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Classic Cheat Code
Always respect the Code.
A "Cheat Code" is a sequence of commands which turns on an undocumented, advantageous feature within a game. These are typically backdoors inserted during programming to facilitate testing by the designers. Since cartridge-based games used fixed memory locations, removing these backdoors after development was problematic (since their removal could lead to new unexpected bugs), so they were often left in for released versions.

Even after cartridges were replaced by CD-ROMs as the main videogaming medium, cheat codes remained popular.

A cheat code is a beneficial-in-game Easter Egg. If it's completely unrelated (like the flight sim in Excel, or the special room in the Atari 2600 Adventure cartridge) then it's an Easter Egg, but not a cheat code.

A few cheat codes have become so well known that you can expect to see homages in modern games:

  • The code 'XYZZY' was a magic word within the original Colossal Cave Adventure. In Colossal Cave itself it was not a cheat code, but part of the normal game; however, homages to the game have used it as a cheat code, and the hobbyist text-adventure development community traditionally includes a hidden 'xyzzy' command as a tribute to Colossal Cave.
    • Slightly less commonly used is 'PLUGH' which functioned the same way as 'XYZZY' in Colossal Cave.
    • Trying either of these codes in Zork causes the game to tell you "A hollow voice says 'Fool'." This in itself is commonly referenced.
    • In Deus Ex, this is one of the passwords JC Denton uses to attempt to get into Smuggler's place when he doesn't know the real one.
    • Some versions of Windows Minesweeper used 'xyzzy' as a cheat allowing the player to identify whether or not a given square contained a mine by looking at the upper-left-most pixel of the screen.
  • Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A - This sequence, known as the Konami Code, was used in a number of NES Konami games, beginning with Gradius, and popularized in Contra, to grant various powerups and (most often) additional lives. It has since been used or referred to in homage in a number of non-Konami games.
    • The code is also used in Yu-Gi-Oh: Falsebound Kingdom (another Konami game) as a code for getting bonus money.
      • Using it in either Yu-Gi-Oh Tag Force games would unlock a Konami themed booster pack, featuring Gradius cards. A nice nod, but fairly impractical, as the cards themselves aren't that great, and the cost for just one pack is several times that of the others.
    • In later Gradius games, this code instantly killed you, but variant versions of it would provide the original benefits.
      • For example, in Gradius III, replacing Left and Right with L and R (the shoulder buttons) would grant the ship four options and the selected ? powerup.
    • Using this code in a certain room in a certain bonus dungeon was the only way to get One Hundred Percent Completion in the first Boktai game.
    • In Music, this popular code was paid homage to by the band The Ataris by the song entitled just what the code was: Up, Up, Down, Down, etc...
      • It also appears in "Anyone Else But You" by indie darlings The Moldy Peaches — "Up up down down left right left right B A start/just because we use cheats doesn't mean we're not smart."
      • Eventually, it even became the name of a band in its own right.
      • As well, pro wrestler and Ring of Honor regular Jimmy Jacobs officially dubbed his Finishing Move the "Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start". The commentators, more often than not, just call it the "Contra Code".
      • The band "The Gothsicles" produced an album, titled NESferatu, that has a song (and several remixes) about the Konami Code and its giving you "thirty guys" in Contra.
      • Deftones are apparently Contra fans as they have an original instrumental titled U,U,D,D,L,R,L,R,A,B,Select,Start in their 2006 album, Saturday Night Wrist.
      • Schoolyard Heroes have an entire song about the code. 95% of the lyrics are the code repeated over and over.
      • Linkin Park has a fake DVD menu that looks like the the main menu on their oldest DVD. Entering the Konami Code (the directional part, anyway) unlocks a secret chapter.
      • An episode of Drawn Together had Toot controlling Xandir with a very similar cheat code.
    • A recent using of the code was in Silent Hill Origins, where one of the bonus costumes has to be unlocked in this way. The game itself refers to the cheat as "an ancient and powerful spell".
    • Insaniquarium Deluxe uses this code to open up the Sandbox, which not only lets the player do whatever the hell they want within said Sandbox, but also gives him/her/it a shiny new trophy and lets them put a whole batch of extra pets into their Virtual Tank.
    • While this is more of an Easter Egg, the Google Reader recognizes the Contra Code and unlocks a ninja theme when it is used.
    • On Normal or less difficulty mode, the notoriously tricky boss The End in Metal Gear Solid 3 could be seen on the Map screen with the help of the code. When your rank is displayed in Metal Gear Solid 2, enter the code and Solid Snake'll make fun of you for trying to cheat so late. Entering UUDDLRLRAB as your name on the Dog Tag has an interesting effect, too.
      • Interrogate EVA, and she'll stammer, "Up... up... down... down... I forgot the rest!"
    • Enter it as your name before starting a VR Missions save on Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, and it will unlock all the characters and their missions for you, so that you can skip tricky levels and come back to them later.
    • The anime Hellsing has Psycho For Hire vampire Jan Valentine Shout Out to this while mowing down the Redshirt Army with Guns Akimbo. "Bringing the motherfucking death by Konami!"
      • In the Japanese version of the Hellsing OVA , Jan shouts "Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right!... We're the only ones with invincible mode." instead.
    • The Magical Girl styled one-shot opening in the second season of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei briefly shows the Konami Code on Meru's cell phone.
    • The Battle Athletes Victory series has a pair of athletes recite the code to break the concentration of their opponents in a three-legged race.
    • The game Gundam Seed Destiny: Generation of C.E. features the "SEED Sense" effect, where starting to watch an attack animation had the chance to prompt you to push one of the PS 2 controller face buttons. Doing so had the chance to improve any number of things, and even prevent death automatically at low health an unlimited number of times, as long as you hit the right button. However, starting an attack animation locked you into viewing it, so the game took longer to play and got stale more quickly. How do you get out of the attack animations after using your "SEED Sense," you ask? Push Down, Down, Up, Up, Right, Left, Right, Left, R3, L3, and Start. An inverted Konami code.
    • In the NES version of Gyruss, you had to enter the Konami code backward (A, B, A, B, right, left, right, left, down, down, up, up) in order for it to work properly.
    • In the online game Kingdom Of Loathing, the code is the answer to a certain puzzle.
    • In Super Monkey Ball Jr., entering the code on the title screen changes "Monkey Ball" on the title screen to "Nice Try".
    • A couple songs' step charts in Dance Dance Revolution have 8 arrows in the order Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right. The most notable example is "Twinbee ~Generation X~", which has the code in its step charts for all difficulties on all modes.
      • In fact, the song "Make A Jam!" uses this pattern in the chorus' Light steps. It also ends with the classic mid-90s Konami jingle. Also, Dance Dance Revolution X features the song "30 Lives (Up-Down Dance Mix)", which features the code in its lyrics (and steps).
    • In Zone of the Enders the Second Runner, it was possible to get Zoradius mode by entering a shortened version of the cheat code: Up Down Left Right Start at the pause menu during the boss battle with Vic Viper (I forget if it had to be in the Bonus Missions or worked in Story Mode).
      • This Troper got it in Bonus Missions, using the full code (L1, R1 for B,A). Entering the code again in the minigame itself gave you full powerups just like a real Gradius game.
    • The Konami Code is quoted in Disgaea 3, known for its many references; in need of power, the main character tries it.
    Mao: Games have cheat codes, too! What was it already? Up, up, down, down...
    • The Konami Code is featured in an episode of Spaceballs The Animated Series where Lonestar and Vespa are trapped in a video game.
    • In indie game Iji, there is a logbook that encourages you to try the Konami Code on the start menu. If you do, a dialogue scrolls across the screen chiding you for beating tired old memes to death.
    • In Grandia, the directions from this code are entered in reverse in order to open a necessary door in the enemy fortress and progress in the game. Entering it without finding the password in-game results in a brief scene where a flustered Justin tells the others he was just pushing random buttons.
    • Entering the code in Achievement Unlocked (a Flash Platformer where the only object is to collect enough Cosmetic Awards to get One Hundred Percent Completion) gives you the achievement "Too Much Contra".
    • For reasons that are as yet unexplained, entering the code on espn.com causes unicorns to appear every time you hit enter, and inserts adjectives like 'sparkly' and 'wonderful' into all the story titles. Quite possibly their web designer is about to get fired. This started, so far as we can tell, on the 27th April 2009. No idea how long it'll last.
      • It was fixed later the same day, unfortunately. A website with similar code (no adjectives, though) is here ("enter", then the code through A, then "enter" again).
    • Believe it or not, this now works on Facebook of all things: entering the code enables Lens Flare.
    • Tengen's NES version of Tetris has the Konami code as well. Inputting the code while the game is paused replaces your current piece with an I piece. It only works once per game.
    • Elder Xelpud in La Mulana makes a reference to the Konami Code in one of his 'guy ranting about old video games' dialogues.
  • In Golden Sun, the code to change Garet, Ivan, and Mia's names is to press 'Select' three times before you leave Isaac's name screen. To change Felix, Jenna, and Sheba's name, you use up, down, up, down, left, right, left, right, up, right, down, left, up, select. The codes are the same in the sequel, only the characters are switched.
  • Short lived UK Music-and-UGC TV channel MTV Flux had a games programme on it named after the Konami code- originally used in its entirety, the title was shortened to simply Up Up Down Down
  • "id" sequences - DooM had a number of cheat codes prefixed by the character sequence "id" (iD software created the game). The most popular of them were IDDQD and IDKFA. The first one gave the player immortality, the second – full megaarmor protection, all weapons, ammo and keys. Several later games, particularly FPSes, have carried on the tradition.
    • Speaking of other first person shooter games, the game Heretic allowed you to use IDDQD... but, in a case of Jackass Genie, doing so instantly killed you, with the words "Trying to cheat, eh? Now you die!" appearing on the screen. Likewise, IDKFA deprived you of everything except a staff ("Cheater - you don't deserve weapons!"). Players were especially likely to try these cheat codes at least once, considering that the game used the Doom engine.
      • Similarly, attempting to use the All Weapons cheat from the original Tomb Raider in the PC version of Tomb Raider II would cause Lara to explode. The sequence could be performed safely (with its original effect) by holding a flare at the time.
    • If you put in any code from the original Doom games in the developer console in the recent Doom 3, a message would appear that said "Your memory serves you well!" and nothing more.
    • There was an unintended and unforeseen cheat code portability between Heretic and its sequel Hexen. If you entered the invincibility code (QUICKEN) and the all weapons code (RAMBO) from Heretic while playing Hexen, Hexen would pick up its own all weapons code (NRA) from the sequence: QUICKENRAMBO. Yes, this troper discovered this while idly typing in codes.
    • Using IDDQD in Mech Warrior 2 detonated your Battle Mech, with the message "This ain't Doom, bub"
    • In Activision's Windows release of Earthworm Jim, entering IDDQD and IDKFA would display two different credits screens.
    • Not many iD Software fans know the etymology of the legendary IDDQD and IDKFA. IDDQD is a combination of iD (from iD Software) and DQD, Delta-Q-Delta, the name of a three-person informal fraternity organized by Doom programmer Dave Tailor during his college days. IDKFA is similar a combination of Id and KFA, which is an acronym of "Kick F***ing Ass".
      • More likely, KFA stands for "Keys, Firepower, Ammo," which is what the code grants. This fits in with the lesser-known code IDFA which, as could be expected, gives firepower and ammo but no keys.
      • IDFA only existed in later versions of the game for precisely this interpretation. One suggestion for the original meaning of KFA is "Killer F***ing Arsenal".
    • The original NOCLIP code for DooM was IDSPISPOPD. It was both a code and an in-joke, considering it was an acronym for "Smashing pumpkins into small piles of putrid debris."
      • Which was a reference to a fictional game which derived from online discussions prior to the release of Doom.
  • JUSTIN BAILEY - A password beginning with this sequence lets a player start Metroid with an unarmored Samus and much of the game completed. Various theories arose as to who or what "Justin Bailey" was, but it was later proven to be a coincidence - the password system was coded so that many English word combinations produced valid results. A Metroid cheat code that was not a coincidence (but which remained undetected for years) is NARPASSWORD00000 (yes, only five 0's are needed), which is thought to stand for North American Release (or Not A Real) Password (though this hasn't stopped gamers from feverishly searching the game for a "Narpas Sword", due to the way the password was visually split).
    • One theory stated that it was actually three words, "Just In Bailey", as (apparently) a "bailey" is an outdated slang for a bathing suit.
    • Along similar lines, Kid Icarus (which used the same password system as Metroid) featured no less than five such passwords - 8 followed by a series of "u"s, DANGER !!!!!! TERROR HORROR, PAKING PAKING PAKING PAKING, ICARUS FIGHTS MEDUSA ANGELS, and MEDUSA FIGHTS ICARUS ANGELS and . Whether or not any of these are 'intentional' is, as with Metroid's passwords, hard to tell. (Incidentally, the latter two passwords are functionally identical.)
      • This troper's most used password was simply going down the first four columns of symbols. Which was sort of glitchy, but made you pretty much invincible.
    • The single greatest metroid password ever is ENGAGE RIDLEY MOTHER FUCKER.
    • No 0's are needed in NARPASSWORD. The game treats a blank, unentered space as functionally identical to a 0.
  • And while it doesn't really count as a cheat code, the password "NNNNNNNN" in Ecco The Dolphin will bring you straight to Welcome to the Machine, the game's next-to-last level - one that would probably qualify as the Scrappy Level to end all Scrappy Levels. It's not a cheat, it's a one-way ticket to videogame hell.
  • Sonic The Hedgehog has Up, Down, Left, Right, A, Start to activate level select. A variation was used to activate debug mode.
    • The same code was used as a level skip for the Megadrive's The Terminator, and many other games for the system.
  • For layers of awesome, it's hard to beat Mortal Kombat's cheat code on the Sega Genesis to unlock actual blood. The code was ABACABB, which was quite likely reference to the album ABACAB by The Eighties rock band... wait for it... Genesis!
    • The Genesis version of Shadowrun has a variation—ABBACAB, most likely also referencing the band's album.
  • In reference to a rumor in Diablo and an actual level in Diablo II, the password for an instant win in Starcraft is "there is no cow level."
    • There was also an user group in the Blizzard forums before the official release of Starcraft, known as "Operation: CWAL (Can't Wait Any Longer)"; as a Shout Out, the cheat code for super fast construction is "operation cwal".
  • Such references are old hat in Blizzard games, especially the War Craft series.
  • For a rare non-game example, see Wanda's spell incantations in this Erfworld comic.
    • Another subtle non-game reference from one episode of Ah! Megami-sama: Sorezore no Tsubasa: Skuld sets one of her inventions, controlled by SNES controller, to reset with a variant of the aforementioned Konami Code (SET SET instead of B A). It could be coincidence, but...
  • Quite a few games for Sega Genesis used the password B, A, Right, Right, A, C, Up, Down, A for some hidden feature; when abbreviated, this spells out "barracuda".
  • The Sega Genesis game Skitchin' used B, A, Down, A, Start, Start.
  • The Crusader games' cheat codes required an activation code to be entered. In the first, this was JASSICA16. In the second game, entering this would result in a message popping up, saying, "Of course we changed the cheats...duh." And then you were teleported to an open room with no cover to face down ten of the game's boss fight at once. (In No Regret, the "activation" code was LOOSECANNON 16, the game being the brainchild of...Loose Cannon.)
  • The space combat game "Tachyon: The Fringe" had several cheats, but upon inputting any of them, the main character, voiced by Bruce Campbell, would voice his disapproval of cheating by making comments such as "Excuse me? Mr. Cheater? Why don't you try beating the game fair and square, huh?"
    • In Theme Hospital entering any cheat, of any kind, would result in the receptionist (on loudspeaker) saying "The Hospital Administrator is CHEATING!"
      • "A CHEAT is running the hospital!"
  • The "Supreme Cheat" from the first Turok game was fairly easy to remember: NTHGHTHDGDCRTDTRK, which stands for "ON THE EIGHTH DAY GOD CREATED TUROK".
    • ...Either you're being facetious, or we have some very different definitions of "fairly easy to remember."
      • It's easier when you know what it stands for: Just remove all the vowels, including Y.
    • The Sequel had a cheat that also functioned as a Sequel Hook, bewareoblivionisathand.
  • Perplex City has a card whose objective was naming the games many of these codes were from.
  • Sim City 2000 used "FUND", the cheat code to give you more money in the original, as a request for you to be loaned $10,000 at 30 percent interest a week. As a Shout Out, entering "fund" in the cheat console of Sim City 3000 makes your news ticker scroll a message about "an ancient, arcane code".
    • Take out a few more loans with that code, though, and you'll get one with an incredibly high negative interest rate — they're actually paying you to borrow money.
    • Using that code in Sim Ant results in a message saying "Congratulations, you are now $10,000 richer. Unfortunately, money is useless in this game."
  • The code dates all the way back to the original Sim City, where the code indeed gave you ten grand, no problem. And every fifth time you entered it, there was an earthquake. So Yeah.
  • In Sim City 3000, with the code "Call Cousin Vinny" a shady-looking character would show up in a message offering a large sum of money. The offer would only work once per game, and if you rejected it, a cop would arrive congratulating you for passing a Secret Test Of Character, so you kinda won either way.
  • Donkey Kong Country 2 featured two cheats on the game select screen that spelled words. "BARRALAX" removes the DK barrels, and "YASADLAD" gives you 50 lives (because if you need 50 lives to beat the game, YA have to be a SAD LAD).
    • The original DKC had "BARRAL" as the 50 lives cheat. The "BARRALAX" code was probably made to throw off those who were used to the DKC 1 cheat.
  • Grand Theft Auto 3 on the Playstation 2 had a number of codes, including some (like making the pedestrians fight each other, or hate and attack you) that could not be disabled; if you saved, the cheat was restored/re-enabled when the game was reloaded. The only way to undo them was to restart the game, either from scratch or from a save game in which the cheat had not been enabled.
    • The PC version had memorable codes, too. gunsgunsguns gave you every weapon (repeating "guns" over and over gave you more ammo), giveusatank made the Rhino fall out of the sky, turtoise gave you 100 armor, gesundheit gave you 100 health, ilikedressingup made you look like a random pedestrian
  • Not really a classic cheat code, but in the Sega Genesis (or Mega Drive, for those outside of North America) version of Pitfall The Mayan Adventure, the level select cheat was B, Right, A, Down, Right, Up, B, Left, A, Up, Right, A. Which, of course, makes one wonder just who Brad and Laura are...

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