During the holidays, I started working on a comprehensive the Tower of Druaga disassembly. Within to the routine to handle the Another Tower access code, I found code to handle what I call the "Dev Mode" secret code. With it I was able to beat the 60th floor and get 50k in 36.767s

What is it and how to use it?

The activate the "Dev Mode", at the title screen enter the following using the Player 1 controller:

Up Down Left Right Down Up Right Left Left Right Down Up Right Left Up Down

When entering the last Down, you also need to hold Left and B on the Player 2 controller (you can start to hold any time before entering the code, or any time before entering the last input). Also, holding A when entering the last input on the Player 2 controller will prevent the code from working, so don't press A.

If done correctly, you should be able to use "CONTINUE" on title screen to start from any floor (as if you already reached the 60th floor).

What's more, you can get every treasure you want:

• On the floor selection screen of the continue option, press A on the Player 2 controller to get the treasure of the floor on screen.
• On any floor (don't work when the game is paused), press n times Up/Down then A to get the treasure of the +/- nth floor relative to the floor you're current at.

For example, if you're at floor 36, by pressing Down 5 times then A you will get the treasure of floor 31. After that by pressing Up 2 times then A you will get the treasure of the floor 33.

If you press Up/down so that the selected floor is lower than 1 or higher that 60, you will get all the treasures (this is what I do in this run).

You can also use the Dev Mode with the Another Tower Mode, in taht case enter it after the Another Tower access code, because entering the Another Tower access code will reset the maximum floor allowed by the "CONTINUE" option to floor 1 (but you still can get every treasure you want, as you're still in Dev Mode)

As you can imagine, this secret code can be quite useful if someone want to practice a particular floor with specific treasures.

What does this mean for the categories of the famicom version?

Obviously, the rules need to be modified to take into account the existence of this secret code. Indeed, even if my run in 36.767s respects the rules of the 50k category (and is currently the fastest way to get 50k and even 500k), this may go against the idea for which this category exists in the first place.

At present, the rules for NES categories are as follows:

50k

• Reach 50k Score
• Timer Start: When you press play after credit sound
• Timer End: When reach 50k Score

Any%

• Complete all 60 Floors
• Timer Start: When you press play after credit sound
• Timer End: At the 60th floor, when GIL and KI stop in the center of the screen
• You can continue from where you died

Personally, I don't consider the use of this code to be cheating (in a speedrunning context), as there is no external modification to the game. Nor do I consider it a glitch, as there is no unexpected game behavior. If I had to compare it to something else, I'd say it falls into the same category as glitchless rng manipulation (intended by the programmers but not meant to be used by players). Therefore I don't see any objective reason to ban the use of this secret code.

However, in order for the different categories of this game to remain interesting, I think we must at least limit the use of this secret code.

Considering all the above, I propose the following changes for the NES categories:

50k

• ADD: use of Dev Mode secret code is FORBIDDEN

Any%

• REMOVE: Complete all 60 Floors
• ADD: use of Dev Mode secret code is ALLOWED

All 60 floors (NEW CATEGORY)

• Same rules as the current Any%
• ADD: use of Dev Mode secret code is FORBIDDEN

I'd love to hear everyone's opinion on the changes that you think are needed.