Part 5/9:
A pivotal moment arrived at the end of level one, where players traditionally received a passcode for saving progress, a common mechanic in games from the 1990s due to space limitations. Realizing the potential for further exploits, the hacker focused next on breaking the passcode system itself.
After an analysis of how the game checked for valid passcodes, the hacker established which parts of memory corresponded to cursor positions and began manipulating the underlying variables. They discovered the memory values associated with playable characters, translating this knowledge into insight about the game's passwords.