The internet lies: cheat code edition

Sometimes I browse the wanted pages list for things that stick out. Turns out there's no cheats listed for Mega Bomberman. Which is a bit... odd. Granted it's not the cleanest of ports of Bomberman '94 - maybe it just doesn't have any, but it wasn't long until I realised mistakes had been made.

A quick search for "Mega Bomberman cheats" lead me to this list:
https://www.ssega.com/cheat/mega-bomberman/1054
GameFAQs, IGN and whatever all have the same list of stage passwords (as do we), but this one has

What does that even mean? 9005 is a recognised code - it puts you near the end of the game with all the levels completed.

So I played a bit and died and

1405 isn't on our list either.

So while this doesn't answer the question per se, it does mean there's more codes than the internet thinks.

 

I've got a raging clue

The Hardy Boys: Treasure on the Tracks was missing a list of credits, so I sourced a ROM and together with my trusty hex editor, got it all mirrored on the wiki. Don't worry, I don't care much either.

It wasn't super straightfoward finding the strings though. Not for any normal reason, but because there is masses of source code just... freely readable

Code (Text):

1.  function GetConcreteDialog()
2.  
3.     local text = makeTextStorage("dialog_A1")
4.  
5.     local   ALEX  = RED
6.     local   FRANK = GRAY
7.     local   JOE   = BLACK
8.  
9.  
10.    
11.     local ret =
12.     { -- Dialog
13.         Character =
14.             {
15.                 [JOE]   = makeTextStorage("subjects").Joe,
16.                 [FRANK] = makeTextStorage("subjects").Frank,
17.                 [ALEX]  = makeTextStorage("subjects").Alex
18.             },
19.             PersonFile = "gfx/chars/alex/dialog",
20.             backFile = "gfx/dialog/paris_musee_2_dialog",
21.            
22.             { -- Sequence
23.             -- Introduced
24.             {GENERAL,
25.                 {
26.                     {ALEX, text.da1_g1_a1},
27.                     {JOE, text.da1_g1_j1},
28.                     {FRANK, text.da1_g1_f1},
29.                     {ALEX, text.da1_g1_a2},
30.                    
31.                     {SELECT,
32.                         {
33.                         --  ask who he is
34.                         text.da1_l2_n1,
35.                             {
36.                                 {FRANK, text.da1_l2_f1, "question"},
37.                                 {ALEX, text.da1_l2_a1},
38.                                 {JOE, text.da1_l2_j1},
39.                                 {ALEX, text.da1_l2_a2}
40.                             },
41.                             visible = {NOT, "alexey_said_expert"},
42.                             set_true    = {"alexey_said_expert"}
43.                         },
44.                         {
45.                         --  ask about painting
46.                         text.da1_l3_n1,
47.                             {
48.                                 {FRANK, text.da1_l3_f1},
49.                                 {ALEX, text.da1_l3_a1}
50.                             },
51.                             visble = {NOT, "alexey_said_nyet"},
52.                             set_true    = {"alexey_said_nyet"}
53.                         },
54.                         {
55.                         -- ask about legend
56.                         text.da1_l4_n1,
57.                             {
58.                                 {JOE, text.da1_l4_j1, "question"},
59.                                 {ALEX, text.da1_l4_a1},
60.                             },
61.                             visible = {NOT, "alexey_said_legend"},
62.                             set_true = {"alexey_said_legend"}
63.                         },
64.                         {
65.                         -- ckeck out painting
66.                         text.da1_l5_n1,
67.                             {
68.                                 {FRANK, text.da1_l5_f1},
69.                                 {ALEX, text.da1_l5_a1},
70.                                 {JOE, text.da1_l5_j1},
71.                                 {FRANK, text.da1_l5_f2},
72.                                 {EXIT}
73.                             },
74.                             visible = {"alexey_said_legend", "alexey_said_expert"}
75.                         }
76.                     }  
77.                 },
78.                 visible = {NOT, "met_alexey"},
79.                 set_true = {"met_alexey"}            
80.             },
81.             {GENERAL,
82.                 {
83.                 {FRANK, text.da1_hibye_f1},
84.                 {ALEX, text.da1_hibye_a1},
85.                 {JOE, text.da1_hibye_j1},
86.                 {EXIT}
87.                 },
88.                 visible = {"met_alexey"}            
89.             }
90.         }
91.     }
92.     return ret
93. end

Scripts, maybe for the whole game, exist here, uncompressed. I was going to add it as hidden content, but there's so much here, I'm starting to think it's genuinely just "content", i.e. it's out in the open by design, rather than stuff that should have been compiled and/or removed.



Some fun things in here:

Code (Text):

1.  ---
2.     --- Nintendo DS Programming Guidelines Section 2.5.14
3.     --- Verification of the DS Card Backup Memory [Required].
4.     ---
5.     if not States.explore.debug and BackupExists() == 0 then
6.         SetDispSelect(DS_SUB_MAIN)
7.  
8.         StopGame("main_menu", "BOOT_BACKUP_FAILED")
9.         return
10.     end
11.  
12.     ---
13.     --- Nintendo DS Programming Guidelines Section 2.5.8
14.     --- Display a Message when Backup Data is Corrupted [Recommended]
15.     ---
16.     if BackupCorrupt() == 1 or not Profile.CheckSlots() then
17.    
18.         GetSlot(0).Erase()
19.         GetSlot(1).Erase()
20.         GetSlot(2).Erase()
21.         SetDispSelect(DS_SUB_MAIN)
22.         PixieMessage("main_menu", "BOOT_BACKUP_CORRUPT",
23.             InitSoundAndSplash
24.         )
25.     else
26.         InitSoundAndSplash()
27.     end
28. end

see see see - I didn't waste three days making Dreamcast compliance pages for no reason - here's a Nintendo DS game specifically addressing some of Nintendo's recommendations - proof people read this stuff. They even commented it and everything.


so if anyone wants to know how some Nintendo DS shovelware from 2009 was made... here's an answer.

 

The Dreamcast Taisen Cable wasn't released in the US, but two games which supported it in Japan retain the feature in their US counterparts - you just need to input codes first:



The only other compatible game released in the US was AeroWings 2: Airstrike - does that have a secret code? Just to complete the set

 

You are wonderful. One day I might even catch up with the Sega Retro mirroring