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{{trope}}
<!-- %%comment%% See page discussion about the spoiler tag around Gaspar. -->
[[File:Chrono_Trigger_missing_secret_7440.png|link=Chrono Trigger
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See also [[Interface Spoiler]] for another videogame meta-trope based on expectations.
{{examples}}
* Every class (Both humanoids and monsters) in the first ''[[
* ''[[Doom]]'': In some versions, the [[Hundred-Percent Completion|Percent kills/secrets/items]] count at the end of the level will always display 0% if the level doesn't ''have'' anything of that category. This gives the impression that the secrets are ''there'', but you just didn't find any of them.
** Some old level-design books actually suggest [[Trolling|making a "secret area" trigger that can't be reached, so that players will continue to search for it]].
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** There are also several instances where 100% items isn't possible due to said items not being flagged as multiplayer only in deathmatch areas. Map 6 of 'Requiem' for example has two berserker packs unobtainable in single player mode because of this
** One of the many, many, ''many'' console versions of DOOM sometimes did this with enemies. In one level of (I believe, I could be wrong) the 3DO port had a hidden Imp in one level you could only kill by shooting into a blank wall.
* ''[[
** Goldeneye also has the infamous far-off outpost inside the water behind the dam in the first stage. It sits there fully rendered not doing anything, no enemies on it, and no programmed items. It was revealed by the Goldeneye team that it was supposed to be used, but they ran out of time to find a use for it. Rumor has it this is where you were originally supposed to retrieve the bungee jumping equipment.
* ''[[
** Even worse in ''The Lost Age'' is that as you sail the boat along the coast of the continents, you can see towns from the first game, but you can't reach them. They look like you should be able to visit them, but even if you use a certain glitch to get across the mountains, you can't actually enter the towns.
** The first game also has a door just poking out of a lake. The player would assume that the lake would be drained and the door could be reached, but it never is.
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** ''Banjo-Tooie'' also includes a text string for the title of a supposed 'Ridiculously Secret Area.' No such area has ever been found, and some hackers suspect that Rare included this as a red herring, knowing that gamers would dissect the game.
* In ''[[Hitman]] 2'', there was going to be a weapon which would have served as an alternate fiber wire on replays of the game- a rosary (crucifix!). It was taken out at the last minute, but the space for it in the weapon collection area was noticable in the final version of the game.
* Literal example in the second ''[[Harry Potter (
** Likewise, in the [[X Box]] Chamber of Secrets game, 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 [[Play Station]] version of the second game has some doors in Hogwarts that can't be unlocked no matter what.
* An episode in ''[[Strong
* Near the beginning of ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]: [[The Legend of Zelda:
** In the same game, there are a number of cracked walls. Some can be blown open by bombs while some can be knocked down by being rammed into with the Pegasus Boots, but others aren't affected at all by either of those. Some players have wasted many hours searching for a bomb upgrade to blow these walls open. The closest thing to a bomb upgrade is the red bomb, which opens up a specific location, and is never a standard inventory item. These cracks are merely for decoration.
* ''[[The Legend of Zelda:
* ''[[
** There's also a hidden room inside the windmill in Kakariko Village, which you can only access with the Longshot. Since it's not obvious at all that you ever notice the room (you have to stand at a particular roof and look at the windmill to spot the entrance), you'd imagine there's some special prize waiting for you inside... But there isn't. Except a lone Cucco.
* The ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' series has a couple of examples.
** ''[[Sonic 3 and Knuckles
** The Scrap Brain Zone, Act 3 in the 8-bit version of the [[Sonic the Hedgehog (
** ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' had music from a [[Dummied Out]] level (specifically, Hidden Palace Zone) left in the [[Sound Test]].
** More than that, an article about the upcoming ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' printed in EGM had a brief description of all levels, including the supposedly secret Hidden Palace Zone, which they promised to give hints about in the next issue. (They didn't.) None of the other beta levels are detailed here, which is not surprising, as Hidden Palace was cut very close to the game's final release, which would explain why its music is in the sound test, as mentioned above.
* ''[[Light Crusader]]'': Gloves, swords, and body armors are all in separate lines in your inventory. However, after finding every possible sword and armor, you find that the "glove" line has a gap right in the middle. That set of gauntlets was never placed in the game.
* ''[[Mega Man (
** ''9'' also has an empty spot in the weapon inventory menu.
* ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' had one leftover space on the codec menu, but there's no one to fill it.
** In ''[[Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater]]'', that empty space was reserved for "Healing Radio" frequencies, which could be found by listening in on guards, [[Try Everything|meticulous searching]] or blind luck.
* ''[[
** Most weapons you missed early on can be acquired in a later chapter. A few, however, simply ''are'' [[Lost Forever]].
** There are three multiplier items you can find in the game. One doubles the damage you do, one halves the damage you take, and a third halves your ammo consumption. The incoming damage multiplier has a stronger and incredibly well-hidden variant that reduces incoming damage to one fourth. There is no such upgrade for either of the others.
*** There is actually a second ammo multiplier, and it reduces ammo consumption to one fourth. It's hidden about as half as well as the second incoming damage multiplier, and only accessible if you return to one particular level as soon as you complete it. {{spoiler|It's in the missile shaft in the Biot factory, under the drop-through floor.}}
** Even in the [[Golden Ending]], one of the two major villains still manages to escape.
* Despite the star symbol to denote 100% completion, ''[[Super Mario World (
** According to [http://themushroomkingdom.net/smw_j-e.shtml The Mushroom Kingom], the star is only in the North American release, so for Japanese players before the likes of GameFAQs, the confusion is understandable.
** The deleted level pictured on the back of the ''[[
* Near the end of ''[[
** [[Epileptic Trees|Some people believe]] that this is a reference to Black Omen, where Queen Zeal (mother of {{spoiler|party member Magus}}) can be found. If you complete this side-quest and escape after {{spoiler|Lavos's first form}} instead of completing the game immediately, the Guru of Time will not tell you of that sidequest again (nor of any other sidequest, however). On the other hand, she doesn't need any help (other than a sword to the face).
*** The line in question was actually a sloppy translation, probably missing the word "Each" at the beginning. Since every side quest at this point involves one of the characters taking care of personal business, this is the most likely answer. In the DS [[Enhanced Remake]], he says something different that clarifies that, no, he wasn't talking about another quest.
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* ''[[The Journeyman Project]]'' has one more Bio-Chip slot than obtainable Bio-Chips.
** [[Lampshaded]] at certain points: "This floor/the room behind this door was neither modeled nor rendered".
* ''[[
** Lampshaded by Conker saying "The windmill's been destroyed! I thought for sure that was the final level!"
* In ''[[Secret of Mana]]'', you can find seven hidden orbs (to reach level 8) for each of the weapons lying around... except the axe and glove, which mysteriously only have six. Turns out that monsters in the [[Very Definitely Final Dungeon]] drop weapon orbs [[Randomly Drops|randomly]], and this is the only way to get the axe and glove up to level 8. Then it does it ''again'': Using those final dungeon random drops, it's possible to bring any weapon to level '''9''' (despite most of the game revolving around the number eight)... except the sword, because no monster randomly drops a Sword Orb. The ninth level sword is actually the fully-powered Mana Sword, which can only legitimately be attained by casting ''two different'' temporary buffs on an eighth level sword. (And it's the only weapon that can defeat the final boss, naturally.)
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* ''[[Space Station Silicon Valley]]'' has a secret trophy in each level, however you're [[Game Breaking Bug|unable to pick up]] the one in "Fat Bear Mountain", making it impossible to 100% the game and unlock the extra spaceship mini-game.
* ''[[Tomb Raider]] 1'' and ''2'' (and maybe later games too) each have one medikit in a location that's inaccessible (outside of [[Good Bad Bugs|bugs]] anyway), in the first game's case someone contacted Core and found that it was originally going to be accessible in a part of a level that was removed. The original game also has a literal example, as the very last secret in the game (stated as such from strategy guides) does not register on the counter due to a missing trigger-confirmed by people checking in an editor-which of course led to hunts for if there was something else (which was stopped after people got the tools to check the triggers in levels).
* In ''[[
* ''[[
** Also the shuriken.
** Even worse, the "Lightning Staff" sidequest, which leads nowhere and ends with Kung Lao proclaiming they are going to "strike down Shao Kahn", but there's nothing to do to follow up on that.
* In ''[[Gran Turismo]] 2'', it is impossible to get [[Hundred-Percent Completion]], due to the planned drag racing mode that was [[Dummied Out]] of the final game.
* In ''[[Final Fantasy IX]]'', examining a fountain in Lindblum yields the message "There's no place to insert the medal". This appears to be a [[Shout-Out]] to [[Resident Evil 2 (Video Game)]], which featured a fountain that the player had to insert a medal into, but that didn't stop eager item collectors searching for both the "medal" and a place to insert it...
* ''Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales'' includes a card game with five promotional cards. These cards were distributed wirelessly, but could also be unlocked by entering button codes. However, while all the codes were released in Japan and Europe, only one was released in America. Two and a half years after its release, nobody has found the codes for the other cards.
* ''[[
* ''[[
** There's possibly one hint in the end scene, though it's hard to determine since NPC sprites are [[You All Look Familiar|shared with her's]]: {{spoiler|right when the party is on Dragnier/Dologany, there's a same-sprite Patty very excitedly jumping around the party and (apparently, since there's no dialogue) speaking with Ryu.}} The GBA remake seems to reinforce the possibility it is actually her with an added ending bonus, {{spoiler|1=an artbook of Patty overlooking the entrance to Infinity/Dragnier, which since it has neither TownShip nor Ryu blocking it, is located some time after the door is unsealed/she disappears in-game but before the ending.}}
* A probable urban-legend college prank involves releasing three piglets (or chickens, or whatever) with the numbers "1", "2", and "4" painted on their sides. The pranked quickly find all the animals, but continue searching for the non-existent one marked "3".
* In ''[[Flash Back]]'', Restricted Area 1 is never accessible.
* ''[[
* In ''[[
* In the ''[[Marathon
* Due to a glitch in one of the dance minigames of the original ''[[
** Similarly, the 8th hidden figurine in [[Rabbids Go Home]]. Codes for the other 7 have been released, but nobody has been able to figure out what unlocks #8.
* In the North American and PAL Releases of ''[[
* In ''[[Ridge Racer|Rage Racer]]'', there are several blocked-off roads and tunnels that are not used by any of the courses. Rumor has it that there was a planned fifth track that was [[Dummied Out]].
* There are some doors that are just not meant to be opened at all in ''[[
** Also, you can get a maximum of 60 level-up points {{spoiler|unless you use the [[Lethal Joke Weapon|Null Driver]]}}, just three short of the number required to max out all your stats.
*** Not to mention the poster that is too awesome to unlock.
** Lampshaded in one instance where using {{spoiler|The Nuke}} to get accross a certain gap triggers a response from Iji that there is nothing there.
* ''[[Dragon Quest VII
* The North American version of ''[[
** The Flapping Duster is still in the game and fully coded, it just never gets dropped. It can still be found via [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSDL4_3gcdw a glitch that gives access to a lot of legitimate, glitch and dummied-out items] but also [[Game Breaking Bug|reads important sections of the game's code as items and can make the game unplayable if tampered with incorrectly]].
* Don't try to find more than six "secret" locations in ''[[Assassin's Creed]] 2'' if you didn't buy the game from GameStop and don't use Uplay. Of course, there's nothing in the game that would tell you about that.
* In ''[[
** Also, one of the rooms contains a statue that you're not allowed to touch. The security guard who won't let you in front of it works 23 hours a day. If you go there between 5 AM and 6 AM, you can touch the statue. There is, however, no point to doing this.
** And the truck in Vermilion Port in ''[[Pokémon Red and Blue]]''. In a game with sparse decoration, and where almost nothing else--not even legendary species of Pokémon--has a unique overworld sprite, there is exactly one truck that, unless you get creative, you can't get to, or even see! Many people thought that it was special when, no, it does in fact do nothing.
*** Probably the most well-known [[Urban Legend of Zelda]] of all time, many players were convinced that you could catch the super-rare 151st Pokémon, Mew, if you could '''a)''' get to the truck and '''b)''' move it somehow.
*** Also in ''Red'' and ''Blue'', two large patches of grass parallel to Route 1 are never accessible. This had many people guessing as to what could possibly appear in that grass...
** In ''[[
** ''FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen'', to implement a feature from ''[[Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
** In ''[[Pokémon Black and White]]'', a post-game area known as Challenger's Cave is said to have a legend associated with it of a master and student Pokemon. This seems to indicate a connection with the Musketeer Trio and Keldeo, but none of the events involving them have anything to do with Challenger's Cave, and the area has been said to be removed from the sequels thus it's unlikely there will be any follow-up on this.
* Inverted in ''[[Tomb Raider]] III'', where the Coastal village level has an ''extra'' secret. Each branch of the level has its own unique second secret; if you do some backtracking, you can get both, earning you 4/3 secrets. Played straight with the Cathedral Key, which itself counts as a secret, but doesn't unlock any doors.
* ''[[
** For those wondering, 1/35 is the ''scale'' of the item, not a note that there's anything significant about having 35 of them ("Collect all 12!"). They still apply, though, as they're prominently hidden, are handed out as rare prizes, and are good for absolutely nothing whatsoever. Selling for one gil a pop, they don't even make worthwhile [[Vendor Trash]]!
** One location has an exit that can't be reached. Naturally, [[Wild Mass Guessing]] ensued over what could be beyond that exit, [[Urban Legend of Zelda|including a rumor that it's where you can resurrect Aeris.]]
* ''[[Maniac Mansion]]'' featured a broken staircase. You could not fix it, even though you had tools and you just KNOW there would've been something awesome up there. There was also a cabinet you couldn't unlock, and lots of useless items.
** In the same game, there is also a chainsaw that doesn't work because it's out of gasoline. So you'd figure there would be a cannister of gas to be found somewhere, wouldn't you? {{spoiler|It's in [[Zak McKracken and
* In Loom, there is a room in the first village where you are shown a certain draft. However, the game requires you to get further in the game before you can get the right notes to cast it, and because you can't return to the first island until the very end of the game (where you are basically locked in the room with the Loom in it) it is impossible to find out what this draft does. There is a possibility it would have been used in the game's cancelled sequels, but nobody knows for sure.
** Isn't that the draft of Transcendence, which you use at the very end of the game to {{spoiler|turn into a swan? You hear it on the Loom because Lady Cygna played it there to turn the Master Weavers into swans; it's a hint that the Loom always repeats the last draft played in its presence, which becomes important at the very end of the game.}}
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* One door in the kitchen of ''[[The Seventh Guest]]'' never unlocks.
** Because it would lead outside, and leaving the mansion just isn't in the cards; same reason the front door never lets you out.
* The identity of Yan Angwa in ''[[
* ''[[Lego Star Wars]] 2'''s different versions:
** The Game Boy Advance version 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.
** A subversion for the consoles and PSP versions: in December 2006, a code was given on [http://web.archive.org/web/20070509110012/http://starwars.com/welcome/about/news/f20061222/indexp11.html an old StarWars.com page] (that if not for the help of Wayback Machine, would be [[Lost Forever]]) for Disguise 3. But there's no Disguise 2! ...Until March 2007, when Disguise 2's code was finally revealed. However, at the time, [[Bribing Your Way to Victory|players had to donate]] to [[Comic Relief]] for Red Nose Day in order to find out.
* Gwen in ''[[Guild Wars]]'' was originally this. She was a little girl who followed you around in the tutorial area, and would give you a tapestry shred marked as a quest item if you gave her enough flowers. After the tutorial, the player never saw her again, nor found a use for the tapestry, even though one could meet her dead mother in the underworld or find items of hers scattered throughout the world. This was never intended to be expanded upon, but so many players demanded closure that Gwen was eventually reintroduced. She now has more backstory than any other character in the game, most of which the player gets to experience first-hand.
* [[
** Could it just be an example of [[Noodle Implements]]?
* According to the manual for ''[[
* Despite what the manual says, the driving subgame of ''[[Die Hard]] Trilogy'' does not have a dump truck or 18-wheeler, nor skaters in Central Park, nor a West Side Highway level.
* ''[[
** A ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' stage called "Akaneia" can be found using Action Replay, but [[Dummied Out|it was scrapped.]] A ''[[Fire Emblem]]''-based stage finally appeared in ''[[Super Smash Bros]] Brawl'', however, under the name of Castle Siege.
* [[Neopets]], the online site, has an odd example. There is a Game called [[Neo Quest]] that you can play. In that game, there is a door that is locked. It has been 10 years since the game was released, yet no key has been found. The Neopets team that runs the site has made numerous jokes about people being unable to find it, yet these jokes cause users to believe that there is no key and/or it was forgotten.
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* ''[[Harvest Moon a Wonderful Life|Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life]]'' has a small building on your farm with a locked door. You're never able to open it.
** In ''Harvest Moon: Magical Melody'', the cover of the game's box shows a number of animals around some of the characters. All of the animals show up in the game, except for the Labrador. Also, one little girl who moves into the town constantly alludes to being frightened of something, considers herself evil and not going to heaven, and has a profile that says she has "some skeletons in her closet". It's never revealed what her deep, dark secret is.
* ''[[
* In ''[[Darksiders]]'', a bug causes one chest to never register as opened. If the player returns to the location with an item that reveals collectibles on the map, that chest will still show up, even though it's no longer there. Doubly annoying since there are actually a few chests that are marked on map but only appear when some action is performed.
* Despite ''[[Twisted Metal]] 2'''s manual listing [[Santa Claus]] as a pedestrian, he's nowhere to be found anywhere in the game. Sorry kids, but due to a programming oversight you'll never get to [[Video Game Cruelty Potential|run Santa over]] in this game.
* In ''[[
* The ''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]'' has the infamous sunken chest item. It's a common item, definitely, and it IS used in conjunction with other items to make a spooky pirate skeleton. However, it still does have an annoyingly alluring "use" link and the text given when it's used almost gives a hint that it should be opened, but the damn thing just will. Not. Open. The game's designers love trolling the users about it, frequently claiming it's the longest-standing undiscovered secret in the game. The worst thing is, they may be telling the truth - or [[Retcon|eventually add a use]] - in which case it isn't this trope.
* Rotating Tanya's character box in ''[[Mortal Kombat]] Gold'' reveals a question mark, but nothing is actually unlocked here. It is rumored that this was for the deleted character Belokk.
* An old Macintosh game called ''[[Quarterstaff Tomb of Setmoth]]''. On the overhead map, there was a hallway with a room behind it, but the map showed blank non-doored wall with a single dot. If you knocked on that wall, it sounded hollow. After going back to the game and examine game code; there is no secret room.
* In ''[[
* The yellow marble in ''[[Myst|Riven]]'''s fire marble dome puzzle does nothing but throw you off, there is no hidden sixth island.
* There are so many plots that dead end in ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' that a list of them would double the length of the page. There are also quests and areas only available in earlier versions of the game; the plot has moved on and those quests are officially already over.
* In ''[[Illusion of Gaia]]'', there's a little hole next to the second dungeon's entrance, just the right size to Psycho Slide through -- but you don't get that ability until rather later in the game, and at that point, there's no way back. Using a cheat device to give Will the ability early reveals that the hole is just decoration, as solid as any other wall.
* ''[[Persona 4]]'' has "The Eye", which is [[Exactly What It Says
* ''[[Mortal Kombat 9
* [[Vexx]] has the mysterious floating tower that appears in the background in nearly every level. Supposedly the player was supposed to be able to go there eventually (there was even an extra level shown in the trailer,) but it was cut out of the game.
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