The hottest Reverse Engineering Substack posts right now

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Extending the demo: Motor Toon Grand Prix 2 (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 20 Mar 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The DemoDemo disc contains a pre-final Motor Toon Grand Prix 2 build that hides most content behind menu and timer limits, but the game data for all characters, most modes, and an extra course is actually present.
  2. A small patch flips menu status bytes and removes the five‑minute demo timer, unlocking Single Race, Time Attack, Two‑Player Battle, seven extra characters, and the extra Toon Island II course so you can explore the prototype.
  3. The prototype differs from the final release in visible ways — different title screen, HUD layout, character names, lighting, handling, zoom levels, and messages — and it’s notable because one of the team members later went on to create Gran Turismo.

Under the microscope: Batman: Vengeance (PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox)

Rings of Saturn • 101 implied HN points • 18 Mar 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The PS2 build included debug symbols that revealed several cheat-related functions and a hidden "unlock all cinematics" routine.
  2. After starting a new game and returning to the Cinematics screen, holding the shoulder buttons and entering a specific L3/R3 press sequence (different but equivalent button sequences exist for GameCube and Xbox) triggers the secret.
  3. Instead of unlocking full FMVs, the sequence shows a quirky Easter-egg screen of developer photos and goofy nicknames that don’t clearly match publicly listed credits.

Under the microscope: Thunder Force V (Saturn, PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 87 implied HN points • 16 Mar 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. Both the Saturn and PlayStation releases have a title-screen cheat code that unlocks a Course Select so you can start from later stages; the Saturn sequence requires very fast input (15-frame timeout).
  2. On the Course Select screen, holding specific button combinations with Start selects stages 4–7 and gives weapons appropriate to the chosen course (different hold combos are used on Saturn vs. PlayStation).
  3. The codes were found by tracing the game's input handling in memory with tools like Cheat Engine and the Mednafen debugger; the game matches a timed button sequence to set a cheat flag and then reads held-button flags to alter the starting course, and the logic is the same on both versions.

Extending the demo: Ridge Racer (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 116 implied HN points • 13 Mar 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. A prerelease Ridge Racer demo on the Japanese DemoDemo Vol. 1 disc contains almost a full build of the game. A patch can remove the demo limits so you can access menus, switch cars, and play other courses.
  2. The demo differs noticeably from the final release: missing or placeholder graphics and sounds, incomplete menus and name entry, different car models and records, and missing features like save/load, pause, and attract mode; debug options also reveal unused things like an overhead camera.
  3. Only a few small code changes (mode and camera values) are needed to unlock these parts, and file timestamps place the demo just weeks before the final build, offering a rare early look at PlayStation launch-era development.

Under the microscope: Battle Arena Toshinden URA (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 11 Mar 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The game records button sequences in memory and matches them against stored patterns to flip bitflags that enable cheats, letting you play as bosses or hidden characters, enable easy secret moves, or enable URA-specific modes.
  2. New and partly undocumented codes let you control the title screen background and in-game videos with the D-pad and face buttons, and a broken A,A code can be fixed by a simple memory edit to make the "Press Start" text spin.
  3. Some codes can undo other cheat effects, similar tricks weren’t found on the PlayStation Toshinden releases, and there are likely more console-specific secrets still waiting to be discovered.
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Under the microscope: Battle Arena Toshinden Remix (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 87 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. Three hidden cheat functions were found that unlock bosses, enable a special-attack input, and open a scene-test mode; they must be entered at the title screen in a specific sequence and often require soft-resetting between entries.
  2. The codes operate by incrementing in-game memory counters and flags, so entering one code enables the game to accept the next rather than being isolated menu tricks.
  3. The NTSC-J version uses different button sequences (and needs the second controller for the scene test), so the exact inputs depend on the game's region.

Under the microscope: Croc & Croc 2 (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 09 Mar 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. Croc: Legend of the Gobbos hides two PlayStation button cheats: Triangle+Select on the main menu swaps "Enter Password" for "Credits", and holding Square then pressing Circle with Credits highlighted turns on an in-game coordinate display.
  2. Croc 2 on PlayStation also has previously undocumented title‑screen codes: one (held R1 + sequence) unlocks a music test in Sound Options, and another (held L1 + sequence) enables the staff credits.
  3. Reverse engineering shows the games detect these cheats by checking controller bitmasks and input sequences to set flag bits, and the feature set differs by platform (the Saturn build lacks the Croc 1 button cheats and the PC build lacks the coordinates HUD).

Extending the demo: Destruction Derby (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The Destruction Derby preview on the PlayStation Picks disc is rendered in real time and the disc actually contains both a non-interactive auto demo and an interactive "One Level Demo" using the same car and stage.
  2. A single memory flag at 0x800cd604 controls which demo runs, and changing that flag or patching the demo-selection function at 0x8004030c enables the playable demo, which is time-limited to 60 seconds and has small visual and gameplay differences from the final game.
  3. A patch that forces the playable demo to load is available on GitHub, and the demo comes from a July 23 build that predates known prototypes and reveals early-stage differences from the released version.

Under the microscope: Unreal Tournament (Dreamcast)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. Memory inspection and static analysis were used to trace how the Dreamcast port records and handles cheat input, revealing the exact code path and buffers involved.
  2. Cheats are implemented as six-button sequences matched against stored arrays (Up=0x01, Down=0x02, Left=0x04, Right=0x08) which then execute named cheat commands; four public codes were known but the game checks six sequences.
  3. Two previously hidden codes were discovered: one unlocks all tournament modes and all levels across multiple modes, and the other raises the player/bot limit so you can add more bots.

Extending the demo: Last Bronx (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 101 implied HN points • 23 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The Last Bronx Flash Saturn disc demo is a real-time auto-demo that runs the game engine but ignores controller input, and a patch can re-enable player control so you can actually play the preview build.
  2. The hack works by changing a few memory bytes to flip CPU/player flags, altering the match state so it advances instead of showing Game Over, and skipping a problematic function call (NOP) that would otherwise freeze the demo.
  3. This demo is an earlier build with missing or placeholder content: several stages or objects are absent or reused, some character models and colors are incomplete, and menus like mode select and staff credits are not present.

Under the microscope: MX 2002 featuring Ricky Carmichael (PlayStation 2)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. You can enter a controller-button sequence at the title screen that spells out OPEN IT ALL to unlock every track, multiplayer mode, and challenge clip.
  2. The game maps controller buttons to letters stored in memory so you literally type cheat words (A–Z and space); other valid cheats include CLEAR, TRACKS, MODES, BIKES, CHALLENGES, NO CHEATS, and FREESTYLE.
  3. Many online cheat listings are wrong, but using an emulator debugger and the game's debug symbols reveals the real cheat strings and shows that QUICKSEASON is a cheat that sets races to one lap.

Under the microscope: Championship Motocross & Championship Motocross 2001 (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 25 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. Cheat-code websites often get listings wrong or mix up codes between game versions, so their guides aren’t always reliable.
  2. You can reliably discover hidden cheats by entering a unique name, scanning memory for that string, and tracing the game code that checks it to see what unlocks it triggers.
  3. The two Motocross games handle cheats differently: the original uses inverted strings (for example, SMASHER unlocks everything) while the 2001 sequel checks plain text names like DIRTTRAK and ALLEVENT to open tracks and classes.

Under the microscope: RoboCop (PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 20 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. There are multiple real cheat codes for RoboCop (2003) — not just the single one often posted online — including infinite power, infinite ammo, invincibility, instant level completion, and a level-select option.
  2. Because the PS2 build included debug symbols, the cheat-handling function and its data structures could be found and inspected, which made it possible to map button bitmasks to actual button sequences and uncover the codes.
  3. Cheat availability differs by platform: the PS2 and GameCube share the same set, the Xbox is missing some, and a few codes are impossible to enter on certain consoles because their controllers lack the needed buttons.

Sonic R: The R&R mod

Rings of Saturn • 116 implied HN points • 26 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The R&R mod turns Sonic R into a relaxed exploration mode with unlimited time to wander and a Retire option to end a session. It also reworks controls to lower top speed, improve turning and traction, and simplifies the HUD for exploration.
  2. Collectibles and unlocks no longer require winning races: if you leave a course you keep any Chaos Emeralds you found, and collecting all five Sonic tokens marks you as having won and unlocks special characters. That makes getting extras and exploring possible without racing pressure.
  3. The mod implements these changes by patching in-ROM game state and control tables—adjusting race-state values, skipping finish/lap checks, overriding HUD rendering, and changing character parameters—so the original game logic still runs while allowing indefinite, exploration-focused play.

Under the microscope: Medal of Honor: Underground (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The game doesn't store cheat passwords directly; it computes a CRC-32 checksum of whatever you type and compares that to a table of stored checksums to hide the real codes.
  2. Because CRC-32 updates can be reversed on a per-byte basis, a meet-in-the-middle attack that splits 10-letter codes into two 5-letter halves makes finding matching inputs feasible without brute forcing 26^10 combinations.
  3. Using that technique revealed many alternate valid strings and four previously unknown cheat effects (like No Reload and Unlimited Ammo), since many different 10-letter inputs map to the same 32-bit checksum.

Under the microscope: Roadsters (Dreamcast, PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 87 implied HN points • 28 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The same game uses completely different cheat systems on each platform, so the N64, Dreamcast, and PlayStation versions each have unique ways to unlock hidden features and content.
  2. On Dreamcast, pressing face buttons on the title screen fills a buffer and matching specific eight-button sequences triggers secrets; these unlock a Pong mini-game, extra goofy cars, a free-flight camera, five turbo boosts, the staff roll, and one sequence that appears to do nothing.
  3. On PlayStation, two distinct eight-button title-screen sequences give big rewards: one sets your Roadster Trophy cash to ten million and the other unlocks Category A/B cars, and entering both also marks several championship trophies as completed.

Under the microscope: Hyper Duel & Blast Wind (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. Both Saturn shooters, Hyper Duel and Blast Wind, hide a Freeplay mode that you can unlock from the Options/DIP Switch screen by entering a special button sequence. Hyper Duel: hold L+R and press Up, Right, Down, Left, A, Y, C, Start; Blast Wind: hold L+R+A+C+Y and press Up, Left, Down, Right, X, B, Z, Start.
  2. Flipping DIP switch number 5 turns on Freeplay in both games, giving unlimited credits or continues once the cheat sequence is accepted.
  3. Reverse-engineering with the Mednafen debugger and Ghidra shows the games check held-button bits (L+R and extra buttons) and increment a counter for the sequence; when the counter reaches the expected value the code enables the Freeplay option.

Under the microscope: Kinetica (PlayStation 2)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 13 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The game encodes button sequences into an accumulator: L3 clears it and other buttons shift the value by 3 bits then OR in a small button code.
  2. Entering L3, Right, L1, Down, R1, Left on the title screen sets the accumulator to the unlock value and reveals all seasons, bonus characters, tracks, and the history movie.
  3. The same cheat-input system appears in other Sony games like God of War, and there’s a separate hidden sequence (Down, Start, Left, L1) that sets a different value likely meant to show biker coordinates but has no visible effect.

Under the microscope: Aero Elite: Combat Academy (PlayStation 2)

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. There’s a hidden secret-command system that’s triggered by disconnecting controller 1 and entering specific button combos on controller 2; the primary unlock code is hold L3+R3+Triangle and press X to enable cheat mode.
  2. Using the cheats unlocks every aircraft and emblem and activates an Alert Hangar menu option, and other codes enable features like a free camera (enter R2+L3+R3 then Triangle, use Square+Triangle to pause and L1/R1+D‑pad to move) and a replay cinematic bars effect.
  3. Reverse‑engineering with the game’s debug symbols revealed additional flag bits tied to fog, object scaling, and an unused bit that appear to be leftover developer features with no obvious in‑game effect.

Under the microscope: Sound Qube (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 09 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. You can unlock a level select on the Saturn version by holding Start on the Options screen and entering: A, C, Up, Right, A, Down, Up, Left; this lets you start any of the eight levels.
  2. A wireframe mode makes the sub-cubes transparent when you pause, hold Start, and enter: A, C, Up, Right, A, B, Left, C.
  3. You can force a Stage Clear (or Level Clear on the final stage) by pausing, holding Start, and entering: A, C, Up, Right, A, Right, A, B, which can carry you to the end of the game.

Expansion hack: Impact Racing

Rings of Saturn • 29 implied HN points • 16 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. Impact Racing's Saturn build hides a debug menu like the PlayStation version, and it can be enabled by changing a hardcoded disable flag in the game binary.
  2. The debug menu lets you tweak cars, tracks and gameplay values—payload, armor, fog and other parameters—and it reveals internal car names and the game's mystery/bonus cars.
  3. Finding the menu came from searching ASCII strings in the binary and following community clues, and it was tricky to reproduce because the in-memory address used to open the menu changes after each use.

Under the microscope: Alexi Lalas International Soccer (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 87 implied HN points • 16 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. Reverse engineering found the game records button presses into a hex "accumulator" and uses specific button sequences to unlock secret teams; the All Teams code listed on cheat sites also works on the US PlayStation version.
  2. There’s a "Lewd lineup" Easter egg that appears when you unlock Secret/England 1966 vs Europe/Rep of Ireland and enter a second button code — it replaces the pre-match player lineup with an explicit (NSFW) image; that effect is absent in the PAL PlayStation release but does appear in the PC port.
  3. A separate multi-part cheat triggers a voice saying "Oh, yeah!" and seems intended to enable extra sound effects, but the audio never plays during matches because the referenced sound file is missing; these findings came from inspecting memory and decompiling the game with tools like RALibretro and Ghidra.

Under the microscope: Syphon Filter 3 (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 04 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. Popular published cheat codes for Syphon Filter 3 (like a simple RAM write) are incorrect; the real cheat activation is more involved and wasn’t a single memory poke.
  2. To unlock cheats you must set Sound FX to max, Music to minimum, select Mono sound, then hold specific button combinations while highlighting exact pause-menu items to enable Super Agent, Level Select, or End Level.
  3. Using emulator memory breakpoints and Ghidra to trace reads/writes mapped menu state, volume settings, and controller bits to the cheat logic, demonstrating how reverse engineering can correct decades-old wrong cheat listings (and that similar errors exist for Syphon Filter 2).

Under the microscope: Road Rash 3D & Road Rash Jailbreak (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 23 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. In Road Rash 3D, certain player names trigger strcmp checks that activate cheats — for example, IBaChtR gives $33,333 and unlocks all bikes, while MACVVASM and _33333 provide subsets of those effects.
  2. In Road Rash Jailbreak you open a hidden cheat textbox by highlighting Options → Multiplayer and holding L1+L2+R1+R2+Left then pressing X, and entering codes like KLFSDA, CMB, BDK, and FDMFG unlocks mode settings or grants four nitros.
  3. Looking at the PlayStation BIOS string-comparison calls and the game code lets you verify and discover real, working cheats and clarifies how to enter ones that online lists describe poorly.

Under the microscope: FireBlade (Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 30 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. Hidden cheat sequences exist in all three console versions and can unlock campaigns and extras when entered on the menu screens.
  2. Each port implements cheats differently: the GameCube uses a Konami-style code, the PS2 uses an R1/L1/Triangle/X sequence, and the Xbox has a more advanced, togglable cheat manager that enables invulnerability, infinite ammo/turbo, frame modes, and a Mega Cheat.
  3. Emulator-based debugging and reverse engineering (memory breakpoints, Ghidra with platform plugins) uncovered the input handlers, memory addresses, and static button arrays that map to those cheat codes.

Under the microscope: Ford Racing 3 (PlayStation 2, Xbox)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 09 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The commonly posted cheat codes for Ford Racing 3 are wrong, but there is a working unlock-all code: hold Select at the main menu and enter Up, Down, Left, Right, Left, Down, Up, Right, Down, Up to unlock all cars, competitions, and race types.
  2. Static analysis with Ghidra (using the Emotion Engine plugin) found the game's cheat tracker and showed it watches a 10-button sequence only while Select is held, triggering the unlock when the counter reaches ten.
  3. There is a second intended cheat (Down x10) that is present but points to a null function so it does nothing, and the Nintendo DS port doesn’t appear to include any cheats.

Under the microscope: Lode Runner: The Legend Returns & Lode Runner Extra (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. Both Saturn Lode Runner games hide easy-to-use name-entry cheats: entering SPECIAL! (or SPECIAL?) and holding L at start opens a bonus stage, and entering a name as " PATRA" then pausing and inputting Up, Up, Down, Down, Right, Left, Right, Left, Y, X, Y, X jumps you to the ending and staff roll.
  2. Lode Runner Extra has extra unique codes too — entering SATURNSUPER then holding R at start loads a different bonus level (the Saturn Super demo disc stage) — and a GODAI@TECHARTS string is present in the code but only partially implemented in The Legend Returns.
  3. The cheats are implemented as ASCII name checks, which made them straightforward to find by reverse engineering, and the NTSC-U PlayStation release includes the SPECIAL! code but not the same credits-skip button sequence.

Under the microscope: Ford Mustang: The Legend Lives & Ford vs. Chevy (PlayStation 2, Xbox)

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 03 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. You can uncover hidden cheat codes in old PS2 and Xbox games by inspecting runtime memory and controller input ring buffers with tools like Ghidra and runtime breakpoints; many games check a recent-input buffer each frame to match special sequences.
  2. In Ford Mustang: The Legend Lives, entering Up, Up, Up, Left, Down, Up, Right, Down, Down, Left, Right, Right, Up on the Profile screen unlocks all cars and all track variants on both PS2 and Xbox.
  3. In Ford vs. Chevy, pressing Up, Down, Left, Right at the main menu opens an Enter Cheat screen, and typing the word "POINTS" grants 625,000 points to buy cars; this cheat-buffer code is reused across multiple Eutechnyx games.

Under the microscope: Kyuutenkai (Saturn, PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 23 Dec 25
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. Four secret passwords were found that trigger special effects on both PlayStation and Saturn versions, including one that gives nine chances, near-max points, all clear crystals, and access to the final boss and ending.
  2. The notable special passwords are SWSH YUTN MD (nine chances + max-ish points + clears), CHANCEGAX9 (nine chances), S1TENCLEAR (all clear crystals), and ABNA1YABA1 (zero chances).
  3. PlayStation and Saturn use different encoding phrases so most "natural" passwords aren’t compatible across systems; the reverse engineering showed the Saturn check uses a bitwise NOT against a static table and normal passwords are formed by XOR-ing game state with one of four platform-specific phrases.

Under the microscope: Newman/Haas Racing (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 12 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The main menu doubles as an unusual cheat-entry system where pressing Right advances a letter count (one press = A, two = B, etc.) and pressing Left locks in the current letter to start the next one.
  2. Two hidden words trigger cheats: typing AGE unlocks four bonus tracks, and typing COCKNEY turns your vehicle into a double-decker bus.
  3. Reverse engineering shows the counts are stored in a buffer (starting at 0x8008a398), each value is converted to ASCII by adding 0x40, the game compares the resulting string to the cheat words, and input times out after 250 frames unless you keep pressing Left or Right.

Under the microscope: V-Rally 2 (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 16 Dec 25
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. V‑Rally 2’s PlayStation build hides a secret Araignos mini‑game — a multiplayer Snake‑style game present in the PS release and prototype but not in the Dreamcast or PC versions.
  2. Reverse engineering with an emulator memory snapshot and Ghidra revealed the specific cheat button sequence and the memory flag/address that enable the hidden mini‑game.
  3. Araignos supports up to four players via a PlayStation multitap, uses unusual controls (Square/Circle for left/right), and features many power‑ups and chaotic mechanics that are playable with controller remapping or slowed emulation.

Under the microscope: Small Soldiers (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 14 implied HN points • 11 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The game packs eight button presses into a 32‑bit value (X=0, Square=1, Circle=2, Triangle=3) and extracts fields for starting level, difficulty, three ammo bits, and a checksum; the password is valid if the checksum equals the sum of the other fields and the values are within allowed ranges.
  2. Because the checksum is just the sum of level + difficulty + ammo, you can generate every valid level password programmatically; the three ammo bits map to the Rebound, Star Bolt, and Big Blast weapons, so a small script produces a complete set of passwords beyond the common Normal‑difficulty lists.
  3. There are static special passwords that trigger cheats (movie, invulnerability, all weapons) and two undocumented codes — one plays the staff credits, and the other, if entered twice, opens a cheat screen to pick starting level and toggle invulnerability/weapons; the full generation script is on GitHub.

Under the microscope: LMA Manager 2003–2006 (PlayStation 2, Xbox)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 07 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. LMA Manager 2003–2005 use a custom obfuscation scheme to generate per-unique-ID bonus codes. That algorithm can be reimplemented so you can derive the codes from any Unique ID.
  2. LMA Manager 2006 uses RSA to validate codes, but the game's 64-bit modulus was trivial to factor, allowing recovery of the private key and recreation of valid codes. Reproducing the game's custom post-RSA processing (a modified Base32 and an XOR step) yields complete, working codes.
  3. Emulation, decompilation, and small scripts were used to extract the algorithms, and public generator scripts now produce all bonus codes, including an "all bonuses" code that unlocks everything.

Under the microscope: A Bug's Life (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 29 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The PlayStation A Bug’s Life has a hidden unlock-all-levels cheat that you trigger by doing a precise sequence in the Training level: specific actions with berries, jumps, stomps, seeds, getting to the top, collecting exactly seven grains, spinning, pausing, exiting, and holding R1+L2.
  2. Reverse engineering found the game writes 0x000f to memory address 0x80082284 to unlock all levels, and a function executed during the Training stage performs that write when its conditions are met.
  3. The unlock is driven by specific in-game state checks—training level selected, grain_count at seven, Flik’s spinning animation active, exit-from-pause state, and R1+L2 held—so satisfying all those flags enables full level selection.

Under the microscope: Steam-Heart's (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 09 Dec 25
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The Saturn port includes NSFW interstage scenes that are less explicit than the PC-98 original but can still be disturbing or offensive.
  2. Multiple undocumented cheats work from the title screen by holding button combos and pressing Start — e.g., A+B unlocks all stages and extras, X+Y+Z disables enemies, L+R shows hit boxes, A+C upgrades weapons — and an old invincibility code (Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A) is also known.
  3. Reverse engineering with Ghidra shows the game checks controller bitmasks to set bits in a cheat_flags variable and a stages_available value at specific memory addresses, and there’s an A+X code path that sets a flag which appears unused.

Under the microscope: Tarzan Untamed (GameCube, PlayStation 2)

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 20 Dec 25
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. Entering certain profile names unlocks hidden features: 'UBIPATCH' (PS2) or 'MDSTRUE' (GameCube) reveals a developer-faces minigame, and 'FRAMERATE' turns on an on-screen performance display.
  2. There are platform-specific cheats: on GameCube 'MDSGODS' lets you start any level and unlock all collectibles and cinematics, while on PS2 pressing L1+L2+R1+R2 then entering directional sequences grants unlimited spears or 99 lives.
  3. Reverse engineering shows these cheats are implemented as plain strings and input checks in memory, which explains why some codes are unusable on GameCube or left unused because a needed button input never updates.

Under the microscope: Andretti Racing & NASCAR Heat (Saturn, PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 18 Dec 25
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. Andretti Racing (Saturn and PlayStation) and NASCAR Heat (PlayStation) hide previously undocumented Easter eggs that are activated by entering special player names.
  2. Andretti Racing’s name cheats swap the normal pre-race portrait for hidden pictures — the Saturn build has eight images (including production staff, a family photo, and a cartoon alien) while the PlayStation build contains 33 mostly staff photos.
  3. NASCAR Heat recognizes eight specific aliases to add bonus drivers who are the development staff photoshopped into a DICE racing suit, and those drivers race in a special DICE-branded car.

Under the microscope: Army Men: World War (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 01 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The Army Men: World War games were rushed and repeatedly reused the same code, so the same cheat effects show up across multiple sequels.
  2. Two recurring cheats are a button-sequence "ANY MISSION" level select and a name-based "ECAEP" that grants invincibility after a restart, with some later titles adding an immediate INVINCIBLE menu code.
  3. Reverse engineering revealed exactly how the cheats work: button bitmasks, memory addresses, strncmp checks, and flag bitwise-ORs implement the detection and activation across games.

Under the microscope: Dragon Force II (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 30 Dec 25
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The Saturn game Dragon Force II contains hidden cheat codes that unlock a picture gallery, play character-specific credits, and enable developer debug screens.
  2. All cheats are entered from the Option screen using specific button sequences and Movies/Voice/Sound selections (for example setting Movies to 08 and pressing combinations like A+B+L+X, A+B+R+Z, then B+X+Y for the gallery).
  3. Reverse-engineering found the cheats work by toggling counters and a debug_enabled memory flag; input checks in menu code trigger those memory changes and reveal the features.

Under the microscope: Ultraman: Legendary Giant of Light (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 29 implied HN points • 14 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Reverse Engineering
  1. The game hides a title‑screen cheat sequence that unlocks effects like wireframe rendering, turning off the HUD, and random stage selection by holding certain buttons in VS mode.
  2. Additional codes add a Stage Select screen and a third sequence that lets the CPU control player one and enables a finicky free‑camera you can tweak during gameplay.
  3. Under the hood, three similar input routines watch for those button sequences and set memory flags and counters, and an Action Replay code can unlock the Movie Room by flipping the progress flags.