The Code

The Konami Code, as shown by our friends at Wikipedia.

It's as synonymous with 80s video gaming as Mario and Luigi. It's probably the biggest reason we love to play Contra so much. Yet, the "Konami Code" stretches far beyond 30 lives.

Oh yes, the code goes far beyond the original NES. Much farther.

In fact, the code is used in games on the NES, Super NES, Sony PlayStation and even mobile phones. And the numerous games that utilize it go far beyond even the realm of Konami. A list of games where the code can be used is found here.

A little bit of video gaming history: The code was created back in 1985 by Kazuhisa Hashimoto while designing the NES port of the game Gradius. Inputting the code gives players all the power-ups, which normally you'd gradually collect during the game.

The rest is history. The code spread like wildfire.

For those of us who became gamers back in the 1980s, the Konami Code was a part of our video game lives and to this day runs through our blood. Lest we never forget "The Code."