Welcome to the 32 Dangerous Cheat Codes, a brand new series that will run daily between November 24 and December 25. Join us as we discuss the hazardous ramifications of some of your favorite cheat codes.
Today we're talking about the rare phenomenon known as the hidden pack-in game. If you use the cheat codes right, you'll be able to unearth some incredible games. Find out how to access Bomberman on the TurboDuo when you check out today's episode of the 32 Dangerous Cheat Codes.
The history of video games is littered with memorable pack-ins. From Altered Beast on the Genesis to Tetris on Game Boy to Super Mario World on the Super NES, we could be here all day talking about the games that came inside the big box. But instead of doing that, we're going to take a look at the phenomenon of the hidden pack-in game.
I think it's safe to say that most people know when they got a pack-in game with their brand new system. I mean, you don't just open the box and completely forget Wii Sports is sitting there waiting for you. But sometimes, on very rare occasions, a company will sneak a super-secret hidden game with the system. Today we're going to take a look at two examples of this phenomenon.
Our journey begins with the Sega Master System, which launched in 1986 and went head-to-head with the Nintendo Entertainment System. It didn't go well, with Sega only managing to sell two million units in North America before moving on to the Genesis. Those few who picked up the system were met with a wide selection of incredible games, including everything from the original Phantasy Star to Wonder Boy in Monster Land to Penguin Land. Best of all, Master System owners in the know were treated to a very special surprise -- a cute little snail game hidden deep inside the system's BIOS.
Unlocking the game was simple; just hold buttons 1 and 2 simultaneously while pressing up on the D-pad. If you performed this easy code without a game in the system, you would be transported to a weirdly addictive maze game where you help a snail make it to the exit. Granted, it's not the world's most compelling pack-in game, but you felt like a badass hacker when you got the code to work for the first time.
Believe it or not, we saw something similar happen when NEC went to launch the TurboDuo in 1992. This was a rebranded version of the TurboGrafx-16 that merged the CD and card slots into one system in an attempt to compete with the Genesis and Super NES. To entice gamers to take a chance on the new model, TTI decided to pack in a three-in-one compilation that featured Bonk's Adventure, Bonk's Revenge and Gate of Thunder. But what many gamers didn't realize at the time was that you could unlock Bomberman by pressing Up, Right, Down, Left and the II button at the game select menu.
For as much as I love the idea of unlocking games through cheat codes, I think there's a strong case to be made that both Snail Maze and Bomberman should have been included in the package without needing to know a special button combination. This is a time before the internet, so you had to rely on word-of-mouth, dumb luck or your favorite magazine printing the codes. If you didn't have any of that, then chances are you're hearing about these codes for the first time right now.
