When was the first Konami Code?

The first Konami Code was introduced in the release of Gradius in 1986, a scrolling shooter for the NES, and it was later popularized among North American players in the NES version of Contra. The Konami Code, also known as the “Contra Code” and “30 Lives Code“, provided the player with 30 extra lives in Contra and has since become a widely recognized cheat code in the world of video games.

History of the Konami Code

The Konami Code was created by Kazuhisa Hashimoto, a developer at Konami, who implemented it in Gradius as a way to make the game more accessible for playtesting purposes. The code was initially intended to give players 30 lives, making it easier for them to progress through the game without having to worry about running out of lives.

FAQs about the Konami Code

General Questions

1. What is the Konami Code?: The Konami Code is a specific sequence of buttons that, when entered, unlocks various cheats or bonus content in a video game.
2. What is the actual Konami Code?: The Konami Code is: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start.
3. Is the Konami Code still used today?: Yes, the Konami Code is still used today, although its functionality has changed over time, and it now often unlocks bonus content or hard difficulty modes.

Games and Consoles

4. What was the first game to use the Konami Code?: The first game to use the Konami Code was Gradius, released in 1986 for the NES.
5. What is the famous Nintendo cheat code?: The famous Nintendo cheat code is the Konami Code, which was popularized in the NES version of Contra.
6. Is the Konami Code in Mario?: Yes, the Konami Code can be found in some Mario games, although its functionality may vary.

Other Related Questions

7. What happens if you tell Siri the Konami Code?: Reciting the Konami Code to Siri will cause her to give one of three responses: “Cheater!“, “Nerd.“, or “I’m getting dizzy…“.
8. What is the oldest game in existence?: Some historians believe that mancala is the oldest game in the world, based on archaeological evidence found in Jordan that dates around 6000 BCE.
9. What is the first oldest game?: The Royal Game of Ur is considered one of the oldest playable board games in the world, originating around 4600 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia.

Company and Ownership

10. Does Konami own Yu-Gi-Oh?: Yes, Konami owns the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, including the Trading Card Game.
11. Who invented cheat codes?: One of the earliest known examples of cheat codes is the Konami Code, created in 1986 by Konami developer Kazuhisa Hashimoto.

Modern Usage

12. What is the Konami Code in Dead Cells?: In Dead Cells, the Konami Code unlocks a specific weapon when entered using the gamepad.
13. What is the 30 man code for Contra?: The 30 man code for Contra is: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start, which gives the player 30 lives.
14. Is the Konami code copyrighted?: No, the Konami Code is not copyrighted, as it consists entirely of information that is common property and contains no original authorship.

Technology and Easter Eggs

15. What does the Konami Code do to Google?: Reciting the Konami Code to Google Assistant will cause it to say either “Cheat mode enabled.“, “You destroyed the Vile Red Falcon and saved the universe. Consider yourself a hero” with a trophy emoji, or a similar response.