History Main / ClassicCheatCode

* The ''VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga'' is consistent across the years with cheats unlocked by entering either "devmapall" or "helpusobi 1" and featuring a godmode (god) all weapons, ammo and full health/shields (give [blank] or give all) level jumps, noclip mode and the latter two games letting you set Force powers as high as you like and spawn both friendly and hostile NPCs. Also present in the last game is a punching mechanic, unlocked with the code "iknowkungfu."

* ''Gleylancer'' for Mega Drive had a cheat code that spelled out a phrase on the controller...''in Japanese''! And it's an entirely appropriate phrase, at that: "BACA DACARA BURUBURU DA" ("I'm trembling because I'm stupid").

* ''VideoGame/{{Skitchin}}'' has the code B, A, Down, A, Start, Start ({{Badass}}), which unlocks the ability to put in secret passwords. These include starting on later levels (PIZZA to start on Chicago, for example), changing your character's head (MOHAWK to get... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin you can guess]]), and getting items to use during races (THRASH for the most powerful weapons).

* The Sega Genesis game ''VideoGame/{{Skitchin}}'' has the code B, A, Down, A, Start, Start, which unlocks the ability to put in secret passwords. These include starting on later levels (PIZZA to start on Chicago, for example), changing your character's head (MOHAWK to get... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin you can guess]]), and getting items to use during races (THRASH for the most powerful weapons).

* The ''VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga'' is consistent across the years with cheats unlocked by entering either "devmapall" or "helpusobi 1" and featuring a godmode (god) all weapons, ammo and full health/shields (give all) level jumps, noclip mode and the latter two games letting you set Force powers as high as you like and spawn both friendly and hostile NPCs. Also present in the last game is a punching mechanic, unlocked with the code "iknowkungfu."

* ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'': A5 B2 D5 D4 C5 C1 B4 C3 E2. Many gamers fondly remember this password that brought them to Wily's Castle with 4 E-Tanks. You may not remember those exact coordinates, but odds are you'll recognize it [[http://www.mmhp.net/GameHints/MM2.html#Pass once you see it]].

* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsEpisodeIRacer'' for the {{Nintendo 64}}, holding down the Z button and using the L Button to set RRTANGENTABACUS as your file name gave you access to the debug menu when you paused. In this menu you could change things like your acceleration and top speed, invulnerability, enabling zero gravity on the whole track, and enabling an otherwise unavailable control scheme with [[DualWielding two N64 joypads]].

* The BigBad of ''Film/WreckItRalph'' uses the Konami code to unlock the source code to ''Sugar Rush''.

* ''{{Deadlock}}'' had several that could be entered in single player by using the multiplayer talk prompt.

'''Gamer:''' Alright. [[VideoGame/{{Doom}} One. IDDQD. Two. IDKFA.]]\\

* The Sega Genesis game ''VideoGame/{{Skitchin}}'' has the code [[BadAss B, A, Down, A, Start, Start]], which unlocks the ability to put in secret passwords. These include starting on later levels (PIZZA to start on Chicago, for example), changing your character's head (MOHAWK to get... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin you can guess]]), and getting items to use during races (THRASH for the most powerful weapons).

* In the ''HomeAlone'' PC game, you can press Insert, F1, F2, F3 to make Kevin fly. While using that, if you go to the top left or top right corners of the screen, you can end up ''warping to a different room''.

** ''Metroid''s loose password system produces some interesting combinations, such as "[[Anime/DragonBallZ DRAGON BALL Z Dragon Ball z]]" and "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3UyVylP7AI ENGAGE RIDLEY MOTHER FUCKER]]."

** ''Metroid''s loose password system produces some interesting results, such as "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3UyVylP7AI ENGAGE RIDLEY MOTHER FUCKER]]."

** Interestingly enough, typing in "[[Anime/DragonBallZ DRAGON BALL Z Dragon Ball z]]" will make Samus spawn suitless in Norfair with 172 missiles, 5 Energy Tanks with only 30 units of energy, Screw Attack, High Jump Boots, Morphball and Bombs, and the Ice Beam along with the Long Beam. The gateway to Tourian is also open, alleviating the need to defeat Kraid or Ridley. The background music will also stop playing after Samus leaves Norfair, unless she gets a Power-up. Also the Varia Suit will not be on its respective statue, neither Samus will have it in her arsenal. Considering how popular ''Dragon Ball Z'' is in Japan, it's likely that one of the developers threw it in as a ShoutOut.
** A coincidental password remained elusive for years until someone tried it out of sheer curiosity. The password was [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3UyVylP7AI ENGAGE RIDLEY MOTHER FUCKER]]. It gives Samus the same suit as the Justin Bailey code, but the graphics became corrupted and the screen was locked in place, preventing you from moving ahead. In more recent ports it even crashes the game entirely, and become infamous for flat out '''''DESTROYING''''' ''UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS''s when it's used on a 3DS.

A CheatCode 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 video gaming medium, cheat codes remained popular.

* ''VideoGame/{{Carmageddon}}'' has the family unfriendly [[spoiler:IBETYOUCANTPRINTCUNT]] code, which enables Cheat Mode and also gives the player debug access. This is more likely a challenge to magazines that printed codes in cheat sections and knowing that very VERY few magazines would post a cheat with that in it.

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' has "BARRAL", the 50 lives cheat. There is also "DYDDY" for accessing the bonus stages ("Diddy" being the name of Donkey Kong's sidekick, of course!) Entering "B-A-down-B-up-down-down-Y" (BAD BUDDY) after selecting "Erase Game" on the file select screen allows players to swap out in co-op mode by just one person pressing the 'A' button, and pressing "down-A-R-B-Y-down-A-Y", then Select in the same manner changes the music on the screen.
* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'' features two cheats on the game select screen that spell words. "BARRALAX" removes the DK barrels [[note]]Barrel Ax[[/note]], and "YASADLAD" gives you 50 lives (because if you need 50 lives to beat the game, YA have to be a SAD LAD).
* ''DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble'' has a code menu you can access with a key combination, but then you'll have to input letters to create the code, and it has quite a few codes to play around with. Where's the fun in that?

* In ''VideoGame/{{Sonic the Hedgehog|1}}'', the level select code is "up, down, left, right, then hold A and press Start". Pressing C after each direction activates debug mode. The first version of the code is used in a number of other Mega Drive games.
* In ''VideoGame/Sonic3DFlickiesIsland'', press B, A, right, A, C, up, down, A ("BARACUDA") to unlock level select. This is also a common sequence in Mega Drive games.
* Sega Genesis [[note]]Mega Drive, outside of North America[[/note]] ''VideoGame/{{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...

** The PlayStation [[VideoGameRemake remake]] has a code that unlocks all of the characters in Story Mode (Up, Down, Left, Right, X, Circle at the Press Start screen) and the enemies in VS. Mode (Up, Down, Left, Right, Up, Down, Left, Right, X, Circle as with the other code).

* The Sega Genesis game ''VideoGame{{Skitchin}}'' has the code [[BadAss B, A, Down, A, Start, Start]], which unlocks the ability to put in secret passwords. These include starting on later levels (PIZZA to start on Chicago, for example), changing your character's head (MOHAWK to get... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin you can guess]]), and getting items to use during races (THRASH for the most powerful weapons).

* The Sega Genesis game ''Skitchin''' has the code [[BadAss B, A, Down, A, Start, Start]], which unlocks the ability to put in secret passwords. These include starting on later levels (PIZZA to start on Chicago, for example), changing your character's head (MOHAWK to get... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin you can guess]]), and getting items to use during races (THRASH for the most powerful weapons).

** A coincidental password remained elusive for years until someone tried it out of sheer curiosity. The password was [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3UyVylP7AI ENGAGE RIDLEY MOTHER FUCKER]]. It gives Samus the same suit as the Justin Bailey code, but the graphics became corrupted and the screen was locked in place, preventing you from moving ahead. In more recent ports it even crashes the game entirely, and become infamous for flat out destroying ''UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS''s when it's used on a 3DS.

* In the [[TurboGrafx16 PC Engine]] version of the Irem game ''Mr. Heli no Daibouken'', the code for up to 99 continues was I, II, II, I, Select. Entering the same code in ''VideoGame/NinjaSpirit'' would just display the message "Do you play Mr. Heli?" (This confused some American players, since ''Mr. Heli'' was released in the U.S. only as an ArcadeGame under the MarketBasedTitle ''Battle Chopper''.)

-->'''Devil:''' I'll grant you any three wishes. Just remember, you'll be going to Hell afterwards.\\

* Holding down shift and pressing 838 while on the title screen opened up a developer's screen on many [[TI99 TI-99/4A]] games, typically allowing you to choose what level to start on, how many lives you had, etc.
* Many GameBoy games used Up, A, Start. When used any time, it would cause an in-game reset.
* Try the konami code (Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, left, Right, B, A) on this website: http://www.vogue.co.uk/

** Entering "MISEROYO" in the Options screen of the original SharpX68000 version unlocks the ability to play as the bosses in Story Mode by pressing F5-10 during gameplay and the enemies in VS. Mode. You can also change the game speed, kill everything on screen, or yourself to end a session.

* In the PC version of ''Franchise/TombRaider II'', attempting to use the "All Weapons" cheat [[note]]one step forward, one step back, turn around three times, and jump back [[/note]] from the original ''VideoGame/TombRaider'' causes Lara to explode. The sequence ''does'' work as expected if Lara is holding a flare at the time.
** ''Tomb Raider III'' had even more fun with that: you have to do everything like in the second game, ''but'' with your pistols unholstered and adding a crouch before turning around. Wielding any other item or omitting the crouch once again causes Lara to explode.

* In ''VideoGame/SpaceQuest 6'', the ABBACAB cheat is used to activate a secret weapon in the ''Stooge Fighter'' game. You have to learn this by buying a cheat sheet. Unless the cheat is used, the game is rigged against you (because your opponent is already using the secret weapon on you).

* In the ''VirtuaFighter'' series, Dural was always selectable on the home consoles by pressing Down, Up, Right, A + Left on certain characters (usually the one on the furthest right or left), or D.U.R.A.L. However after 4, you either had to purchase Dural, or attain a certain rank to be able to fight as her.

* ''VideoGame/{{Carmageddon}}'' has the family unfriendly [[spoiler:IBETYOUCANTPRINTCUNT]] code, which enables Cheat Mode and also gives the player debug access.
** This is more likely a challenge to magazines that printed codes in cheat sections and knowing that very VERY few magazines would post a cheat with that in it.

* The password for an instant win in ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft|I}}'' is "there is no cow level", referencing a rumor in Blizzard's ''{{VideoGame/Diablo}}'' (which became an actual level in ''Diablo II''). There was also a user group known as "Operation: CWAL (Can't Wait Any Longer)" on the Blizzard forums before the official release of ''Starcraft''; as a ShoutOut, the cheat code for super fast construction is "operation cwal". The cheat for infinite energy is "the gathering", a reference to ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''. Other cheats include "black sheep wall", "food for thought", and "power overwhelming". ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' has terribleterribledamage and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtvIYRrgZ04&t=1m51s moredotsmoredots]].