Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, and today we’re tackling the strangest, most unbelievable secrets in some of our favorite games. This is the sort of thing kids used to talk about during recess — weird hidden features that seemed too strange to be real. Well, some of those random rumors turned out to be 100% true, and those are the ones we’re focusing on today.
This list of rumors is all about the games — we’re not talking about rumored release dates or game concepts here. Sure, that Rabbids x Mario crossover sounded unbelievable, but it doesn’t really belong on our list. For example; did you know you can save the little animal friends in Super Metroid? When I was a kid, I had no idea. Someone on the schoolyard said it was true, but I scoffed. That’s the sort of secret we’re aiming for here.
There’s more to explore! Revisit these lists on Gameranx:
- 10 Weirdest & Worst Mini-Games You Were Forced To Play
- 10 Best Bugs That Made Games More Fun | Most Useful Glitches List
- 10 Game-Breaking Weapons, Spells & Abilities That Made Games Easy Early
- 10 Ridiculously Funny Trophies & Achievements We Just Had To Unlock
- 10 Weirdest Video Game Sequels, Spin-Offs & Reboots Of Popular Series
The Mysterious White Toad House [Super Mario Bros. 3]
Raise your hands if you’ve heard this one — after completing a random stage in Super Mario Bros. 3 for NES, a mysterious white toad house appeared on the map. Inside, Mario could find an all-powerful P-Wing, the most useful item in the game. This is exactly the kind of rumor that spread throughout elementary schools of the late ’80s, and the weirdest thing is, it turned out to be totally true.
By collecting an exact amount of coins in specific Mario 3 levels, it’s possible to make a strange White Toad house appear. Depending on the level number, you’ll get different items — either the P-Wing or a useless anchor. The number of coins you need is seemingly random, and the levels you need to beat are also completely random. How anyone figured this out, I have no idea; but it’s very plausible that a school kid might stumble into it entirely by accident. Learn more about the White Toad House on the Mario wiki.
Turning Butterflies Into Fairies [Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]
Another wild secret comes from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Butterflies normally don’t do anything in this classic N64 game. They just flutter around, and give you a clue that there’s a secret hole nearby. Otherwise, there’s no reason to interact with them.
Unless you have a Deku Stick. If you complete a very, very specific set of actions — holding a Deku Stick near a butterfly, touch the end, then walking away slowly to lead the butterfly — the butterfly will transform into a fairy. Then you can grab it with a bottle and heal yourself! It’s an extremely random secret. Who ever figured this one out?!
Why does it work this way? I have no idea. Maybe it’s related to Mario 64 — in that game, you Mario punches a cluster of fairies, different items appear! Sometimes it’s a 1-Up, and sometimes its a bomb. There’s another weird secret for you.
Discover more wild gaming rumors (that are totally true) on the next page.
