7 Terrifying Times Video Games Broke The 4th Wall

3. X-Men - Reset The Computer

In the action/beat-em-up simply known as "X-Men" for the Sega Mega Drive and Genesis, there is a stage called Mojo's Crunch where the player is told they need to reboot the danger room by "resetting the computer".

This happens after you have already progressed all the way through the level, defeated all the enemies and, of course, the boss. You explore the stage, looking around for any sort of in-game computer reset-button, or any prompt, hint or direction for what you have to do.

But then it all clicks…

By "resetting the computer", the game is actually referring to the console on which you are playing. In complete disbelief, you press the soft reset button on our Sega and this causes a Matrix-esque green text to come up on the screen, followed by a message telling you that the infectious virus has been subdued.

Aaaaand breathe.

This method of the console being used as a game-play prop is highly unexpected from a game released in 1994, as it predates all the Metal Gear Solid shenanigans.