List of secret tricks in video games

Secret tricks, cheats and codes for all video games are explained in this page.

Super Mario Bros.
Continue

When "Game Over" appears onscreen, quickly hold the A Button and press Start twice. You will then start over on the world where you lost your last life. If your game ended at World 6-2, you'll restart at 6-1.

Fireworks

If the last digit of the time limit stops at 1, 3 or 6, you will get the number of fireworks depending on what digit you landed on. Each firework is worth 500 points.

Where, oh where, has my 1-UP Mushroom gone?

Unless you collect all the coins in every third level of each world, the next world won't have the 1-UP Mushroom. Another way to get your 1-UP Mushroom is to take the Warp Zone.

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Fireworks

In this game, fireworks will occur if the last digit of your coin total and the stopped timer match. For instance, 21 coins with the timer stopping at 201 seconds. If the matching numbers are even, you'll get six fireworks, and if they're odd, you'll get three.

Magic Number

Make sure your coin total's digits are the same, like it was a multiple of 11. If you touch the flagpole when the timer stops at a digit with the same number as both digits of your coin total, you'll get a 1-UP. Unfortunately, no points. In addition, you'll also get fireworks, as usual -- six for even numbers, three for odd numbers.

These secret tricks were discovered as of December 17, 1999.

Super Mario Bros. 2
Suicide

This may not be a very good idea, but here's how to do it: Pause the game, then hold Up, B and A on Controller 2. Unpause, and you'll immediately lose a life. This trick was posted to TMK on October 18, 1999.

The glitch can also be done when entering a door, but upon doing so, you will lose all of your lives, one by one, eventually resulting in a Game Over. This was posted on January 24, 2001, and was confirmed to not work in Super Mario All-Stars in 2004.

Super Mario Bros. 3
Different Message

If you defeat a Koopa kid as Frog, Tanooki or Hammer Mario, a different thank-you message will appear.

N-Spade Games

To summon an N-Spade memory matching game, just collect every 80,000 points in your score. There are eight different board patterns in all. In each one, there are four Super Mushroom cards, four Fire Flower cards, four Starman cards, two 10-Coin cards, two 20-Coin cards, and two 1-UP Treasure Box cards. If you make two mistakes, the game is over.

Treasure Ships

If you have a number of coins that is a multiple of 11 and the tens digit of your score matches both digits of the coins you've collected, and you clear the level with an even number of seconds remaining, all wandering Hammer Brothers will turn into Treasure Ships on the map. Each ship contains 169 coins and a 1-UP Mushroom near the end pipe.

Note: This only works in Worlds 1, 3, 5 and 6.

White Mushroom Houses

If you collect a significantly certain amount of coins, a white Mushroom House will appear somewhere on the map, earning you a special prize for your inventory. In odd-numbered Worlds (Grass Land, Sea Side, The Sky and Pipe Maze), the prize is a P-Wing; in even-numbered Worlds (Desert Hill, Big Island and Iced Land), it is an Anchor, which is used to prevent the Airship from flying to another place.

Super Mario Land
Continue

Normally, for every 100,000 points you obtain, you get one continue, but there is another way. Press Start repeatedly, and you may get an extra continue.

Expert Mode

Beat the entire game, and press any button on the title screen. The cursor is now Mario's face, and when you begin, there will be enemies that are more difficult, and in different places.

Stage Select

Beat the game again, and keep pressing the A Button on the title screen. The more you do it, the later stage you can go to. This was rediscovered on August 6, 1999.

Kirby's Dream Land
Extra Game

On the title screen, press and hold Up, Select and A. You will see "Extra Game" on screen, and you only get one continue. Most people knew this option after beating the game once.

Reset the Game

Hold the A, B, Start, and Select buttons. Do note that this will apply to other Game Boy games as well.

Sound Test

On the title screen, press and hold Down, Select and B. You will see a screen called "Configuration Mode". Here, you can change the number of lives or change the amount of energy Kirby has. Otherwise, you can just listen to the background music itself. Most people knew this option after beating the game twice.

These secret tricks were seen on the Kirby's Rainbow Resort website since October 20, 2000.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Easy Mode

On the File Select screen, press Select and you will see "Easy Mode" on screen.

Kirby's Pinball Land
Bonus Game

Press Left + B + Select on the title screen.

Boss Battle

Press Right + A + B + Select on the title screen.

Quick Game

Prses Up + B + Select on the title screen.

Reset All Scores

Hold Select and Start simultaneously on the high score screen.

Save Game

Pause the game, then press Select.

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Super Cheat

While playing a level, press Start to pause, then press "Select" 16 times in a row. A cursor will appear on the screen, next to the number of lives you have. Now press the A and B buttons simultaneously, and move the cursor left or right. Press Up or Down to change the number, and un-pause after placing the cursor on the Wario face at the bottom left to get a power-up.

Super Mario World
Exit Level

On levels that you've completed, press Start to pause and Select to return to the map screen. This code also works in Super Mario Land 2 and 3.

Item Bonus

Bring an item or enemy to the End Gate, and it'll turn into a power-up or 1-UP Mushroom.

Super Mario Kart
Erase All Data

Go to the title screen and press L + R + Y + A simultaneously.

Save Ghost

After finishing a Time Trial course, hold L + R + Y + X, and the track name will turn orange.

Special Cup Time Trials

On the track selection screen, move the cursor to Mushroom Cup. Press L, R, L, R, L, L, R, R, and A. The Special Cup can also only be accessed at a 150cc race, and requires the first three tracks to be completed before you can take it on.

Speed Boost

Press and hold B after a fraction of a second you see the first light turn off.

These codes were posted to TMK in 1998 or early 1999.

Kirby's Adventure
Reset the game

Press A, B, Start and Select simultaneously. The game will magically display the title screen.

Super Mario All-Stars
Reset High Scores

On the title screen of Super Mario Bros., press A + B + L + R simultaneously.

Suicide In Super Mario Bros. 2, pause the game, then press L + R + Select simultaneously. This is not a good idea, however; it'll just cost you one life.

Note: Some glitches from the original NES Mario games might work in this remake. Do beware, though, that if a glitch is fixed, it will not work.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Exit Level

Like before, on levels you've cleared, you can pause the game then press Select to return to the map screen.

Mini Game Selection

On the map screen, point the cursor to a stage number, then hold Select and press X + X + Y + B + A.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Passwords In the original Japanese version, the password in the Sunken Ship is translated to "aquarium". This was revealed on TMK on November 4, 2008.
 * Sunken Ship: pearls
 * So La Mi Re Do Re Do Re: "Frogfucius' Suite #18"
 * Mi Do So Do Re La Ti Do: "Mole Mountain Blues"
 * La Ti Do Re So Do Re Mi: "Monstro Town Melody"

Reset the Game

Hold L + R + Select, then press Start.

Retro Mario

In Booster's Tower, go behind the curtain to turn into the Mario from SMB1. Once this happens, the music will also change to a remix of the original Super Mario Bros. theme.

Super Mario 64
Butterfly Surprises

In any grass course, punch a butterfly. Either a 1-UP Mushroom or a black bomb (loss of 2 units of the Power Meter) will appear.

Drown in the Surface

Drain your Power Meter to about two pieces, then go to the courtyard's fountain. Wait until a Boo Ghost approaches you. If the timing is right, you should end up in the water and watch Mario drown.

Luigi Code

Luigi does not make an official appearance in Super Mario 64, but there are ways to play as Luigi by using certain software. A video explaining this was uploaded to YouTube on August 27, 2005.

Mario Kart 64
Mario Raceway Time Record

Press R on the title screen, and you'll see how fast you can beat Mario Raceway.

New Title Screen

Get the Gold Cup on all three classes (50cc, 100cc, 150cc), watch the end credits, then reset the game. In addition, you'll encounter the Extra mode for the Grand Prix.

Speed Boost

After the second red light, press and hold the A Button quickly. You'll start the track with a turbo boost.

Yoshi's Story
Bubble Burst

Bump into a bubble several times until it pops. It will take about 30 times.

Secret Song

Kazumi Totaka's song will start playing after the music on the Trial Mode stage select screen loops 8 times.

Suicide

Press the L, Z, A and B Buttons, and Yoshi will die instantly.

Diddy Kong Racing
Magic Codes

Upon completing the game and seeing the end credits, a magic code always appears randomly at the end. Unlock Drumstick
 * ARNOLD: Big characters
 * BLABBERMOUTH: Horn cheat
 * BODYARMOR: All balloons are yellow
 * BOGUSBANANAS: Bananas reduce speed
 * BOMBSAWAY: All balloons are red
 * BYEBYEBALLOONS: Disable weapons
 * DODGYROMMER: ROM checksum
 * DOUBLEVISION: Select same player
 * EOLAOBFENRLONE: Free balloon
 * EPC: EPC lock-up display
 * FREEFORALL: Maximum power-up
 * FREEFRUIT: Start with 10 bananas
 * JOINTVENTURE: Two player adventure
 * JUKEBOX: Music menu
 * NOYELLOWSTUFF: Disable bananas
 * OFFROAD: Four wheel drive
 * OPPOSITESATTRACT: All balloons are rainbow
 * ROCKETFUEL: All balloons are blue
 * TEENYWEENIES: Small characters
 * TIMETOLOSE: Ultimate AI
 * TOXICOFFENDER: All balloons are green
 * VITAMINB: No limit to bananas
 * WHODIDTHIS: Display credits
 * ZAPTHEZIPPERS: Turn off Zippers

If you have 39 Golden Balloons, all the Keys, Trophies and the entire T.T. and Wizpig Amulets, one of the frogs will have a rooster's hair, and as he hops, he will make a different sound. Run over it with your vehicle, and voila! Drumstick will now be in your character select screen.

Unlock T.T.

Beat T.T. on all tracks (including Future Fun Land), and you'll unlock him as a playable character. What's even more unusual is that, he'll see his evil (er, kind) twin as you enter a world.

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
5-UP

If you get an Extremely Lucky card in Fortune Telling, you will start all files with 10 lives, instead of just 5.

This was posted to TMK on August 23, 1999.

Erase All Data

On the Copy/Clear screen, press Select + A. Here, you can choose to erase all data. This was posted to TMK on August 20, 2003.

Play as Luigi



On the map screen, press Select. Mario's outfit will change from red to green, making him Luigi.

Donkey Kong 64
Infinite Items

Once you have all 20 Banana Fairies, you can play a new game with infinite items (except for the health meter and the amount of Ammo).

Play as Krusha

If you have at least 15 Banana Fairies, Krusha will be unlocked as a playable character in Kong Battle.

Super Mario Advance
Erase All Data

During the "GAME BOY" logo, simultaneously press and hold Select + Start + L + R + B + A for a few seconds.

Restart

Simultaneously press Select + Start + B + A. This applies to all the other Game Boy Advance games as well.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Erase All Data

Turn on the game and press/hold Start + L + R + B simultaneously. This applies to all other Game Boy Advance games except Super Mario Advance.

Sound Effects and Movements

While selecting any character, press L to throw a shell, R to jump, and Select to use the horn.

Luigi's Mansion
Mirror Warp

In the Game Boy Horror view mode, press A while checking any mirror to return back to the Foyer.

Reset Game

Hold B and X, then press Start.

These tricks were submitted to TMK on November 26, 2001.

Wario Land 4
Karaoke Mode

In the Sound Room, select "Exit", but don't confirm; instead, hold L, R, Start and Select, then press Up, and a Karaoke button will appear. Confirm that, and a different song will play. While the song plays, press L or R to switch the vocals, Left or Right to increase or decrease the speed, and Up or Down to lower or upper the pitch.

New Super Mario Bros.
Challenge Mode

On the Map Screen, press Start, L, R, L, R, X, X, Y, and Y in this order. With the Challenge Mode on, a red arrow will appear on stages that have scrolling limitations. On other occasions, if the arrow is gray, no limitations will take effect.

This code was posted on TMK on July 3, 2006.

Play as Luigi

Press and hold the L and R Buttons, then select a file. You will hear Luigi's voice calling out his own name, then you'll instantly play as Luigi instead of Mario.