Tip Off
We’ve got some tricks up our sleeve to help you take your game play to the next level
Genji: Days of the Blade
Playstation 3
During the initial level with warrior priestess Shizuka, plenty of players have been getting stumped by a Masho Ward blocking your entrance into the great hall.
To get in you need to destroy three glowing flowers, the first is easy, the second is hidden behind the burning door near the left pit and the final one is upstairs on the balcony. Trouble is, the door to get inside is locked and you don’t have the key.
One of the dead guards does, though. Head back the way you came, away from the hall, and search the body lying near some rocks. Due to an apparent glitch, sometimes the guard disappears before you can get the key. Either revert to a previous save, or walk around the area until you see a prompt which will let you pick up the key.
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Nintendo DS
Though the latest Castlevania side-scroller lets you simultaneously play two characters — vampire hunter Jonathan Morris and witch Charlotte Aulin — there’s still only so much variation. That’s why the developers inserted some un-lockable characters to increase your ability to replay.
To play as Old Axe Armor, you must slay 1,000 or more of the suit-of-armor monsters and then save. When you start a new game, Old Axe is playable.
After completing the game you can start anew again as the twin vampire sisters Loretta and Stella. If you had previously used a "sanctuary spell" on the sisters and fought the optional boss Richter Belmont to get an upgraded vampire whip (which is highly recommended) then you can also play as Richter and Maria Renard.
Tony Hawk’s Project 8
Multiplatform
One of the innovations of this latest Tony Hawk title is the skate shop where you can spend the in-game currency, "stokens," on new decks, flashy clothes and cooler moves. But you can’t access it right away.
First you have to get at least 100 stokens (some gamers have reported needing 200 or more) in a single session by impressing the downtown locals with some sweet combos.
Then head back to the skate shop where Jason Lee (the ex-skater and current star of My Name is Earl) will say you’re sponsored and can now access the shop via the start menu.
If you want to play as Lee during free skate, either complete the final Tony Hawk goal or simply type in the cheat code: "notmono".
WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007
Multiplatform
Playing around with the newbie wrestlers is fine and all, but sometimes you just wanna bring out the big guns.
Legends became that way for a reason and the league formerly known as the World Wrestling Federation has many of their favorite old-schoolers locked inside the game.
It will take some quick fingers, but if you win the Royal Rumble trophy you unlock "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. The Survivor Series trophy will net you both members of the Hart Foundation — Bret "The Hitman" Hart and his brother-in-law Jim "The Anvil" Niedhart. The Unforgiven trophy scores the aptly-named Bam Bam Bigelow (seriously, that dude is enormous!) and the Wrestlemania trophy gets you two of the most popular WWE wrestlers of all time: The Rock and Hulk Hogan.
