History Main / NoFairCheating

* Adding scripts and mods to your installation of an ''[[VideoGame/{{X}} X-Universe]]'' game, or activating the script editor in a save, results in that save gaining an unremovable ***modified*** tag. This tag means you can't upload your game stats to the Egosoft site's leaderboards or complete achievements. ''Videogame/XRebirth'' did away with this, which was probably for the best because the game was [[ObviousBeta nigh-unplayable without mods at release]].

** Anything created with Powersaves, the sixth gen VideoGame/GameShark device, will only be tradable if it's within legal parameters. This includes stats, moves, shininess, or unreleased Pokémon or items. Oddly enough, illegal movesets are not checked for, only illegal moves, and legality does not appear to be considered for all of the aforementioned factors at the same time, so a Shiny Pikachu that knows Fly, Surf, and Volt Tackle at the same time (which was flat-out impossible for the moveset until Gen VII, and is still flat-out impossible for a Shiny Pikachu as of writing) is considered tradable.

*** In ''Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver'', if you use a Walk Through Walls cheat code to walk through the Safari Zone Gate without going through reception first, the Safari Zone will be reduced to six plain squares and the only Pokémon you encounter are Level 20 Rattata. Strangely, the encounters are treated like regular ones instead of Safari Zone encounters.

** A rather infamous one exists in ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire''. If the player does things such as alter [=IVs=], give illegal movesets or steal other trainers' Pokémon (all of which are impossible without a cheating device) then a "Bad EGG" will often spawn (usually in place of that stolen mon). This thing is just a useless egg that when it hatches will cause your game to crash. It also occasionally duplicates itself, overwriting other Pokémon. Since it's an egg, [[MadeofIndestructium you can't get rid of it, and cheating to get rid of it often just made things worse.]] Finally, anytime you restart with it spawned; especially after the aforementioned crash, you will often find your data corrupted and forced to restart.
** If you hacked to get your mons' stats up in any way using the statbreaker glitch, your Pokémon will turn into Bad Eggs if you boot them up to ''[[VideoGame/PokemonStadium Pokémon Battle Revolution]]''. The same happens in ''Revolution'' if, during a transfer from a DS game, any sort of obviously-hacked Pokémon exists on the cartridge (hacks which don't look like hacks don't do this). They go away once the offending Pokémon has left the DS game and its stock is reuploaded.
** Later ''Pokémon'' games implement methods to keep players from either transferring severely hacked (as in modified stats and illegitimate Abilities) Pokémon between games or from using them in things like Colosseums and the Battle Frontier. They don't seem to have found a way to do this for illegitimate move sets yet, though.
** Many event hacks in Generation V won't work because of the Wonder Card system; they have to be triggered by a flag in the data before they'll work. So, the 900 Liberty Passes you get with the '900 of all items' Action Replay code are useless. Hacking event Pokémon usually does the same thing, since the game won't recognize them as the Pokémon they're supposed to be. Despite all Pokémon being released now, using a code to fill in your Pokedex will still block you from the Global Link in Generation V.
** In ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'', any attempt to import a Pokémon with an unreleased ability into the game will result in the ability defaulting back to the regular ability after bringing it into the game/hatching it.
** Pokémon Bank's side app, Poké Transporter, will not send over any Pokémon that fails its hack checks. Unfortunately, there were cases where legitimate event mons were seen as hacked.

** Cheating is now also harder because patches can be released to update software and patch previously used exploits. In one case, players were induced to update their system and close the exploit that was allowing genning Pokémon via QR codes, because the update patch for the game itself was in the eShop. In order to go online and get it, a system update was required. Not updating blocks any online play.
** It's impossible to transfer a Mew that was created with a glitch from the UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Generation 1 games]] into Pokémon Bank, unless you go through [[https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/comments/5q4meg/how_to_trick_pokebank_into_thinking_your_gen_1/ a really elaborate process.]]
** In ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'', Game Sync allowed Creator/GameFreak to detect things like unreleased items or the sole unreleased Pokémon, Marshadow, and players got banned from online events and battling for it. Also, Game Freak seems to be targeting giveaways on the GTS, banning players for trading too many Pokémon too fast. Sadly, a few innocents got caught up in the bans but couldn't get the problem fixed any sooner than the pre-determined ban length.
** This is the reason ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'' never got Oak's Letter or the Member Card released for the Shaymin and Darkrai events. Players were getting them all the time through tweaking and surf glitch, so Game Freak just gave out events by wi-fi instead. Also, getting Shaymin by the glitch methods doesn't trigger the fateful encounter flag, so you can't get the Gracidea flower to change its form.
** In ''VideoGame/PokemonFireRedAndLeafGreen'', if you hack Mew or Deoxys into the game to skip having to need the events for them, since they don't get a special flag otherwise, they will disobey your every command.
** ''VideoGame/PokemonShuffle Mobile'' will not allow you to access ranked events if your device is rooted (Android) or jailbroken (iOS).
** Attempt to use GPS spoofing in ''VideoGame/PokemonGo''[[note]]that is, trick the game into thinking you're somewhere you're not[[/note]] and this will result in an hour-long ban--but this isn't a typical ban in that it will not lock you out of the game. Instead, you're denied access to [=PokéStops=] and gyms, and wild Pokémon will always run away from you. This was later changed so that GPS spoofing will result in a proper, typical ban. (Rooted and jailbroken users are also denied access to the game, leading to the creation of patches to fix the problem.) Of course, players have figured out this can be bypassed by teleporting back home after engaging the Pokémon but before catching it. There were also cases of people using cars and public transportation to hatch eggs at a quick rate instead of actually walking to do it. Niantic countered the exploit by disabling the tracker that counts your steps, which means eggs and any achievements/activities related to distance walked would be halted until you started walking again. Likewise, the tracker won't count your steps if all you're doing is walking in circles around your house; you actually have to walk a good distance for the game to count your steps.
** Most ''Pokémon'' games use the actual time on the system clock to determine certain events, like [=NPCs=] who will help you once daily, items that respawn, weather in the Wild Area in ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'', etc. If the games notice you changing the clock, they'll cancel all daily events for a while. (There's an exploit in ''Sword and Shield'' that partially prevents this though.)
** In ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver]]'', if you use a Walk Through Walls cheat code to walk through the Safari Zone Gate without going through reception first, the Safari Zone will be reduced to six plain squares and the only Pokémon you encounter are Level 20 Rattata. Strangely, the encounters are treated like regular ones instead of Safari Zone encounters.
* ''VideoGame/PokemonClover'':
** Cheat in the game, and after beating the champion, you will be arrested, just before you register your team in the Hall of Fame. This effectively soft-locks your game, trapping your character in a jail cell forever. There's a noose in the corner, labeled [[DrivenToSuicide "the easy way out"]], but using it ''deletes your save file''. Note that things like emulator save states are fair game; the game will do this only if you do stuff like hacking items in or getting Legendary Pokemon you have no possible way to obtain before becoming Champion illegitimately.
** As of Version 1.2, '''''DO NOT EVEN BOTHER''''' trying to activate a "Walk Through Walls" cheat in an attempt to skip some of the obstacles or get into a place where you have no business being in before you even complete the Elite Four because if you pull that stunt, the game will immediately teleport you to that room. As in, straight away, no matter where you are when the code is activated. But, should you be stupid enough to do that, you can delete the code from your cheat list; merely disabling the WTW cheat is not enough because the game still thinks you have it on, thus triggering the failsafe. Though, if you didn't think to save your game and/or make a save state before you activated the code, well... it really sucks to be you, in that case.

[[folder:Video Game Examples]]
!! ActionAdventure

!! ActionGame

!! AdventureGame

!! BeatEmUp

!! Card Games

!! DrivingGame

!! FightingGame

!! FirstPersonShooter

!! HackAndSlash

!! {{MMORPG}}

!! Pinball

!! PlatformGame

!! PuzzleGame

!! RealTimeStrategy

!! RhythmGame

!! {{Roguelike}}

!! RolePlayingGame

!! SimulationGame

!! StealthBasedGame

!! ThirdPersonShooter

!! TurnBasedStrategy

!! WideOpenSandbox

!! Other/Unsorted

* In ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver]]'', if you use a Walk Through Walls cheat code to walk through the Safari Zone Gate without going through reception first, the Safari Zone will be reduced to six plain squares and the only Pokémon you encounter are Level 20 Rattata. Strangely, the encounters are treated like regular ones instead of Safari Zone encounters.

* ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' will let ''everyone'' know if it finds out you've been cheating. Instead of simply being permabanned, instead you'll be sent to Botany Bay, where you're put on trial for your transgressions, with a character called the Botfinder General basically roasting you the entire time, followed by the other players on the server watching the event unfold choosing what kind of punishment you'll receive. ''Then'' you're permabanned.

* ''VideoGame/{{Runescape}}'': If you get caught using a bot in Runescape, you'll end up getting temporarily banned from the game as well as having your trading capabilities temporarily restricted as well. If you choose to bot repeatedly, you'll be permanently banned and sent to [[PunnyName Botany Bay]], where you will be scolded by a character named the Botfinder General who will then ask the players who are attending your trial on how to execute you for your bad behavior.

* ''VideoGame/{{Heretic}}'' punishes you for trying to use the ''Doom'' cheat codes. The God Mode cheat (iddqd) kills you immediately, while the cheat to give you every weapon (idkfa) takes away your weapons instead and leaves you with just the staff.

* ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' will let ''everyone'' know if it finds out you've been cheating. Instead of simply permabanning you and being done with it, you'll be sent to Botany Bay, where you're put on trial for your transgressions, with a character called the Botfinder General basically roasting you the entire time, followed by the other players on the server watching the event unfold choosing what kind of punishment you'll receive. ''Then'' you're permabanned.

* ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' saves have "-CHEATS ENABLED-" in big white letters superimposed on screenshots of save files that have cheats activated. However deactivating the cheats by reversing the state of the console command that enabled them will also get rid of the message.
** Trying to save a game with an abundance of skill points crashes the game because of a buffer overflow. This was never fixed and probably intentionally.

** A similar but less severe case happened with people who used a program to pretend that they were launching [=TF2=] through Linux to get the Tux cosmetic item: it works but it changes your Steam profile name to "I cheated for a tux". You can change it back, but it will still be on your list of previous names.

* ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'' punishes players who cheat in Survival mode. Several maps have exploits that let players be safe and zombies can never reach them. This causes the AI Director to pour Spitter acid on the group to coax them into getting back into the playing field. If the players somehow avoid this, the Director will then outright damage players continuously until they die. This doesn't always work since some exploit spots are considered "in the field" by the Director.
** The game also doesn't let you enable cheats if you start a game from the main menu, only if you manually load the level using the in-game console. This is probably a compromise given that many useful commands for modders are considered cheats, and modders are likely to be loading in maps via console commands anyways.
* ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament2004'' prevents you from unlocking the three hidden characters of the single player campaigns if cheats have been used during the tournament. Naturally, this point is made moot once you use the cheat to unlock them anyway.

* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Mercenaries}} Mercenaries 2]]'', activating cheats requires you to enter a code to enable Cheat Mode. If you do this, the game warns you that if you activate it, your save will be permanently in Cheat Mode, and you will be unable to use the online leaderboards. Since the online servers were taken down, this is no big deal. What it ''doesn't'' tell you is that it also prevents you earning Trophies/Achievements.
* A strip of the webcomic ''Webcomic/KidRadd'' spoofed this with them entering an ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}''-like game, and beating the boss in a way that the game coding did not allow. They got sent to a BadEnding for those who used cheat devices.

* Cheating in ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}''[='=]s challenge mode will cause the results screen to display the word "CHEATED!" in big red letters, making that run null and void.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' has a few anti cheat measures put in place if players get clever and try to circumvent the rules:
** In every trial and raid, a boss will have a "do the mechanic or my follow up attack will cause a TotalPartyWipe". Some bosses have a backup where if the players somehow manage to bypass the instant kill attack for failing a mechanic, the boss will spam their attacks until the survivors die. In the event that players manage to exploit a boss due to their AI breaking, they run the risk of having their accounts suspended or even outright banned since abusing exploits is against the terms of service.
** The 2nd boss of The Copied Factory raid has all three alliances on separate platforms with mechanics that each alliance has to deal with on their own. If an alliance revives a fallen player from a different alliance, that player will be placed with the alliance that revived them. In order to prevent players from purposely killing themselves so that they don't have to do their own mechanics, the boss will transport misplaced players back to their own platform.

* ''VideoGame/Progressbar95'': Double subverted. The game does not complain if you use cheats, but you can delete their cheats.txt file in [=ProgressDOS=] to get the Fair Play bonus. If you don't use them or are playing on an easier difficulty, it's likely the better option.

* If you use the ''[[VideoGame/{{Arkanoid}} Arkanoid DS]]'' Paddle Controller with ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders Extreme'', your high scores will be marked to show that you used it. Additionally, it can't be used for Ranking Mode.
** ''Space Invaders Extreme 2'' lifts the Ranking Mode ban. Paddle users will have a "P" shown next to their scores, but there is no way to separate ranking by input method. However, in versus mode, there is an option that prevents the game from matching you up with paddle players.

* In the demo version of ''VideoGame/{{Hexen}}'', typing in ''VideoGame/Doom''[='=]s invincibility code (quicken) gives you a warning the first two times and then kills you immediately the third time.

** ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'': In the Great Palace, bypassing the barrier early with the Fairy spell is instant death, regardless of how much life Link has remaining.

* ''VideoGame/{{Rust}}'' has a unique example in the servers run by an admin known as "Camomo_10", who enforces fair play on his servers via creative punishment for cheaters, including (but not limited to): ambushing cheaters while he, himself, is invulnerable; placing landmines behind wallhackers while they aren't looking; siccing exploding bears on cheaters; and completely destroying cheaters' structures.

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'', it was possible to pick up an item from a store's shelf, run around the shopkeeper very quickly until he couldn't see you (he tries to face you all the time but can't always keep up) and then run out the door with it. Players thinking they had managed to cheat the game were very surprised when a) everyone started referring to them as "THIEF" instead of their chosen name in dialogue and b) they re-entered the shop and [[ShopliftAndDie the shopkeeper killed them]] [[FamilyFriendlyFirearms with a laser]].
** In the ''DX'' version, though, you were actually required to steal from the shop to get one of the photos in the game. Most people chose to save this one for the end of the game when they didn't need to go into the shop again anyway. The DX version also has an exclusive dungeon designed for the Game Boy Color and it has its enemies and puzzles based on colors. Trying to get past the skeleton guards on a regular Game Boy will have them blocking the way and even if you do manage to get past them, trying to play through the colors gimmick without any actual color would be too frustrating to attempt.[[note]]The Switch remake made the dungeon colorblind-accessible by adding a shape to each color (square for blue, etc.) and removed its gatekeepers.[[/note]]

* In one of Creator/HideoKojima's many [[NoFourthWall many fourth wall breakages]], during the torture rack sequence in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', Revolver Ocelot warns his prey not to "even ''think'' about using auto-fire, or I'll know." And in the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]] [[VideoGameRemake remake]] he actually turns and points accusingly at the player as he says it. That would be awesome enough on its own, but he's not bluffing: Depending on the type of controller, it ''might'' go unnoticed, but if the game does detect it, it's an automatic Game Over since it won't let you [[PressXToNotDie input X to raise your Stamina]], and Snake dies of electrocution. There is no additional meta dialog past that point.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' features blackjack, slots, and roulette wheels for you to spend your hard-won caps on. Even with extreme luck, winning isn't quite assured, and with low luck, winning is nearly impossible. Attempting to [[SaveScumming abuse your savegames]] to avoid losses will cause the game to automatically disable access to any gambling games for 60 seconds under the in-universe pretense of 'preventing cheating.' It isn't ''insurmountable'', but it certainly is inconvenient, as a hand of cards or a spin of the wheel usually goes by in a fraction of that time. A fast player can get four to six rounds of blackjack (and about 1000 caps of potential profit) completed in that minute.

!! ActionAdventureGame

!! FarmLifeSim
* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'':
** If you turn off the game without saving, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze5MPltFz34 Mr. Resetti]] shows up to lecture you once you turn it back on. Keep doing it, and his rants get progressively longer and angrier.
*** In ''Wild World'' and ''City Folk'', this presents a disadvantage to those who pull off an emergency power off because they caught one of their visitors trying to {{grief|er}} them by means of a [[GameBreakingBug bricking seed]]. (''New Leaf'' allows you to safely deal with griefers by simply flipping the wireless switch on the 3DS; you'll get an error message and lose whatever happened during the online session, but the game will resume normally and Resetti won't lecture you.)
*** He doesn't appear if you reset while in someone else's town, but you still get punished in the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube version; your face turns into a Gyroid and all the items in your inventory disappear.
*** The [=GameCube=] version allegedly has a custom crash handler (not the standard "On Error Freeze And Screech Incessantly" crash handler) to prevent players from getting a Resetti lecture if the game crashes. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen if your house suffers from a power outage or if you accidentally knock out the power cable. It hurts enough that you lost all of your progress. It hurt even more that you have to sit though that lecture afterwards.
*** In ''New Leaf'', Resetti shows up if you reset your game... but only once, and his rant trails off into [[JerkassWoobie lamenting how he was put out of a job since they closed the Reset Surveillance Center]]. You get the option to build a new Reset Surveillance Center in town afterwards, but it's optional, and if you don't build it you can reset with no more than a mild scolding from your assistant Isabelle. Even if you do, Resetti opens his lecture by asking why you reset, and if you tell him you lost power or "[[NoodleIncident had no choice]]", he'll skip the lecture and just ask you to be more careful in the future.
** Also, if you use a Gameshark in the [=GameCube=] version, supposedly you will get a message from the wishing well saying there is "great sadness" in your town, and you'll never be able to get the golden axe. Of course, since you have a Gameshark, you can just cheat for it, but...
** The wishing well further punishes you by refusing to let you dump deliveries you don't care to finish. This means that if the recipient of the delivery should move away before you have a chance to give them their package, then you'll have no way of getting the package out of your inventory unless you reset in someone else's town. Of course, again, you can just cheat it out of your inventory. The well is ''trying'', at least.
** You can also get punished for time traveling, that is, changing the time or date by large amounts. All your turnips will rot, and stalk market prices will plummet. Additionally, the game does not make a distinction between going forward and backward in time. If you change the system clock to three months ''before'' your last save, when you start up the game, the town will be in the same condition as if you hadn't played the game at all for three months. Since the ''Animal Crossing'' games rely on being [[PlayEveryDay played every day]], or as close to daily as you can manage, a three-month "gap" in time isn't very pretty. Your town will be full of weeds, most if not all of your flowers will have wilted and died, half of your villagers will have moved out, and [[GuiltBasedGaming the remaining ones will wonder where you've been for the past 90 days]].

!! SpaceManagementGame

* Attempting to unlock Extra Savior songs in ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution'' by using Cut and Freeze Arrow-off will be disqualified, preventing you from unlocking the song.
* The original 1999 ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor'' had a code to instantly unlock all cheats and others to unlock all stages. The catch is that cheats can still only be used on previously-beaten levels, so you have to go through the full game without them to be able to use cheats beyond the first stage. Just use a [=GameShark=] for invincibility instead? Nice try, smartass, but the code also makes all ''enemies'' invulnerable too, so several levels become UnwinnableByMistake.
* Cheating in ''VideoGame/{{Descent}}'' would permanently reset the player's score to zero for the game and cause the score indicator to flash "CHEATER!" each time the player does something that should increase their score, such as destroying a robot or rescuing a hostage, while not actually increasing their score. Using the cheat codes from the previous game(s) in the sequels, ''Descent II'' and ''Descent 3'', would set the player's shields to 1 (out of 200). ''Descent 3'' also has a "cheat" code that does 210 shield damage to the player (also out of 200, although the Magnum-AHT's extra 13% shield power means it will still have 17 shields if the code was entered when it has 200 shields).

* If you use cheat codes to skip to the final level of ''VideoGame/{{Battletoads}} [[IntercontinuityCrossover and]] VideoGame/DoubleDragon'' and finish it, you'll get a message saying "Well done, but [[EvenEvilHasStandards even the Dark Queen doesn't cheat]]. Try again without the warps." The Dark Queen herself chastises you in the original.
* In the Good Egg Galaxy in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'', there's an asteroid planet that can only be reached in the third mission. If you have a flying hack or something and go to that planet beforehand, the warp pipe that usually leads to a Power Star leads to a bottomless hole that kills you. An unorthodox method, but effective, as it sets up the illusion that this can happen often if you use hacks.
* Winning the first ''VideoGame/{{Vectorman}}'' game after using any cheat code would make the game call you out on it, and tell you to try again without them, denying you of seeing the ending and credits. This was doubly important when a $25,000 grand prize for beating the game was the factor. You can cheat all you want in the sequel without penalty.
--> "Congratulations! Now play without cheating."
* ''[[VideoGame/{{Claw}} Captain Claw]]'' refuses to save your progress or let you use checkpoints while you have cheats on. You are still able to unlock new levels, though.
* In ''VideoGame/SimCity'', if you used the FUND code to get free money too often, a disaster would strike your city almost immediately after (though not immediately enough not to save, and the disaster would not happen after you reloaded). ''VideoGame/SimCity 2000'' also supported the FUND code, but instead of free money it gave you a loan... ''at 25% interest''.
** Due to a programming error though, the FUND code works even better in ''VideoGame/SimCity 2000'' than in the original. If you enter it often enough, the interest rate overflows and gives you ''negative'' interest -- i.e. it ''gives'' you a lot of money every month, instead of ''taking'' it.
** Similarly, in the Windows 3.1 (floppy disk) version of ''[=SimCity=] 2000'', "buddamus" was the code to get $500,000 and all of the buildings (including rewards). In the Windows 95 (CD) version, it caused a spontaneous nuclear meltdown.
** Typing "CASS" gave you $250, but using it too often caused a firestorm. Typing swear words such as "Darn" or "Heck" would cause all of your residential zones to turn into churches, which don't generate tax revenue.
** ''[=SimCity=] 3000'' had the cheat code "call cousin vinnie" where a screen message from a shady character would offer to donate a hefty chuck of change to you. If you refused the donation, you'd get a free reward of a really cool castle building.
* In ''Burning Monkey Solitaire'', games that use cheats get tagged so on the high score list. However, the real penalty is that the monkeys will see it, and mock you.
--> "He cheats! He cheats! The naked monkey cheats!"
--> "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
* Using "Undo" in the Solitaire game that came with the iMac caused the spectators to mock you. "So that's how you win - by CHEATING!"

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
** A rather infamous one exists in ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire''. If the player does things such as alter [=IVs=], give illegal movesets or steal other trainers' Pokémon (all of which are impossible without a cheating device) then a "Bad EGG" will often spawn (usually in place of that stolen mon). This thing is just a useless egg that when it hatches will cause your game to crash. It also occasionally duplicates itself, overwriting other Pokémon. Since it's an egg, [[MadeofIndestructium you can't get rid of it, and cheating to get rid of it often just made things worse.]] Finally, anytime you restart with it spawned; especially after the aforementioned crash, you will often find your data corrupted and forced to restart.
** If you hacked to get your mons' stats up in any way using the statbreaker glitch, your Pokémon will turn into Bad Eggs if you boot them up to ''[[VideoGame/PokemonStadium Pokémon Battle Revolution]]''. The same happens in ''Revolution'' if, during a transfer from a DS game, any sort of obviously-hacked Pokémon exists on the cartridge (hacks which don't look like hacks don't do this). They go away once the offending Pokémon has left the DS game and its stock is reuploaded.
** Later ''Pokémon'' games implement methods to keep players from either transferring severely hacked (as in modified stats and illegitimate Abilities) Pokémon between games or from using them in things like Colosseums and the Battle Frontier. They don't seem to have found a way to do this for illegitimate move sets yet, though.
** Many event hacks in Generation V won't work because of the Wonder Card system; they have to be triggered by a flag in the data before they'll work. So, the 900 Liberty Passes you get with the '900 of all items' Action Replay code are useless. Hacking event Pokémon usually does the same thing, since the game won't recognize them as the Pokémon they're supposed to be. Despite all Pokémon being released now, using a code to fill in your Pokedex will still block you from the Global Link in Generation V.
** In ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'', any attempt to import a Pokémon with an unreleased ability into the game will result in the ability defaulting back to the regular ability after bringing it into the game/hatching it.
** Pokémon Bank's side app, Poké Transporter, will not send over any Pokémon that fails its hack checks. Unfortunately, there were cases where legitimate event mons were seen as hacked.
** Anything created with Powersaves, the sixth gen VideoGame/GameShark device, will only be tradable if it's within legal parameters. This includes stats, moves, shininess, or unreleased Pokémon or items. Oddly enough, illegal movesets are not checked for, only illegal moves, and legality does not appear to be considered for all of the aforementioned factors at the same time, so a Shiny Pikachu that knows Fly, Surf, and Volt Tackle at the same time (which was flat-out impossible for the moveset until Gen VII, and is still flat-out impossible for a Shiny Pikachu as of writing) is considered tradable.
** Cheating is now also harder because patches can be released to update software and patch previously used exploits. In one case, players were induced to update their system and close the exploit that was allowing genning Pokémon via QR codes, because the update patch for the game itself was in the eShop. In order to go online and get it, a system update was required. Not updating blocks any online play.
** It's impossible to transfer a Mew that was created with a glitch from the UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Generation 1 games]] into Pokémon Bank, unless you go through [[https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/comments/5q4meg/how_to_trick_pokebank_into_thinking_your_gen_1/ a really elaborate process.]]
** In ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'', Game Sync allowed Creator/GameFreak to detect things like unreleased items or the sole unreleased Pokémon, Marshadow, and players got banned from online events and battling for it. Also, Game Freak seems to be targeting giveaways on the GTS, banning players for trading too many Pokémon too fast. Sadly, a few innocents got caught up in the bans but couldn't get the problem fixed any sooner than the pre-determined ban length.
** This is the reason ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'' never got Oak's Letter or the Member Card released for the Shaymin and Darkrai events. Players were getting them all the time through tweaking and surf glitch, so Game Freak just gave out events by wi-fi instead. Also, getting Shaymin by the glitch methods doesn't trigger the fateful encounter flag, so you can't get the Gracidea flower to change its form.
** In ''VideoGame/PokemonFireRedAndLeafGreen'', if you hack Mew or Deoxys into the game to skip having to need the events for them, since they don't get a special flag otherwise, they will disobey your every command.
** ''VideoGame/PokemonShuffle Mobile'' will not allow you to access ranked events if your device is rooted (Android) or jailbroken (iOS).
** Attempt to use GPS spoofing in ''VideoGame/PokemonGo''[[note]]that is, trick the game into thinking you're somewhere you're not[[/note]] and this will result in an hour-long ban--but this isn't a typical ban in that it will not lock you out of the game. Instead, you're denied access to [=PokéStops=] and gyms, and wild Pokémon will always run away from you. This was later changed so that GPS spoofing will result in a proper, typical ban. (Rooted and jailbroken users are also denied access to the game, leading to the creation of patches to fix the problem.) Of course, players have figured out this can be bypassed by teleporting back home after engaging the Pokémon but before catching it. There were also cases of people using cars and public transportation to hatch eggs at a quick rate instead of actually walking to do it. Niantic countered the exploit by disabling the tracker that counts your steps, which means eggs and any achievements/activities related to distance walked would be halted until you started walking again. Likewise, the tracker won't count your steps if all you're doing is walking in circles around your house; you actually have to walk a good distance for the game to count your steps.
** Most ''Pokémon'' games use the actual time on the system clock to determine certain events, like [=NPCs=] who will help you once daily, items that respawn, weather in the Wild Area in ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'', etc. If the games notice you changing the clock, they'll cancel all daily events for a while. (There's an exploit in ''Sword and Shield'' that partially prevents this though.)
* ''VideoGame/PokemonClover'':
** Cheat in the game, and after beating the champion, you will be arrested, just before you register your team in the Hall of Fame. This effectively soft-locks your game, trapping your character in a jail cell forever. There's a noose in the corner, labeled [[DrivenToSuicide "the easy way out"]], but using it ''deletes your save file''. Note that things like emulator save states are fair game; the game will do this only if you do stuff like hacking items in or getting Legendary Pokemon you have no possible way to obtain before becoming Champion illegitimately.
** As of Version 1.2, '''''DO NOT EVEN BOTHER''''' trying to activate a "Walk Through Walls" cheat in an attempt to skip some of the obstacles or get into a place where you have no business being in before you even complete the Elite Four because if you pull that stunt, the game will immediately teleport you to that room. As in, straight away, no matter where you are when the code is activated. But, should you be stupid enough to do that, you can delete the code from your cheat list; merely disabling the WTW cheat is not enough because the game still thinks you have it on, thus triggering the failsafe. Though, if you didn't think to save your game and/or make a save state before you activated the code, well... it really sucks to be you, in that case.
* Got caught cheating in ''VideoGame/NetHack''? Your character instantly dies, with the cause of death listed as 'trickery'. Time to make a new character.
* If you use codes in ''VideoGame/Persona3'' to get DummiedOut items, skills, persona, or the ability to have the main character use his allies' personas, [[MissionControl Mitsuru (or Fuuka)]] would scold you for cheating. With full voice acting. [[DevelopersForesight We are not kidding]].
* Use the "Unlock Everything" cheat in ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'' and the save system disables itself.
** Using almost any cheat, save for Hyper Speed, prevents you from recording high scores. [[{{Scrub}} Speaking of Hyper Speed...]]
** Using the Quickplay songs cheat (which vastly expands your song choices in quickplay mode) does NOT unlock Dream Theater's "Pull Me Under". You HAVE to clear career mode (solo or coop) to be able to play "Pull Me Under" in quickplay mode. Additionally, the two cheats that actually affect how the game is played (All-slide and Auto-Kick) are the only ones that disable high scores, money accumulation, and (where applicable) achievements. Everything else is fair game for use.
* In the Creator/LucasArts Heaven/Hell [[SimulationGame simulator]] ''VideoGame/{{Afterlife|1996}}'', excessive cheating makes a [[Franchise/StarWars Death Star]] appear and start destroying your buildings.
* In ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'', attempting to cheat the (realtime) daily Happy Lucky Lottery by setting the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]]'s internal clock ''backward'' will result in the Bob-Omb who runs the lottery calling you a cheater and forcing you to buy another ticket. At 500 coins. [[ZigZaggingTrope However]], setting the clock ''forward'' is fair game.
* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Crusader}} Crusader: No Regret]]'' entering the cheat code (jassica16) from the first game, instead of the new cheat code (loosecannon16) caused a message to appear saying, "Of course we changed the cheats. Duh", while the final boss's voice taunts you, "I've been waiting a long time for this!". You are then teleported to a large room with no cover and exactly eight copies of the final boss, [[spoiler:Chairman Draygan in his mech suit]], though there is a grenade launcher and some ammo to help you fight back. While it is possible to win the fight if you're fast enough, by running in circles and getting the bosses to shoot through each other, the game still gets the last laugh. The moment the last boss dies, the Silencer turns to face the screen, and then, if the RandomNumberGod is not on your side, blows up in flaming chunks (otherwise the game just exits).
* ''[[VideoGame/MechWarrior Mech Warrior 2: 31st Century Combat]]'' had a built in cheat mode (separate from the real cheat codes) called "Altered Reality" that you could turn on at will from the Clan hall mission briefing. These states of altered reality included invincibility and infinite ammo. While these cheats were on, you gained zero honor points and were not allowed to advance to the next mission, as punishment for cheating. Switching off OverHeating tracking via the same menu, however, merely caused you not to get any points.
** Additionally, ''Mech Warrior 2'' used some of the original ''Doom's'' cheat codes for various effects. If you entered 'idkfa', which in Doom gave you all weapons and keys with full ammo, the screen turned white, the console returned "This ain't DOOM, Bub.", and your 'mech immediately exploded.
** In ''Mech Warrior 3'' and its Pirates Moon expansion, turning on any cheat would display a red "DISHONORABLE" above your mech's damage display, you wouldn't be able to progress in the campaign after completing the mission akin to ''Mech Warrior 2''. Which presents some FridgeLogic, since in ''3'', You aren't playing as a Clanner that fights for "Honor".
* In ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'', if you cheated your stats higher than possible, before meeting Jack for the first time, he will comment on this and tells you to redo the character creation process fairly; however, you can tell him that it's part of a mod.
** One item, [[{{BFS}} The Sheriff Sword]] can only be obtained by cheating. The item description is "You shouldn't have this."
* ''VideoGame/SidMeiersAlphaCentauri'' plasters your score with a huge "CHEATED!" in bold red if you use the in-game scenario editor to tweak the game to your advantage.
** Plus the ending for that scenario will always reveal that the whole thing was [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall just your faction acting out a wargame]] and that they haven't actually achieved anything, irrespective of your method of victory.
* In ''VideoGame/TheImpossibleQuiz'', if you press the Tab key (which normally highlights a clickable object in a Flash file), you get an instant Game Over. In ''The Impossible Quiz 2'', this is accompanied by a screen that reads, "CHEATER! Tabbing is for TWATS!" with a screen showing a tab key getting X-ed out. Worse yet, one question attempts to trick you into pressing Tab with a message saying, "Press Tab 50 times!", complete with a timer. But the timer is actually a dud; if you wait long enough, the message changes to "Actually, don't do it, you'll die!" and you simply advance to the next question.
* The original ''VideoGame/FZero'' has, in at least one course, a massive shortcut you can take by hitting a jump pad at full speed and turning hard right to land on the track opposite of you - but a flying saucer will take your machine and drop it off where it's supposed to be, thereby negating your progress. In ''F-Zero GX'', taking such a shortcut without some clever exploitation of the course's hidden checkpoints will cause your machine to simply explode.
* If you use the ''[[VideoGame/{{Arkanoid}} Arkanoid DS]]'' Paddle Controller with ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders Extreme'', your high scores will be marked to show that you used it. Additionally, it can't be used for Ranking Mode.
** ''Space Invaders Extreme 2'' lifts the Ranking Mode ban. Paddle users will have a "P" shown next to their scores, but there is no way to separate ranking by input method. However, in versus mode, there is an option that prevents the game from matching you up with paddle players.