I assumed it meant using a separate device or software on the side

That’s what it is. I remember actually sideloading apps to my BlackBerry 10 devices (Z10 and Z30) (though it really wasn’t that long ago not to remember it…) using a PC with a Chrome based browser (though it worked on Firefox too with some minor fiddling) to push and install .bar files to the phone. That is what sideloading to me.

Now this term changed, so everything you install from a different source than the built-in appstore is called sideloading, which is ridiculous IMO.

though now that I think about it, simply “butthole” would be enough. everyone has one, still feels offensive enough and works universally.

loose butthole

I went to check it and… believe it or not, but it works now. With Joy Cons and with the 8bitdo controller as well. So I have no idea what did went wrong this morning. I was doing it multiple times, from world 3 and 4 and nothing. Weird!

Thanks!

save states

If it really doesn’t work here (which really would be strange), then yeah, that’s what I’m gonna use. Using it already.

It would be just nice, to have the “built-in” way of save states of some kind. It’s half-way cheating that way, since they put this feature inside the game and not the system you run on it.

And also, as you mentioned it too, using save states also saves the extra life counts. So soon enough, probably there will be a save where I don’t have any lifes and every death would mean game over.

Minor things. But yeah. Will try the A + START thing with Joy Cons, and if that won’t work either, I just use save states and maybe save at each world.

My smile would be more natural, if I could finish the game (for the first time, from the beginning to the end) the intended way, and I think using A + START is still fine.

I haven’t checked with the Joy Cons, but will do later the day, thanks for the input.

Even if that brings you back to the beginning of the world, it’s still a big help :)