Players would enter up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A and Start on a controller to activate the "Konami code." It was first used in the game Gradius, but later made famous on Nintendo with Contra. William Warby/Flickr hide caption
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Players would enter up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A and Start on a controller to activate the "Konami code." It was first used in the game Gradius, but later made famous on Nintendo with Contra.
Kazuhisa Hashimoto, the man who invented the "Konami code" cheat that became pervasive in video gaming and pop culture, has died.
To use the code, players would press up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A and the Start button on the controller to make games easier. It was named after the popular Japanese gaming and entertainment company Konami, where Hashimoto worked.
Konami confirmed Hashimoto's death in an email to NPR and said in a tweet that it was saddened to hear the news. His age has been variously reported as 61 and 79.
— Konami (@Konami)February 26, 2020We are saddened to hear about the passing of Kazuhisa Hashimoto, a deeply talented producer who first introduced the world to the "Konami Code".
Our thoughts are with Hashimoto-san's family and friends at this time. Rest In Peace.pic.twitter.com/vQijEQ8lU2
Hashimoto is credited with work on at leastnine video games. He created the code when he was in charge of taking the arcade version of the spacecraft shooting game Gradius and converting it for the Nintendo console in 1986.
"I hadn't played that much and obviously couldn't beat it myself, so I put in the Konami code," he saidin a 2003 interview. "Because I was the one who was going to be using it, I made sure it was easy to remember."
The code is burned into the memories of many kids that grew up playing video games in the 1980s and '90s. It's used in more than100 games, such as Castlevania and Mortal Kombat III.
The code famously gave players 30 lives in the game Contra, which was released in 1988.
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As the code gained popularity,Konami poked fun at it. If players use the code in the game Gradius III, their ship blows up.
It also found its way intopop culture easter eggs, a secret nod to geekery. A character in the Disney movieWreck-It Ralph, for example, uses it as a password. Type the code in onsome websitesand it triggerssecret tricks. There are murals andtattoos. Even a command forAmazon's Alexadevice.
Yuji Takenouchi, a friend and composer who also worked at Konami, announced Hashimoto's deathon Twitter.
"We pray for the souls. As someone who got on the same boat and shared a little time, the obituary was a bit painful," a translated tweet said. "Please keep making games in heaven. Thank you very much."
FAQs
Kazuhisa Hashimoto, Creator Of Famous 'Konami Code' Gaming Cheat, Dies? ›
Kazuhisa Hashimoto, the man who invented the "Konami code" cheat that became pervasive in video gaming and pop culture, has died. To use the code, players would press up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A and the Start button on the controller to make games easier.
How many lives did the Konami code give? ›Intro. The Konami Code (コナミコマンド) is a special combination of buttons that appears in several Konami games. It was widely popularised due to its inclusion in the original Contra video game, where it allowed the player to obtain 30 free lives.
How old is the Konami code? ›History. The code was first used in the 1986 release of Gradius for the Nintendo Entertainment System but was popularized among North American players in the NES version of Contra, for which it was also dubbed both the "Contra Code" and "30 Lives Code", because of its nearly necessary use in the game.
Why was the Konami code created? ›The code, which has also been known as the Contra code or the 30 Lives code, was created because Gradius was so tough that Hashimoto needed to be able to make it easier for when it was tested.
Who is the Konami code guy? ›Hashimoto is most widely recognized as the creator of the Konami Code. Hashimoto had inadvertently created it while bringing the arcade version of Gradius to the NES in 1986.
Is the Konami code still used? ›Cheat codes were initially a tool used by developers to help test video games back in the 1980s. One developer at Japanese company Konami created his own code that would become the most famous video game cheat code, and it's still used today.
Is Konami still around? ›Konami has casinos around the world and operates health and physical fitness clubs across Japan.
What is the most famous Nintendo cheat code? ›Players would enter up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A and Start on a controller to activate the "Konami code." It was first used in the game Gradius, but later made famous on Nintendo with Contra.
What was the first video game cheat code? ›One of the earliest known examples of this type of cheat is the Konami Code, created in 1986 by Konami developer Kazuhisa Hashimoto as he worked on porting the 1985 arcade game Gradius for use on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Hashimoto is quoted as saying "The arcade version of Gradius is really difficult, right?
Why did Konami stop making games? ›Essentially,Kojima went over-budget for the final game of the Metal Gear Solid series,The Phantom Pain.. Konami didn't like this one bit,since it was planning to exit from AAA game development as a whole and focus on other avenues such as mobile gaming and…. Yeesh,pachinko machines..
What happens if you tell Google the Konami Code? ›
The Konami Code strikes again. Go to a Google search bar and using voice, search for “Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right.” And just like that, you'll have unlimited free Google searches. Of course this is tongue-in-cheek.
Does Minecraft have a Konami Code? ›We've come a long way from the Konami code—up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A—from the days of yore, and if you're a PC gamer, you have even more keys to choose from to elevate your gameplay to new levels.
What is snake Konami Code? ›In Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, the player can input the Konami Code shortly after clearing the game, when the clear code is on display, after which Snake will be heard either saying "What do you think you're doing!?" or "STOP FOOLIN' AROUND KID!" as confirmation of the code, although it can only be used once.
What is Konami new name? ›Effective July 01, 2022, Konami Holdings Corporation will change its name to Konami Group Corporation.
What is the most famous video game cheat code? ›In its most famous form, the Konami Code was Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A — a series of buttons that many kids had burned into their memory. Without the code to give you 30 extra lives in Contra, beating the game was all but impossible – and it still wasn't a cakewalk with the code.
Why is Konami ID locked? ›Your account has been locked as you have entered your KONAMI ID incorrectly too many times. When our system detects a risk of fraud for a KONAMI ID, the KONAMI ID is locked automatically. Use "Reissue Passowrd" to unlock KONAMI ID have being locked. Or, you can wait for a certain amount of time for it to unlock itself.
Is Konami making money? ›Konami Just Had Its Most Profitable Year Ever, Thanks Mostly To Yu-Gi-Oh. Free-to-play games, the casino sector, and sports earned Konami record profits in the 2021 financial year. According to Konami's latest financial report for the year ending on March 31, the company recorded its most profitable year ever.
Is Konami making games again? ›Konami's Return to Games Continues with New Studio Opening | Push Square. Layers of Fear (PS5) - A Collection That Brilliantly...
Does Kojima have kids? ›Personal life. Kojima is private about his personal life. He is married with a son, and has at least one brother.
Is Konami owned by PlayStation? ›A handful of the world's largest video game franchises and their respective developers are synonymous with the PlayStation brand, even though they're not technically owned by Sony. Konami isn't an exception.
Are cheat codes illegal? ›
The average cheater doesn't have to worry about a potential jail sentence. For most of the Americas and Europe, there are no federal laws against cheating in standard online matchmaking. Even serial cheaters only have to worry about a potential lifetime ban from the game they cheated in.
What is the most hackable game? ›Fortnite is the Most-Cheated Game on the Web
No online game gets more play than Fortnite. At the last count, the game's 350m users had totted up nearly 10.5 million years of gameplay. It's no wonder gamers are getting played, too; our study found Fortnite to be the most-cheated online game.
Hacker Gary Bowser, who hacked Nintendo consoles, was released from prison, but he will be paying a fine of $14.5 million for the rest of his life.
Why do old games have cheat codes? ›"Cheat codes help with testing and iterating a game until it's just right." For many 8-bit computers, early POKErs could load games into memory and, before launching them, modify specific memory addresses in order to cheat.
What is cheat codes real name? ›Cheat Codes are an American electronic music trio based in Los Angeles, California, consisting of singers and producers Trevor Dahl, Kevin Ford, and Matthew Russell.
Who created cheat codes? ›The Konami Code was created by Kazuhisa Hashimoto, who was developing the home port of the 1985 arcade game Gradius 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).
What was Konami's first game? ›Kojima runs his own company, Kojima Productions, and recently shared teasers for the sequel to his critically acclaimed game Death Stranding. Update: A Konami spokesperson confirmed to IGN that Kojima and Yoji Shinkawa are not involved in the remake.
Who is the owner of Konami? ›Kagemasa Kozuki is the founder and chairman of Konami Holdings, a developer of videogames. The Tokyo-listed company has had success with free-to-play smartphone soccer games.
What is an Easter egg in code? ›What are Easter Eggs in programming languages? In programming languages and software products in general, an Easter Egg is a hidden piece of functionality or unusual behaviour that usually remains undocumented.
What is the Konami Easter egg? ›
What is the Konami Code you ask? If you pause the game and enter the code “up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A”, you get several power-ups. To use the code on websites, go to the homepage and use your keyboard's arrow keys plus B and A to type in the code.
Is my Konami legit? ›- my KONAMI Slots does not offer real money gambling. - PLAYSTUDIOS, the developer of my KONAMI Slots, is not affiliated in any direct or indirect way with any real-money gambling operations on other domains. - Virtual chips used in my KONAMI Slots have no real-world value and cannot be redeemed for anything of value.
What is code 1 in Minecraft? ›The "exit code: 1" error can occur due to outdated mods. To resolve the error, check the Minecraft mods folder and delete it. Removing mods can break your worlds. So make sure to create a backup before attempting to remove any mods.
What is code 9 in Minecraft? ›This typically occurs when Minecraft cannot recognize that it is given an incorrect input, or is unaware of what it is supposed to produce. Minecraft Error 9 Memory Leak - If there's a memory leak in Minecraft, it may cause the OS to appear sluggish.
What is the cheat of Minecraft? ›/help [CommandName] | Provides detailed info about a specific console command |
---|---|
/instantplant | Plants grow instantly |
/gamerule keepInventory true | Keep all your items when you die |
/gamerule doDaylightCycle false | Stops the day/night cycle |
/ride | Turns any mob you're facing into a mount |
GTA San Andreas PC cheat codes. If you're playing on PC, enter any of these GTA San Andreas cheat codes into the console (in bold) and make your dreams a reality: AEZAKMI – Disable Wanted Level. AIYPWZQP – Spawn Parachute.
Who is the CEO of cheat code? ›Armando González, Psy. D. - CEO & Founder - Cheatcode Foundation | LinkedIn.
Is Venom Snake a clone? ›The now-infamous ending plot twist reveals that Venom Snake is simply a "clone" of Big Boss, a double created to distract the world while the real Big Boss betrays his allegiances to build Outer Heaven.
Is Snake a spy? ›Solid Snake, real name David, also known as Old Snake, and briefly known as Iroquois Pliskin, or simply Snake, was a former spy, special operations soldier, and mercenary.
Is Venom Snake the villain? ›Venom Snake is a major character in in the Metal Gear series, serving as a minor character in Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, the main protagonist of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and the secondary antagonist of he original Metal Gear game.
What is Konami mascot? ›
It's strange how Solid Snake has become such a huge mascot for Konami, but his game catalogue has most definitely earned him that status.
What country is Konami in? ›Konami GmbH (currently Konami Digital Entertainment B.V) was established in Germany. KONAMI expanded into the Nintendo ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM (called "FAMILY COMPUTER" in Japan) game business. Capital increased to 5,227 million yen.
What animes did Konami make? ›Major titles by Konami include the Castlevania series, the Silent Hill series, the Contra series, the Ganbare Goemon series, the Rocket Knight Adventures series, the Metal Gear series, the Suikoden series, and the Bemani rhythm game series, including Dance Dance Revolution, Beatmania IIDX, GuitarFreaks, DrumMania, and ...
Is the Konami Code copyrighted? ›This work is ineligible for copyright and therefore in the public domain because it consists entirely of information that is common property and contains no original authorship.
Is there a game called 7up? ›Heads up, seven up (sometimes called Thumbs up, seven up or Heads down or Heads down Thumbs up) is a game where each selected participant with their hands raised has to guess who tapped their heads.
What is the Konami Code on ps3? ›Just enter in the Konami code right after you die, UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, CIRCLE, X, and you'll come back to life! You can only do this once in Arcade mode and once or twice in Rising mode.
How many games did the Konami code work on? ›It's used in more than 100 games, such as Castlevania and Mortal Kombat III. The code famously gave players 30 lives in the game Contra, which was released in 1988.
How to get 30 lives in Contra 3? ›30 Lives: At the title screen, quickly press DOWN, DOWN+RIGHT, RIGHT, START. A confirmatory voice clip will be played. Since the code involves moving down the selections and hitting start, it should be performed 1 selection above the desired game mode.
What is the famous Konami Code? ›Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A. It's called the Konami Code, and it often meant the difference between life and death in a video game back in the 1980s. Perform those button presses in the right sequence, and you'll unlock cheats that help you win.
What does the Konami Code do to Google? ›The Konami Code strikes again. Go to a Google search bar and using voice, search for “Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right.” And just like that, you'll have unlimited free Google searches. Of course this is tongue-in-cheek. It's just the latest hidden gem discovered within Google's tools.
How to get 99 lives in super Contra? ›
Select the “Arcade Game” option at the main menu. Then, press Up(2), Down(2), Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A to get unlimited lives and an unlimited Super Machinegun.
What is the best gun in Contra? ›Laser. The Laser (L), also known as Laser Gun, fires a long laser beam which inflicts high damage upon impact. It is considered to be one of the most powerful weapons in the games it appears in.
How long does Contra 1 take to beat? ›When focusing on the main objectives, Contra is about 1 Hours in length. If you're a gamer that strives to see all aspects of the game, you are likely to spend around 1½ Hours to obtain 100% completion.
What is the blood code in Mortal Kombat? ›Blood Mode
From the Code of Honor screen, press A, B, A, C, A, B, B. If this was done correctly, the text will turn yellow and you will hear Scorpion say "Get over here!"
Most of the Contra games have the player begin the game with only a set number of lives (three in most console games). If the player gets hit once, they will lose a life along with any weapon they currently possess in some games. Because of this, the Contra series is notorious for being extremely difficult.
What is Hashimoto Konami Code? ›The code — up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start — was a famous cheat for players who wanted to squeeze more lives out of their video game consoles.