History Main / UnlockableContent

** Most of the games are especially fond of gallery mode. ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure DX'' even goes as far as to have a playable library of every single Sonic GameGear game ever by the time all of the emblems were collected.

* ''VideoGame/TheBindingofIsaac'' thrives on unlockable items and characters. These goodies are unlocked by doing runs, and when you unlock them, you can use them in future runs.

* In the ''VisualNovel/DeathRoom'', completing the game successfully (either by surviving or letting someone else escape) will result in a Special Version, which gives the characters funny {{Cosplay}}. It also unlocks the bonus scene called "The Love Room."
* Once you reach the True End in ''VisualNovel/War13thDay'', you get a bunch of Behind-the-Scenes content, [[BreakingTheFourthWall fourth-wall breaking]] funnies, and more information about the fantasy world of Virgo Island. You'll also get a post-credits scene, in which Ambrosia explains the JigsawPuzzlePlot along with the rest of the cast. HilarityEnsues.

* ''VideoGame/Rockman4MinusInfinity'': As of version 0.02, clearing the game unlocks a mode which allows you to {{Speedrun}} individual levels, a SoundTest, and a BossRush mode. Clearing the latter unlocks several more {{Boss Rush}}es where you're limited to either the Mega Buster or one of the eight weapons retrospectively. Clearing one of them unlocks a third BossRush mode in which you can customize its settings, and a second configurations menu which practically allows you to edit your save file [[note]]although this function is dangerous; it even warns you to make a save state before trying to mess around with it[[/note]].

* ''Pinball/JudgeDredd'' featured the debuted of "Supergame", where players could use an extra credit to play the table with extra modes and an expanded set of rules.

Due to the increasing capacities/abilities of game systems, game developers and game engines, this sort of content is quickly becoming a UniversalTrope.

* The ''{{VideoGame/Bayonetta}}'' franchise offers much in the way of unlockable content; the first game offering not only [[SecretCharacter Jeanne]], but also several secret weapons and accessories. ''{{VideoGame/Bayonetta 2}}'' continues this trend with Jeanne and most of the same accessories available to be unlocked (with a mix of new and old weapons), but also introduces Bayonetta's mother, Rosa, as a new unlockable character. The sequel also introduces Verse Cards which can be used in the online co-op mode, Tag Climax, which in turn can unlock two additional bonus characters, Balder and Rodin, although these two only be used in the aforementioned Tag Climax.

* Tthe ''{{VideoGame/Bayonetta}}'' franchise offers much in the way of unlockable content; the first game offering not only [[SecretCharacter Jeanne]], but also several secret weapons and accessories. ''{{VideoGame/Bayonetta 2}}'' continues this trend with Jeanne and most of the same accessories available to be unlocked (with a mix of new and old weapons), but also introduces Bayonetta's mother, Rosa, as a new unlockable character. The sequel also introduces Verse Cards which can be used in the online co-op mode, Tag Climax, which in turn can unlock two additional bonus characters, Balder and Rodin, although these two only be used in the aforementioned Tag Climax.

** Most of the games are especially fond of gallery mode. ''SonicAdventure DX'' even goes as far as to have a playable library of every single Sonic GameGear game ever by the time all of the emblems were collected.

Unlockable Content is not content that a player is required to unlock in order to complete the game. It's unrelated material. For instance, "unlocking Level 2 by completing Level 1", is just well... just playing the game (although this is, to an extent, [[CasualVideoGame on the way out]] -- qv ''Videogame/AloneInTheDark2008, VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii, GuitarHero'', post-''World Tour''. After all, movies and music don't have to be played in order).

** The early ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' installments are very humble as far as unlockables go (in the SNES version, the unlockables are the Special Cup and then the 150cc difficulty mode; in ''Mario Kart 64'', it is just Mirror Mode, then known as "Extra"; in ''Super Circuit'', it's the 20 SNES tracks)). From ''Double Dash!!'' onwards, however, the unlockable content increased in both quantity and variety within each installment, including characters, Cups (including the aforementioned Special), vehicles and, once again, Mirror Mode. The Wii game goes as far as rewarding players who score well not only in Grand Prix but also in Time Trial.

** In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'', various features in the course maker (such as additional objects, game styles, etc.) are unlocked as you create and edit courses. Completing a run through the 100 Mario Challenge unlocks a random costume to use for the Mystery Mushroom. Completing the 10 Mario Challenge, meanwhile, unlocks the same courses cosmo and John Numbers played through during the 2015 edition of ''VideoGame/NintendoWorldChampionships''. Completing those courses will allow you to shake the Super Mushroom and use the Luigi Mushroom, which otherwise appears randomly in place of the Super Mushroom.

* An emerging trend is to have the HarderThanHard difficulty levels blocked until the player has beaten the game on an easier difficulty.

* Most ''GuiltyGear'' games have an unlockable art gallery. Unfortunately, in order to get most of them often requires beating the majority of 'Mission Mode' which is ridiculously difficult (Poisoned Sol vs Gold Justice anyone?).

* ''{{Contra}} 4'' for NintendoDS features a lot of this.

UnlockableContent is basically the game developers showing off, and giving the player a little something extra for fun. Or forcing you to EarnYourFun as the case may be if most of the good parts of the game are locked. Or (in the case of console games) forcing you to buy the game rather than rent it. Many hundreds of gamers may have played the game and not unlocked the content. Or they may have unlocked it and never used it. Sometimes a character is unlocked [[PostEndGameContent at the very end of the game]], just to give the player some ReplayValue.

* ''Franchise/SuperMario'':

Are you curious as to how you get the UnlockableContent out of TVTropes? [[UrbanLegendOfZelda You just have to read every single page of the Wiki]]. Then it's unlocked! [[SchmuckBait I swear!]]

* Some weapons and costumes in the ''DeadRising'' games. Certain rescue missions in ''VideoGame/DeadRisingChopTillYouDrop'' require getting high rankings in the set of missions right before.

* Most of the games are especially fond of gallery mode. ''SonicAdventure DX'' even goes as far as to have a playable library of every single Sonic GameGear game ever by the time all of the emblems were collected.

* ( ''VideoGame/MortalKombat3'' has Smoke and other features unlocked via a code.

* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaCircleOftheMoon'' has 4 extra modes of play that each enhance one of the player's stats but nerfs the others. Beat the standard mode, and you get "Magician" mode, where you have access to all of the game's magic powers at the beginning, while your offense and defense is cut in half. You must then beat the Magician mode to unlock the next mode, and so on.
* ''Franchise/PrinceOfPersia'''s Sands trilogy has a large number of unlockable artworks and a few unlockable blooper videos as well, found in hidden chests throughout the game.

* ''SoulCalibur 2'': A few of the characters and a vast majority of the modified weapons are unlocked through "Weapon Master" mode.
* ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament'' typically has the character model for the current champion character off-limits until you beat the game.
* ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'' lets you fly to the top of the castle, meet Yoshi, and gain 100 lives after you collected all 120 stars.
* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' unlocks Luigi as a playable character once you've gotten all the stars in the game. Downplayed in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'', as the game does allow you to play as him in a few galaxies, and then unlocks him for full-time play after the FinalBoss is defeated for the first time (without getting all the stars, which by that moment is impossible to do anyway). Also, in both games, collecting all 240 stars rewards the player with one super-secret level.
* Accessing the [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels Lost Levels]] in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros DX''.
* Getting to world 9 in ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii''.
* Most of the ''[[SonicTheHedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' games are especially fond of gallery mode. ''SonicAdventure DX'' even goes as far as to have a playable library of every single Sonic GameGear game ever by the time all of the emblems were collected.
* Most ''GuiltyGear'' games have an unlockable art gallery. Unfortunately, in order to get most of them often requires beating the majority of 'Mission Mode' which is ridiculously difficult (Poisoned Sol vs Gold Justice anyone?)
* An emerging trend is to have the HarderThanHard difficulty levels blocked until the player has beaten the game on an easier difficulty. An obvious attempt at creating ReplayValue ''[[VideoGame/{{Prototype}} PROTOTYPE]]'', ''Franchise/MassEffect'', and ''{{WET}}'' all do this, just to name a few.

* ''{{Contra}} 4'' for NintendoDS feature a lot of this.
* ''[[KatamariDamacy Katamari Forever]]'' has various modes and filters that can be unlocked by meeting various requirements on each level.
* ''TitansQuest'' had special codes you could purchase (or look up on the Internet...) that, when used, gave you certain armor sets, including a ninja outfit. Sadly they had level 30 requirements and definitely didn't provide appropriate bonuses for that level.
* The latter ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' games had a "Krypt" feature where you'd spend koins to unlock, in addition to characters and other gameplay features, enough bonus content to fill ''two'' [=DVDs=].
* ''VideoGame/MortalKombat3'' has Smoke and other features unlocked via a code.
* Every ''Tony Hawk's'' game ever would have a series of secret characters, levels, videos, and cheats unlocked the second you beat the career (or classic) mode.
* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' has this in spades [[spoiler: Especially the Laftclanz; but since this is Super Robot Wars, it's kind of expected that you play through the game multiple times to see all the route splits and dialogue]]
* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' started out with a mandatory handful of extra characters and a stage. As of ''Brawl'', there are so many things to unlock (stages, trophies, CD tracks, stickers, tools for custom stage building) that the game even has an extra menu to keep track of things (and show you what else to do to get more stuff unlocked). Thankfully, all of the characters can be unlocked either by playing through the ''Subspace Emissary'' mode or playing enough basic matches (the latter is also true for all secret ''Melee'' characters).
* ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}''
** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaJudgment'' requires you to unlock a character in story mode, then beat their story mode before you can use them in the rest of the game. [[OldSaveBonus If you happen to own]] ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaOrderOfEcclesia'', you can circumvent this and unlock Shanoa and non-story Aeon (usually the ''last'' character unlocked) before playing a match.
** ''Castlevania: The Arcade'' deserves special mention because it was part of an experiment by Konami to introduce Unlockable Content in arcade machines. By using a special pass, you could save data from the game and unlock new stuff, like a third selectable character, a new game mode, and a joke ending.
* {{Rhythm Game}}s do this very often with extra songs, but ''JustDance'' completely averted this with its songs, and it turned out a lot of gamers didn't mind, despite reviewers thinking it was a strike against the game. In the third game, you get 1 Mojo Point for every star you collect. With enough Mojo Points, you can unlock new songs, game modes and Mashups. As the stars count for each player playing, having four players means getting Mojo Points four times as fast.
* Getting all OneHundredAndEight characters in ''VideoGame/SuikodenTierkreis''.
* Some weapons and costumes in the ''DeadRising'' games. Certain rescue missions in ''VideoGame/DeadRisingChopTillYouDrop'' require getting high rankings in the set of missions right before.

* ''[[VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory Star Ocean: The Second Story]]'' allowed you to unlock higher difficulty settings if you collected enough voice clips. This was accomplished by playing through multiple times and recruiting different sets of the twelve available party members, then using them in battle and having them use spells/abilities/die/watch other party members die. The [[UpdatedRerelease PSP remake]] ''Second Evolution'' changed that to saving at the final save point in Phynal.
* In the original AdvanceWars, you started with just four out of ten CO's. You then had to complete the basic campaign once per character, while completing certain specific missions (or sets of missions) with particular characters - with nobody telling you who to use when.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperHexagon'', beating each of the first three levels unlocks the corresponding "Hyper" level.
* There's a ton of unlockable content in the free-to-play versions of Everquest and Everquest2, almost all of it bought with Station Cash that's bought with real money, although the restrictions are on not-game-killing features like extra classes, storage space and higher end gear so one can reasonably play to the endgame without spending.

* The first ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' installments are very humble as far as unlockables go (in the SNES version, the unlockables are the Special Cup and then the 150cc difficulty mode; in ''Mario Kart 64'', it is just Mirror Mode, then known as "Extra"; in ''Super Circuit'', it's the 20 SNES tracks)). From ''Double Dash!!'' onwards, however, the unlockable content increased in both quantity and variety within each installment, including characters, Cups (including the aforementioned Special), vehicles and, once again, Mirror Mode. The Wii game goes as far as rewarding players who score well not only in Grand Prix but also in Time Trial.
* A {{Pinball}} example: ''Pinball/JudgeDredd'' featured the debuted of "Supergame", where players could use an extra credit to play the table with extra modes and an expanded set of rules.
* ''VideoGame/Rockman4MinusInfinity'': [[spoiler:As of version 0.02, clearing the game unlocks a mode which allows you to {{Speedrun}} individual levels, a SoundTest, and a BossRush mode. Clearing the latter unlocks several more {{Boss Rush}}es where you're limited to either the Mega Buster or one of the eight weapons retrospectively. Clearing one of them unlocks a third BossRush mode in which you can customize its settings, and a second configurations menu which practically allows you to edit your save file [[note]]although this function is dangerous; it even warns you to make a save state before trying to mess around with it[[/note]]]].
* In ''VideoGame/SonicPinballParty'', most of the game modes and minigames must be unlocked by playing through the main Story Mode.
* In ''VideoGame/TheSimsMedieval'' winning Ambitions and completing other achievements unlocks new clothing options and Buy mode items for your Sins.
* In the ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' games, concept galleries can be unlocked by doing long-term achievements like clearing the game, doing so again in Hard Mode, completing the logbook, etc. In ''Prime 3'', as well as in the ''Trilogy'' version of the other games, the various credit tokens earned through the campaign can be spent to unlock not only concept art, but also audio tracks and bonus material like stickers, a screen-shot tool and dioramas.
* ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'' has briefcases you have to complete in-mission objectives for, it unlocks new moves and a ConceptArtGallery.
* ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' for the Wii hasa secret mode called Champions Mode which is unveiled after [[spoiler:the player wins 10 matches in Mac's Last Stand]]. There are also audio tracks that can be heard via SoundTest when the player completes the challenges in Exhibition Mode.

* The first ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' installments are very humble as far as unlockables went (in the SNES version, the unlockables are the Special Cup and then the 150cc difficulty mode; in ''Mario Kart 64'', it is just Mirror Mode, then known as "Extra"; in ''Super Circuit'', it's the 20 SNES tracks)). From ''Double Dash!!'' onwards, however, the unlockable content increased in both quantity and variety within each installment, including characters, Cups (including the aforementioned Special), vehicles and, once again, Mirror Mode. The Wii game goes as far as rewarding players who score well not only in Grand Prix but also in Time Trial.

* VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo has briefcases you have to complete in-mission objectives for, it unlocks new moves and a ConceptArtGallery.

UnlockableContent is not content that a player is required to unlock in order to complete the game. It's unrelated material. For instance, "unlocking Level 2 by completing Level 1", is just well... just playing the game (although this is, to an extent, [[CasualVideoGame on the way out]] -- qv ''Videogame/AloneInTheDark2008, VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii, GuitarHero'', post-''World Tour''. After all, movies and music don't have to played in order).

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' unlocks Luigi as a playable character once you've gotten all the stars in the game.

* Most of the newer ''[[SonicTheHedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' games are especially fond of gallery mode.
** ''SonicAdventure DX'' even went as far as to have a playable library of every single Sonic GameGear game ever by the time all of the emblems were collected.

* An emerging trend is to have the HarderThanHard difficulty levels blocked until the player has beaten the game on an easier difficulty. An obvious attempt at creating ReplayValue ''[[VideoGame/{{Prototype}} PROTOTYPE]]'', ''Franchise/MassEffect'', and ''{{WET}}'' all do this, just to name a few.
* Virtually every racing game made since 1995 (and some before that) feature unlockable cars. In some games there are so many, there's no way you could possibly use them all in the campaign, so it reeks of showing off. [[TropesAreNotBad Though that's not necessarily a bad thing...]]
** Of special note is the ''VideoGame/{{F-Zero}}'' series, which since ''X'' has a huge number of vehicles to unlock, also has an unlockable HarderThanHard mode, usually has at least one unlockable cup and, in Climax, had character profiles and a storyboard of sorts that can only be unlocked by completing a set of special-race challenges. To get everything, you had to play though Grand Prix Mode, unlock all the cars through that and ''then'' play some 40-odd special races with each character, of which there are over ''30''.

* Pretty much every ''Tony Hawk's'' game ever would have a series of secret characters, levels, videos, and cheats unlocked the second you beat the career (or classic) mode.

* {{Rhythm Game}}s do this so often with extra songs, that it's easier to list non-straight examples:
** ''JustDance'' completely averted this with its songs, and it turned out a lot of gamers didn't mind, despite reviewers thinking it was a strike against the game.
*** In the third game, you get 1 Mojo Point for every star you collect. With enough Mojo Points, you can unlock new songs, game modes and Mashups. As the stars count for each player playing, having four players means getting Mojo Points four times as fast.

* Some weapons and costumes in the ''DeadRising'' games.
** Certain rescue missions in ''VideoGame/DeadRisingChopTillYouDrop'' require getting high rankings in the set of missions right before.

* Similar to ''Super Smash Bros'', the ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' series was very humble as far as unlockables went (in the SNES version, it was just the Special Cup and then the 150cc difficulty mode; in ''Mario Kart 64'', it was just Mirror Mode, then known as "Extra"; in ''Super Circuit'', it was the 20 SNES tracks)). From ''Double Dash!!'' onwards, however, the unlockable content increased in both quantity and variety within each installment, including characters, Cups (including the aforementioned Special), vehicles and, once again, Mirror Mode.

* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaJudgment'' requires you to unlock a character in story mode, then beat their story mode before you can use them in the rest of the game. [[OldSaveBonus If you happen to own]] CastlevaniaOrderOfEcclesia, you can circumvent this and unlock Shanoa and non-story Aeon (usually the ''last'' character unlocked) before playing a match.
* ''Castlevania: The Arcade'' deserves special mention because it was part of an experiment by Konami to introduce Unlockable Content in arcade machines. By using a special pass, you could save data from the game and unlock new stuff, like a third selectable character, a new game mode, and a joke ending.

* CastlevaniaJudgment requires you to unlock a character in story mode, then beat their story mode before you can use them in the rest of the game. [[OldSaveBonus If you happen to own]] CastlevaniaOrderOfEcclesia, you can circumvent this and unlock Shanoa and non-story Aeon (usually the ''last'' character unlocked) before playing a match.
* Castlevania: The Arcade deserves special mention because it was part of an experiment by Konami to introduce Unlockable Content in arcade machines. By using a special pass, you could save data from the game and unlock new stuff, like a third selectable character, a new game mode, and a joke ending.

* Getting all OneHundredAndEight characters in ''SuikodenTierkreis''.

** Certain rescue missions in ''DeadRisingChopTillYouDrop'' require getting high rankings in the set of missions right before.

* [[VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory Star Ocean: The Second Story]] allowed you to unlock higher difficulty settings if you collected enough voice clips. This was accomplished by playing through multiple times and recruiting different sets of the twelve available party members, then using them in battle and having them use spells/abilities/die/watch other party members die. The [[UpdatedRerelease PSP remake]] ''Second Evolution'' changed that to saving at the final save point in Phynal.