Viewing Single Trivia
▲
1
▼
On December 19, 2023, programmer Martin Piper revealed a pair of hidden cheat codes he included in the original release of Alien Resurrection. To execute these codes, you need to go into the game's Options menu and unlock the Cheat Menu with the code Circle/Left on the D-Pad/Right on the D-Pad/Circle/Up on the D-Pad/R2. The cheats Piper revealed include the following:
• A level selection menu can be unlocked in the Options menu right after unlocking the Cheat Menu by pressing R1/Down on the D-Pad/R1/Right on the D-Pad/L1/Up on the D-Pad/L2/Square. If entered correctly, you will hear a "bonk" sound indicating the code has been activated. Re-entering the Cheat Menu will reveal an additional option to re-visit any section in any level in the game.
• The more notable of the two codes Piper revealed is one that allows the Alien Resurrection disc to act as a boot disc to play PlayStation games on any burned CD-R disc without the use of modding. This novelty method works with any PlayStation model (as long as you have something to block the tray disc sensor on newer models so you can swap out the disc with the tray open), and must be done after unlocking the level selection menu (you can save after unlocking this menu so you do not have to unlock it again if you want to perform the disc swap trick). Once that is unlocked, go back to the Options menu and enter the code Left on the D-Pad/Up on the D-Pad/Right on the D-Pad/Down on the D-Pad/Right on the D-Pad/Up on the D-Pad/Left on the D-Pad/Square/Triangle/Square/Triangle/L1. The "bonk" sound will again be heard if the code is activated. Next, go back to the Cheat Menu and set the level selection to Level 6 and Section 1. Then while highlighting Section 1, hold down L1 (Note: it's imperative to keep holding down L1 for the remainder of this method) and press X. The screen will turn black and the Alien Resurrection disc will stop spinning, at which point you can swap out the disc with a burned CD-R disc of any PlayStation game you desire. While still holding L1, hold Square and Triangle, and then release all three buttons to boot the burned CD-R game.
When asked by YouTube channel Modern Vintage Gamer, Piper revealed that the latter cheat code had never been disclosed to Sony when the game was sent in for certification as Sony would have immediately sent the game back and forced the developers to remove it since it acted as a backdoor for playing pirated games, and he believed that no other developers who worked on the game were made aware of it either. In a YouTube comment, he explained that he only revealed the codes now because it had been so long since the game's release and he did not want to hold onto the secret for the rest of his life. According to him, the intent of the feature stemmed from Alien Resurrection potentially being planned as a multi-disc game, with the feature being implemented as a test to see if discs could be changed without resetting the PlayStation. Unlike standard multi-disc games that function with the PlayStation's built-in ability to swap out discs through an API call to maintain memory data without fully resetting the console, Alien Resurrection has code that loads an .exe file on any burned CD-R disc you swap it out with to start that new game up while bypassing the PlayStation's anti-piracy protection check.
• A level selection menu can be unlocked in the Options menu right after unlocking the Cheat Menu by pressing R1/Down on the D-Pad/R1/Right on the D-Pad/L1/Up on the D-Pad/L2/Square. If entered correctly, you will hear a "bonk" sound indicating the code has been activated. Re-entering the Cheat Menu will reveal an additional option to re-visit any section in any level in the game.
• The more notable of the two codes Piper revealed is one that allows the Alien Resurrection disc to act as a boot disc to play PlayStation games on any burned CD-R disc without the use of modding. This novelty method works with any PlayStation model (as long as you have something to block the tray disc sensor on newer models so you can swap out the disc with the tray open), and must be done after unlocking the level selection menu (you can save after unlocking this menu so you do not have to unlock it again if you want to perform the disc swap trick). Once that is unlocked, go back to the Options menu and enter the code Left on the D-Pad/Up on the D-Pad/Right on the D-Pad/Down on the D-Pad/Right on the D-Pad/Up on the D-Pad/Left on the D-Pad/Square/Triangle/Square/Triangle/L1. The "bonk" sound will again be heard if the code is activated. Next, go back to the Cheat Menu and set the level selection to Level 6 and Section 1. Then while highlighting Section 1, hold down L1 (Note: it's imperative to keep holding down L1 for the remainder of this method) and press X. The screen will turn black and the Alien Resurrection disc will stop spinning, at which point you can swap out the disc with a burned CD-R disc of any PlayStation game you desire. While still holding L1, hold Square and Triangle, and then release all three buttons to boot the burned CD-R game.
When asked by YouTube channel Modern Vintage Gamer, Piper revealed that the latter cheat code had never been disclosed to Sony when the game was sent in for certification as Sony would have immediately sent the game back and forced the developers to remove it since it acted as a backdoor for playing pirated games, and he believed that no other developers who worked on the game were made aware of it either. In a YouTube comment, he explained that he only revealed the codes now because it had been so long since the game's release and he did not want to hold onto the secret for the rest of his life. According to him, the intent of the feature stemmed from Alien Resurrection potentially being planned as a multi-disc game, with the feature being implemented as a test to see if discs could be changed without resetting the PlayStation. Unlike standard multi-disc games that function with the PlayStation's built-in ability to swap out discs through an API call to maintain memory data without fully resetting the console, Alien Resurrection has code that loads an .exe file on any burned CD-R disc you swap it out with to start that new game up while bypassing the PlayStation's anti-piracy protection check.
GamesRadar article:
https://www.gamesradar.com/after-23-years-developer-reveals-he-snuck-a-cheat-code-past-sony-that-turns-a-cult-classic-horror-game-into-a-godsend-for-retro-enthusiasts/
Video demonstrating the cheat codes (with link to Martin Piper comment):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRB7iUCX4KQ&lc=UgxY-VgMjlsrZyWx01J4AaABAg.9yVrngKLtP59yVsLHbNHfR
https://www.gamesradar.com/after-23-years-developer-reveals-he-snuck-a-cheat-code-past-sony-that-turns-a-cult-classic-horror-game-into-a-godsend-for-retro-enthusiasts/
Video demonstrating the cheat codes (with link to Martin Piper comment):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRB7iUCX4KQ&lc=UgxY-VgMjlsrZyWx01J4AaABAg.9yVrngKLtP59yVsLHbNHfR
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to post comments.
Related Games
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Alien: Isolation
Alien vs. Predator
Aliens: Fireteam Elite
Buck Bumble
Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza
X
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos
Die Hard 64
I-Ninja
Star Fox
Croc 2
Malice
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Star Fox 2
Futurama
Disney's The Emperor's New Groove
I-Ninja 2
Wipeout
Return Fire
Uncharted Waters: New Horizons
NASCAR 2000
Duke Nukem: Time to Kill
Play with the Teletubbies
The King of Fighters '97
SaGa Frontier
Quake II
Galaga: Destination Earth
One Piece: Ocean's Dream!
Dance Dance Revolution Konamix
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
Darkstalkers 3
Need for Speed II
Twisted Metal 4
Fantastic Four
Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi
Kagero: Deception II
Zoop
Digimon World 2
Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
Frogger
Grand Theft Auto
Rayman 2
Walt Disney World Quest: Magical Racing Tour
Superman
Discworld II: Mortality Bytes!
Namco Museum Vol. 3
Space Station Silicon Valley