The modern world of gaming is straying further and further away from one of the best parts of classic video games, the bountiful cheat codes. These were always such a blast to mess around with and discover. There were so many silly effects, such as big head mode or something as simple as a debug menu to mess around with.
Related
9 Times A Video Game Cheat Code Backfired
Cheat codes are an easy way for gamers to get through difficult games and get some awesome perks! That is, most of the time…
Sometimes, though, developers will purposefully make their codes as tricky and tough to crack as possible to stop players from finding them easily. After years of dedication, there really seems to be nothing fans can’t find. Some of these codes are ludicrously hard to even read, let alone input.
10
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Genesis And Origins)
Iconic Yet Tricky To Access
- Released
-
November 21, 1992
- Multiplayer
-
Local Multiplayer
- Engine
-
Proprietary Engine
- ESRB
-
E for Everyone
- How Long To Beat
-
3 Hours
|
How To Access The Level Select And Debug Mode Cheat Codes |
|---|
|
Level Select – On the Options Menu, play these sounds on the Sound Test: 19, 64, 09 and 17, then head back out and press Start and hold A while selecting One-player Mode. |
|
Debug Mode – On the Level Select Menu, play these sounds on the Sound Test: 01, 09, 09, 02, 01, 01, 02, and 04, then head back out and press Start and hold A on your desired stage, and once it loads just press B to access the menu. |
The classic Sonic The Hedgehog titles on Genesis have a ton of iconic cheat codes. There is one in Sonic The Hedgehog 2 that stands out as an extra-long sequence that makes us question how players found out about it and involves two codes. The first is input on the sound test option on the menu, which will take you to the classic level select screen. Then playing certain sounds in the sound test menu here activates the hidden Debug menu.
Sega really did not want players to reach this debug menu easily as having to enter two separate codes just to reach it is like hacking into someone’s account only for them to have a two-factor authentication system. This debug menu does reward your efforts, however, as you can play around with numerous level items and objects and place them wherever you please.
9
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64)
Two Controller Antics
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
- Released
-
March 24, 2000
- Developer(s)
-
HAL Laboratory
- Multiplayer
-
Local Co-Op
- ESRB
-
E
|
How To Do The 100 Percent Save Cheat Code |
|---|
|
Plug in two controllers and then set up save file two as empty and save file three as zero percent and then reset the game and enter this string of inputs when the HAL Laboratory logo loads: Hold L, C-Up, C-Up, R, C-Right, C-Left, and Start. |
Just like every Kirby game, there are plenty of secrets hiding within Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. There is one cheat code that went undiscovered for over two decades because of how specific it is to set up. While having two controllers plugged in, make sure you have specific save files set up, and then you can input the code’s buttons.
Your reward for doing this cryptic combination is a brand-new fully completed 100 percent save file on file three. This is a great code to just take a look at everything the game has and jump into any level from your childhood. What we love to do most with this is show our friends how horrifying the great final boss, Zero Two, is.
8
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (All Console Versions)
Nostalgically Difficult
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – The Definitive Edition
- Released
-
November 11, 2021
- Engine
-
RenderWare
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- How Long To Beat
-
30 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Weak
|
How To Do The Spawn Jetpack Cheat Code |
|---|
|
Input these buttons on the Xbox versions: LB, LT, RB, RT, Up, Down, Left, Right, LB, LT, RB, RT, Up, Down, Left, and Right. |
|
Input these buttons on the PlayStation versions: L1, L2, R1, R2, Up, Down, Left, Right, L1, L2, R1, R2, Up, Down, Left, and Right. |
|
Input these buttons on the Nintendo Switch version: L, ZL, R, ZR, Up, Down, Left, Right, L, ZL, R, ZR, Up, Down, Left, and Right. |
The Grand Theft Auto games have always had such wonderful cheat codes that allow you to alter the game into the wackiest antics, but San Andreas is one where you will need to bust out those dusty old guide books to enter any of them. The code we mentioned is among the longest and most fun, as when entered rapidly during gameplay, it will cause a jetpack to spawn.
Related
GTA San Andreas: Tips For Beginners
Heading to Grove Street for the first time? Here’s what you need to know.
While modern entries in the series just have a simple menu for you to cheat to your heart’s content, it’s honestly more fun having to enter a sequence of buttons. There’s something about it that makes you feel like a hacker doing something you shouldn’t, and that fits perfectly in GTA. If future titles in the series have cheats, we hope they go back to being impossible to discover combinations rather than a plain menu.
7
Tomb Raider 2 And 3 (Remaster And PS1 Original)
Pop Goes The Lara
Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Starring Lara Croft
- Released
-
February 14, 2024
- Publisher(s)
-
Aspyr
- Engine
-
tomb raider engine
- ESRB
-
T For Teen // Blood, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- How Long To Beat
-
40 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
|
How To Do The Exploding Raider Cheat Code |
|---|
|
Make Lara move in these ways: Step forward, Step backward, Crouch (Tomb Raider III only), Go around in a circle (Counter-clockwise) three times, and then Jump backwards. |
The queen of the early days of cheat codes, Lara Croft has had a tomb’s worth of cheat codes in every one of her games. We want to highlight the trickiest yet most silly of them all. By awkwardly working around Lara’s tank controls, you will need to move her around using the inputs listed. Keep in mind you will need an open area to do this without Lara falling or bumping into a wall.
What this code does after your effort is it makes Lara explode. No, that is not a typo and, no, we aren’t joking. This is one of the most hilarious cheats to get your friends to do without the context of what it does, as they may struggle to even activate the code, only to find out their reward is nothing more than Lara Croft falling to pieces.
6
Guitar Hero 3: Legends Of Rock (All Versions)
Entering A Cheat, On A Guitar?
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
- Released
-
October 28, 2007
- Developer(s)
-
Neversoft, Aspyr Media, Vicarious Visions, Budcat Creations, RedOctane
- Engine
-
Havok
- ESRB
-
t
- How Long To Beat
-
9 Hours
|
How To Do The Air Guitar Cheat Code |
|---|
|
Press these cords in order: B+Y, G+Y, G+Y, R+B, R+B, R+Y, R+Y, B+Y, G+Y, G+Y, R+B, R+B, R+Y, R+Y, G+Y, G+Y, R+Y and R+Y. (B= Blue, Y= Yellow, R= Red, G= Green) |
Rhythm games often have the most legendary of cheat codes with a plethora of strange and wacky effects to change the way you rock out. The Rock Band series is well known for its immense number of cheat codes in each entry and the third mainline title has some of the trickiest.
Being a rhythm game with a controller accessory, of course you have to input a chart-like code, like you are playing the guitar itself, to get even the most basic of unlocks. For example, with the code here, the absurd combination of colored keys that you have to press only unlocks the ability to remove all guitar models from the game, leaving everyone with air guitars, but that is well worth the pain.
5
GoldenEye 007 (N64)
Cracking The Code
- Franchise
-
James Bond
- Released
-
August 25, 1997
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
- Multiplayer
-
Local Multiplayer
- Engine
-
EngineX
- ESRB
-
T for Teen: Animated Blood, Animated Violence
- How Long To Beat
-
9 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
|
How To Do The Infinite Ammo Cheat Code |
|---|
|
Press these buttons in order: L + C-Left, L + R + Right, C-Right, C-Left, R + Left, L + C-Down, L + R + Left, L + R + C-Down, L + Up, and Hold C-Right. |
The cheat codes in Golden Eye 007 are some of the most creative and indepth of any game but are guarded by some of the toughest button combinations. You might think that the code we listed must be for something really hidden, like a debug menu based off how complicated it is, but this is just how hard the codes are in Golden Eye. This code only does one very basic thing: it gives you infinite ammo.
Related
Best Fake Cheats in Gaming
Gaming is full of famous cheat codes. These cheats in particular became legends, despite not being real.
This isn’t the only code that has a lengthy number of buttons you need to press, as almost every single one of them in the game has a very complex combination that will need the top-level skill of a secret agent.
4
Crash Bandicoot (PS1)
A Lab Experiment Test Code
Crash Bandicoot
- Released
-
September 9, 1996
- Publisher(s)
-
Sony Computer Entertainment
- Engine
-
Havok
- ESRB
-
e
- How Long To Beat
-
6 Hours
|
How To Do The Unlock All Levels 100 Percent Cheat Code |
|---|
|
Press these buttons in order on the Password screen: Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, X, Square, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, Square, X, Triangle, Circle, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, Circle, Square, Triangle, X, X, X, and X. |
Crash Bandicoot is one of the hardest 3D platformers ever and one of the best on the PlayStation One, but the platforming isn’t the only difficult thing in the game. There are many hidden passwords that do the usual cheats, but the most useful 100 percent unlock code is locked behind a massive 24-button long code.
It may not necessarily be hard to input, but remembering the entire sequence without a guide can be awful, and it is a nightmare for such a handy code to be locked behind.
3
Animal Crossing (GameCube)
Tom Nook Is Your Game Shark
Animal Crossing
Simulation
Adventure
JRPG
- Released
-
September 16, 2002
- Engine
-
Havok
- ESRB
-
e
- How Long To Beat
-
100+ hours
|
How To Get 30K Bells Cheat Code |
|---|
|
Head to Tom Nook inside Nook’s Cranny and ask him for Other Things and then choose Say Code and enter this case-sensitive code: WB28pARAcnownU jMCK%hTk8JHyrT |
Animal Crossing has always had problems with hacked towns and islands no matter what entry you play. Back before the days of internet trolling, in the original Animal Crossing there were even more ways to cheat. The best part is that you don’t even need any hacking tools, just your good buddy Tom Nook. By talking to him and entering what seems like gibberish, you can have a whole host of things happen. For example, the one we picked gives you 30k bells instantly.
Some of the codes definitely weren’t intentional, as you can write custom commands in a specific format to actually edit in-game code. This is all because of how the game has Tom Nook read back the players’ typed code. So if you want to cheat anything into the game, get ready to learn how the coding of it works.
2
The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time (N64)
An Un-Nintend-ed Code
- Released
-
November 21, 1998
- Developer(s)
-
Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
- Engine
-
Zelda 64 Engine
- ESRB
-
E10+ for Everyone 10+: Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes
|
How To Get Access To The Crash Debugging Menu |
|---|
|
First, slightly tilt the left side of the cartridge out of the slot while holding down the right side until a yellow bar appears above your heart containers (note your game will freeze when doing this). Then quickly enter this sequence of buttons: Hold L, R, Z, then release, Hold D-pad Up, C-Down, then release, Hold C-Up, D-pad Down, then release, Hold D-pad Left, C-left, then release, Hold C-Right, D-pad Right, then release, Hold A, B, Start, then release |
The NES and SNES days of Nintendo were filled with tons of special cheat codes given out to players through the Nintendo Power Magazine, and that continued with their N64 classics. There were, however, some unintentional codes that slipped through the cracks. In the legendary The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time there is a very complex way to freak the game out to give you access to a crash debugging menu.
Related
8 Best Cheat Codes In Modern Games
From Contra to Bully, here are the best cheat codes in modern video games!
By pulling up the cartridge out of the slot slightly on the left side, eventually a small yellow bar will appear above your hearts. After this you can then enter a string of inputs that only the truly dedicated could have figured out and gain access to some interesting behind-the-scenes info. This includes specific data such as the version your game is and exactly when it was produced, which is just very neat to see.
Be careful about using this code as it is known to cause data loss and potentially corrupt the cartridge.
1
Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Mix (PS1)
Secret Difficulty Level Hidden Away For Twenty Years
Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Mix
- Released
-
November 30, 2000
|
How To Use The Maniac Difficulty Cheat Code |
|---|
|
For the first part, you must select these specific songs for the allotted amount of time: Mickey Mouse March (Eurobeat Version) for one second, switch to Chim-Chim-Cher-ee for two seconds, switch to Macho Duck for one second, switch to Electrical Parade (Retro Future MIX) for one second, switch to It’s A Small World for two seconds, switch to I Want You Back for one second then press left or right. |
|
For part two, luckily, you will not need to repeat the previous part if you fail it. You will now need to input these buttons on a controller plugged into port one: Hold Triangle, X, X, X, Release Triangle, Square, Hold Right, Hold X. |
|
Quickly switch over to a second controller plugged into port two and follow these inputs on this controller: Hold Square, Release first controller’s X, Hold Triangle, X, Right, Release Triangle, X, Hold Square, Right, Release Square, Triangle, Hold X, Square, Release X, Release Square, Right, Triangle, X, Square, and Right. |
This groovy code is an example of how extreme cheat codes can get. It requires near-frame-perfect inputs that took almost two decades after the game’s release for players to discover it. The code has two parts to it, both of which can be infuriating to achieve. For part one of the code, you must select certain songs for specific periods of time and then switch to another at the exact right time.
As for the second, you now have to plug in a second controller and input a huge list of buttons in a sequence and if you miss the timing of a single button, then you have to start again. With no visual or noise feedback throughout this entire process, it can be quite frustrating. After doing all of this, you end up with the grand prize of the ability to play the hardest difficulty, Maniac, on any track.
Related
Stardew Valley: The Best Cheats You Might Not Know About
Stardew Valley is one of the best games to sink hours into, and these cheats and hints will make it even more fun.
0 Comments