9 Hidden Video Game Features Everyone Missed
How did we not find these sooner?
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00:00 As Elden Ring more than proved, and we'll get to it for one of these entries, true video
00:04 game magic comes from stumbling upon something you had no idea was coming.
00:08 It's more special, worthwhile and rewarding than ever to actually point out anything that
00:12 isn't common knowledge to anyone playing.
00:14 Well, let's give it a shot.
00:16 I'm Scott from WockCulture.com, and these are 9 Hidden Video Game Features Everyone
00:20 Missed.
00:21 Number 9, the one-hit knockout.
00:23 Mike Tyson's Punch Out.
00:25 Mike Tyson's Punch Out was a massive deal in 1984.
00:28 Even though the boxing game is nearly 40 years old, its consistent popularity with speedrunners
00:33 has allowed it to maintain its reputation with modern gamers too.
00:36 Right now, there's an entire community of Punch Out speedrunners who analyse every frame
00:40 in this game, hoping to secure that perfect run.
00:43 And by fighting the same opponent over and over, some interesting secrets have been found.
00:48 In recent years, gamers learned you can perform a one-hit knockout on Piston Honda if you
00:52 punch him when a bearded man on the left of the audience nods.
00:55 Also, if you hit Super Macho Man when the audience member with shades frowns, your opponent
01:00 will be KO'd immediately.
01:02 Another that took over two decades to be found revolves around Bald Bull.
01:05 If you punch him when an audience member on the very right flashes their camera, they'll
01:09 go down immediately.
01:11 A weird coding bug or a genius way to beat each fighter?
01:14 You decide.
01:15 Number 8, you can skip to the end almost immediately.
01:18 Nier Automata.
01:20 When you defeat the first boss of Nier Automata, you're supposed to exit the factory to reach
01:24 the next area.
01:25 However, if you walk up to the nearby barrels and punch in a specific cheat code, the game
01:29 will skip to the post-credits scene instead.
01:31 It will also unlock features including the debug mode and chapter select.
01:35 What's so standout is that it took almost four years for anyone to figure this out.
01:39 The reason why is because it only works in the first boss room immediately after you
01:43 defeat that specific enemy.
01:44 Since you'll instinctively go to the next location, every last one of us lost the opportunity
01:49 to perform this cheat.
01:51 Even if you come back after exiting, it just won't work.
01:53 Lance McDonald, who was the first person to figure this out, blew fans away when he revealed
01:57 his discovery on Twitter in 2021.
02:00 The game's creator, Yoko Taro, was so impressed, he tweeted McDonald to actually congratulate
02:04 him.
02:05 Considering how reclusive Taro is, this was regarded as an extraordinary high honour in
02:09 the gaming community, and especially amongst Nier fans.
02:13 Number 7, The Plunge Attack.
02:14 Elden Ring.
02:15 The biggest success of 2022, hitter Takumi Yazaki and From Software, being on the form
02:20 of their careers, crafted a genuine modern-day masterpiece.
02:23 An open-world fantasy action game with literally a straight 80 to 100 hours of consistent surprises
02:28 and things to see, do and unlock.
02:30 Since Elden Ring follows similar mechanics to Dark Souls, many players assumed they could
02:34 use the same tricks to defeat enemies.
02:36 In the Souls games, you could insta-kill some bosses by leaping above them and doing a drop
02:40 attack.
02:41 Sadly, when this didn't work the same way in Elden Ring, most of us assumed the idea
02:44 was ditched and set about plugging away the old-fashioned way.
02:48 However, contrary to what many players believe, a modified plunge attack is in the game.
02:52 Because it only works on certain enemies and the mechanics on how to perform it are different
02:56 to Dark Souls, it's easy to go the whole game not triggering this specific animation.
03:00 To pull it off, for example, on the Flame Chariot, you can kill them in one go if you
03:04 press R1 or RB just before touching their head.
03:08 The attack is not universally effective, but it's massively helpful if you're struggling
03:11 with certain enemies.
03:13 Number 6, Daisy's Monstrous Face.
03:16 Super Smash Bros.
03:17 Melee.
03:18 Did you know that if you zoom into the Princess Daisy trophy in Super Smash Bros.
03:21 Melee, you can find a third eye on the back of her skull?
03:24 Of course you did.
03:25 This random feature was spotted by players soon after the GameCube title was released,
03:29 and has been mentioned in gaming magazines, forums and websites ever since.
03:33 Even though a lot of Smash fans knew Daisy had this mysterious third eye, nobody really
03:37 had a clue why.
03:38 Well, the truth has since come out, and the explanation is weird.
03:42 Instead of modelling Daisy's eye separately, the developers layered her scalp with eyeballs,
03:47 then covered her skull with hair.
03:48 Although the creators assumed no one would ever notice, some people dug around the game's
03:52 files and discovered the Princess's cranium is infested with ten eyeballs.
03:56 She's like a second-stage Resident Evil boss.
03:59 Because millions of Nintendo fans have been aware of this feature for years, the full
04:02 Lovecraftian horror that is Daisy's full noggin is quite the surprise.
04:06 Number 5, Hot Dog Balancing.
04:09 Undertale.
04:10 Throughout Undertale, you'll find vendors who sell you items to help you on your quest.
04:14 If you attempt to purchase these items while your inventory is full, you'll be told that
04:17 you just can't carry any more.
04:19 Because of this, it's normal for the player to have at least one or two spaces available
04:23 in their inventory any time they approach a new vendor.
04:25 However, if you have no free slot while buying a specific hot dog from Sans, something strange
04:30 happens instead.
04:31 Recognising you don't have any space, Sans decides to place the hot dog on your head.
04:36 If you ask for another one, he'll place that right on top, and another, and another.
04:40 By repeatedly asking for more, you'll achieve a stack of up to 30 hot dogs right on top
04:44 of your bots.
04:45 This meaty tower becomes so tall you can't even see the top at maximum height.
04:49 Sadly, the snacks disappear if you leave the room, but this is one hell of a hidden feature
04:53 only a handful of players would have found.
04:56 Number 4, Changing Bowser's Dialogue.
04:58 Super Mario Odyssey.
04:59 Throughout Super Mario Odyssey, you can use Cappy to possess others and use their bodies
05:03 and powers.
05:04 On your travels, you'll also purchase outfits and hats that allow Mario to access hidden
05:08 areas and discover collectibles.
05:10 However, a lot of people don't realise characters will speak to Mario differently depending
05:14 on his attire, including Bowser.
05:16 Just before you throw down with your arch-nemesis in the climax, Mario will change into a white
05:21 suit and top hat.
05:22 When you confront Bowser, he'll mock your wardrobe, stating it isn't as fancy as his.
05:26 Because nearly every player will be wearing this same white suit before battling Bowser,
05:30 they then miss the dialogue changes depending on what you wear.
05:34 If you wear Luigi's clothes, Bowser will point out how familiar they look.
05:37 If you wear your invisibility hat, he'll just be confused that he can't see you.
05:41 If you dress as a skeleton or a clown, you can scare him, and for some reason best left
05:45 to the comments section, Bowser gets genuinely frightened if Mario strips down to nothing
05:49 but his swimming shorts.
05:51 Number 3, You Can Play As The Duck - Duck Hunt.
05:55 Even though shooting at birds is a simple premise, even for 1984's video games, everyone
05:59 was blown away by Duck Hunt's addictive gameplay and the precision of the NES Zapper.
06:04 Since it was the first home console light gun game many people had played, it was no
06:07 surprise Duck Hunt became such a smash hit.
06:10 However, even if you've been playing this shooter all your life, there's one feature
06:13 that might have escaped you.
06:15 Until Hollywood actor Seth Rogen tweeted about it in 2018 and really shone a light on the
06:19 idea, very few people realised you could control the duck by using the second controller.
06:24 Adding a whole other dimension to gameplay, this feature is mentioned in the game's
06:28 manual, but it took over a quarter of a century before it became common knowledge.
06:32 Number 2, Prevent Fall Damage - The Witcher 3.
06:35 CDPR's iconic game is easily the zenith of the franchise, surpassing its predecessors
06:40 in every single way.
06:41 Due to impressive worldbuilding, emphasis on exploration, fluid gameplay and gorgeous
06:45 graphics, it's no surprise why this remains their greatest achievement to this day.
06:50 But no matter how much you love The Witcher 3, there's one thing that grinds everyone's
06:54 gears - fall damage.
06:55 Even though Geralt is a legendary monster slayer, falling from even the average height
06:59 of a human will often kill him in one.
07:01 It became such a frequent way we were all dying, players wished for a patch to reduce
07:05 fall damage or add some way to minimise it.
07:08 Well, turns out CDPR had us covered, they just didn't put it in the tutorial.
07:12 By tapping the jump button twice just before making contact with the ground, Geralt will
07:16 land safely without suffering any damage, instead tucking into a roll.
07:20 Even though this sounds like a feature anyone could figure out, so many people complained
07:24 across the launch period CDPR's community coordinator, Mocene Mamo, had to go on Twitter
07:29 to tell us how to avoid it.
07:30 At least we know one thing the team will be prioritising in The Witcher 4.
07:34 Number 1 - Too Many To Count The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild
07:38 There are so many tiny little tricks hidden in The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild
07:42 more often than not you find them through sheer chance.
07:45 For example, you probably didn't know that dogs will lead you to treasure, that merchants
07:49 sell at a discount if it's raining, and that sleeping Hinox hands can be ridden onto
07:52 their belly to steal loot while they sleep.
07:55 Best of all, the game's apparent lack of food crafting recipes actually isn't the
07:58 case as menus can be found inside a stable's walls.
08:01 Also, any dish will be stronger if cooked during a blood moon.
08:05 All these are just the tip of the iceberg so many years after launch, as Nintendo really
08:09 did go all out when reinventing one of their most monolithic IPs.
08:14 And those are just 9 hidden video game features everyone missed.
08:17 Let me know your favourites down in the comments below and please subscribe to the What Culture
08:20 Gaming Podcast.
08:21 For now, I've been Scott from WhatCulture.com and I'll catch you soon.
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