Konami Code

The Konami Code

The Konami Code (Japanese: コナミコマンド, Konami komando, "Konami command") is a cheat code that appears in many Konami video games,[1] although the code also appears in some non-Konami games.[2]

During the title screen before the game demo begins, the player could press the following sequence of buttons on the game controller to enable the cheat:

BA

The code has also found a place in popular culture as a reference to the third generation of video game consoles.[3] The code is also present as an Easter egg on a number of websites.[4][5][6][7][8]

History

The code was first used in the 1986 release of Gradius for the NES[9] but was popularized among North American players in the NES version of Contra, for which it was also dubbed both the "Contra Code" and "30 Lives Code".

The Konami Code was created by Kazuhisa Hashimoto, who was developing the home port of the 1985 arcade game Gradius, a scrolling shooter released on the NES in 1986. Finding the game too difficult to play through during testing, he created a cheat code to give the player a full set of power-ups (normally attained gradually throughout the game).[2] The code was still present in the released Gradius after Hashimoto forgot to remove it. Players discovered and shared the code via word of mouth.

The Konami Code was thus included in the series' other sequels and spin-offs, with some key differences:

The code has been subsequently re-used in a large number of other games and a varied version of the code is now used in the Opera Browser to activate hidden advanced settings.[10]

Variations

The original version of the cheat code was designed for the NES controller. The exact sequence varies from game to game and has been adapted to fit the button layouts of different video game consoles, mostly the A and B buttons. For example:

These deviations may occur:

Curiously, the "B" and "A" buttons were switched for the code when used in the NES game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project.[11]

Despite the differences, though, these codes are still often referred to in general discussion as "Konami Code", "Conami Kode", or, less commonly, "Pseudo-Konami Code".

The result of entering the Konami code on Facebook within Mozilla Firefox in November 2009.

A common misconception is that the code ends with Start or Select Start. In many titles, the player must press Start after entering the code in order to start a game, or press Select to switch to two-player mode and then start the game, leading to the confusion.

One-time result of entering the Konami code on Marvel Comics' website, a squirrel version of Deadpool.

See also

References

  1. The editors of GamePro and GamerHelp.com, "The 'Contra Code:' We Must Never Forget," GamePro 235 (April 2008): 63.
  2. 1 2 "Cracking the Code: The Konami Code". 1up.com. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
  3. Robinson, Tasha (November 1, 2012). "Wreck-It Ralph". A.V. Club. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  4. Carvin, Andy (June 14, 2010). "Geek Trick Of The Week: Newsweek Vs. The Zombies.". NPR. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  5. "The Konami Code Makes ESPN.com Magical!". Kotaku.
  6. "Konami Code triggers Easter egg on Facebook too". CNET. 2009-05-08.
  7. Moore, Matthew (September 17, 2009). "Google easter eggs: 15 best hidden jokes". The Daily Telegraph (London).
  8. "Alan Turing Google Doodle Source Code". Google. 2012-07-02.
  9. "Geek Trivia: The cheat goes on". techrepublic.com. Retrieved 2008-04-16.
  10. http://techdows.com/2014/06/use-konami-code-to-enable-power-user-settings-in-opera.html
  11. http://www.gamefaqs.com/nes/563469-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-iii-the-manhattan/cheats

External links

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