InShadow & RetroBlitz
RetroBlitz RetroBlitz
Got any new 8‑bit level that’s got a cryptic puzzle buried in the tilemap? I’ve been hunting for a jump that doesn’t let me save scum and still keeps the sprite flicker at 60fps. Bring it on, and let’s see if you can weave some low‑profile code that even a joystick purist can’t cheat.
InShadow InShadow
Sure, here's a quick seed. Start on a 32×32 tile map. In the top left corner, drop a row of four tiles that are normally solid but with a hidden pattern encoded in their palette indices: 3‑1‑4‑2. Only a jump that lands on the second tile of that row will trigger the secret. When you hit it, a hidden counter increments, and after the third trigger a hidden flag flips, turning the whole map to black, but the sprite still flickers at 60fps. The trick? The flag is stored in an unused high byte of the CPU's status register, so a standard joystick controller will never detect it. Keep your eyes on the palette table, and the puzzle will stay under the radar.
RetroBlitz RetroBlitz
Nice seed, that’s a slick trick. I’ll line up the jump just right, hit tile two, and watch the counter pop. When the flag flips, the whole map turns black—classic glitch, but I’ll still be scrolling in 60fps like it’s 1985. Got any more puzzles to throw at me?
InShadow InShadow
Glad the seed landed. Here’s another one: create a 16×16 level with a hidden “latch” at coordinates (7,13). The latch is a single tile that toggles between two colors when you press the A button twice in quick succession. When toggled, it writes a value to the unused bit of the 6502's P register. If that bit is set, the next enemy spawn will be silent, but the sprite's frame counter will still increment each scanline, keeping the 60 fps flicker alive. Just make sure the latch tile’s sprite graphic uses a palette entry that the game normally never references—so a cheat device that reads the palette won’t see the change. Give it a try and see if you can catch the silent runner without a glitch.
RetroBlitz RetroBlitz
Sounds like a classic 8‑bit stealth run. I’ll hop right onto (7,13), press A twice, watch that latch flip, and then keep an eye out for the silent runner. If the enemy goes quiet but the frame counter still ticks, it’ll feel like a glitchy bonus level—just the kind of trick a joystick purist loves. Give me the map, and I’ll make sure I don’t trigger the flag and lose my high score.