Cheats & Codes in Video Games Trivia

1. What was the first NES game to feature the infamous Konami Code?

From Quiz It's Called the 'Konami Code'

Answer: Gradius

The side-scrolling shooter game "Gradius" was released by Konami for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985. This was the first game to feature the Konami Code in its programming. When the player activated the code it granted all in-game power-ups to the player. It was originally used as a programming tool to help the developer to test out the game. The code was left in the game unintentionally. It has been used as a cheat code in various Konami games ever since it was discovered.

From Quiz Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A

Answer: Gradius

"Gradius" was originally released by Konami as an arcade game in 1985. When porting the game to the NES, Kazuhisa Hashimoto found out that the game was incredibly hard. To make his job of porting and playtesting the game a bit easier, he designed the now famous code. Pausing the game, entering the code, and then pressing start to resume the game allowed for Hashimoto to instantaneously have almost all the power ups available in the game instead of having to acquire the powerups gradually throughout the game. As Hashimoto forgot to remove the code later on, it was included in the official release of the game and quickly discovered by players. Dubbed the Konami Command in Japan and the Konami Code in the West, it was due to the difficulty of "Gradius" that the code became so popular. For many players, like for Hashimoto, it was the only way to beat the game.

From Quiz Once a Cheater, Always a Cheater

Answer: Contra

Made famous by old-school gamers, the Konami Code showed up in some of the company's most popular video games. In the eighties, it debuted in the 1985 shooter "Gladius", during which the game could be paused and the code used to gain power-ups. Most popularly, the code appeared during "Contra", an NES game from 1987 that gave the player thirty lives when the code was given in the title screen. Games have continued to be made with the code as the years have gone by, many of which weren't even developed by Konami. Because of its integration into gamer culture, the Konami Code has been and homage in more games than almost any other cheat.

From Quiz Cheats, Codes and Glitches

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.

From Quiz Video Game Trivia #2: Codes & Secrets

Answer: Level select

A level select usually lets you select which level you want to go on. This cheat is great for picking up where you left off, getting by difficult levels and of course, playing the best levels over and over again!

From Quiz It's Called the 'Konami Code'

Answer: 30

The NES game, "Contra" is a side-scrolling run-and-shoot game. Released in 1987, it was the game that gave the Konami Code its notoriety. The code when entered would grant the player 30 lives at the start of the game, thus increasing their chances of beating the game.

From Quiz Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A

Answer: Thirty lives

When entering the Konami code at the start screen the player will start the game with thirty lives instead of three. Considering that a single hit by an enemy will kill your character those extra lives sure come in handy if you want to stand a chance of progressing to the later levels. Both players will start with thirty lives if the code is entered before selecting Two Player mode (by pressing Select at the title screen). If one player nevertheless runs out of lives very quickly, press A and B together to steal lives from your partner.

From Quiz Once a Cheater, Always a Cheater

Answer: Doom

Upon its release, "Doom" was loved by players and hated by those who feared that violent video games would be the end of us all. Sure, the debate hasn't died down, but there was always something about the pixelated monsters of the original 1993 game that oozed success, especially when shot at with the BFG. This game had two particular cheat codes to note. IDKFA (which stood for IDs, Keys, Firearms, and Armor) unlocked a wide array of...well...everything you needed in the game. IDDQD, on the other hand, opened up God Mode, allowing you to wreak havoc on enemies throughout the entire game without taking damage. There were other codes, but with these two, who needed them?

From Quiz Cheats, Codes and Glitches

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.

From Quiz Video Game Trivia #2: Codes & Secrets

Answer: R1 R2 L1 O left down right up left down right up

By putting in this code you can have infinite health on, which means dealing with missions such as "Keep Your Friends Close..." and "Rub Out" a lot easier.

From Quiz Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A

Answer: Destroys the player's ship

As the Konami code had gained notoriety, Konami decided to play a little trick on gamers. In "Gradius Galaxies" - and in "Gradius III" on the Super NES before it - entering the Konami code when the game is paused activates all the powerups, but also immediately destroys the player's ship when resuming the game, consequently losing the powerups again. However, using the L button and R button instead of left and right on the directional pad gives all weapons without any penalty. In another variation Down Down Up Up Right Left Right Left A B gives all power ups at the cost of one life (deducting one life instead of destroying the ship).

From Quiz Once a Cheater, Always a Cheater

Answer: Turok

A series of more mature games for the Nintendo 64, "Turok" was a welcome set of games. A big deal for Acclaim Entertainment upon its release in 1997, "Turok" was the only early shooter game for the console and it got the audience it was searching for. The original "Turok: Dinosaur Hunter" was critically acclaimed and sold a lot of copies. In the first game ("Turok: Dinosaur Hunter"), the big cheat unlocked pretty much everything from weapons to levels to invincibility to invisibility and others. The second game, "Seeds of Evil", unlocked everything with its big cheat as well. "Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion" also had a Big Cheat, but these were input by a new animal code system.

From Quiz Cheats, Codes and Glitches

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.

From Quiz Video Game Trivia #2: Codes & Secrets

Answer: By naming the guests

You can name your guests celebrity names such as Mr. Bean and Chris Sawyer to make your guests pay more and drive faster in races.

From Quiz It's Called the 'Konami Code'

Answer: Spider-Man

Despite being an Activision game, a modified version of the Konami Code was programmed into the Game Boy Advance version of "Tony Hawk's Pro-Skater 2". By holding the R button and entering the code, you could unlock Spider-Man as a playable skater. In the PlayStation and PC versions, Spider-Man was unlocked by achieving 100% completion.

From Quiz Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A

Answer: The code needs to be entered in reverse

"Gyruss" requires the player to enter the Konami code in reverse: B A Right Left Right Left Down Down Up Up. The reward for entering the code at the title screen is thirty lives. The game is an arcade-style shoot 'em up with a twist. The perspective is in pseudo-3D whereby you seem to look into the distance and objects gradually increase in size as you come closer. The player's ship can move along the edge of the screen to avoid oncoming objects and gain the best shooting vantage. At the time of the original arcade release in 1983 such 3D-effects were quite an accomplishment.

From Quiz Once a Cheater, Always a Cheater

Answer: Rosebud

If you were to build a house, you'd only want the best, right? In "The Sims", money was hard to come by, especially for a family just building their first new house. To get past that initially-crippling $20,000 at the beginning of the game, players could simply press CTRL-SHIFT-C to open a code bar and type 'Rosebud'; (in patched games, or 'Klapaucius' in unpatched games) to collect a thousand Simoleons. If this is done, the player can speed through the process by hitting '!;!;!;!;' into the cheat bar repeatedly. Each '!;' added another thousand to the total. Later games in the series had similar cheats, but with different codewords.

From Quiz Cheats, Codes and Glitches

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.

From Quiz Video Game Trivia #2: Codes & Secrets

Answer: Find him in the Unknown Dungeon and capture him

Mewtwo is the final Pokémon in the game and is a hard one to catch. There is only one of him, so if you fail to capture him, thats it.

From Quiz It's Called the 'Konami Code'

Answer: Marks The End's location on the map

In "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater", Naked Snake duels with The End, who is a master sniper hiding in the jungle. Entering the Konami Code will identify his position on the map, making him easier to fight.

From Quiz Cheats, Codes and Glitches

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.

From Quiz Video Game Trivia #2: Codes & Secrets

Answer: Complete Invisible mode in less than five hours

The directors message is a congratulations message for getting the most out of the game.

From Quiz It's Called the 'Konami Code'

Answer: X and O

For Konami games released to the various Sony PlayStation consoles, the Konami Code is activated on some games by using the X and O buttons, since Sony's controllers do not have a B or A button. Other games may use the Square and Triangle buttons.

From Quiz Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A

Answer: Instead of pressing B A, press X O instead

Because the Playstation consoles lack A and B buttons, the O button and X button are used instead. One of the Playstation games that makes use of the code is "International Superstar Soccer Deluxe", where entering the code will cause the referee to be turned into a dog. And a Playstation 2 game where the code works is "Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty". If the code is entered at the game clear screen Snake will say "What do you think you're doing!?" or "STOP FOOLIN' AROUND KID!" It is no help to get you through the game, but a nice easter egg for those familiar with the code.

From Quiz Cheats, Codes and Glitches

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.

From Quiz It's Called the 'Konami Code'

Answer: Dance Dance Revolution

The popular "Dance Dance Revolution" game franchise was developed by Konami. As such, the Konami Code has made its way into several "Dance Dance Revolution" titles. Depending on the title, the Konami Code was used to unlock hidden content, modify song difficulty or was even programmed as part of a dance move set.

From Quiz Once a Cheater, Always a Cheater

Answer: Shelby AC Cobra

Certainly not a common sight to behold in medieval war, the Shelby AC Cobra was a car from the 1960s. To open the cheat bar in "Age of Empires 2", all you needed to do was hit Enter and type away. As soon as this particular code was entered, the car would appear. This strong unit was able to shoot bullets out its doors to kill enemies and you could have as many as you wanted provided you typed the code each time to generate new cars. Other interesting codes in this game were 'Polo' (to turn off the fog of war), 'black death' (to simply kill all opponents) and, if you weren't satisfied with instantly murdering the enemy, 'i r winner' could simply win you the campaign.

From Quiz Cheats, Codes and Glitches

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".

From Quiz Video Game Trivia #2: Codes & Secrets

Answer: Konami

Konami used this code in many of their games including "Contra".

From Quiz It's Called the 'Konami Code'

Answer: Canada

In 2017, the Bank of Canada released a brand new design for their ten dollar bill to commemorate Canada's 150th anniversary. To promote this new bill, The Bank of Canada programmed an Easter Egg into the homepage of its website. When a person entered the Konami Code on the keyboard (minus the Start button), the website played a MIDI version of the Canadian national anthem and showered the screen with dollar bills.

This is category 24782
Last Updated Feb 01 2025 5:52 AM

= Top 5% Rated Quiz, Top 10% Rated Quiz, Top 20% Rated Quiz, A Well Rated Quiz
= added recently, = Editor's Pick = FunTrivia Editor = Gold Member
Teachers / educators: FunTrivia welcomes the use of our website and quizzes in the classroom as a teaching aid or for preparing and testing students. See our education section. Our quizzes are printable and may be used as question sheets by k-12 teachers, parents, and home schoolers.

 ·  All questions, answers, and quiz content on this website is copyright FunTrivia, Inc and may not be reproduced without permission. Any images from TV shows and movies are copyright their studios, and are being used under "fair use" for commentary and education.