History Main / MissingSecret

* ''VideoGame/MegaMan7'':
** There's an empty spot in the weapon inventory menu. Naturally, this one drove fans bananas because the opening cinematic shows a cameo of [[VideoGame/MegaMan1 Cut Man]], leading many to expect some means of battling him and acquiring Rolling Cutter for that slot.
** Interestingly, [[https://tcrf.net/Proto:Mega_Man_7/Weapons#Menu a prototype ROM]] shows Proto Man's shield in that slot, and replaces the slot below it with Beat; since Beat was changed into a BottomlessPitRescueService in the final version, it's presumed that Beat was originally intended to show up as a weapon, like in the NES games. Setting memory address 7E0B9D to FF will enable the Beat item, albeit with a glitched icon and no functionality beyond removing Mega Man's ability to charge: whatever else it was meant to do has been removed from the game.
* ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'' has an empty spot in the weapon inventory menu.

* ''VideoGame/ChameleonTwist'': The Perfect Code is unlocked by completing a NoDamageRun as White in the first game, though to this day, it's purpose is currently unknown.

* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVII'' has a four-character party. You lose one of the characters fairly soon. And then you stay that way for a very long time. You do eventually find another fourth party member, but not before you've unlocked many islands, killed many bosses, and probably assumed you missed something and [[GuideDangIt checked a guide]].

* The North American version of ''VideoGame/DarkCloud'' has a key to the Back Floor of every dungeon... except the Gallery of Time. The entrances (rugs on staircases) are perfectly intact, able to be examined, and like every other dungeon they give you clues as to what item to look for, but the actual item doesn't exist. Why? They forgot to include it when they dubbed the game into English. The Back Floor key is supposed to be a feather duster but it's not even in the game's coding, so any player unlucky enough [[GuideDangIt not to read the web FAQs]] will wonder why the hell it never shows up.

** On the Deplanetizer in ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2016'', there are a bunch of locked doors with red padlock icons on them. You'd think that since the game is so up-front about how these doors are locked, there's some way to open them, right? After all, other doors in the game that can't be opened don't have a giant lock icon on them, so there must be something special about these padlock-sign doors, right? Wrong. There is nothing special about any of those doors, despite the giant lock icon on them. Even worse is that there are hidden switches behind a few of the door frames in this level; they're the green switches that turn red when hit with a wrench or other kind of weapon fire (though any you find will already be red and look to be activated). Aiming a weapon at these switches shows a reticle over them, as though they were functional. On top of that, in the room with the small elevator (that you originally have to ride while wearing the Hologuise) there are three doors to leave the room; one is in the center and takes you to the elevator that leads to the rest of the level, one is on the left which is locked and looks like all the others in the level, and an open one is on the right, and behind it is... another locked door. All of these strangely placed objects seem to imply that something is hidden, which is all backed up by the existence of the "Et, tu Copernicus?" trophy, which specifically tells you to [[spoiler:find Captain Qwark's room in the base]]. Though there is some hidden dialogue to be found, such a room is never ''actually'' found inside of the game.

* The Platform/GameBoyAdvance version of ''VideoGame/LegoStarWars 2'' features a % completion meter that literally stops at 99%. There is no kind of victory screen or end credits rolling, but as far as anyone knows, there's nothing else. And in the first ''LEGO Star Wars'' game, there's a brick wall behind a sealed door in one level. There's no way of getting past it.

* ''VideoGame/SecretOfEvermore'': In the overworld there are two locations that can't be visited: a small island with a forest ring and a large island with a mountain ring. In an interview with the head developer, he vagely recalled that the small island was supposed to be part of something but it never came to pass. Most players assume those places were part of sidequests that were never implemented.

** In the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} version, you are told that the alohomora spell will allow you to 'unlock all kinds of things'. So long as they're prize chests and not the numerous temptingly locked doors scattered throughout the game.
** The UsefulNotes/PlayStation version has some doors in Hogwarts that can't be unlocked no matter what.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap'' gives you bonuses for finding homes in the village for two of three female travelers to your village. There is no way to get the third one a home, as this is a DevelopmentGag referencing [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames the planned trilogy of "Oracle" games]] for the UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor, of which only two were completed - in fact, the three travelers ''are'' those games' namesake Oracles. This is even worse in the European version, where Gorman (the guy who gets the women homes) says that he can build a third house south of the library if he could get rid of the stray cats on the lot. The cats disappear after a certain point in the game, but so does Gorman.

* The UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance version of ''VideoGame/LegoStarWars 2'' features a % completion meter that literally stops at 99%. There is no kind of victory screen or end credits rolling, but as far as anyone knows, there's nothing else. And in the first ''LEGO Star Wars'' game, there's a brick wall behind a sealed door in one level. There's no way of getting past it.

* ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' has one in the character select screen (in the UsefulNotes/Xbox360 version only). The game only has a few unlockable characters, all of which become selectable in the bottom row of the character select screen when unlocked. The [=PS3=] version got the console-specific [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]] in the bottom right corner; the Xbox 360 version gets nothing. The space on the character select screen is always unselectable, and shows a duplicate picture of [[spoiler:Cyber Sub-Zero]], who is selectable in the bottom left corner. In an odd twist, during multiplayer matches the player on the right can only select the bottom right corner, and the player on the left can only select the bottom left corner (especially odd since these corner spots then expand to show the downloadable characters, which as a result show up mirrored in each corner).

** The many, many, ''many'' console versions of ''DOOM'' sometimes do this with enemies. One level of the UsefulNotes/ThreeDOInteractiveMultiplayer port has a hidden Imp you can only kill by shooting into a blank wall.

** Stop 'n' Swop one-upped this -- you were supposed to be able to collect items in the first game to use in the second, but Rare failed to anticipate changes to undocumented N64 behavior, and the planned means of unlocking the items (power off, switch cartridges, and power back on within about half a minute) had to be abandoned. Presumably, the N64 Controller Pak could have provided the necessary memory, but they had released the first game with the intention of using the cartridge swap method, so it was too late to use that instead. The UsefulNotes/XboxLiveArcade rereleases fixed this. Of note is the fact that all the secret eggs and the ice key ''can'' be obtained in the N64 version of the original ''Banjo-Kazooie'', by going into the sand castle in Treasure Trove Cove and inputting a VERY long code for each of the eggs/key. The codes were most likely going to be given in ''Banjo-Tooie''.

*** There were also rumors about being able to get the GS Ball and catch Celebi in non-Japanese versions of ''Crystal'', fueled by the fact that the Celebi event was fully translated and is still functional. No such thing is possible; hacking is the only way of accessing the event in international versions. The UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole re-release of ''Crystal'', however, allows you to acquire the GS Ball after defeating the Elite Four, finally making the translated event accessible for non-Japanese audiences.

* In international versions of ''VideoGame/RibbitKing'', you unlock a bonus frog after beating Story Mode the first time around; the frog you unlock is different depending on the version you play (Scrappy for the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GCN]] version; Fly Guy for the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 PS2]] version). In both cases, this still leaves behind an extra slot that would otherwise be occupied by the other, suggesting that either both frogs were intended to be unlockable in both versions, or an oversight on the developer's part.

** If you examine the Bazooka / Grenade Launcher, you'll find it reads "It's loaded with [insert rounds here]" so you'll know if it has Grenade, Acid, or Flame Rounds. The Colt Python / Magnum can similarly be examined to read "It's loaded with Magnum rounds", implying you can find different ammo for it as well that simply does not exist in the mansion. It turns out "Dumdum Rounds" do exist in the game's code, are fully functional, and can even be hacked into your inventory, but were DummiedOut for just being redundant: they did additional damage to zombies but less damage to other creatures, but since the Magnum rounds in the final version ''already'' one-shot zombies this was an entirely worthless "benefit", so the dumdums were dropped from the game[[note]]the Magnum rounds were originally meant to do less damage in the beta and demo versions, usually taking 2 or 3 shots to kill a zombie, but they were given a large damage boost in the final release[[/note]]. Oddly they exist in all versions, even the UsefulNotes/GameCube remake.

*** If you play ''Ages'' first, there's one square on the present era's map that you'll never be able to explore. If you play it second, the inaccessible square will be on the past. Both squares are within the Sea of Storms, and the reason why you cannot access it in both periods is because the entrance to the location will change depending on the order you're playing the two games in (this is turn is because [[spoiler:the GhostShip will only sail these waters in one of the two periods; again, which of the two it'll be depends on the chosen game order]]). In both cases, this makes full exploration of the game's overworld impossible.

* In ''VideoGame/ChildOfLight'', the player never gets to explore the Isle of Nereids, due to the developers running out of time to utilize it.

* ''VideoGame/OriAndTheWillOfTheWisps'' has an idle elevator in the lower right corner of the Windswept Wastes, along with a lantern that looks like the switches activated with the Light Burst, but doesn't do anything either. This was planned to be the entrance to the DummiedOut [[MinecartMadness Gorlek Mines]] mini-dungeon.

*** For years it was believed that Map 15 also had an example of this, due to a peculiarity of the engine; the trigger is on a step, but the step is so small that before the player can trigger it, they are already standing on the step above, unable to properly touch the secret. This one was ultimately subverted, however, as in 2018 it was discovered that there ''is'' a way to obtain the missing trigger[[note]]Stand directly in front of the teleport pad and have an enemy push you into the trigger[[/note]]; Whilst it is confirmed that this is is unintentional, this does make the discoverer technically the first person ever to 100% complete ''Doom II''.

*** For years it was believed that Map 15 also had an example of this, due to a peculiarity of the engine; one of the triggers is on a teleport pad, but a teleporter activates when the player crosses the edge, which means you can never enter the sector and trigger the secret. This one was ultimately subverted, however, as in 2018 it was discovered that there ''is'' a way to obtain the missing trigger[[note]]Stand directly in front of the teleport pad and have an enemy push you into the trigger[[/note]]; creator John Romero would confirm on Twitter that this is indeed the intended method of obtaining the trigger, making the discoverer technically the first person ever to 100% complete ''Doom II''.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Flashback}}'', Restricted Area 1 is never accessible.

* ''VideoGame/OriAndTheWillOfTheWisps'' has an idle elevator in the lower right corner of the Windswept Wastes, along with a lantern that looks like the switches activated with the Light Burst, but doesn't do anything either. This was planned to be the entrance to the DummiedOut Gorlek Mines area. The Windtorn Ruins also has an unreachable area visible on its map.

* ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacing'': [[FinalBoss Nitros Oxide]] was originally meant to be playable, but was scrapped due to time constraints. He can be used via Game Shark and even has dialogue unique to being driven by the player that otherwise goes unused, but his large kart makes it very difficult to see the track and he will [[GameBreakingBug crash the game]] if used in multiplayer due to his large model causing a memory overflow. The intended means to unlock him in the game, the Purple Gem Cup, is still there, but beating it instead unlocks JokeCharacter Fake Crash, much to the chagrin of players and the [[TrollingCreator cackling of Naughty Dog]]. He was restored in ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacingNitroFueled'' with a smaller kart and full multiplayer functionality.

* In the VGA remake of ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestI'', when you take off in the spaceship you just purchased, something appears just as you leave. You might replay and replay to figure out what you're supposed to do with it. But you only find out in ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestIV'' that [[ContinuityNod the appearing thing is your timepod returning you to Space Quest I.]]

*** Near of the beginning, Link's wounded uncle tells him "Zelda...is...your..." before passing out. Apparently, many players assumed the missing word is [[LongLostSibling "sister"]]--since this is never brought up again over the course of the game, people have searched for some hidden sidequest that reveals their relationship. The GBA UpdatedRelease changed the line to prevent further speculation.

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames'', there are more item slots than items. This is probably to prevent a glitch that occurred in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening Link's Awakening]]'' (which provides the engine for those games) that's caused by filling each slot before getting the last item, even though the situation that caused it does not exist in these games.

** Its sequel ''VideoGame/Mother3'' features a [[MonsterCompendium Battle Memory]] that fills up as you see the front and back sprites of enemies throughout the game. Enemies can't be turned around during scripted battles (unless they have an attack that changes their sprite), so the back sprites for some bosses and {{Unique Enem|y}}ies can't be seen through fighting and aren't counted towards full completion of the Battle Memory as a result, though the sprites are still present in the game's files.

*** Near of the beginning, Link's wounded uncle tells him "Zelda...is...your..." before passing out. Apparently, many players assumed the missing word is [[LongLostSibling "sister"]]--since this is never brought up again over the course of the game, people have searched for some hidden sidequest that reveals their relationship.