The hottest Video Games Substack posts right now

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A Detailed Review of Like 8% of Mewgenics

The Bottom Feeder • 581 implied HN points • 05 Mar 26
🎭️ Culture Video Games
  1. Mewgenics is a highly polished, addictive indie game that mixes cat-breeding meta-progression with grid-based tactical combat and roguelike-style mission runs. The design is huge and the soundtrack is excellent.
  2. The breeding system is the most novel part, but it’s opaque and the interface is clumsy, so managing and understanding cats feels frustrating and requires extra googling and grinding.
  3. A long development let the small team recombine proven indie ideas into a fresh, successful new IP, but the game is a big time-eater that won’t fit every player’s life.

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

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 20 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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.
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Under the microscope: Battle Arena Toshinden URA (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 11 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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.

Video Game Thoughts Bonus Bag #9

The Bottom Feeder • 606 implied HN points • 23 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Video Games
  1. Queen’s Wish is getting a free epilogue called The Judgment in March to properly finish the story, even though Queen’s Wish 2 sold poorly.
  2. Many modern TV mystery shows rely on vague 'mystery-box' storytelling that can feel manipulative, while clearly structured series and movies that pick a definite path give more emotional payoff.
  3. Both indie games and big-budget films show the value of craft and art: indie titles often shine through unique visuals and weird ideas, and sincere, clearly told films can be deeply satisfying.

MicroTimes Interviews Lord British (1986)

Computer Ads from the Past • 640 implied HN points • 28 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Video Games
  1. Ambitious games can still be built on 8-bit machines by using assembly, modular code, and clever memory tricks to add bigger worlds and bitmap graphics within tight limits like 64K.
  2. Future hardware should prioritize a fast CPU, strong graphics and sound chips, and lots of RAM (at least 1MB); while 68000 systems and CD-ROMs offer promise, issues like market reach and CD seek times limit immediate change.
  3. Good game design emphasizes believable sound and avoiding reinforcement of negative behavior, and today quality and professionalism matter more—work with publishers early because solo-finished games are often not marketable.

Under the microscope: Unreal Tournament (Dreamcast)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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.

☞ Maxis Software Toys

Cabinet of Wonders • 92 implied HN points • 11 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Video Games
  1. Maxis framed its games as open-ended "software toys" that let players set their own goals and explore creatively.
  2. Their titles emphasized deep simulation and realism—SimCity 2000 was billed as almost impossible to turn off, and SimLife let players reshape land, climate, time, and physics.
  3. The catalogs positioned Maxis as a broader cultural brand with merch and books, suggesting simulation games can be educational, imaginative, and ripe for a modern revival.

Sonic R: The R&R mod

Rings of Saturn • 116 implied HN points • 26 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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: Hyper Duel & Blast Wind (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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: Aero Elite: Combat Academy (PlayStation 2)

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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.

What I Read This Week...

Chamath Palihapitiya • 1592 implied HN points • 23 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Video Games
  1. China leads in global EV transition with over 18 million EVs sold since 2017.
  2. Nearly 9 million student loan borrowers missed October payments despite a 12-month grace period.
  3. Apple focuses on running AI models directly on iPhone hardware, impacting the delivery of AI solutions.

Expansion hack: Impact Racing

Rings of Saturn • 29 implied HN points • 16 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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.

I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream: The 30 Year Late Review

The Bottom Feeder • 775 implied HN points • 06 Aug 25
🎭️ Culture Video Games
  1. The game 'I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream' has a unique story and strange gameplay, but can be frustrating to play because of its arbitrary rules and bugs.
  2. Harlan Ellison, the writer behind the game, had strong views on video games, which made some hesitant to try his game out for fear of it not being good.
  3. Even with its flaws, the game is worth experiencing for its ambitious ideas and interesting content. Using a walkthrough can help when you get stuck.

Under the microscope: Alexi Lalas International Soccer (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 87 implied HN points • 16 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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: FireBlade (Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 30 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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.

Video Game Thoughts Bonus Bag #6

The Bottom Feeder • 630 implied HN points • 26 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Video Games
  1. Steam has big sales now, so it's rare to see anyone pay full price for games. Deals pop up often, especially for indie games.
  2. Indie game developers face tough times with many good games struggling to make money. Even well-made titles can fail at launch despite a lot of effort.
  3. The author is still active in game development and is excited about an upcoming project called Avernum 4: Greed and Glory, highlighting ongoing creativity in the indie scene.

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

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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: LMA Manager 2003–2006 (PlayStation 2, Xbox)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 07 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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.

Crossplay Mailbag: "Is Nintendo's Awful Online Setup Actually Great For Kids?"

Crossplay • 746 implied HN points • 02 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Video Games
  1. Kids may easily switch between different games and videos, affecting their level of commitment to a particular game
  2. Parents appreciate the strict controls of Nintendo's online setup for kids playing multiplayer games
  3. Introducing games to children can be influenced by personal values and the desire to guide the child's exposure in a positive way

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

Rings of Saturn • 29 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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
🕹 Technology Video Games
  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: Blues Brothers 2000 (Nintendo 64)

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 13 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Video Games
  1. Previously unknown cheat codes were discovered in the N64 game Blues Brothers 2000, letting players trigger big‑head mode, gain extra lives, add money, become a mascot, view partial credits, and refill health.
  2. Reverse engineering located where controller input is stored and found a function that checks 17 cheat sequences held in an array of structs, which explains how the game detects and applies cheats.
  3. Many additional cheats are present but disabled or inert, and a routine appears to enable extra cheats if a save file is named 'marcus' or 'jawad!', implying developers left hidden features that weren’t activated in the retail release.

Call of Duty as a lens into American foreign policy from 2003-2025

Trevor Klee’s Newsletter • 298 implied HN points • 23 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Video Games
  1. The Call of Duty series is the most popular video game franchise, showcasing a realistic combat simulator that reflects American military history and identity over the years.
  2. Unlike other games that focus on fantasy or abstract puzzles, Call of Duty aims to recreate real-world conflicts and the emotions tied to them.
  3. Each installment often mirrors contemporary geopolitical issues, making it a unique lens through which we can analyze America's view on foreign policy and military engagements.