Always Check Behind the Chair: Difference between revisions

So, you've just made it through the latest [[Ruins for Ruins Sake|ancient ruins]] or abandoned mansion, filled with rooms of oddly-present furniture at every turn. Along the way, you've killed monsters, triggered a [[Cutscene]] or two, and [[Kleptomaniac Hero|picked open every treasure chest you could find]]. You ''could'' call it finished and head back home—or, you could turn those [[Empty Room Psych|seemingly empty]] bedrooms upside down in your search for more loot. (And [[Kleptomaniac Hero, Found Underwear|whatever else]] [[Chest Monster|is there.]])

 

 

 

Some games feature a set of reusable locations for housing secrets, such as garbage cans and dressers, with the frequency of their placement capable of being a dead giveaway.

 

The inverse of [[Notice This]], where the game gives a clear, well-defined meaning to specific things to draw you in. Related to [[Pixel Hunt]], which is the equivalent of this in point-and-click games. Often a case of [[Gotta Catch Them All]].

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

* ''[[Avalon Code]]''. ''Every'' aspect of the game revolves around recording data into the Book of Prophecy, apparently to influence the 'new world' (as the current one is due to end). Whether it's simply exploring 100% of a map for completion's sake, or scanning that flower which gives you the code to upgrade your sword, this isn't a optional extra so much as a necessity for survival. Particularly as you can never tell which map/item will net you a crucial bonus, and some are really obscure (Rocks, grass, the ground, etc...)

* ''[[A Vampyre Story]]'': You have to check ''under your bed'' for an item in order to proceed. No one prompts you.

* ''[[Blue Dragon]]'': Not only do some objects contain items you can take, but many more hold “Nothing,” which is apparently ''not'' the same as actually having nothing inside. Finding enough Nothings will let you get items from a certain [[NPC]], including unique items not available anywhere else. The “Six Treasures” [[Downloadable Content]] includes a pair of glasses that [[Bribing Your Way to Victory|places markers on top of things that are hiding Nothing]].

* ''[[Breath of Fire]]'' series: Chests or drawers, on more than one occasion. The first two installments also had some treasure hidden in statues and pillars, under pushable objects, and even some random sections of wall, propelling this right into [[Guide Dang It]] territory.

* ''[[Chrono Cross]]'' has this all over the place.

* ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' has tabs, inconspicuous objects hidden throughout the landscape that occasionally glint to announce their presence. Other secrets are usually [[Notice This|obvious]].

* ''[[Disgaea]]'': There are three locations inside the Overlord's Castle that must be examined to unlock Etna's diary—two switches and a corner. One switch is hidden behind the Overlord's throne; another is the skull on the RosenQueen shops' counter; finally, there's the corner of the pit in the room with the music merchant. In ''[[Updated Rerelease|DS]]'', the corner is made somewhat more obvious by a Prinny who comments that he “feels a breeze, dood.”

* In the ''[[Doom]]'' games and their [[Game Mod|many, many custom levels]], hidden switches frequently lead to secret areas and goodies. A favorite location for such switches is on the easily overlooked backs of chairs, columns, freestanding switch panels, etc.

*** As well, player mods for pretty much all of the moddable [[The Elder Scrolls|Elder Scrolls]] games play this as maddeningly straight as possible in many, many cases - such as one that puts a gold retexture of the Ebony Armor on a follower you can legally slaughter right outside the first town you get to after the tutorial. And what is said follower doing there? Camping. Ten feet from the town gate. For the entire game, if you never do pick him up.

* ''[[Fallout 3]]'' can become this if you're low on health items, ammo, guns or certain quest items. Not helped by almost every item that isn't nailed down being potentially collectable, and getting in the way of an item you actually want to pick up.

** Bathrooms often also hide valuable loot (often chems) in the bowl or water tank of toilets. This means that each time you find a bathroom, you throw open each stall, run in and jump onto the toilet seat to get a better look. ''Each time''.

* ''[[Final Fantasy IV]]'': Many areas have hidden goods or passageways, but [[Instant Awesome, Just Add Ninja|Eblan]] Castle deserves special mention due to the sheer prevalence of such things. In summary: secret corridors on basically every floor; a Sutra hidden behind the throne; a pit that you have to edge your way across to reach a chest; and then, just to confuse you, a ''different'' and ''uncrossable'' pit. That's '''before''' [[The Very Definitely Final Dungeon|The Very Definitely Final Dungeon's]] obsession with paths under paths [[Rule of Three|under paths]], all obscured by the top-view. {{spoiler|Not to mention the invisible bridge leading to the [[Infinity+1 Sword]].}}

* ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'': There are Elixirs in ''almost every'' grandfather clock.

* It is wise to do this in any [[Lego Adaptation Game]] if you want to get True Adventurer status, minikit pieces or red power bricks, although it's not so much checking behind the chair as it is [[Rewarding Vandalism|destroying it with your fists]].

* ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'': Played straight. In several rooms, including the Study, there are hidden lumps of cheese behind or under chairs. Examining them will cause a golden mouse to appear, and catching it will reward the player with lots of treasure. If the room is cleared and the Mansion blackout has already occurred, [[Lost Forever|you will never be able to get the treasures again]].

* ''[[Mega Man Battle Network]]'': multiple ports and chips are hidden in the over-world.

** Most of the bosses throughout the series can only be rematched for a chance to get their battle chip by walking to a specific, unmarked part of an area (Usually a dead end) which will initiate a battle against them.

** In ''[[Suikoden IV]]'', one of the recruitable characters is behind a chair, and thanks to the camera angle when you enter the room, you won't realize it until you actually go behind said chair.

* ''[[Super Metroid]]'': until you find the X-Ray Scope, at least.

* The ''[[Thief]]'' series was all about this. Finding every last piece of valuable loot in each level involved thoroughly checking every nook and cranny, and that's when there were no weird secret passages involved. The very first level of ''Thief 2'' for example included 3 gold coins left on a shelf that could only be seen by looking up while going down the back stairs to the mansion's kitchen (or turning around midway while climbing up the stairs).

* ''[[Snailiad]]'', being a [[Metroidvania]], obviously has this to some extent.

 

== [[Web Comics]] ==

 

== [[Role Playing Games]] ==

[[Category:Furniture Tropes]]

[[Category:Video Game Items and Inventory]]