Stuff you didn't notice you can do in a videogame until later

[Atoon]

Is there stuff, like a feature, a control, a weapon, or whatever you didn't notice you can do in a video game until very later (sometimes as a effect of not reading the manuals)? And you feel "how I didn't knew it? It could have been much easier!".

Has happpened to my some times. One example is that my brother says that he didn't notice that in the 1982 Popeye arcade game Popeye can throw bottles to Bluto until very later.

[Shawn Hopkins]

I seem to do that a lot. It means I end up playing a lot of video games the hard way. The one that leaps immediately to mind is that I did not know you could creep silently in Metal Gear Solid 3 until near the middle of the game (I think you press a different button to do it and it uses stamina). I wondered why stealth was so damn hard. Still finished it with no alerts and no kills, but it would have been a lot easier if I had read the manual.

[Tash]

I went through most of Viewtiful Joe without realizing that Zoom+Slow was actually useful. Needless to say, the bosses in that game were a nightmare without it.

[Master Moron]

I went through the NES Punch-Out! without ever realizing you could duck. I didn't find out you could duck until years later. Of course, ducking was actually pretty pointless since it was much easier just to dodge to the left or right.

[Megaman X]

In Tales of Smphonia I played most of the whole game without backstepping xP I felt like a complete idiot when I realized how many bosses I could of been spared from death if I simply used it.

[SSJ Jake]

That you can answer trivia questions in the Cinnabar Island gym from Pokémon Red & Blue instead of battling the trainers. Personally I still prefer battling as it helps raise my PKMN's levels.

[Silverstar]

On Super Mario Bros. 3, I didn't find out about the white mushroom houses (which contain anchors that you can use to stop the air ships from scrolling across the screen) or how you can get a different message from the kings if you beat the Koopalings while keeping your special Tanooki, Frog or Hammer suits until after I beat the game.

Of course, that gave me a reason to replay it. ;)

[Daxdiv]

That I could KO Bald Bull after he charges right for ya on the 5th hop. Never knew that, and it is actually a pretty good move that requires timing for Punch Out.

[mookie75]

I didn't really grasp all the ways you can dodge projectiles in Brawl until I started trying to beat Boss Battles on all the difficulty levels. That goal basically forced me to learn the art of the mid-air dodge. :p

[Mikintosh]

It took me two years to realize that you could throw items in Super Smash Bros. It was slightly embarrassing.

[Captain Highwind]

180 degree turns in Resident Evil 4 and 5.

[Undrave]

Cutting grass with Cut in Pokémon. Though that doesn't work for all versions...forgot which don't work though.

[Master Moron]

That I could KO Bald Bull after he charges right for ya on the 5th hop. Never knew that, and it is actually a pretty good move that requires timing for Punch Out.

Huh? How did you beat Bald Bull without getting past his bull charge?

[Tenku]

180 degree turns in Resident Evil 4 and 5.

Ah yes, the one thing they don't tell you in the manual. Or do they?

A little after the mine cart sequence (or before, it's been ages) I thought that you'd have to run up on the ganados that are around the bonfire.

Turns out it's just easier to snipe all of them.

[Desensitized]

Got 3/4 of the way through Final Fantasy VII without learning how to use materia properly.

... I was young! Don't judge me!

[Charlie]

I originally played through Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic back when it first came out I had no idea that there was a key to flourish your weapon (making your light saber spin and stuff). I didn't find it until a year later when I picked up the game again and hit the wrong key by accident. Oh man I'm surprised my X key didn't break from abusing that through the whole game.

[Captain Highwind]

Ah yes, the one thing they don't tell you in the manual. Or do they?

A little after the mine cart sequence (or before, it's been ages) I thought that you'd have to run up on the ganados that are around the bonfire.

Turns out it's just easier to snipe all of them.

You can also buy one of those mine launchers from the Merchant, get up on the sniping platform, then fire it right in the middle of the bonfire to take them all out.

It's one of my favorite parts of the game, because they all just stand around staring at it like idiots until it blows.

"Oh Christmas Tree..."

BAM!

[Daxdiv]

Huh? How did you beat Bald Bull without getting past his bull charge?

You punch his midsection while he hops towards you on his first charge after his 5th charge, punch him there and his health bar is drained.

[Jin Kazama]

Every now and then someone discovers a Super Mario 64 glitch that makes me break out my old copy and try new stuff, most notably the Backwards Jump to glitch Bowser's stairs, and most recently the fun little "avoid the one-up mushroom" game.

[Undrave]

I totally missed the Wayward cave in Pearl.

[NelStone]

I didn't know that you could jump on Birdo's eggs.

...Hey, I was young. :p

[Eddy]

I think I speak for everyone when I say having to press up and down on the d-pad to go under that spinny thing in Carnival Night Zone from Sonic 3.

[Desensitized]

I think I speak for everyone when I say having to press up and down on the d-pad to go under that spinny thing in Carnival Night Zone from Sonic 3.I died the first time at that part, but somehow got past it afterwards. I think it's because Tails kept jumping on it and it was going nowhere.

It took me forever to figure out how to do rapid punches in Super Punch Out. I only noticed them after setting them off by accident.

[Mandouga]

In the game Dig Dug, I initially didn't know that the multi-colored sections were more than just decorative; you get more points for destroying the monsters the farther down you are. Additionally, I initially didn't know that you could get more points from Fygar (the dragon-like monster) by blowing him up horizontally (you know, since that's where he can breathe fire on you).

In Gaplus, I never you knew you could upgrade to the second ship in the first "parsec" by allowing all the enemies to get in formation, shoot the second one from the left, and then crash into the queen Gaplus (but not the power-up). Sure you lose a life, but you can get the S-flag left behind by the enemy you shot so you can get that life back.

I think I also stumbled into the ability to get all the chaos emeralds in one go in Sonic 1, 2, and 3(&K) by getting the first emerald, then resetting the game, then going into each game's respective "secret menu", selecting the special stage, then "lather, rinse, repeat", until you have all the emeralds (and let me tell you, those special stages are more difficult than you might think...).

I also stumbled across an "easter egg" in Xevious (by accident no less). As soon as you start the game go all the way to the right, then hold down the "blaster" button (the one that fires the bombs), and eventually you should see a credit that says "NAMCO Original program by EVEZOO" ("EVEZOO" being a pseudonym for Masanobu Endoh, the original designer). You can also do that in Super Xevious as well.

I forgot where, but I ultimately "discovered" that in Galaga '88 (the updated version of Galaga that came out in 1987), during the "Galactic Dancin'" segments, don't shoot ANY enemies, and you'll get a secret bonus at the end. It was also the same case for Shinobi; getting bonus points for NOT using shuriken OR ninja magic (you can still use close range attacks, though).

There are probably others too, but these are all I can think of.

[Mikintosh]

Cutting grass with Cut in Pokémon. Though that doesn't work for all versions...forgot which don't work though.

How do you get through any of the games without using Cut?

[NelStone]

How do you get through any of the games without using Cut?

I think he means the wild Pokemon grass, not the trees.

[Tash]

On Super Mario Bros. 3, I didn't find out about the white mushroom houses (which contain anchors that you can use to stop the air ships from scrolling across the screen) or how you can get a different message from the kings if you beat the Koopalings while keeping your special Tanooki, Frog or Hammer suits until after I beat the game.

Of course, that gave me a reason to replay it. ;)
Ah, Mario 3. That game has so many secrets in it that it's not funny.

[Wolfie~Giri]

The ability to hold off a tetris block for later use by pressing the L or R button in Tetris DS. I seriously never knew.

Another thing I had no idea about was how to unleash a Hi Ougi attack in the Tales of games. Once I was informed by a friend, boss battles went on a lot more smoothly. Particularly in Vesperia.

[Captain Highwind]

I never used the Arcane Artes in Tales of the Abyss, and still don't know how. It's the one where the character's picture flashes over the screen when attacking.

[mookie75]

The ability to hold off a tetris block for later use by pressing the L or R button in Tetris DS. I seriously never knew.


...


You can do that? I need to try that. :p

[Desensitized]

...


You can do that? I need to try that. :pYeah, it's an extremely useful move. Especially for later on.

Also, on my first jump in Mario 2 I was really confused when the Shyguy didn't die and I kept riding on his head.

[Daxdiv]

Another gem that really an exploit, Mega Man using the select/pause trick to deal damage while saving my Energy, and also that tool in ElecMan stage. I had fun with that when I discovered it.

[Master Moron]

You punch his midsection while he hops towards you on his first charge after his 5th charge, punch him there and his health bar is drained.

I know that. I was asking how you beat him in the first place if you didn't know how to do that.

[Daxdiv]

I struggled, that how. I just tried my best to KO him.

[R-Taco]

Blocking in Kirby Super Star. I've gotta say, the RPG-style boss was a lot easier after that discovery...

[Speedy Boris]

In Super Mario 2: Until I watched Furious Famicom ******, I didn't realize you could blow the waterfall log sky high if you threw a POW Block while standing on it.

[mookie75]

Yeah, it's an extremely useful move. Especially for later on.

How embarrassing. I don't think I ever even noticed that Hold box in the upper left corner. :p I can see how it could be handy though.

[J!!!]

I went through SMB 3 without knowing about how to use the flute...........and I had got both of them :P