Kurosawa Always Left Out The Fat Caucasian Samurai
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  • Kurosawa Always Left Out The Fat Caucasian Samurai

Don't expect this one to still work — I get the feeling that Activision busted ass getting this thing patched up the moment it was discovered — but just so everyone can scratch their heads over the most baffling bug in recent memory, I present to you a story.

It seems that a bizarre bit of code within Activision's hyper-popular Modern Warfare 2 allowed owners of that game to access and play five different Xbox Live Arcade games, published by SNK, free of charge. Included in this list were classics like King of Fighters '98 and Garou: Mark of the Wolves.

What does SNK have to do with Modern Warfare 2? What does Activision have to do with classic 2D fighters? Who the hell knows!? There isn't even rampant speculation here, just baffled stares and slackened jaws from everyone involved.

Hit the jump for a quote from Worth Playing that registers as the closest anyone can offer to an actual explanation so far.

Affecting both the downloadable demo as well as the full version game, the Modern Warfare 2 glitch grants players access to the full versions of five different SNK Xbox Live Arcade games.

The glitch works because all XBLA downloads contain the full version of their respective titles, even when you're just downloading the demo. After purchasing, the system simply registers the game to your account and the demo unlocks, granting you full access. Full version XBLA games can be tied to a specific console, a specific gamertag or even a specific type of media (such as in the case of compilation discs).

With Modern Warfare 2, the glitch forces the trial version XBLA games into thinking that they are authorized to run as the full version. As a result, they launch into the complete, unrestricted game, even if you have not yet purchased them. Oddly enough the glitch only seems to effect the combination of Modern Warfare 2 and the SNK developed XBLA games. Other titles tested behaved as expected.

Yeah. Weird, right?

Like I said, I imagine this backdoor swung shut hours ago, but it's always neat to see a multinational corporation screw the pooch, isn't it? Especially when it means people were taking time away from their busy Modern Warfare 2 schedule to enjoy a classic like Samurai Shodown II.