Tomb Raider 2 PS1 Cheats: Match the Code to Your Edition

The original Tomb Raider II on PS1 has movement-based cheats for skipping a level and obtaining weapons. The important detail is the disc region: NTSC and PAL references describe different sequences. Enter the appropriate movements during ordinary gameplay, with space around Lara, rather than typing a password into a menu.

Check the game, region and controls first

This guide is for the original PlayStation Tomb Raider II. PC, Mac, mobile and Tomb Raider I–III Remastered guides may show different inputs. The Tomb Raider PS1 play-order guide helps distinguish the original releases if your library contains several games.

Check your own disc or game-file documentation for the region. Do not infer it from the language alone. Start from a normal save you can return to, particularly before using level skip. Skipping is a deliberate progression change, so keep your main adventure save separate from a file used to experiment.

Translate actions into your control layout

The sequences below describe Lara's actions. With the usual PS1 layout, R1 with forward or backward produces careful walking; R2 with left or right produces sidesteps. Square jumps, Circle rolls and L2 lights a flare. If you changed the game's controller preset, use the buttons assigned to those actions instead.

Practice the individual movements before combining them. A sidestep moves sideways without turning Lara. A walking step backward is not the ordinary backward hop. Turning means rotating on the spot, not running around a circle. These distinctions matter more than entering the directions as quickly as possible.

Use the directional pad for a clear sequence and release the walk or sidestep modifier before the turning and jumping portion. The PS1 controls in Hyuaki_Hay's and Shotgunnova's original-game guides provide a useful cross-check.

NTSC: the five-step sequence

For the North American NTSC method, perform these actions in order:

1. Sidestep left.
2. Sidestep right.
3. Sidestep left again.
4. Walk one step backward.
5. Walk one step forward.
6. Release movement modifiers and rotate through three complete turns in either direction.

Now choose the finish for the result you want:

On the usual layout, the forward finish is Up + Square followed by Circle; the backward finish is Down + Square followed by Circle. The roll is part of this method. A plain jump is not the complete NTSC instruction.

PAL: the flare-based sequence

For the commonly documented European PAL method:

1. Light a flare so Lara is holding it.
2. Walk forward by one step.
3. Walk backward by one step.
4. Release Walk and rotate through three complete turns in either direction.
5. Jump forward to skip the level, or jump backward for weapons and ammunition.

Stella's PlayStation reference records reports of PAL variations and cases where a supposed PAL sequence instead produces the game's exploding-Lara effect. The regional distinction is therefore a reason to preserve your save and verify the release, not a promise that every disc revision responds identically. If this method fails, stop and consult the linked regional notes before combining fragments from different lists.

If the code does not activate

Check one variable at a time. First confirm that you are in a normal playable level, on foot and away from an edge, wall or enemy. Then verify that each of the early steps was a walk or sidestep rather than a run, hop or turn.

Next, count complete rotations. Pick a visible landmark in front of Lara and count each return to that direction. For NTSC, watch the final jump carefully: Lara needs room to leave the ground and execute the mid-air roll. For the PAL method, confirm that the flare is already lit before the first walking step.

Do not add a flare, remove the roll or reverse the early steps simply because another platform's guide does so. Restart the full sequence from a neutral position after a failed attempt. If the behavior still differs, recheck the region and controller preset instead of repeating an uncertain hybrid code.

Keep the experiment separate from your main run

A weapons code changes the challenge; a level skip can bypass exploration and story context. Decide what you want to test before using either. A separate save lets you return to the puzzle or combat encounter afterward without trying to reconstruct the earlier state.

Our save-state and in-game-save explanation is useful here. A convenient state made after the code is not a substitute for a normal save from before the experiment. If controller input is the obstacle, review the iPhone controller setup guide before changing the code itself.

Common questions

Where is the cheat-entry menu?

These are movements performed in the level. They are not inventory passwords or memory-editing codes.

Can I use the remaster instructions on PS1?

Do not assume so. Match the original game and region described above; the remaster has its own documented rules.

Were these personally tested in EMUspace?

No. The sequences were checked against published original-game references. They do not establish a game-specific emulator test result.

What if I want another adventure?

The PS1 games guide offers options beyond Tomb Raider when you want a different pace or genre.

Sources and scope

Stella’s PlayStation cheat reference; Original Tomb Raider II PS1 code submissions; Tomb Raider HUB’s regional code list; Hyuaki_Hay’s PS1 control guide; Shotgunnova’s original-game walkthrough. Edition facts are sourced; practical recommendations are editorial guidance. No personal gameplay or game-specific EMUspace performance test is claimed.