Virtual Lara
  • News
  • Main Games
    • TOMB RAIDER 1
    • TOMB RAIDER 2
    • TOMB RAIDER 3
    • TOMB RAIDER: THE LAST REVELATION
    • TOMB RAIDER CHRONICLES
    • TOMB RAIDER: THE ANGEL OF DARKNESS
    • TOMB RAIDER LEGEND
    • TOMB RAIDER ANNIVERSARY
    • TOMB RAIDER UNDERWORLD
    • TOMB RAIDER (2013)
    • RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER
    • SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER
    • TOMB RAIDER 12
  • OTHER GAMES
    • EXPANSIONS >
      • TR1: UNFINISHED BUSINESS
      • TR2: GOLDEN MASK
      • TR3: THE LOST ARTEFACT
      • TOMB RAIDER THE TIMES EXCLUSIVE
    • HANDHELDS >
      • TOMB RAIDER (GBC)
      • TOMB RAIDER CURSE OF THE SWORD (GBC)
      • TOMB RAIDER THE PROPHECY
    • TOMB RAIDER MOBILE GAMES
    • iOS/ANDROID >
      • LARA CROFT RELIC RUN
      • LARA CROFT GO
      • TOMB RAIDER RELOADED
    • SPIN-OFF GAMES >
      • LARA CROFT AND THE GUARDIAN OF LIGHT
      • LARA CROFT AND THE TEMPLE OF OSIRIS
    • TABLETOP RPG GAMES >
      • TOMB RAIDER TRADING CARD GAME
      • LARA CROFTS TOMB RAIDERS
      • TOMB RAIDER SHADOWS OF TRUTH RPG
    • TOMB RAIDER TV GAMES
    • TOMB RAIDER CASINO GAMES
    • REMASTERED GAMES >
      • TOMB RAIDER 1-3 REMASTERED
      • TOMB RAIDER 4-6 REMASTERED
  • MOVIES/TV
    • LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER
    • TOMB RAIDER: THE CRADLE OF LIFE
    • TOMB RAIDER (2018)
    • TOMB RAIDER REVISIONED
    • NETFLIX TOMB RAIDER
    • PRIME TOMB RAIDER LIVE ACTION
  • BOOKS/COMICS
    • BOOKS
    • COMICS
  • LARA CROFT
    • BIOGRAPHIES
    • LIVE MODELS
    • LARA'S HOME
    • INTERVIEWS WITH LARA
  • MERCHANDISE
    • MERCHANDISE OVERVIEW
    • PRESS DOCUMENTS
    • LARA C DEVELOPMENT
    • PROTOTYPES
    • OFFICIAL STORES
    • MERCH STORE GALLERIES
  • TRLE
    • TRLE OVERVIEW
    • TRLE DOWNLOADS
    • TRLE HISTORY
    • TRLE ENGINES
    • TRLE CHALLENGES
    • TRLE GLOSSARY
  • FRANCHISE
    • SERIES OVERVIEW
    • THE TOMB RAIDER SUITE
    • TOMB RAIDER THE LIVE EXPERIENCE
    • CANCELLED MEDIA >
      • TOMB RAIDER 4 GOLD
      • TOMB RAIDER THE SECRET OF SHANGRI-LA
      • TOMB RAIDER 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
      • RAIDERS
      • CROFT ACADEMY
      • LARA CROFT REFLECTIONS
      • CANCELLED TOMB RAIDER 4 MOVIE
    • SPONSORS
    • FRANCHISE ANNIVERSARIES
  • TOMB RAIDER HISTORY
    • TIMELINE
    • TR UNIVERSE TIMELINE
    • CORE DESIGN HISTORY
    • CORE DESIGN PRESS DOCUMENTS
    • CORE DESIGN TEAM PICTURES
    • CRYSTAL DYNAMICS TEAM PICTURES
    • CAMEOS
    • CROSSOVERS
    • TIDBITS
  • FUN
    • TR AT VALENTINES
    • TR AT CHRISTMAS
    • FUN AND MINI GAMES
    • TR WEBSITES REVISITED PORTAL
    • CALENDAR
  • Links
Back to Tomb Raider History

​About Lara:
Lara's Bio - Duchess of Saint Bridget
Lara's Bio - ​Angeline Lodge-Croft

About Merchandise:
Joe Jusko's Comic Reference Model
Mars-16 Japanese Collectible Cards
​Timex Sponsorship
Showers With Lara Sticker
​Tomb Raider (2013) Longboard

Franchise Related:
Origin of the Nude Cheat
'April Fool's' Jokes
Lara Croft Pizza
​1997 Lara Look-a-like Competition
Chinese Tomb Raider 2 Comic
Die Ärzte

Eidos TV
Lucozade / Larazade
Flatland Rover
​Manchester City Sponsorship
1999 Italian Song Dedicated To Lara
Ian Jacobs Racing
West McLaren Mercedes F1 Team
Tomb Raider CCG Contest 
The Lara Festival
Lara Croft:ism
Platinum Lara Weller
Lara Croft 2000 Wax Model
Super Fan Niels Bernsden
Nell McAndrew Outfit Auction
National 'Take Lara To Work' Day
Lara's MySpace Page
The Lux Veritatis Website 

Official Tomb Raider Websites
Other Tomb Raider Related Websites
Lara Croft Website 
Lost Items in Tomb Raider History​​ 
Vertical Divider

Other : Nude Cheat

The rumour was that you needed to enter a certain code in the early games and Lara would appear undressed. The truth is that the developers never coded in a secret nude code. So how did it all start? We have one theory...

NB: this article is not intended to delve into the modern side of nude raider or shame anyones' interests, only look into the possible origins.

1997 - April

In March/April 1997, UK games magazine Computer and Video Games released a 'leak' of a nude code in Issue 185, April 1997. [1] The leak apparently came from a reliable anonymous source who had experience working on all platforms of Tomb Raider. They said that it was included to "amuse them during those lonely nights playtesting the levels. But... it was accidently left in". The code required two controllers, one person had to rhythmically tap in a code whilst the player had to make Lara sidestep left and right and - just to speed it up - add jumps. 
Picture
April 1997 Issue. Screencap from Internet Archive's Magazine Archive. Uploaded by Jason Scott.

​In hindsight, we can look back at this specific page and pick many flaws with it:
- The disco lights are clearly added upon the image
- The disco light picture uses a beta image, where the health bar is top centre of screen
- Cheat codes never have a variable code to them. They are a specific set of buttons.
- Tomb Raider was not compatible with two controllers
- The author's joke about Larson
- The author's comment which reputedly came from Core reads as a joke
- The 'hot scoop' was featured in April's edition of the magazine

1997 - May

In the next issue, Issue 186 [2], the magazine admitted to it being an April Fool's joke; something that they had to state because many people had contacted the magazine for more information.

Could it be due to the huge interest in this particular joke that fans of Lara's vital statistics went on to create their own nude Laras; photos and eventually their own texture patches? Sadly, this was something that plaqued the franchise and even affecting fansites who had good intentions. The Tomb Raider Archive [3] and Mr Wolf's Tomb Raider Stuff [4] were such websites who in August 1997 and even into January 1998 were being contacted, asking for the nude code, with these particular websites stating that there was no such thing as a nude code. In fact Mr Wolf goes on to say that the nude code "was a hoax started by various game magazines last April as an April's Fools Day joke." It seemed that he received just as many messages about the code as he had to write that any further emails regarding the code would be instantly deleted.
Picture
May 1997 Issue. Screencap from Internet Archive's Magazine Archive. Uploaded by Jason Scott.

1997 - June

The then biggest Tomb Raider fansite - The Croft Times - ran an article in June 1997 titled 'Core Will Take Action' [5]. Luis included a snippet of an interview that featured in the June issue of Playstation Power magazine with Core's Operations Director, Adrian Smith (brought to attention by Robert Wheeler of The Tomb Raider Archive). At this point, certain fans had taken a strong interest in Lara and had created a website to host photoshopped images of her naked.
Playstation Power: "How do you feel about the infamous Nude Raider web site which contains fake shots of Lara with no kit on?"
Adrian: "Most of the Tomb Raider web sites are unofficial but they do ask questions directly to us and are a great source of information etc. However we are concerned with the use of naked Lara pictures which are appearing on some of the sites. We find the use of such material damaging and offensive and are currently seeking legal advice to prevent the further use of this material."
Sadly we have been unable to find an archive of this magazine so if there were any more information, it's not currently available.

1997 - November

We've heard the stories that the Lara Exploding cheat code was what the developers would give out to pull a prank on those who would ask for the nude code. The shower scene at the end of the game was also aimed at those who wanted to see Lara naked - "Don't you think you've seen enough?"

1999 - March

On March 18th 1999, it was reported on the BBC website that Core Design were considering legal action against the Nude Raider website and webring that had been specifically created to showcase images of Lara nude [6]. "The company is concerned that Tomb Raider fans searching the Internet for legitimate Lara Croft information could accidentally access "pornographic material" - an association Core says it is keen to avoid. A spokeswoman branded the sites "completely irresponsible. We are looking in to taking legal action. There are a number of Websites featuring the character, but there is one particular site which is causing most of the concern. We have a large number of young fans and we don't want them stumbling across the pictures when they do a general search for Tomb Raider."

Meanwhile, some fansites used to include a small picture on their homepages to indicate that their websites were a "Nude Raider Free" site.

Recent Times

It has been said recently that Eidos Interactive wanted Core Design to program in a nude code but they refused.

In the 1999 magazine 'Lara: The Official Lara Croft Magazine', the Smith brothers were asked whether there was anything the fans do that shocks or surprises them. This was the answer: "Gosh. No (thinks) I think the angle of nudity does still surprise me. I'm still quite surprised that people want to see a cyber character nude. I find that still a little bit odd to get my head around. Take her clothes off and you see a bunch of polygons!" And according to Jeremy Heath-Smith, the developers saw it this way too.

Sources:
1 - ​https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_185_1997-04_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n9/mode/1up
2 -​ https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_186_1997-05_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n9/mode/2up
3 - http://web.archive.org/web/19970805111648/http://homepages.enterprise.net/mfluderx/cheats.html
4 - ​http://web.archive.org/web/20001120055900/http://www.vvm.com/~hfowler/tombraider/oldnews.html
5 - ​http://web.archive.org/web/19970703115606/http://www.cubeit.com/ctimes/cover002.htm
6 - ​http://web.archive.org/web/20000817034211/http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_299000/299040.stm

About Us | Blog | Tomb Raider Encyclopedia | Site Updates 
Virtual Lara ~ Official Tomb Raider Fansite
Circa 2020


Tomb Raider © Crystal Dynamics group of companies. TOMB RAIDER, LARA CROFT, and
CRYSTAL DYNAMICS are trademarks of the Crystal Dynamics group of companies. 
  • News
  • Main Games
    • TOMB RAIDER 1
    • TOMB RAIDER 2
    • TOMB RAIDER 3
    • TOMB RAIDER: THE LAST REVELATION
    • TOMB RAIDER CHRONICLES
    • TOMB RAIDER: THE ANGEL OF DARKNESS
    • TOMB RAIDER LEGEND
    • TOMB RAIDER ANNIVERSARY
    • TOMB RAIDER UNDERWORLD
    • TOMB RAIDER (2013)
    • RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER
    • SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER
    • TOMB RAIDER 12
  • OTHER GAMES
    • EXPANSIONS >
      • TR1: UNFINISHED BUSINESS
      • TR2: GOLDEN MASK
      • TR3: THE LOST ARTEFACT
      • TOMB RAIDER THE TIMES EXCLUSIVE
    • HANDHELDS >
      • TOMB RAIDER (GBC)
      • TOMB RAIDER CURSE OF THE SWORD (GBC)
      • TOMB RAIDER THE PROPHECY
    • TOMB RAIDER MOBILE GAMES
    • iOS/ANDROID >
      • LARA CROFT RELIC RUN
      • LARA CROFT GO
      • TOMB RAIDER RELOADED
    • SPIN-OFF GAMES >
      • LARA CROFT AND THE GUARDIAN OF LIGHT
      • LARA CROFT AND THE TEMPLE OF OSIRIS
    • TABLETOP RPG GAMES >
      • TOMB RAIDER TRADING CARD GAME
      • LARA CROFTS TOMB RAIDERS
      • TOMB RAIDER SHADOWS OF TRUTH RPG
    • TOMB RAIDER TV GAMES
    • TOMB RAIDER CASINO GAMES
    • REMASTERED GAMES >
      • TOMB RAIDER 1-3 REMASTERED
      • TOMB RAIDER 4-6 REMASTERED
  • MOVIES/TV
    • LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER
    • TOMB RAIDER: THE CRADLE OF LIFE
    • TOMB RAIDER (2018)
    • TOMB RAIDER REVISIONED
    • NETFLIX TOMB RAIDER
    • PRIME TOMB RAIDER LIVE ACTION
  • BOOKS/COMICS
    • BOOKS
    • COMICS
  • LARA CROFT
    • BIOGRAPHIES
    • LIVE MODELS
    • LARA'S HOME
    • INTERVIEWS WITH LARA
  • MERCHANDISE
    • MERCHANDISE OVERVIEW
    • PRESS DOCUMENTS
    • LARA C DEVELOPMENT
    • PROTOTYPES
    • OFFICIAL STORES
    • MERCH STORE GALLERIES
  • TRLE
    • TRLE OVERVIEW
    • TRLE DOWNLOADS
    • TRLE HISTORY
    • TRLE ENGINES
    • TRLE CHALLENGES
    • TRLE GLOSSARY
  • FRANCHISE
    • SERIES OVERVIEW
    • THE TOMB RAIDER SUITE
    • TOMB RAIDER THE LIVE EXPERIENCE
    • CANCELLED MEDIA >
      • TOMB RAIDER 4 GOLD
      • TOMB RAIDER THE SECRET OF SHANGRI-LA
      • TOMB RAIDER 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
      • RAIDERS
      • CROFT ACADEMY
      • LARA CROFT REFLECTIONS
      • CANCELLED TOMB RAIDER 4 MOVIE
    • SPONSORS
    • FRANCHISE ANNIVERSARIES
  • TOMB RAIDER HISTORY
    • TIMELINE
    • TR UNIVERSE TIMELINE
    • CORE DESIGN HISTORY
    • CORE DESIGN PRESS DOCUMENTS
    • CORE DESIGN TEAM PICTURES
    • CRYSTAL DYNAMICS TEAM PICTURES
    • CAMEOS
    • CROSSOVERS
    • TIDBITS
  • FUN
    • TR AT VALENTINES
    • TR AT CHRISTMAS
    • FUN AND MINI GAMES
    • TR WEBSITES REVISITED PORTAL
    • CALENDAR
  • Links