10 HIDDEN FACTS ABOUT CLASSIC RETRO GAMES YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW
If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, you’ve probably spent countless hours playing Mario, Sonic, or Contra — but even the biggest fans missed a few secrets.
From hidden cheat codes to developer Easter eggs, the classic retro game console era was full of mysteries that only the most dedicated players ever discovered.
Let’s rewind time and uncover 10 hidden facts about the 90s game consoles that made gaming magical.
1️⃣ Super Mario Bros. Has a Hidden “Minus World”
That’s right — in the original Super Mario Bros. (1985), there’s a glitch level called the “Minus World.”
If you enter a warp zone in World 1-2 in a specific way, you’ll fall into an endless underwater loop — a legendary bug that became gaming folklore.
💡 Try it again on your retro game console australia and see if you can escape!
2️⃣ Sonic the Hedgehog’s Speed Almost Broke the Sega Genesis
Developers originally thought Sonic was too fast for players to control.
In early tests, gamers kept missing rings and dying mid-spin!
But Sega refused to slow him down — and that decision made Sonic the face of 90s speed.
3️⃣ Contra’s Famous Cheat Code Wasn’t Planned
You know the one:
↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A Start.
The Konami Code was added by mistake — a developer used it for testing and forgot to remove it before release.
Now it’s the most famous cheat code in history.
4️⃣ Donkey Kong Was Supposed to Be Popeye
Nintendo originally wanted a Popeye game — with Bluto, Olive Oyl, and the sailor himself.
When licensing failed, they replaced the characters…
→ Popeye became Mario
→ Olive became Pauline
→ Bluto became Donkey Kong
And the rest is history.
5️⃣ Tetris Was Created on a Soviet Computer
Fun fact: The world’s most addictive puzzle game was born behind the Iron Curtain in 1984.
Alexey Pajitnov built Tetris on a Russian computer called the Elektronika 60 — with no color and no sound!
Yet it became one of the biggest exports from the Soviet Union.
6️⃣ Pokémon Red and Blue Nearly Didn’t Leave Japan
Pokémon’s creators weren’t sure Western players would “get it.”
Trading and collecting creatures sounded strange at the time — but after its global launch in 1998, Pokémon became the defining franchise of the 90s game consoles.
7️⃣ Street Fighter II’s Sound Effects Were Real Punches
Capcom’s dev team reportedly punched sandbags and watermelons to record the perfect “thud” sound for Street Fighter II.
So yes, those hits really packed a punch! 👊
8️⃣ Pac-Man’s Shape Was Inspired by Pizza
Creator Toru Iwatani said the idea for Pac-Man came while eating pizza — after removing one slice, he saw the shape and thought, that’s a mouth!
🍕 Simple inspiration. Eternal legacy.
9️⃣ The First Easter Egg in Gaming Came from Atari
In Adventure (1980), one developer secretly hid his name inside the game — a protest against Atari’s rule banning developer credits.
That single hidden room started the entire tradition of “Easter eggs” in games.
🔟 Metal Gear Was Born from a Hardware Limitation
The original MSX2 console couldn’t handle many on-screen enemies, so creator Hideo Kojima turned a weakness into genius — he made a game about avoiding fights instead.
Thus, Metal Gear — and the stealth genre — was born.
💙 REPLAY THE LEGENDS ON MODERN CONSOLES
All these moments — from the Minus World to the Konami Code — are playable again today.
With the 2Bluebox Retro Game Console, you can experience thousands of classics just like the old days:
✔️ 20,000+ preloaded titles
✔️ Instant HDMI plug & play
✔️ Wireless controllers for multiplayer nostalgia
✔️ Works perfectly on any TV
Whether you’re a Mario master, Sonic speedster, or Pokémon trainer — the past has never felt this alive.
Because at 2Bluebox,
“We don’t just bring games back. We bring memories back.” 💙