The Creator Of The World's Most Famous Cheat Code Has Died

Rest in peace legend my thoughts are with you and your family and friends x x x

I still remember this code! Golden Days

That is a shame.

But sorry for me the best known cheat is from Sonic on Megadrive Up, Down, Left, Right, A, B, C, A + Start

Edit: @carlos82 ah, yup sorry the above is wrong I dont need the A,B,C

That's sad to hear. The Konami Code actually allowed me to do somewhat decent in Contra when I was younger (need to replay, too long since I played last). Sad to think the guy behind it is no longer here.

@Bunkerneath have you remembered that wrong? For level select you just press up, down, left, right, hold A and press start

I miss the glory days of cheat codes. thereisnocowlevel, back when Blizzard still meant something...

I'm going to have to play a bit of Contra today in his memory

Rest in peace

F.

I imagine the guy should be famous for a little more than just the cheat code too.

No joke, I reference the code every single day, getting my kids to brush their teeth...

Rest In Peace

Cheaters never prosper

I always wondered in an age before internet how people found out about these codes. Unless you had a subscription to Nintendo power or some other gaming mag there's no way you could have just accidentally discovered these but kids around the playgrounds would claim they did. Made them feel cool i guess. I like the one from the original Mortal Kombat on genesis. ABACABB. The blood code.

https://youtu.be/asNywx_dq5w
R.I.P. guy who created this!

Rest in Peace.

Shame you can’t use the code for an extra life and retry!

RIP

My 16 bit days were spent with the Amiga, where the most legendary cheat code was JAMMMMM which gave you infinite Batmans (but only when playing Batman, natch).

The most controversial was The New Zealand Story where, for infinite Tiki Wikis, you would type in sdratsabiwiknekcufrehtom (which I've typed backwards, as did most magazines at the time).

@Joriss or BEWAREOBLIVIONISATHAND from the Turok games.
Rest in peace.

He left one hell of a legacy behind though.

He's left behind a legacy. Reading this article kinda makes me wish the code was named after him instead, especially since latter day Konami is more interested in their gambling businesses than their video games IPs. RIP sir.

I used to have a t-shirt when I was a teenager with just that code on it. Happy days! Sure made playing Gradius on the old NES a bit more doable.

It’s a very sad day, I was fortunate enough to know the gentleman and thus attended his funeral.
When they lowered his coffin into the grave it went Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right

Wow, just yesterday I was talking with someone about those old Ms Pac-Man/Galaga anniversary machines, I was taken aback when I discovered that by inputting an up up down down kind of code you could play the original Pac-Man.

Oh gosh...
Here is the tribute song from DDR X with Contra secret password reference.

30 Lives (Up-Up-Down Dance Mix) - Motion Sick

@carlos82 my wife used to think it was hold A + C, press start for her whole childhood. She was unimpressed when I pointed out the extra button press wasn't necessary 😂

@carlos82 I think many people always used to get missed information back then on the buttons you needed to press on the first Sonic. I knew someone who used to hold down A+B+C and start after the first part every time and another that done A+C and start because it was past down by word of mouth rather than they read it in a magazine.

Sad to hear.

My one year old has a Fisher Price video game controller toy. I was very pleased to find that whoever made it knows their stuff-you get a special “you win” sound if you press the buttons for the Konami code. Super cool.

Is it printed on his tombstone?

@Zeldafan79

I think due to the prevalence of codes, some tenacious gamers would spend untold hours hammering away randomly, and would stumble into stuff. Look at how much time and energy soeedrunners put into breaking games these days. It's not far off.

For the mere mortals, we used gaming mags for sure, but there was also word of mouth. You'd compare notes with friends at lunch during school, and there's always that one person who has the inside scoop. You'd run home to try it, and 95% of the time it was total BS. It was a magical time!

My favorite ones were from Crash Team Racing: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps/196989-crash-team-racing/cheats
The only way to unlock Penta Penguin is by entering that code. You even have to use the same code to unlock him in CTR: Nitro-Fueled. Good times.

Sonic Spinball has two where you can unlock the level select or jump straight to the credits. I'm still wondering if Lee Actor ever became an actor? XD https://tcrf.net/Sonic_Spinball_(Genesis)

After Sonic & the Konami code, i would say IDKFA or IDCLIP would be my next two favourites for Doom on PC

Also, turning the referee into a dog in ISSD was amazing

My condolences to his family and friends. Deftones also wrote a song titled “U, U, D, D, L, R, L, R, A, B, Select, Start.”

Larry Tesler, the creator of copy and paste, died last week too. It seems now is the time for the useful little function creators to go.

@Bunkerneath

The Sonic 1 code is different in the Japanese version of Sonic 1. Up, Down, Down, Down, Left, Right. Hold A+START.

I think the Konami code wins over the Sonic 1 code because it's consistent in all regions.

@Bunkerneath I never heard of this one as a kid!

Haha what a cool way to create a famous cheat and then the code helped many have fun. RIP.

From now on, the Konami Code should be known as the Hashimoto Code.

Wasn't it used in Wreck it Ralph too?

Sad to hear. I still couldn't beat Gradius with the code but it was nice to have regardless.

Why do so many people want to throw 'select' in there? Will it still work if you do that? Have these people ever used the code before? Bunch of posers.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Justin Bailey.

@citizen_zane

You have to press Select before Start if you're playing with two players (when playing Contra, at least). That's probably thrown in a little confusion for some.

RIP, and please note that the SELECT and START buttons are not part of the Konami code. They are mechanisms for operating the menu after you have completely entered the Konami code.

http://factmyth.com/factoids/the-konami-code-ends-in-start-or-select-start/

"The most solid proof that start is not part of the code is that you can add on extra button-presses after 'A' but not anywhere else in the code."

@Arkay Ha!

I see your Turok 2 and I raise you a Turok 1

NTHGTHDGDCRTDTRK.

From heart. Still.

mic drop

@HappyMaskedGuy good call , too bad I never played Turok 1. Only played 2 back on the n64 and recently on the Switch.

@Arkay I’m a huge fan of both games. I definitely recommend Turok 1 if you enjoyed Turok 2. It has its own atmosphere and style distinct from the sequel, not to mention a superb soundtrack.

I’m just waiting on ports of Rage Wars and Shadowman.

@HappyMaskedGuy I'll def give it a try once I finish Turok 2.

@DinnerAndWine what a weird thing to comment on an article, which informs you of someone's passing.

Feeling old.....rest in peace. 🙏

rest in peace. Maybe he had something to do with the up,down,left,right, start and A together code for sonic as well.or was that some other game that worked with it I can never remember.