Discovering video game secrets on your own before the days of the widespread internet was always
.
I remember the first time I saw the Street Fighter arcade game back in the late 80's. That was back in the days where games like "Karate Champ" were popular. Kids today would probably never believe this, but back then the "Hadoken" attacks were a SECRET. Nothing on the game machine or "attract screen" told you about it. It was like an Urban Legend going around among kids that there was some weird combo that would make magic fireballs shoot out. Then, some kid would accidentally get one to fire off at random, then never be about to do it again. (Back then, I was never able to do it myself.)
That's how Cameron and Gordon could play Super Mario Brothers for days and days and have no clue that the "Warp Zone" existed. That could never happen today.