The Konami Code (Japanese: コナミコマンド, Konami Komando, "Konami command"), also commonly referred to as the Contra Code and sometimes the 30 Lives Code, is a cheat code that appears in many Konamivideo games,[1] as well as some non-Konami games.[2]
In the original code, the player has to press the following sequence of buttons on the game controller to enable a cheat or other effects:
↑↑↓↓←→←→BA; sometimes Start and/or Select is added to the sequence.[10]
History
The Konami Code was first used in the release of Gradius (1986), a scrolling shooter for the NES[11] and was popularized among North American players in the NES version of Contra. The code is also known as the "Contra Code" and "30 Lives Code", since the code provided the player 30 extra lives in Contra. The code has been used to help novice players progress through the game.[10][12]
The Konami Code was created by Kazuhisa Hashimoto, who was developing the home port of the 1985 arcade gameGradius for the NES. Finding the game too difficult to play through during testing, he created the cheat code, which gives the player a full set of power-ups (normally attained gradually throughout the game).[2] After entering the sequence using the controller when the game was paused, the player received all available power-ups. The code was meant to be removed prior to publishing, but this was overlooked and only discovered as the game was being prepared for mass production. The developers decided to leave it there, as removing it could result in new bugs and glitches. The sequence was easy enough to remember for testers and simultaneously sufficiently hard to enter accidentally during the gameplay for unsuspecting users.[citation needed]
The Konami Code was thus included in the series' other sequels and spin-offs, with some key differences. The code has been subsequently re-used in a large number of other games and other computer programs.
Entering this code minus ↑↑ while paused will change the current Tetromino into the I piece, also called a longbar. This can be done only once per new game.[13]
Entering the code in the pause menu will replace the Omniwrench with a doubled ended lightsaber. In the PlayStation 3 version, whether by accident or design, two debug codes were left in the game by the developers.[17]
When entered in the unused arcade machine at the level "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Negativatron" (PlayStation 3 variation of the code), the machine explodes and unveils a square with the numbers "3733 5683", which on a mobile keypad, spells the phrase "free love".[18]
Inputting the code on the title screen results in an animated looping clip of an 8-bit recreation of Adventure Time's creator, Pendleton Ward dancing. To the left of Ward is an 8-bit version of Jake, and to the right, an 8-bit version of Finn.[19][better source needed]
When the code is entered while having one of the Silent Hill characters equipped on the main menu, the game plays a jingle from Gradius and grants the player a charm that can be equipped by characters.[23]
The Konami code was used to access the Fortnite Durr Burger minigame at the black hole screen after the end of the Chapter 1 Season X event.[24] It was only available for a period of 38 hours starting from 7:00pm UTC on October 13, 2019 and was no longer accessible on the start of Fortnite: Chapter 2.
Entering the code at the launch screen enables a second screen accepting a code. Inputting the number "06061984" (representing June 6, 1984, the "birth date" of Tetris) will then unlock the "1984" level.[25]
This spiritual sequel to Castlevania developed by Koji Igarashi lets players enter a "1986 Mode", which makes the game's controls more similar to the more-difficult Castlevania series, by entering the Konami Code at a menu screen.[27]
Entering the code on a Google Hangouts conversation and pressing enter used to change the background of the conversation typed in.[38]
Reciting the code to Google Assistant will cause it to say either "Cheat mode enabled.", or "You destroyed the Vile Red Falcon and saved the universe. Consider yourself a hero" with a trophy emoji or a similar response.[39]
Reciting the code to Apple's virtual assistant Siri will cause her to give one of three responses: "Cheater!", "Nerd." or "I'm getting dizzy...". The user will need to say "enter" instead of "start," as this will confuse Siri in thinking a timer is being set.[40]
Reciting the code to Amazon's Alexa will cause her to say: "Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding! Great job, you've secured all the power-ups!", "Sorry, so close, no power-ups for you." or "Super Alexa mode, activated. Starting reactors, online. Enabling advanced systems, online. Raising dongers. Error. Dongers missing. Aborting."[41]
Entering the code on the WWF-UK website will cause the panda logo to spin.[42]
Entering the code on the Twitch Creator's Dashboard used to bring up several advanced options for the program.[43]
At one point, the Facebook website contained an Easter Egg where after entering the Konami code, a lens flare would be generated whenever the user would scroll or click anywhere on the page.[44]
The Chromebook Pixel has an Easter egg where inputting the Konami Code would cause the lights on an LED strip on the lid of the computer to blink rapidly.[45]
Within the Unreal Engine 5 demonstration program Valley of the Ancient, entering the Konami Code will cause the giant robot within it to dab.[47]
Typing upupdowndownleftrightleftrightbastart on some Palm/HP webOS devices enables developer mode.[48]
Three Fisher-Price toys, one modeled after a game controller, one modeled after a Game Boy, and one modeled after a Nintendo Switch (which show various lights and sounds when the buttons are pressed) present a special sequence of lights and sounds if the Konami code is entered.[49]
King Candy in the film Wreck-It Ralph uses the Konami code to access a locked portion of the code of Sugar Rush.[3]
Social media platform Twitter changed its logo from the then usual blue bird, to the Doge meme for a supposed late April Fools Day prank in 2023. Until the site's rebranding to X, if the Konami code was entered on the home page, the logo present in the top left corner would spin.[50]
^Fukuda, Miho (April 9, 2012). "裏技、隠しメッセージ...イースターエッグってどんなものがある?" [Tricks, hidden messages... What kind of Easter eggs are there?]. Gizmodo (in Japanese). Retrieved April 8, 2020.
^"M&S Christmas Food". December 14, 2016. Archived from the original on December 14, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"Megaport". www.megaport.com. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
^Casey, Eoghan; Cheval, Adrien; Lee, Jong Yeon; Oxley, David; Song, Yong Jun (July 1, 2011). "Forensic acquisition and analysis of palm webOS on mobile devices". Digital Investigation. 8 (1): 37–47. doi:10.1016/j.diin.2011.04.003.
