phrase
Konami Code
A famous cheat-code button sequence โ up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A.
Origin
Created by Konami developer Kazuhisa Hashimoto in 1986 for the home port of Gradius โ he found the game too hard to test, so he added a code that granted full power-ups. He forgot to remove it. Konami used the same code in many games afterward, most famously Contra (1988), where it gave 30 lives. It has since been hidden on countless websites and apps.
Modern usage
A shibboleth of gamer culture. Web devs hide it on portfolio sites; companies stash Easter eggs behind it; it's the most recognized cheat code in the world.
Tags
cheat
shibboleth
gaming