NES & Famicom games



This is a book of NES and Famicom playing tips and tricks.

Different trick types
This section introduces different trick types that may be used when playing the games.

Passwords
Passwords are pretty similar to saving. Usually in the game is an area where you type the right password to get in some position of the game. Most of the passwords really are shortcuts made by the programmers to jump from a scene or "world" to another; in order to search and/or correct bugs in the game.

Button Sequences
Button sequences are sequences of buttons that do can something as useful as giving you extra lives or they can simply make your character act in an unusual manner. For an example of a button sequence cheat, see the Contra cheat below.

Game Genie
The Game Genie is a device that, when connected to both a game and the NES, allows you to cheat(or behave differently in any manner. "Moon Jump" Game Genie codes were popular once)by altering the data that is sent from the game to the NES. The Game Genie was made for other game systems as well, such as the Nintendo Gameboy and Super NES and the Sega Genesis.

The Game Genie is no longer manufactured, for any system. Galoob, the manufacturer, was forced to discontinue production after a lawsuit arose from Nintendo, claiming that in order to function, the device was required to access and alter the data of the ROM chip of the game itself, an action forbidden by copyright law.

Game Specific Tips
This section contains game specific cheats, tricks, and glitches.

Contra
There is a code for the Contra game to get 30 lives: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, B, A, Start

For two players, use up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, B, A, Select, Start

Final Fantasy
See wikibook Final Fantasy.

Final Fantasy II
See wikibook Final Fantasy IV (named Final Fantasy II for the North American SNES release).

Sound Test
Hold buttons A and B on player 2's controller while powering up the console to access the Kickle Cubicle sound test.

Metroid
See wikibook Metroid.

Mike Tyson's Punch Out
The code to go straight to a fight against Mike Tyson is 0073735963.

Continue
In order to continue in the world you were playing after dying, simply press the start button while holding down "A" at the title screen.

Warp Zones
Warp Zones allow quick access to later Worlds, and are available in several levels.

World 1-2
Simply find your way to the top of the level and continue to the end of the level, continuing past the end pipe, until you reach a room with 3 tubes, this is the Warp Zone and allows access to Worlds 2, 3, and 4. There are several ways to do this, the easiest being jumping from the yellow moving platforms near the end of the level.

World 4-2
There are two Warp Zones in this level. One can be found in the same way as level 1-2, it leads you to World 5. The other one is accessed by finding a vine. The vine can be found in a block right after the first moving platform. You must hit several hidden coin boxes to reach high enough to it. After this is done, you should climb the vine which will take you to an area filled with mushrooms, continue on to reach the Warp Zone. This one will take you to Worlds 6,7, and 8.

Minus world
This a glitch that allows access to an infinitely long water level. To accomplish this, play through to level 1-2 until you reach the horizontal pipe at the very end. Jump up and break the second and third blocks from the wall (You must be "Super Mario" to do this.) Next, stand on the edge of the pipe facing away from the wall, jump up and hold right. The goal here is to reach the corner of the block you didn't break. If done correctly, you will be pulled through the wall into the Warp Zone. Quickly jump into the first tube before the screen stops scrolling to be teleported into World -1. For the curious, the second tube will take you to World 5, and the 3rd tube will also take you into World -1.

This trick can also be done in world 4-2, however the pipe only takes you to World 5.

A not so well known fact: the minus world is actually a blank character where the world number goes followed by a - and then a 1 for the level number. So the minus world is actually "World blank, Level 1".

Jumping the flag
In some worlds it is possible to jump over the flag at the end of the level. This was considered an urban legend for a long time, but has been proven to be possible by recording the action with a replay capable emulator. In addition, in Super Mario Bros. - The Lost Levels (Japan Only) there are areas set up in a way involving springboards that it is to jump the flag - but in doing so leads to a Warp Zone that warps you back to World 1.

Warp Whistles
There are three warp whistles (all originally founded by Ryan L. Lawrence) in Super Mario Bros. 3. When used, they take Mario to the Warp Zone (world 9). It only takes a maximum of two whistles to get to world 8 from any other world, as using a warp whistle whilst in the Warp Zone takes Mario to world 8.

World 1-3
Crouch on the white block with a red Koopa on top of it about two thirds of the way through the level. After a few seconds, Mario will fall through the block and be behind the level's scenery. Walk to the end of the level, where mario will go behind the black end of level scenery. Continue walking and Mario will end up in a secret toad house. Open the chest to get the whistle and exit the level.

World 1 fortress
Get the raccoon suit at the end of the first room of the fortress, then fly up on top of the roof of that platform. Walk as far as you can to the right and press up. Mario will go into a small room with a chest in the middle. Open this to get the warp whistle and clear the level.

World 2
Get the hammer item from one of the Hammer brothers towards the end of this world. Then go to the very top-right corner of the map and use the hammer. The rock to the right will smash, revealing a secret path into another part of the map. Defeat the hammer brothers in this part of the map to get the final warp whistle.

The Lost Levels in Super Mario Bros. 3

 * The lost levels in Super Mario Bros. 3 are unused, abandoned levels that were programmed into the game, but were deleted from the final version. Some of these levels feature lost enemies that are also programmed into the game. The level that sheds some light on the subject is the level that can be accessed with the Game Genie code . This code forces entry into a lost level found inside the START panel in World 1. The level seems like it was deleted from World 6 for being too short and too easy. This is generally true of all the levels, especially ones matching motifs that appear later in the game. This suggests that these may either have been in the early stages of development before being deleted from the completed game, developmental versions of in-game, final cut levels, or may have served some other purpose such as use in conjunction with development tools.

Other codes include:
 * , a lost plains stage similar to Worlds 3-9 and 5-3.
 * , a grassy, hilly stage featuring Goomba's shoe, Lakitu, a coin heaven and continuous Starman power-ups. Possibly an early version of World 7-3.
 * , an underground level with big doors and Buzzy Beetles. The layout of this level is reminiscent of World 1-5, but without the coin heaven.
 * , unused Tanooki Suit bonus rooms with castle music.
 * , an auto-scrolling underwater ice level reminiscent of World 6 with Jelectros from World 7-4 and gold Cheep-Cheeps, an unused enemy in the final game. The middle of this level consists of an island filled with Munchers.
 * , a vertical level with waterfalls and pipes.
 * , a cloud level filled with red Parabeetles and the unused, fast-moving green Parabeetles.
 * , obviously a harder version of World 1-6.
 * , another variation of the above level. No goal, cut short.
 * , an unused cloud level. May be an attempt at a nighttime cloud level.
 * , an unused level, presumably an early version of a World 7 level.

Caution: When using these codes, the pointers and enemies may load up incorrectly, or the screen may glitch all together and make the level unplayable.

See the Super Mario Bros. 3 page for more informations.

Super Mario Bros. 3 Debug Mode
The Super Mario Bros. 3 Debug Mode can be accessed through the Game Genie code,.

Zelda 2
See wikibook Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.