I remember having to buy a cheat cartridge (which costs the same as a full priced game) in order to unlock content that was already on the cartridge thermselves - inaccessible during normal gameplay or passwords / cheat codes.
Secret levels on Super Mario World, secret battle stages on Super Bomberman 2. That kinda thing.
I don't remember people complaining about it back then.
Edgey, Gumshoe, Godot, Sissel, Larry, then Mia, Franziska, Maggie, Kay and Lynne.
I'm throwing my money at the screen but nothing happens!