Before DLC, microtransactions, or in-game tutorials, there was a much simpler way to bend the rules:
You memorized the code.
Not because the game told you to. Not because it was in a menu. You heard it on the playground. You saw it printed in tiny text in the back of Nintendo Power. And then you never forgot it.
Even now — decades later — some of those cheat codes are still buried in our brains, right between our old phone number and the lyrics to the DuckTales theme.
Let’s celebrate the cheat codes that outlived the consoles they came from.
🔼🔼🔽🔽◀️▶️◀️▶️ B A — The Konami Code
First appeared in: Gradius (NES), made famous by Contra
What it did: 30 lives, baby.
Why we remember it: Because it saved our butts. Contra was basically a bullet-hell fever dream, and this code was your only shot at finishing the first level without rage-quitting. The Konami Code wasn’t just a cheat — it was a cultural rite of passage.
🥊 Up, Up, Down, Down… Punch-Out!! Secrets
Game: Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! (NES)
Code: 007-373-5963
What it did: Sent you straight to Mike Tyson — no warmup, no mercy.
Why we remember it: Because we had no business fighting Iron Mike with only three hearts and a dream. This code was like stepping into the ring with a boss-level god… in pink shorts.
💰 Simoleons Galore – The Sims
Code: rosebud and !;!;!;!;!
What it did: Infinite money. Goodbye tiny starter house, hello wall-to-wall heart-shaped beds.
Why we remember it: Because we weren’t there to “play” The Sims. We were there to build. And to remove the pool ladder. 😈
🚗 Give Me a Tank – GTA III
Code: giveusatank
What it did: Summoned a literal army tank into your lap.
Why we remember it: Because chaos is the goal in GTA. And nothing says “chaos” like rolling down the street in a Rhino, flattening traffic while the radio plays salsa music.
👾 IDDQD / IDKFA – DOOM
Game: DOOM (PC)
What it did: God mode and all weapons/ammo/keys
Why we remember it: Because we typed it every single time. In an era before save-anywhere, these codes were survival tools. Also, they sounded like a heavy metal album title.
🔫 DK Mode + Paintball – GoldenEye 007
Game: GoldenEye 007 (N64)
What it did: Giant heads and limbs. Neon paint splatters instead of blood.
Why we remember it: Because it turned a gritty spy thriller into a slapstick comedy shooter — and it was awesome.
🐴 The Zelda Secret Name Trick
Game: The Legend of Zelda (NES)
Code: Name your file “ZELDA”
What it did: Unlocked the harder “Second Quest” mode.
Why we remember it: Because it felt like an insider tip. You weren’t just playing — you were in the club now.
💾 Final Thoughts
These weren’t just codes.
They were survival mechanisms, flexes, and secrets passed down like folklore.
In a world before Google, before YouTube tutorials, before infinite continues, cheat codes were your lifeline — and the fact that we still remember them says everything about their power.
🎮 What Codes Do You Still Know?
Drop them in the comments or shout them out on Facebook. We’re building the ultimate list of cheat code legends — no Game Shark required.
