and avoid injury.

Anytime that the Black Manta reaches a room that is guarded by three enemies (like below ↓), he can quickly refill three blocks of life. This can be done repeatedly until his current strength tops out at eight blocks. See below (↓):

Enter a room that has the three enemy layout.

Quickly dodge and defeat the trio.

Once the enemies are defeated, Manta will gain three blocks of life (See the green highlighted blocks in the picture).

Simply exit and re-enter as much as needed to build up your full life!

Wrath Of The Black Manta
(NES)

  THE ART OF INVISIBILITY

The Black Manta receives mastery of a set of new Ninpo Arts with each new city he completes investigating. The Art Of Invisibility is one of the more effective ones.

This art can be used as a semi-reliable form of "invincibility" that allows the Manta to, sometimes, pass through and fight some enemies.

Also, it can be an easier way to engage with "the man in red" found throughout the various stages of the game.

Because of the unpredictable hit detection, Black Manta, oftentimes, may lose energy when he tries to move in to physically grab and speak to the red informant, but, if he uses the Art Of Invisibility first, the Black Manta's chances to safely question him may improve. (See above picture. ↑)

Wrath Of The Black Manta
(NES)

  CHOOSE WHICH ENEMY BOSS YOU WANT TO FIGHT
  BEFORE THE FINAL BOSS

On "Part 5 - DRAT Headquarters" immediately before you encounter the final boss, you have to choose one of four doors. Each door conceals a major boss you defeated earlier in the game. Use the image below to pick the main enemy you are most comfortable with battling:

Shovel Knight
(WII U)

In order to input the following codes, you need to select START GAME from the title screen,

then on the -PROFILE SELECT- screen, choose one of the open 9 slots to create a -NEW ADVENTURE-

and input one of the cheat codes found below.

Once entered, the game will display the following screen:

When you select YES, the game will prompt you to re-register your name. Do so and then, choose the new PROFILE and begin.

(NOTE: Using these passwords will disable the FEATS that you can normally attain in regular gameplay. Also, some of these codes can be used with Plague Knight in Plague Of Shadows, where applicable.)

Double Dragon (NES)

  SAFE WAY TO FIGHT WILLY

At game's end, Willy steps out with machine gun firing. Billy Lee will succumb to only a few hits from its bullets. Willy can attack from far away, using a barrage of shots, and in up-close combat, he will pistol-..., no, "rifle"-whip with the butt of his gun. This battle can prove extremely challenging and maddeningly frustrating.

However—immediately when Willy comes out of the door—if Billy Lee can move down to the edge of the battle arena, where the the larger, brick, block pattern meets the red carpeting (see below (↓)), he will be in a safe area. Willy will be in a position to where his machine gun shots will be out-of-alignment with our twin hero!

As long as Billy Lee does not move up, he will be able to safely attack Willy—even under fire. (However, note that moving in too closely can trigger Willy to use his pistol-whip maneuver. Finally, be sure not to go down too far or Billy Lee will fall into the spikes and lose a life.)

This is a closeup shot to show where to position Billy for the safe area, just out of the line of fire. One, final note: Billy can actually be positioned a few pixels above the spot shown above and still be safe.

Wrath Of The Black Manta

To see the revelation of the main enemy and to learn the best strategy to beat the game, click here.

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
(NES)

The developers at Konami implemented a brilliant password system for Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. For such a challenging game where one's progress is everything, this fool-proof tool helped ensure that Simon's Quest would be an enjoyable and playable entry in the series... even if it was so different from the first game.

Luckily, Kingshriek (also known as Mr. Dean Fehlau) took up the challenge of cracking this mathematical wonder and decided to share his reverse-engineered, hard work with us all. He originally described and updated his work, in depth, back on August 23, 2005 at the following URL on the GameFAQs website:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/587179-castlevania-ii-simons-quest/faqs/38582

The Thonky.com website expounded upon and credited Kingshriek on his research, creating a handy form that allows user input to specify certain parameters, like which body parts you possess or how many days have passed.

To create your own custom password here, you can visit the following URL:

https://www.thonky.com/castlevania-ii-simons-quest/password-generator

Another website lets you customize your own passwords, as well. TASVideos adds another layer to the create-your-own-code ability — per page reload, it will randomly-generate and insert English-language words to produce actual readable, if nonsensical, passwords that actually work!

Many of these passwords result in conditions that could never be achieved under normal gameplay, yet they are still functional, within the rules of Konami's password system. Pretty cool!

Finally, the TASVideos generator takes into account the unique characters (diamonds (♦), spades (♠), hearts (♥)) that are present in the PAL release version of the game.

And additional "crypting settings" can be tweaked for the inner coder inside each and everyone of us.

To create your own custom password or weird, English-language code here, you can visit the following URL:

http://tasvideos.org/PasswordGenerators.html

(NOTE: As a disclaimer and a word of caution, please make sure that your web browsing device is fully-updated with its most current security software updates before visiting any sites online.)

(NOTE: When writing down your passwords in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, be careful to notice the differences between the capital letter (O) and the number (0), as well as any other similarly-shaped letters and numbers, such as the number (1), the capital letter (I) and the lowercase (l), where applicable.)

Metal Gear
(NES)

Click here to visit, http://www.dougbabcock.com/metal-gear.php.

Ghosts 'N Goblins
(NES)

  SECRET MESSAGE IN ENDING

The people behind the scenes wanted to be remembered in a circle of fame (or infamy, depending upon the player's point of view), so they slipped a bonus message into the game that can be accessed upon defeat of the main enemy of Ghosts 'N Goblins for the second time.

After you complete both quests, view the ending and wait until you see the screen below.

After the entire message fills in and is displayed, enter the code below (The special message will appear shortly afterwards.):

Press A, B, ▲, ▼, A, B, ◄, ►.

Hold cursor over the controller image below ↓ to see an animation of the code. SPOILER ALERT! Click on the controller image below ↓ to see the secret message.

The Legend Of Zelda
(NES)

  SECRET SAVE

You'll need both NES controllers to execute this code. If you need to stop to save your game abruptly, but you do not want to sacrifice Link or take any counts against your games played totals, simply press:

And then press:

to summon the SAVE SCREEN.

Hold cursor over the controller images below to see an animation of the code.

Castlevania:
The Adventure
(GAME BOY)

  MULTIPLE HIDDEN ROOMS

Throughout the existence of the Castlevania series, secret, hidden items and invisible floors and stairs have been integral parts of the fun and play. Items, like Treasure Chests, Money Bags, Hidden Books, the Sacred Flame and the ever-popular "turkey" or "wall meat", have been unearthed and/or activated to the delight of vampire hunters, young and old.

The developers did not forget this tradition when the game moved onto the Game Boy platform. However, for this edition of the Castlevania experience, instead of finding individual items, whole rooms were hidden in plain sight. Each stage has one. See the examples below (↓):

Stage 1:

(Once you reach the area pictured below (↓), continue to climb the rope.)

(You will surprisingly pass through, what appeared to be a bricked-in wall.)

(Keep climbing until you reach the next screen up. Drop down and strike the candles for some especially helpful items.)

Stage 2:

(Once you reach the area pictured below (↓), whip the Big Eye, as it rolls down the third "step". If done properly, it will explode exposing a white, rectangular gap (two blocks wide—wide enough to fall into the open space). Jump into that gap and push down (↓) to climb down an invisible rope.)

(Once you reach the room pictured below (↓), whip all of the candles for some useful rewards, then climb down the rope to exit.)

Stage 3:

(Once you reach the area pictured below (↓), continue to climb the rope.)

(Once you reach this high location, leap into the wall. You will surprisingly pass through, what appeared to be a bricked-in, solid space.)

(Continue walking and falling to the right and you will reach this open room.)

(Whip the candles for some useful power-ups. Then, continue upward through the ceiling with the rope extending down, or pass back through the invisible, brick wall and take that rope up instead.)

Stage 4:

(Once you reach the area pictured below (↓), drop from the rope and fall to the left. (Note that a Nightstalker/Zeldo normally appears on the floor here, as soon as you climb up from the bottom left to enter this space. You will have to defeat it first.))

(You will surprisingly land on an invisible platform.)

(Once you walk to the spot seen below, push up (↑) to climb an invisible rope.)

(Keep climbing until you reach the next screen up. Drop down to the left and strike the candles for some timely power-ups.)

Ninja Gaiden
(NES)

At the title screen, when the message, "TECMO PRESENTS 1989," appears:

Hold ▼, ◄, B, A,

SELECT

, and press

START

Press ▲ and ▼ to change the music and sound effects, and A and B to start and stop the music or sound.
Hold cursor over the controller image below to see an animation of the code.

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
(NES)

  IMPOSSIBLE PASSWORDS

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest uses a complex password system, comprised of 16 characters.

The password records the current Player Level (0 through 6); the time that has elapsed; which weapons and mystical items you have; your supply of medicinal herbs (Laurels and Garlic from 0 up to 8 each); which type of Whip you possess and which parts of Dracula's corpse you've collected.

The following special passwords will yield effects that aren't usually achievable at the start of the game.

	Begin a new game with Flame Whip (most powerful)
NOTE: Both "0"'s are ZEROES.	Begin a new game with Player Level 6 (max level) and Flame Whip (most powerful)
	Begin a new game with: Player Level 6 (max level) Flame Whip (most powerful) Red Crystal (final Crystal traded to you) Magic Cross and all of Dracula's Body Parts
NOTE: "O" is the LETTER "O", not a zero.	Begin a new game with: Player Level 6 (max level) Flame Whip (most powerful) White Crystal (first Crystal you acquire) all Weapons and Mystical Items Silk Bag with full Laurels and Garlic (8 each) Magic Cross and none of Dracula's Body Parts

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
(NES)

  UNUSUAL PASSWORDS

The following passwords are a curious mix of mostly English words that generate playable codes with some very random combinations of items, weapons and levels.

	Start a game with 4 Days of Time Elapsed: Player Level 1 Flame Whip (most powerful) White Crystal (first Crystal you acquire) Dracula's Heart Silver Knife Sacred Flame 3 Laurels
NOTE: The "O"'s are the letter "O", not zeroes.	Start a game with 18 Days of Time Elapsed: Player Level 1 Flame Whip (most powerful) Silk Bag Magic Cross Dracula's Eyeball Dracula's Nail Dracula's Ring Dagger Golden Knife 5 Garlic Cloves
	Start a game with 93 Days of Time Elapsed: Player Level 3 Morning Star (whip) Silk Bag Red Crystal Dracula's Rib Dracula's Nail Dracula's Ring Dagger Holy Water Sacred Flame Oak Stake 5 Garlic Cloves
NOTE: The "O"s are the LETTER "O", not zeroes.	Start a game with 35 Days of Time Elapsed: Player Level 0 Morning Star (whip) Silk Bag Dracula's Heart Dagger Sacred Flame 0 Garlic Cloves

Metal Gear
(NES)

"F-word"K YOUUU OKKKK JUANN CARLO: End of game with countdown activated, final boss waiting with great selection of items equipped (Grenade Launcher, Rocket Launcher, Missiles, Mines, assortment of useful equipment, including 10 Rations)
TOOOU TOOOU TOOOU TOOOU TOOOU: End of game with countdown activated, final boss defeated and random selection of items
"F-word"M E1111 11111 11111 11111: End of game unequipped with countdown activated and final boss waiting
"F-word"Y OOOOO OOOOO DUCKY OOOOO: End of game with countdown activated, final boss waiting with random equipment, Rocket Launcher and Missile
T1111 11611 11111 11111 11116: End of game with 1-Star Rank, Binoculars and no weapons with countdown activated, but final boss missing
ELLEN DIANE JENNI FERBI GBOSS: End of game with various items, Hand Gun, Machine Gun and Rocket Launcher with countdown activated, and final boss waiting
DIANE JENNY SOLID SNAKE 12345: End of game with various items, Mine, Explosive and Rocket Launcher with countdown activated, and final boss waiting
3LLLL LLLLL LLLLL LLLLL LLLLL: Begin in Jail Cell with various items and weapons
51111 11111 11111 11111 1111F: Near beginning of game with a 4-Star Rank and no items or weapons
21111 1Z111 11111 11111 111BI: Start a new game with all 8 Cards
51222 22222 22222 22222 22222: Near beginning of game with a 4-Star Rank and 1 shot of Hand Gun, 1 shot of Grenade Launcher, 1 Ration and a few items
WZZZZ YZZZZ UOOOU UYRZZ VZZZK: End of game with 4-Star Rank, all weapons and items maxed out with countdown activated, but final boss missing
5ZZZZ YZZZZ UOOOU UYRZZ VZZZS: Near beginning of game with a 4-Star Rank, and all weapons and items maxed out
GMMMM MMMMM MMMMM MMMMM MMMMM: Begin in Jail Cell with countdown activated

Shovel Knight
(WII U)

In order to input the following codes, you need to select START GAME from the title screen,

then on the -PROFILE SELECT- screen, choose one of the open 9 slots to create a -NEW ADVENTURE-

and input one of the cheat codes found below.

Once entered, the game will display the following screen:

When you select YES, the game will prompt you to re-register your name. Do so and then, choose the new PROFILE and begin.

(NOTE: Using these passwords will disable the FEATS that you can normally attain in regular gameplay. Also, some of these codes can be used with Plague Knight in Plague Of Shadows, where applicable.)

Ghosts 'N Goblins
(NES)

At the title screen:

Hold ►, press B, B, B, release ►,
press ▲, B, B, B, ◄, B, B, B, ▼, B, B, B,

START

Use B and A to select the stage you want to begin on, and then press

START

.
Hold cursor over the controller image below to see an animation of the code.

The Legend Of Zelda
(NES)

  POWER BRACELET SHORTCUTS

The Power Bracelet is one of those elusive items that can be equally-elusive to figure out. It gives Link the strength to move four different large stones or boulders that reveal passageways that allow him to take shortcuts to bypass large expanses of land across the Overworld. In effect, it serves the same purpose that Mario's Warp Zone Pipes accomplish. See the illustrations ↓ to see where each route corresponds:

SHORTCUT 1

SHORTCUT 2

SHORTCUT 3

SHORTCUT 4

Super Mario Bros. 2
(NES)

  SECRET WARPS

Super Mario Bros. was well-known for a number of innovative features in game design; one of which was the secret Warp Pipes that scooted Mario or Luigi worlds ahead.

Although Super Mario Bros. 2 has a different feel, it essentially left this cool feature intact. However, under the laws that govern the world of Subcon, Mario and crew have to use Magic Potions at select points near Jars. If the right location is found, the Jars in Sub-space, in effect, become the "Warp Pipes" of Super Mario Bros. 2. Check out the areas below to see where and how to find these secret warps:

(World 1-3) WARP 4-1:

(Grab the Magic Potion near the end of the first section. Be careful not to drop it yet.)

(Carry the Magic Potion to the far-right edge of the screen, until you see the Jar and Door. Drop the Magic Potion near the Jar and when Sub-space appears, go down the Jar to warp to World 4.)

(World 3-1) WARP 5-1:

(Fall down the waterfall at the start of the world and stay in the center of the screen. You'll drop onto land that reveals a door.)

(Inside the room at the bottom of the waterfall, you'll encounter 15 tufts of grass. Pull up the sixth one from the right to get a Magic Potion. Carry it to the Jar at the end of the room and use it there to go down the Jar into World 5.)

(World 4-2) WARP 6-1:

(Carry the Magic Potion across this treacherous patch of deadly water, icy ledges, whale tails, water spurts and slippery enemies. Once you reach the small chunk of land that holds a Jar, drop the Magic Potion to enter Sub-space and warp to World 6.)

(World 5-3) WARP 7-1:

(Leap up to this ledge near the entrance ladder, pull up and toss the Magic Potion and enter Sub-space and warp down the Jar to World 7.)

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
(NES)

  WORST, NORMAL, BEST ENDINGS

There are actually three different endings for Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. Each ending is dependent upon the number of days it takes Simon to complete his quest and "to destroy forever the curse of the evil Count, Dracula."

15 days or longer yields the worst ending. Between 8 days and 15 days (14 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes), another more neutral and normal ending is revealed. Zero days to 7 days (7 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes) reveals the best ending.

Try all three! (No spoilers given.)

	WORST ENDING (15 days or more of Time Elapsed)
NOTE: "0" is the NUMBER "0", not the letter "O".	NORMAL ENDING (8 days through 14 days, 23 hours and 59 minutes of Time Elapsed)
NOTE: The first "O" is the letter "O"; the second "0" is the number zero.	BEST ENDING (0 days through 7 days, 23 hours and 59 minutes of Time Elapsed)