Nintendo Wii Fanboy

The internet has made it easy to find cheats for games, but we miss the tips pages from game magazines, when the discovery of a new code could inspire you to go back to an old game. These codes aren't exactly new, but oldness is the essence of the Virtual Console! We're bringing back the classic codes every week on The VC Advantage.

Battle Lode Runner (TG16)
Level Skip: The best way to deal with a level that's too hard is, of course, to move on to a harder level! For that matter, why bother playing the game at all? Just skip ahead to the good part: the part where you exit the level and feel triumphant. If there's anything that puzzle games are about, it's instant gratification with no work whatsoever. Pause, then hit Select 24 times, then exit the level. Finding a code on the Internet is just as much of a puzzle as the actual game, right? Right?

Like many codes, timing is important for this level skip. You must make sure that someone enters the room immediately after you enter this code, so they can see you successfully complete the level.

Gunstar Heroes (GEN)
Hidden Move: Perform a half-circle motion on the controller (back to down to forward) and then hit B to do a slide move. This may alter your normal Gunstar Heroes strategy somewhat, as the precision required to input this move disrupts the normal "hit all the buttons on the controller as fast as you can before hyperventilating" method of playing such frenetic action games.

Dynamite Headdy (GEN)
Hard Mode: Unlockable hard modes are the anti-cheat. You enter codes to discover them, but, naturally, they don't make the games any easier. Of course, poor Headdy's life is already one tortuous hardship after another. How would you feel if you were constantly under attack, your only defense to rip off your own head and lob it at your attackers? You wouldn't feel anything, actually, but Headdy does, and that's his sad lot in life. So, in a way, this Hard Mode is merciful to Headdy, as it grants him a restful death after only one hit. As the player, you may feel different emotions toward Headdy's repeated demise, but how could you understand? Your head's securely attached and non-modular. To access the Hard Mode, press Start at the title screen, then press C, A, left, right, B. Press and hold start through the opening scene.

[Codes via GameFAQs]