Cheats, Codes and Glitches Trivia Quiz

Answer: Contra

Released in 1987 for the NES, "Contra" was a run-and-gun game where players controlled commandos fighting an alien invasion. The game featured side-scrolling and vertical-scrolling stages with a focus on cooperative gameplay. Due to its difficulty, many players used a special cheat to progress: the Konami Code. Originally created by developer Kazuhisa Hashimoto for "Gradius" (1986) as a testing tool, the code became widely known when it granted thirty extra lives in "Contra". It later appeared in various Konami titles and became a recognisable part of their gaming culture.

"Metroid" (1986) was a platform game that focused on exploration and did not use the Konami code. "Gradius" (1985), another Konami title, did use the code, but provided power-ups rather than extra lives. "Double Dragon" (1987) was a beat-'em-up that had nothing to do with the code.

Answer: Super Metroid

Released in 1994 for the SNES, "Super Metroid" was an action-adventure game in which players controlled Samus Aran as she explored the planet Zebes. One of the game's most famous sequences took place during a battle against Draygon, a large aquatic boss. When Draygon grabbed Samus, the player could activate the grapple beam by touching the exposed electrical turrets in the room. This caused Samus to take damage, but also electrocuted Draygon, dealing significant damage and potentially defeating him much faster than traditional methods.

"Super Castlevania IV" (1991) was a platformer without a similar boss mechanic. "Mega Man X" (1993) featured an electric weapon, but did not allow self-electrocution. "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past" (1991) had magic-based attacks, but no bosses could be defeated using a similar trick.

Answer: Super Bomberman

Released for the SNES in 1993, "Super Bomberman" was a multiplayer action-puzzle game in which players controlled Bombermen through a maze, using bombs to defeat enemies and clear obstacles. The game introduced four-player battles using a multitap accessory, making it one of the first SNES games to support more than two players.

The 5656 code, entered on the password screen, allowed players to shrink their Bomberman, making him harder to hit. This was not an advertised feature, so players had to discover it through gaming magazines or word of mouth. As well as reducing the size of the character, the code also affected movement: the shrunken Bomberman moved slightly faster than normal, but his bomb range remained unchanged.

The number 5656 had no official meaning, but some players speculated that it had been chosen for its symmetry or as a simple, easy-to-remember sequence. It remains one of the most famous cheats in the "Bomberman" series.

"Street Fighter II" (1991) was a fighting game without shrinking mechanics. "Super Mario Kart" (1992) featured banana peels and lightning bolts that changed size, but not through a code. "Kirby Super Star" (1996) allowed Kirby to change form by copying abilities, but there was no numerical shrinking cheat.

Answer: Super Mario Bros.

Released in 1985 for the NES, "Super Mario Bros." was a side-scrolling platformer in which players controlled Mario as he navigated the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Peach. A famous glitch allowed players to break through walls by jumping into a block in a certain way and walking backwards. This happened because of the way the game handled collision detection - Mario's backward movement, combined with a precise jump, allowed him to partially enter a block, forcing the game to push him into unintended areas. This glitch was often used in speedrunning to skip parts of levels or access hidden areas.

"Final Fantasy" (1987) was a turn-based RPG with no platforming mechanics, making such a glitch impossible. "Mega Man 2" (1988) had some wall glitches, but no equivalent backwards-walking trick. "Metroid" (1986) had wall-climbing glitches, but they involved bomb jumps and morphing ball mechanics rather than hitting a block.

Answer: Columns

Released in 1989 for the Sega Genesis, "Columns" was a match-three puzzle game in which players stacked falling gems to form vertical, horizontal or diagonal lines. A special flashing block appeared occasionally to clear all matching gems of a particular colour. Normally, this block disappeared after use, but if the player's screen was completely full in the moment the block activated, the effect could sometimes be triggered multiple times, leading to unexpected chain reactions and last-second saves.

"Tetris Attack" (1995), "Dr. Mario" (1990) and "Puyo Puyo" (1991) all featured special blocks, but none allowed the same reuse mechanic as "Columns".

Answer: Mortal Kombat

Released in 1992, "Mortal Kombat" became famous for its brutal fighting and fatalities. However, a strange exploit allowed certain characters - such as Johnny Cage and Raiden - to avoid damage by constantly pressing left and right. If the opponent couldn't find a way to counter this, the round timer would run out, giving the victory to the player with more health. This trick was particularly effective against AI opponents, making it a notorious strategy in single player mode.

"Street Fighter II" (1991) had movement-based tricks, but not this exact exploit. "Killer Instinct" (1994) and "Tekken" (1995) had different mechanics that prevented such passive strategies.

Answer: Capcom

Capcom, a major video game developer and publisher, is known for classic franchises such as "Mega Man", "Street Fighter" and "Resident Evil". In the "Mega Man" series, particularly the NES entries, the password system consisted of a 6x6 grid where players placed red and blue dots in specific locations to continue their progress. These passwords allowed players to keep defeated robot masters, collected weapons and energy tanks.

Konami, Hudson Soft, and Sega also used password systems in various games, but primarily relied on alphanumeric codes or icon-based grids rather than coloured dot grids.

Answer: Battletoads

Released in 1991 for the NES, "Battletoads" was known for its brutal difficulty and fast-paced gameplay. One of its most notorious levels was the Turbo Tunnel, where players had to navigate high-speed hoverbike sections while avoiding obstacles. If a player reached a certain point in the tunnel and was about to crash into a wall at full speed, they could instead enter a warp zone and jump forward in the game. These warp zones were essential for speedrunners and players who wanted to avoid some of the most challenging parts of the game.

"F-Zero" (1990) and "Super Mario Kart" (1992) were racing games with shortcuts, but no warp holes. "Road Rash" (1991) focused on motorcycle combat and had no warp mechanics.

Answer: Castlevania

The "Castlevania" series, first released for the NES in 1986, was famous for its gothic horror setting and whip-based combat. Some games in the series used passwords to continue play, and certain entries allowed players to enter special sub-weapons (such as the axe, holy water or boomerang) as part of the password system. These special weapons affected the state of the game on restart, making them an integral part of the save system.

"Mega Man" (1987) also had a password system, but it was grid-based and did not involve weapons. "Metroid" (1986) used a text-based password system, but no special weapons were used for input. "Contra" (1987) relied primarily on lives, continues and cheat codes rather than passwords.

Answer: Contra

Released in 1987 for the NES, "Contra" was a fast-paced run-and-gun shooter famous for its challenging gameplay and cooperative mode. While enemies typically fired in multiple directions, a notable exception occurred in the non-side-scrolling levels, where enemy bullets were always aimed at standing height. In these overhead or pseudo-3D sections, players could simply duck to avoid each shot, making it an unintentional but effective survival strategy.

"Mega Man 2" (1988) and "Ninja Gaiden" (1988) had enemies that fired at different heights, making ducking ineffective. "RoboCop" (1987) allowed you to duck to avoid some bullets, but not with the same consistency as in "Contra's" non-side-scrolling stages.