this post was submitted on 05 Mar 2026
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[–] 9488fcea02a9@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I read something years ago that those games were designed to have illogical puzzles so that you'd pay to call the help line (yes, there was a phone number you'd call for help) or sell paper game guides

[–] TheObviousSolution@lemmy.ca 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The Secret of Monkey Island 2 famously mocked this where you could simulate literally call the helpline in-game as the PC while lost in a jungle.

[–] 9488fcea02a9@sh.itjust.works 2 points 21 hours ago

I need to play this again!

[–] YesButActuallyMaybe@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Nintendo had a Hotline.. I called them once because I got stuck in donkey kong country. (The guy was like ‘at the first ledge just drop straight, there’s a hidden cannon that lets you skip the level’)

[–] clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That's frustrating. How were you meant to find that?

[–] sem@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 points 20 hours ago (1 children)
[–] clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works 1 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Sure, but it sounds like every player would need to fall in the same hole or they couldn't progress.

I'm sure they managed, but that's not a great design.

[–] Dultas@lemmy.world 4 points 18 hours ago

I think that was a shortcut. Not the only way to beat the level.