Do you know why game developers add cheat codes to video games? To test the game out more efficiently and easily. While these devs use them for testing purposes, we players input them for many fun purposes. Some of the cheat codes relatively changed the entire gameplay mechanics of the game. It felt like an elite Hackerman while flexing and demonstrating some cheats to friends. But what started it all? Here’s our list featuring the 10 most famous cheat codes of all time.
Most Famous Cheat Codes of All Time
Mentioned below are the most famous and iconic cheat codes of all time:
- GTA Series
- Metroid
- Sonic The Hedgehog
- Super Mario Bros
- Doom
- Legend of Zelda
- Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast
- Mortal Kombat
- Sims
- Konami Code
GTA Series
There are some memories that you cannot forget regardless of how much you have all grown up. For me, it was the cheats for GTA that left imprints on my brain. As players were chased by the cops for wreaking havoc, they could type “LEAVEMEALONE” cheat to make all the wanted stars disappear. It was an ultimate pass and hack to go on a rampage back then. You could input the cheat over and over, to escape the felonies and swarming police force. Rockstar Games has kept their tradition of cheats running still now with GTA 5 and GTA Online. Wouldn’t it be exciting to see what cheat codes they have in-store for players for their upcoming GTA 6?
Metroid (1986)
If you have played Metroid on your old Nintendo, you might have typed the JUSTIN BAILEY as a password. It automatically granted Samus a swimsuit with dozens of power-ups. It was almost a God mode for players at that time. When Samus was revealed to be a female Intergalactic bounty hunter it broke the gaming community in 1986. As there was no Internet, people used to refer to manuals it suggested Samus as a male. While people have been scratching their heads to find the origins of Justin Bailey and who he is, it was simply a fluke by the creators.
Sonic The Hedgehog (1991)
During retro times, any working cheat was a wonder for young players. One of these wonders included a cheat that granted players to choose any level in Sonic The Hedgehog. Players would press the Up, Down, Left, Right, A, and Start buttons and they were simply able to pick any level. While it could not give the players to complete the game entirely, it was pretty cool for players to access the final level. Who cares if you completed the game or not, you are on a final mission to defeat Dr. Robotnik.
Super Mario Bros (1985)
It’s more than three decades since the game out and it still reigns as the most popular of all. There were eight worlds or levels that players had to complete. Players (including me) would grind their entire day to rescue Mario’s princess but get killed by a turtle on their fifth or sixth world. Little did they know that there was a workaround that allowed them to continue right where they lost all their lives. Rather than starting with the World 1-1 player could simply start their game on the World they lost their life. All you need to do is hit the A button with the Start button to continue where you lost.
(This is the knowledge I would like to pass on to my past version if time travel is ever invented!)
Doom (1993)
Some of the cheats in Doom were at an insane level during that time. It might be the first perfected God mode as activating it allowed players to take no damage. With no damage, there is no chance that you can get killed. Players needed to type iddqd and that’s it. Other cheat codes like idkfa allowed players to get all the weapons and ammunition. In addition to the weapons and ammo, typing idfa would grant you all the key cards as well.
Legend of Zelda (1996)
This is the game that had a massive impact and influence on other video game creators. As the Souls and Elden Ring’s creator Hidetaka Miyazaki stated that Legend of Zelda was like a textbook for 3-D games, it pretty much explains all. While there were many cheats, one of the cheats allowed you to begin with the second level or quest directly. In addition to that, you have most of the equipable items when you start. All you need to do was enter ZELDA as your gaming name. Pretty creative of the game developers as the entire game revolves around saving Princess Zelda, right?
Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast (2002)
While Star Wars fans are usually the Winnie the Pooh wearing a Tuxedo meme, one thing we hate is an unfit lightsaber duel. It’s the one thing that was criticized the most in the recent Star Wars movies. But with the Jedi Outcast, players were able to upgrade their duels using a cheat code, g_saberrealisticcombat. It allowed players to experience a more realistic and ruthless version of the duel. After you activate that cheat, you can slice and slash through enemies. This code allowed players to experience what it meant to wield a lightsaber in a much more realistic way.
Mortal Kombat (Genesis 1992)
Can you imagine Mortal Kombat with no brutality or fatalities? No! But the first Mortal Kombat game censored out the blood and cruel fatalities on their Genesis version. While the blood was replaced by sweat and fatalities by finishing moves, the game devs slipped a cheat code. The cheat code ABACABB allowed players to activate them all in an instant. This cheat was also a tribute to the ABACABB band that shared their name on the Genesis console.
Sims (2000)
The franchise of Sims is ever-expanding with different spin-offs and installments but let’s go back to the first one. As it is a life-simulation game, the currency is one of the most important of all. The cheat code, Rosebud allows players to earn 1000 simoleons in an instant. What’s blowing my mind is the Citizen Kane movie reference that the game devs slipped in. If you haven’t watched Citizen Kane (1941), its plot revolves around a business tycoon’s last word, Rosebud. It hit me right in the feels, as it is not a simple cheat code but also an Easter egg with a deeper meaning.
Konami Code (1986)
This might be one of the first and oldest uses of cheat codes. The Konami code was invented by the creators of Konami Holdings. While it was first used in Gradius in 1985, it was heavily popularized when it was used in Contra. Players had to press the Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, right, left, right, B, A buttons to enter the cheat codes. If you entered this code in Contra, you get 30 lives to progress through the game. As the Konami code got popular, it was also used in countless other video games to activate several buffs and unlimited resources.
That’s all on the 10 Famous cheat codes of all time. If you liked this guide, check out our Console Commands section for freebies, powerups, and unlimited resources right here on Gamer Tweak
