The golden age of retro games brought to life some of the most iconic games. If you were around when these games were released, then you might already be familiar with some of the cheat codes that were used back then, like the infamous Konami Code, for example, or the Justin Bailey code. However, if you’re a rookie retro gamer, you might be interested to know about these 6 retro games.
1. Gradius
The game Gradius was introduced back in 1985 to the gaming community, but it was only after the Konami Code was released that people were able to enjoy 30 extra lives in the game. You can activate the Konami Code once you enter this sequence: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, and Start. This code can be entered in the game no matter what platform you’re using (portable or otherwise), can be used on a variety of other games, and will work on a number of newer games, but since Konami didn’t state outright which games this cheat code will work on, you can only try them out on different games and see if you’re rewarded with 30 lives or even random Easter eggs.
2. GoldenEye 007
Fans of first-person shooter games and James Bond are likely to find GoldenEye 007 more appealing than other games on this list. GoldenEye 007 is a first-person shooter game that was released by Rare and published in 1997 for Nintendo 64, but you can play the updated version of the game (GoldenEye: Source) with your friends on Steam or, if you prefer to go solo, play on the single-player mode. The folks at iwantcheats.net explain that you’ll find a variety of cheats for this game, including an aimbot and unlimited ammo. However, if you fear that you could get banned on Steam, it would be wise to register into a trusted cheat forum, as coders working on the cheats there can prevent detection.
3. The Legend of Zelda
Many veteran retro gamers would advise you to try out Legend of Zelda first before venturing into the world of NES gaming. In fact, they might consider using cheats in Legend of Zelda to reduce the quality of the gaming experience, but not everyone shares that opinion. A gameplay with cheats can be entirely different from a gameplay without them. With a classic RPG game like the Legend of Zelda, cheats might be the only way to get the most out of the game. Along with the numerous cheat codes scattered across the internet, one of the popular cheats for this game is naming yourself as “Zelda”, which will allow you to jump right onto the second quest.
4. Super Mario Bros.
If you have played the original Super Mario Bros before, then already know how hard this game was. Players are required to play through the eight worlds of the game, but once they run out of lives and lose, they have to start from scratch. Because modern games are more forgiving than Super Mario, you’ll have the option to select levels once you unlock them, but if you still want to play Super Mario to the end, you might want to experiment with cheat codes, like pressing and holding A then pressing Start, which will take you back to the world in which you died.
5. Final Fantasy
The name Final Fantasy is usually associated with the newer franchise, but the first version of this game, which was released in 1987, is one of the well-known retro games with a couple of interesting cheat codes, like the “15 Puzzle” code, for example. To unlock this code, players have to press the A and B buttons a few times, which will show them a numbered grid of 15 blocks. Once you solve the puzzle, you’ll get rewards, like a Golden Needle, a Potion, and an antidote.
6. Mortal Kombat
Younger generations often couldn’t play certain games because games back then were frequently banned. Mortal Kombat, which was considered bloody, graphic, and violent, was banned back in the 1990s. To solve this issue, developers censored the game, but players were still able to undo this with a secret cheat code (ABACABB). You won’t have that option with modern games, as today’s strict rules and regulations can’t be bypassed with simple cheat codes like the ones applied to the games on this list.
Some people use cheat codes simply because they are fun, while other people might have beaten their games and want to spice things a little bit. In any case, make sure that you pick the ones that you only need in order to get the best gaming experience. There is no general rule for how you can use cheat codes, but it’s advised that you use them after you’ve completed a game at least once.
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