If These Bugs Are Wrong, I Don't Want to Be Right
10 classic glitches that improved games
2/16/2009 6:38 PM | 28 Comments | Page 5 of 5
Mega Man 2 (NES): The Pause Trick II
The bug: When an enemy is shooting at you, rapidly press Start to pause and unpause the game. Every time you unpause, Mega Man will warp back into the action with a little "gleek!" sound. During that split-second of warp time, Mega Man will be invincible, and the hostile fire will pass right through you.
It's a feature because: Once again, the pause function tosses despairing Mega Man players a lifeline. I can't imagine the dev-team managers at Capcom were too pleased when they heard about this one. "Wait, let me get this straight; you closed the pause loophole from the first game -- and opened up another one?" Pause Trick II isn't quite as useful as its predecessor, but it can help you past one of the most obnoxious bosses in Mega Man history, the purple Wall Orb room.
Final Fantasy VI [originally released in U.S. as Final Fantasy III] (SNES): Psycho Cyan
The bug: Have the character Cyan use Retort, a counterattack technique. Turn Cyan into an imp. Kill him in a single blow. Bring Cyan back to life. Now Cyan is angry. He'll thrash on your enemies until they're all dead. That's right, Cyan, let it out. Let it all out.
It's a feature because: Psycho Cyan is a quintessential example of glitches gone right. It's funny, it's a blast to watch, it helps you out, and best of all, it fits the story. Cyan had a nervous breakdown after a poisoned water supply killed his family. So, yeah, if anybody is going to go truly berserk, it's this dude.