We’ve got eyes and ears on the field to find tips and tricks that you never even thought possible for your favorite games. Our Agents sent us the following Classified Information for your eyes only. The secrets are yours to keep and the tricks are yours to use. Master your favorite games, and you may even be able to join our Agents someday. Now get out there!
Dr. Mario
Quick Reset
Sometimes the Vitamin Capsules stack up so high that it seems hopeless to continue with the same screen. If you can’t bear to see the bitter end and you’re sitting far away from the Reset Button, press the Select, Start, A, and B Buttons simultaneously. The game will automatically Reset and give you a chance to choose a different level and speed!
Punch-Out!!
The End Is Near
The rumor is true! There is a code that sends you directly to the Dream Fight against Mr. Dream! He is, by far, the best boxer in the game, and you’ll really wish you had cut your teeth on the other opponents first. You’ll see what we mean by entering 007 373 5963 as your Pass Key.
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Super Code
When the game is over, hold A and press Start. You begin again in the same World in which you left off.
Bonus Points
You can see Fireworks when you reach a Flag Pole by simply studying the remaining time in the stage. Try to hit the Flag Pole when the last digit of the time is a 1, 3, or 6. If you make it, you receive 1, 3, or 6 Firework bursts, each worth 500 points. If you jump very high and hit the top of the Flag Pole, you earn an additional 5000 points.
First Warp Zone
At the end of World 1-2, take the lift to the top of the bricks and walk over them to find your first Warp Zone. Two other Warp Zones are yours to find in World 4-2.
Turtle Tip
There are a few places where you can try this challenging but valuable trick. The best place to give it a shot is on the stairs near the end of World 3-1. Jump on the second Koopa Troopa so all that is left is a shell, then jump down to the next lower step. Now leap and hit the left edge of the shell to knock it into the step, and it will bounce back. If your timing is perfect, Mario will hit the shell into the step again and a chain reaction will begin. You’ll start by earning extra points and then 1-Ups.
Super Mario Bros. 3
Fire-Free Bowser
The Castle of Koopa in World 8 is full of dangerous traps. You’ll find it much easier to get through the Castle by using a P-Wing and flying high above the many hazards. With a P-Wing, you can also perform an odd maneuver that takes the flame from Bowser’s attack. On your way to Bowser, you fly through an open room of Podoboos and Donut Lifts. In that room, far to the right, you come across four possible passages. Enter the second passage from the top and follow the path until you reach Bowser’s chamber. In Bowser’s chamber, fly straight up against the wall to the left until you see the other side of the wall, then turn around and return to Bowser’s chamber. When Bowser appears, he tries to spit fire but his flame is extinguished! After Mario has been stomped by Bowser, he shrinks to his smallest size and the P-Wing is no longer activated. If you keep Mario on the ground, though, he’ll be invincible from other attacks. Once the floor breaks under the pressure of Bowser’s incredible jumps, move out of the way and let Bowser fall through!
StarTropics
Extra Hearts
One of the most challenging sections of StarTropics is the second underground battle in the Lost Ruins of Chapter 6. Not only is the passage long, but the enemies inside are strong and numerous. It helps to have as many Hearts as possible before you go into battle, and our Agents have found a way to accumulate two full rows of Hearts.
In the area outside the underground passage, you find a simple maze that leads to a Big Heart. Usually, if you collect a Big Heart, it disappears, never to be found in the same place twice. This particular Big Heart, though, comes back to be collected again and again. Once you collect the Heart, go to the beginning of the battle scene, then exit and retrace your steps. Continue on this path until you have accumulated the maximum of 22 Hearts, then fight to the end of Chapter 6 with extra endurance.
The Legend of Zelda
One at a Time
There’s a way to avoid ambushes in the Overworld. When you get to a new section, defeat all but one of the enemies in the screen. Every time you return to this screen, only one enemy will be there! It will be super simple to avoid and move on.
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Magic and Experience
In your adventure through Hyrule, you can attack the Ironknuckle statue located at the outside of Palace Two and beyond to gain Magic and Experience Points. When you hit Ironknuckle, it will either come to life or produce a Red Magic Potion. If the Potion appears, use the Life Spell to replenish your magic. If the statue comes to life, defeat Ironknuckle for 100 Experience Points, leave, then come back and repeat the process.
Walk Through Walls
The last Palace that Link must conquer to free the princess from her sleep has many mysterious elements. Investigations in this Palace have led to the discovery of a number of hidden rooms where valuable Magic Potions can be found. On his way to meet the challenges in the deepest parts of the Palace, Link can fill his Magic completely in these few important locations.
The Palace includes a number of elevator shafts that take more than one screen to complete. After Link has descended or ascended an entire screen length and he appears at another full screen of the elevator shaft, he may find a hidden passage in the wall here. In the center of the screen, he can work against the wall to the left or right to go through the wall and into a hidden room. Here, Link finds a statue that either comes to life or produces a Magic Potion when hit with the sword. If the statue comes to life, Link can defeat it, leave the room, and come back for another try.
Agents have also found that if Link moves to the left after coming down from the last elevator, he invariably finds a Magic Potion in one of the blocks in the wall.