The demo disc for Saturn 3D shoot-em-up Layer Section II hides a debug menu that isn't in the final game! See what @bbayles.bsky.social found in there in today's Under the Microscope:
www.segasaturnshiro.com/2026/04/20/u...
#sega #saturn #segasaturn #retrogaming #retrogames #videogames #セガ #セガサターン
There's an unused level select menu in *Ms. Pac-Man: Maze Madness* for Dreamcast and PlayStation.
I made patches that make it available. Interestingly, it allows access to a number of unused and incomplete stages!
32bits.substack.com/p/expansion-...
What code unlocks all missions & special features in *Medal of Honor: Rising Sun*? For Xbox, it's TUSKFISH. For GameCube and PS2... nobody knows!
I reverse engineered the game's hashing system, but finding the answer required a surprising amount of biology...
32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...
The long-awaited cheat codes for Mighty Hits are revealed at last! @bbayles.bsky.social tells us how to unlock the stage select and master difficulty in Under the Microscope:
www.segasaturnshiro.com/2026/04/13/u...
#sega #saturn #segasaturn #retrogaming #retrogames #videogames #セガ #セガサターン
I found some heretofore-unreported cheat codes for the various versions *Mighty Hits*:
* Stage select (Saturn)
* Unlock Master mode (Saturn PAL version)
* Auto fire mode (PlayStation Special Edition version)
* Wide 4:3 mode (PlayStation NTSC-J version)
32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...
Try e206, maybe
There was a pre-release preview of *Test Drive 5* on a PSX demo disc.
I patched out its restrictions and found that it's got some cool hidden stuff, like a hidden menu labeled "Oh Arse" that lets you toggle special debugging functions.
32bits.substack.com/p/extending-...
*CART: Flag to Flag* for Dreamcast has a hidden debug menu. Alas, it's inaccessible – there's not even a cheat code for it.
Never fear: I've made a patch that enables it. Among the debug features are a 3D model viewer, a track editor, and a free camera mode.
32bits.substack.com/p/expansion-...
Our friend @bbayles.bsky.social considerately waited until after our March community challenge ended before revealing a never before known cheat code for Virtual Casino. Check it out in Under the Microscope:
www.segasaturnshiro.com/2026/04/06/u...
#sega #saturn #segasaturn #retrogaming #セガ #セガサターン
Sega Saturn SHIRO! recently featured *Virtual Casino* for its community challenge. One prize was for getting the game's credits.
Nobody cheated by asking me for a shortcut. But there is one!
32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...
Read this as Anne of Green Gibbon.
I've been checking every demo disc for extra files, and have found several hits...
I use a software reverse engineering tool called Ghidra to examine the game code to look at how the restrictions are implemented.
32bits.substack.com/p/extending-...
The preview of the fighting game *Vs* on the Official PSX Magazine Demo #24 has a build of the game 12 weeks older than the final.
I patched out the demo limits to make everything playable. There are some cool differences and you can see unfinished elements.
32bits.substack.com/p/extending-...
I found an unreported cheat code *Elemental Gearbolt* on PSX. It enables the bonus options and debug controls:
* Select: Free camera
* Circle/Triangle: Decrease/increase health
* R2: Speed up
The Any % speedrun record is about to get a lot faster...
32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...
You saw that new Quake prototype that got dumped last week, right? @bbayles.bsky.social already dove into it looking for cheat codes, and he writes about some interesting findings in today's Under the Microscope:
www.segasaturnshiro.com/2026/03/30/u...
#sega #saturn #segasaturn #retrogaming #セガサターン
A new “65% complete” version of Quake for Saturn was recently made available. I know what you’re wondering: does it have any cheat codes?
Yes! There's even one that doesn't appear in the final, a framerate counter.
32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...
This is the full set of codes from the game data. Looks like a TCRF contributor found some extras in 2019:
tcrf.net/Talk:Road_Ra...
Here's a cheat for *Project: Horned Owl* on PSX that seems to have gone unnoticed for 30 years.
* At the main menu, highlight "Controls".
* While holding L1+R2+Left, press Start.
You’ll get an "Extra Controls" menu with a level select, debug mode, and more!
32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...
Here's a previously unreported cheat code for *Jet X2O * on PS2:
* Start a new World Tour event from the main menu.
* Create a New Player File
* Enter your name as "Unlock" (hold L1 for capital letters)
All riders, levels, and jet skis will become available.
32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...
Here's a previously unreported cheat code for *Stunt GP* on PlayStation 2:
* Navigate to 1 Player > Time Trial in the menu
* Enter your name as "SGP"
* Back out and enter it again as "NOW"
All vehicles and tracks will be unlocked!
32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...
Saucy Saturn players may have encountered this already — when you try to enter your favorite activity into the high score table and the game censors you! @bbayles.bsky.social takes a look at what you can't say in a #Sega #Saturn game:
www.segasaturnshiro.com/2026/03/23/u...
#segasaturn #セガサターン
This is the most likely, yeah - but I feel like it could be another thing like AUM that I'm missing the context for, too.
When doing reverse engineering, it’s good find code that does something you understand. That’s why I search binaries for naughty words.
Why? Many games prevent you from entering SEX or XXX on high score screens. I've now catalogued various types of censorship...
32bits.substack.com/p/what-you-c...
SONIC WEEKLY podcast is back again with a new episode:
* Sonic Rumble... Party?
* Welcoming the Smurfs fans, wherever they may be.
* Manifesting Tails Doll.
* Chaotix Case Files episode 8.
podcastaddict.com/sonic-weekly...
Absolutely has to be related, I agree!
Timeline of Sonic 1 development Part 1: 1988 - 1989 1988/10/05 – 06: The 26th AM Show is held in Tokyo. Yūji Naka sees Daimakaimura 1988/10/29: The Mega Drive is released in Japan 1988/11/21: Nintendo unveils the Super Famicom 1988/11 or 12: Naka begins working on the MD port of Daimakaimura 1989/05: The Daimakaimura MD master ROM is completed 1989, May or later: Naka begins working on Metal Lancer 1989/??: Naoto Ōshima meets Shigeru Miyamoto and is inspired to make a game to rival Mario 1989/07/28: Nintendo reveals Super Mario World under its working title of Mario 4 1989/08/03: Daimakaimura on MD is released 1989, after July: Ōshima formally proposes his Mario killer, Twins Special Second half of 1989 (probably): Metal Lancer is scrapped Second half of 1989 (probably): Naka joins Ōshima on the Twins Special project
Where do baby hedgehogs come from? Not from company mascot contests, despite what you’ve probably heard (tho that was a thing that happened, too).
How did Sonic 1 REALLY come to be? Plotting the milestones on a timeline is hard because we have so few concrete dates, but let's connect some dots 🧵
Secrets in one of my favourite games of all time!
Back in 1996 I found some secrets myself through hard work and lots of playing: that the Raptor & Raptor vehicle went faster in reverse! blog.gingerbeardman.com/1996/08/06/f...
There's a demo of *Motor Toon Grand Prix 2* that's from 3 months before the final version. It's got different menus, character names, & more.
I made a patch that makes more of it playable. It's cool! The same team went on to make *Gran Turismo*.
32bits.substack.com/p/extending-...
The PS2 version of *Batman Vengeance* shipped with debug symbols that make it easy to search for hidden features.
I used the symbols to locate a cheat code that activates an Easter egg on the Cinematics screen. I don't think it's been seen since 2001!
32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...
