Power Button Podcast
Tip JarWhat's Wrong With This Screenshot?
December 16, 2009
Now it's time to test your gaming experience with a little round of "What's Wrong With This Screenshot?". Take a look at the following screenshots from familiar video games and see if you can tell what's not quite right. Note that nothing has been faked or Photoshopped, nor have any of the gameplay conditions seen below been hacked with a quirky emulation setup or an old-fashioned Game Genie. All of the images show things that are 100% possible to do with just a game cartridge and a little skillful savvy. You'll be told the game in question and the console from which it hails for each image, but beyond that you are on your own. So, what's wrong with these screenshots? Get out your trusty magnifying glass and see if you can figure it out. Answers are below.
Mega Man 7 (Super NES)
Sonic 3 & Knuckles (Sega Genesis)
Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land (Game Boy)
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (Nintendo Entertainment System)
Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64)
Answers
Mega Man 7 (Super NES): All eight Robot Masters are available at the start of the game in this image. Normally the game limits you to defeating four Robot Masters before allowing you to challenge the next four, but using the special password 1755-8187-6486-2022 does away with this confounding design choice.
Sonic 3 and Knuckles (Sega Genesis): Knuckles should not be a playable character in the Death Egg level, but using the game's stage select code enables players to choose him anyway. Ordinarily this level is reserved for Sonic (or Sonic and Tails together), as Knuckles cannot jump high enough to clear some of the obstacles.
Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land (Game Boy): How did Wario manage to collect 999 coins in this level when there are not that many coins to collect in the first place? Just use the handy cheat code left over from the debugging process to edit Wario's coin count, his extra life count, the time left on the clock, and even his current power-up status.
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (Nintendo Entertainment System): Take a look at the in-game clock and other status indicators. Then look at Simon's inventory. How'd the legendary member of the Belmont clan collect all of those items so quickly? Why, with this special password, of course:
DINT XXDY
445X V3ZX
Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64): MIPS the Rabbit hops around the basement of Princess Peach's castle, but he's not supposed to be in this particular room. Mario caught him in his usual territory and then glitch-kicked his way through the door before grabbing the rabbit through the door and dragging him into this room.