Bo

Under the Microscope: Impact Racing In this edition: Impact Racing has a hidden debug mode that’s really cool. You can tweak car settings, track parameters, and more. It’s already been documented for the PlayStation version of the ga…

PlayStation owners had an easy cheat code to access Impact Racing's debug menu, but the Saturn version is a little less easily accessible. Find out what @bbayles.bsky.social did to track it down in his latest Under the Microscope:

www.segasaturnshiro.com/2026/02/16/u...

#sega #saturn #segasaturn

Expansion hack: Impact Racing Featuring a debug mode that can tweak car parameters, track attributes, and more

There's a debug mode hidden inside *Impact Racing* that lets you tweak physics, car parameters, and more. A GameShark hacker figured out how to make it display on PSX, but not on Saturn.

I made a patch that makes it available! Tweak to your heart's content.
32bits.substack.com/p/expansion-...

If you've always wanted to listen to experts & enthusiasts talk about video game preservation, then I have the podcast for you!

HIDDEN PALACE episode 1 covers the Sonic-related beginnings of the prototype preservation site, Burning Rangers, & much more.

podcastaddict.com/podcast/the-...

Under the microscope: Kinetica (PlayStation 2) A brute force attack against a PlayStation 2 game's cheat code system

There's an "unlock everything" cheat for *Kinetica* on PlayStation 2 that seems to have gone unnoticed for the last 25 years.

The game uses the same code entry system as *God of War*, which was also from the SCE Santa Monica studio.

32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...

Bonus Codes Generators for LMA Manager 2003-2006 Thanks to a contribution from Bo, Bonus Codes generators for LMA Manager 2003 to 2006 have been published.

Check this page out: cookieplmonster.github.io/updates/2026...

Under the microscope: Small Soldiers (PlayStation) Reverse-engineering the passcode system for a PlayStation game

What happens when you enter this passcode in *Small Soldiers* for PlayStation?
Triangle, Circle, Triangle, Circle, X, Circle, X, Square

Nothing.

But if you enter it a second time... a hidden cheat menu appears!

32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...

Under the Microscope: Sound Qube Sound Qube is a puzzle game from Media Entertainment and Human Entertainment. There’s a very thorough description of the gameplay at Sega Retro, but in a nutshell: You’re presented with a cube-like…

Puzzle game fans may be excited to know that Sound Qube, released on Saturn only in Japan, has level select and other cheat codes hiding in it — and @bbayles.bsky.social found them!

www.segasaturnshiro.com/2026/02/09/u...

#sega #saturn #segasaturn #retrogaming #retrogames #videogames #セガ #セガサターン

Under the microscope: Sound Qube (Saturn) Your time is over, Rubik

Some Japanese cheat sites list a code for the PlayStation version of *Sound Qube*, the 1998 puzzle game from Human Entertainment.

Are there any for the Saturn version? I found three:
* Level Select
* Level skip
* Transparent cubes

32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...

I just accidentally made a huge discovery 👀

Turns out there's a cheat code in Rayman 3 GameCube which unlocks every bonus map including 2D Nightmare! No GBA needed at all!

Go to the Bonus menu and press "Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right R L R L", so basically the Konami code.

#rayman

Under the microscope: Aero Elite: Combat Academy (PlayStation 2) When you have to disconnect your controller to enter a cheat code

Here's an unusual cheat code for *Aero Elite Combat Academy*, the PS2 game from Sega:
* Go to the main menu.
* Disconnect controller 1.
* Using controller 2, hold L3+R3+Triangle and press X.
* Re-connect controller 1.

This unlocks all modes, planes, & emblems!

32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...

Here's an unreported cheat code for *HSX: HyperSonic.Xtreme* on PlayStation 2. Enter it at the main menu while holding L1+R1: Right, Circle, Left, Left.

This unlocks all of the series in single player mode.

Under the microscope: Syphon Filter 3 (PlayStation) Correcting 24 year old mistakes in a PlayStation game with Ghidra

The cheat sites have codes listed for *Syphon Filter 3* on PSX, but they're wrong! I checked out the game data to figure out the correct ones. They're surprisingly involved - you have to change audio settings, highlight certain menu items, and hold button combos.

32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...

Under the microscope: Hyper Duel & Blast Wind (Saturn) Horizont-Al and Verti-Cal

Both HYPER DUEL and BLAST WIND on Saturn have cheat codes that let you adjust the DIP switches on the configuration screen. The fifth one enables Free Play mode, which gives you unlimited credits!
32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...

Chaotix Casefiles Eps 0+1 Review + Sonic R & R w/ ALTSYNTH

What's the one mystery you've wanted the Chaotix to tackle? If it's "when's the next episode of Sonic Weekly out?" the answer is now! @altsynth.bsky.social joins this packed episode, where we discuss episodes 0 and 1 of the Chaotix Casefiles. open.spotify.com/episode/64zc...

*The Flintstones: Viva Rock Vegas*, the PlayStation 2 PAL exclusive racing game, has a cheat code that unlocks alternate courses, all vehicles, and The Great Gazoo.

At the title screen, hold L1+L2+R1+R2+Left+Circle until you hear "Yabba dabba do!".

Here are some cheats for *Dune 2000* on PSX seem to be new. Press Triangle, then select these from the sidebar:
* Complete mission: Circle, Square, X, X, X, Triangle
* Fail mission: Triangle, Circle, Triangle, X, Square, Square
* Freeze action: X, Circle, X, Circle, X, Circle

On it!

Under the microscope: FireBlade (Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube) Reverse engineering three versions of a 2002 helicopter game

What's cool about FireBlade? Its cheat codes! I found a level select code for each of the three versions, plus several other codes that are exclusive to the Xbox version.

"MEGA CHEAT" enables infinite ammo & turbo, invulnerability, and all levels.
32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...

Under the microscope: Roadsters (Dreamcast, PlayStation) Three platforms, three sets of secrets

The cheat sites lists codes for the N64 version of *Roadsters*, but not for Dreamcast or PlayStation. What gives?

I found the missing cheats - there's a different set on every system! On DC there's even a two player Pong minigame and a "Free Flight" mode.

32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...

Sonic R: The R&R Mod Everyone knows that Sonic R is a racing game. But what this article presupposes is… maybe it doesn’t have to be? I’ve made a patch, the R&R mod, that changes how Sonic R works: You have unlimit…

Have you ever wished you could play Sonic R like a regular platformer, finding all the Chaos Emeralds and Sonic tokens at your leisure? Now you can with @bbayles.bsky.social 's new Sonic R&R mod! Check it out:

www.segasaturnshiro.com/2026/01/26/s...

#sega #saturn #segasaturn #retrogaming #sonic

How necessary was all this? Not terribly - you can explore the courses in the Tag and Balloon modes in the normal game. But I liked the idea of being able to get the collectibles and unlock the extra characters without having to rush!

Sonic R: The R&R mod The ROM hack that takes the racing out of Sonic R (1997)

Everyone knows that *Sonic R* is a racing game. But... maybe it doesn't have to be?

My new *R&R mod*:
* Adjusts controls to make exploration easier.
* Gives you unlimited time to look for Emeralds and tokens.
* Lets you unlock extra characters without racing.

32bits.substack.com/p/sonic-r-th...

Here's another title screen cheat: Up, Down, L1+Start. This enables all concept art.

*Stolen* for PC has a "guards have big heads and feet" cheat. I found the equivalent on PS2: at the title screen, press L1, R1, Down, Up, Start+L1.

The game is so annoying dark that you can barely make out the effect most of the time. Here's a brightened image!

Hello again! Presenting, another contribution from our friend Billscat-socks: Multiple builds of the long-thought lost Beavis and Butt-Head Do Hollywood!

hiddenpalace.org/News/Beavis_...

Here's a seemingly-unreported cheat code for *The Simpsons Wrestling* on PlayStation.

At the title screen, enter:
Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Circle, L2, Circle, R2, Circle, L1, Circle, R1

This lets you use the same character twice in a match.

Under the microscope: Road Rash 3D & Road Rash Jailbreak (PlayStation) Using the PlayStation's BIOS functions to find cheat codes that the magazines missed

Here's a cheat code that the magazines missed for *Road Rash 3-D* (PlayStation, 1998).

Enter you name as "IBaChtR" in Big Game mode to:
* Get $33,333 to spend.
* Unlock all bikes in Thrash mode.

32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...

Under the microscope: A Bug's Life (PlayStation) De-mystifying game secrets from 1998

Here's a new - and strange - cheat for *A Bug's Life* on PlayStation:
* Start the training level.
* Get out of the valley & collect 7 pieces of grain.
* Do Flik's spin move (D-pad clockwise repeatedly) & pause.
* Exit while holding R1+L2.

All levels will unlock!

32bits.substack.com/p/under-the-...

Under the Microscope: Lode Runner: The Legend Returns & Lode Runner Extra In this edition I’m examining the two Lode Runner games for Saturn: The Legend Returns and Extra. Although the series was originally developed in the West, it was particularly successful in Japan. …

Japan got two Lode Runner games on the Saturn and they're both hiding secret cheat codes. See what @bbayles.bsky.social found in the latest Under the Microscope:

www.segasaturnshiro.com/2026/01/19/u...

#sega #saturn #segasaturn #retrogaming #retrogames #videogames #セガサターン #セガ

Also hold L+Start to begin the game, as the credits screen hints.