telecasting games are full of secrets , closed book , and hidden precious stone for gamers to unlock . But sometimes gamers are so desperate for mystery story to unlock that they ’re unforced to conceive just about anything to see them . Here are eight video game put-on that were last confute .
1. The Game:Super Smash Bros MeleeThe Hoax: Unlock Sonic & Tails
Nintendo released its first crossover video game , Super Smash Bros Melee — which feature 25 iconic Nintendo characters in one massive scrap game experience — in December 2001 . That same year , Sega set about licensing their fictitious character and biz to third party video game consoles after they check making hardware ( the Dreamcast was their last console ) , and Nintendo released a transonic secret plan ( Sonic Advance ) for its console table . So in 2002 , when telecasting game magazineElectronic Gaming Monthlywrote that it haddiscovered a way to unlockSonic the Hedgehog and Miles “ Tails ” Prower as playable character , it made sense . To spiel as Sonic and Tails , EGMsaid , gamers would have to defeat 20 enemies in a course in “ vicious melee ” modal value .
In the calendar week afterEGM ’s takings strike stand , players stress and hear the trick , but had no succeeder unlocking Sonic and Tails . EGMlater admitted it was all a hoax andpart of its April Fools ’ Day issue . Nintendo would later add Sonic in its 2008 game , Super Smash Bros Brawl , but not Tails . Today , Nintendo has the exclusive right to Sonic , but Sega still owns the character .
2. The Game:Super Mario 64The Hoax: Finding Luigi
In 1996 , Nintendo released the Nintendo 64 in the United States with only two launching titles : Pilotwings 64andSuper Mario 64 , which quickly became the most popular video game for the new console ; gamers spent hours unlock its many mystery story and secrets . It was even bruit that players couldunlock Mario ’s brother Luigi as a playable case .
On one of the statues in the rook ’s courtyard , a plaque that illegibly reads“L is real 2401 ” can be rule . It was conceive that if Mario collected all of the game ’s Au coin — allegedly , 2401 of them — and cash in one’s chips back to the statue , Luigi would be waiting .
Gaming outlet IGN received so much fan mail about the “ L is real 2401 ” mystic code that theyissued a $ 100 bountyif anyone could send out them proof of its existence . No one ever did . The bottom line of credit : thespian could garner all the atomic number 79 coins inMario 64 , but nothing would happen if they returned to the statue in the castle ’s court .
3. The Game:Goldeneye 64The Hoax: Playing with All Bonds
The way the“Cheat Options ” menuwas design in the first - soul shooterGoldeneye 64suggested that there were 24 cheats to unlock rather of the 23 that player had found in the secret plan . Gamers believe that the 24th darnel was a agency to act as the former iterations of the James Bond fictional character in multi - player mode . When early screenshots from the game unwrap Sean Connery as James Bond , many gamers tried various ways to unlock the problematic cheat codification , but were abortive .
In 1998,Electronic gambling Monthlypublished additional screenshotsof Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton as the Agent 007 as an April Fools ’ Day joke , which led many more to believe the cheat code was real . The reality was thatNintendo could not batten the likeness rightsof Connery , Moore , or Dalton , so the cheat code was argufy .
4. The Game:Street Fighter IIThe Hoax: Hidden Character Named Sheng Long
AfterStreet Fighter IIbattles are finished , the master taunt his shine opponent via a title card . When gamers in Japan fought with the character Ryu and overcome their opponents , the title of respect wit would register , “ If you could not overcome the uprise Dragon Punch"—orShoryuken , one of Ryu ’s signature scrap moves—“you could not make headway ! ”
When the game was import for American gamers , Capcommistranslated Ryu ’s taunts . rather of referencing Ryu ’s climb Dragon Punch , the title card said “ You must get the better of Sheng Long to stand a chance . ” It was rumored that Sheng Long was a cover playable character somewhere deeply inside of the biz , but when the fight plot was ported to the Super Nintendo , its instruction manual explained he was Ryu ’s former sea captain .
Electronic Gaming Monthlytook this hearsay one step further andpublished a story confirmingthat Sheng Long was a character that could be unlock in the telecasting secret plan . Gamers would have to recreate as Ryu through the tourney without remove any damage or losing battles to unlock the mysterious martial art master . Once again , EGMconfessed that it was all a hoaxand was part of an April Fools ’ Day joke , despite bring out the proficiency in the magazine ’s February issue ( why anyone believed anything that the clip print remains a mystery ) .
5. The Game:Final Fantasy VIIThe Hoax: Saving Aeris
In 1997 , Square releasedFinal Fantasy VIIfor the original PlayStation . midway through the video game , one of its principal character , Aeris , dies . This was a very shocking Apocalypse , and one of the first representative when players felt emotionally devastated over a television game ’s storyline . That might explain whyrumors emerged that there were agency to keep Aeris alive , include trying to line up concealed gem and going on quest for non - existent type . All known technique were proven put on . And although gamers pass hour trying to find way to keep her alive , Aeris ’s death was of import for the television game ’s overall tale .
6. The Game:The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s MaskThe Hoax: Updating the Game for the Wii U
During Nintendo ’s E-3 ( Electronic Entertainment Expo ) presentation in 2012 , a mysterious prevue issue on the cyberspace . The Legend of Zelda : Majora ’s Maskwas one of the most popularZeldagames for the Nintendo 64 , and fans were happy to see that Nintendo was update the game for the yet - to - be release Nintendo Wii U.
Although the trailer looked convincing — it even had high - definition graphics and a symphony score!—the proposed television gamewas a fake . Two video game designers named Pablo Belmonte and Paco Martinez created the trailer as a pitch and proof - of - concept to Nintendo for aZeldaremake .
The phony trailer garnered a lot of attention from television secret plan outlet , sports fan , and even Nintendo , but the company has no plan to re - release an updated translation of theZeldaclassic .
7. The Game:Mortal KombatThe Hoax: Unlocking the Red Ninja Ermac
The originalMortal Kombatarcade secret plan had one concealed case , a green ninja called Reptile . But in the biz ’s audit menu — where owner can get at information and analytics about the plot — there was a family called “ Ermac , ” which lead fans to speculate thatMortal Kombatactually had two obscure type . It was believed that the character could be unlocked if you get ahead the fighting tourney by mark double flawless triumph and fatality against all of your opponents . Once a player defeated the last foreman , Shang Tsung , the red ninja Ermac would appear to dispute you to a battle .
The reality is that “ Ermac ” is short for “ Error Macro , ” which cobalt - creator Ed Boonwrote as an error messagein the game ’s computer programming . However , theMortal Kombatdevelopers were so impressed with the fans ’ passion for the rumored character that theyeventually introduced ErmacinUltimate Mortal Kombat 3as a secret playable fighter .
8. The Game: Sony PlayStation 4The Hoax: Viral Video Commercial
A few days before the first of E-3 2010 , a viral picture that boost new PlayStation hardwaresurfaced on YouTube . The commercial teased the release of the PlayStation 4 just before Sony was slated to present the PlayStation 3 ’s new Move movement controller add - on at the telecasting plot pattern . It did n’t seem likely that Sony would release a new console table only four years after the release of the PS3 . Nevertheless , the commercial message was very convincing , as many play websites and web log track down the viral video and promoted the launching of the PlayStation 4 .
But computer hardware PR representative Al de Leonshot down rumorsthat Sony was working on a PlayStation 4 . “ I can confirm that this video is not from SCE ( Sony Computer Entertainment ) , ” he told Game Informer . Three years later , Sony announce the PlayStation 4 would be uncommitted for the holiday season in 2013 .
