Tell us your favourite or most memorable cheat codes!

Rich · 2024-06-21T17:27:37.429Z

Cheat codes. Remember them? Once upon a time they were the reason that gamers bought magazines or went on the internet; some people literally wouldnt play games without cheating. Nowadays they're not really a thing - I wonder why that is? - so this bounty is probably one for the '80s or '90s gamers. Cheat codes could have a range of effects, from giving yourself advantages in the game to just having fun by adding silly sounds or visual effects, blurring the line into easter eggs and comedy mods. Reminisce with us and tell us your favourites! Give us the cheat, the game, the effect, and the memories you have. Screenshots or third-party video links illustrating the effect are optional but encouraged. The best 20 submissions get $1 apiece....

TheGreatestBanana12 6/30/2024, 10:42:53 PM

One of my favourite cheat codes for GTA Vice city was the flying cars cheat, it was fun just being able to fly around in cars even if controlling them wasn't the easiest thing to do. RIGHT, R2, CIRCLE, R1, L2, DOWN, L1, R1

When you combined the flying cars cheat with the spawn tank cheat you could create even more fun and chaos like in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZHlTbv26d_s?feature=oembed

Limal 6/29/2024, 9:02:42 PM

MPKFA

To toggle God mode in Blood (1997).

Not sure why, but this game was a top LAN FPS for me, instead of doom or quake.

I'll drop a link to the game, as probably not many know about it

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_(video_game)

Sturmer 6/28/2024, 7:07:59 PM

There are two cheat codes that were often used together, and they are so deeply imprinted in my memory that even after three decades, I still remember them clearly:

IDDQD

Often thought to stand for "I Dare Do Quake Damage" or "I'm Daddy's Quake Dude,"

IDKFA

Commonly interpreted as "ID Keys Firearms Armor," indicating that the code provides all keys, weapons (firearms), and full armor.

Though these interpretations are speculative and not officially confirmed by the game's developers.

In modern terms, this combo essentially unlocks a creative mode in Doom, granting invincibility and access to all in-game resources.

M

metal_ed666 6/27/2024, 3:04:26 PM

i used to use the perfect balance cheat code in all of the tony hawk games as younger me couldn't grasp i had to balance in the game lol and i was a little lazy but had way to much fun

Georgina_Herdman 6/26/2024, 6:21:55 PM

I played the Sims 2 a lot on PS2 back in the day

L1, R1, Up, X, R2 - first to open the cheat gnome

R1, L1, R2, Right, Left - Give Money cheat 9,999 Simoleons (to buy all the walls to trap my sims)

Up, Circle, Up, Right, L2 - All motives filled (because my sims are always grumpy, must be the fires always happening in the house)

Zeref_Vermilion 6/24/2024, 3:07:59 PM

The most memorable cheat was when I played Crash Team Racing on PS1 with my friend. I pranked him by using the Uka Uka cheat to knock him out of the race. He got so mad and eventually begged me to teach him how to use the cheat XD

M

MusicLicensingMary 6/24/2024, 9:30:45 AM

I will forever be fond of "motherlode" in the Sims! It gave you 50,000 cash immediately. I still remember the day a friend showed this to me and it blew my mind. I used that code all the time to build the grandest of houses and fill it with all the most expensive crazy items. It also allowed my sims to paint and play instruments all day rather than go to work. They never worked a day in their lives... I only wish something like this was possible in real life!

I think this worked in both sims 3 and 4.

Bonus memory = another cheat code for the Sims was "testingcheats true"

Then various following cheat codes allow you to do things like:

access all world objects for building (not usually available in build or buy menus!)
Resize items
Move items without restrictions in the grid or put items on top of each other (where that usually wouldn't be possible)

These made for much more interesting and natural-feeling builds. Did I spend hours building? Yes. Did I then actually play the Sims in said building for very long? No 😂

Paul 6/23/2024, 3:10:01 PM

There are so many from my childhood but il go for a later one and not so much of a cheat code, more like hacking.

In fallout 3 on 360 I would edit my save file to import any item I wanted (great if wanting to RP on console).

So I would kit my self out with whatever but I would also do the same for NPCs by reverse pickpoketing (after editing my skills of course). For example the wondering traders all had tesla backpacks and plasma guns for prorection and I turned the republic of Dave in to a heavily armoured nation by giving all residents power armour and miniguns.

Fun times

FirestormGamingTeam 6/22/2024, 1:49:28 PM

My submission is going to be short as I find the best cheat code to ever exist (YES I OLD) is DOOM, all weapons and keys & God Mode, also add in extra screen sizes.

All Weapons And Keys - A, Left, A, B, A, Right, A, C, A
Extra Screen Sizes - Up, Right, L, Up, Right, Right, R, A, Left
God Mode - Up, Right, A, B, A, Down, A, L, L

The three best cheat codes to absolutely wreck DooM from start to finish xD

RupertStaff6/23/2024, 9:25:05 AM

FirestormGamingTeam

I came here to say 'IDKFA' :)

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=idkfa

FirestormGamingTeam 6/23/2024, 2:15:18 PM

Rupert

Alright show off xD I actually forgot about that lol, Mine you I used to play Doom non stop, they don't make games like that anymore, just straight up slaughter, I think games being made like that would go far now, simple, straight objectives etc

0ffworld 6/22/2024, 12:03:02 PM

I'm not sure if this qualifies since I'm not actually entering a code. So if it doesn't, no worries.

As far as cheats go, I've got a really old childhood memory still ingrained in my brain. I present to you, the:

PlayStation Xploder

This is a cheat cartridge that comes pre-loaded with a library of advanced game modifications that let you mess with games in ways you couldn't using regular cheat codes. Big head cheats are fun and all, but with this I could squeeze even more fun out of games I'd already played a million times.

You could change the fundamentals of games beyond unlimited lives, invincibility, and frozen timers. What I remember doing the most is switching the move sets of characters in Tekken 3 around.

I gave the quick girls the move set of one of the bosses. It was hilarious to me when I could suddenly spew fire while looking like a high school student. I had almost limitless fun changing up my games with this device. Good memories.

Image credit: strefapsx.pl/xplorer-psx-ps1/

Retro Stu 6/22/2024, 8:45:45 AM

I remember finding this cheat code on teletext of all places!

It's for Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 on the Game Boy and it's a doozy! For those not aware, you collect coins and treasure and the more you have at the end dictates how big a house/mansion/castle you get, ranging from lowly hollowed out tree stump to an extravagant castle complex.

The code will help you not only get unlimited money every level but lives, time and hearts! Simply pause the game and press select 16 times, you'll see a little block flashing on the stats bar if you've done it right. Then just press B and press left or right to move to a different digit area. Press up or down to adjust the number of hearts, coins, and lives you have.

Makster 6/22/2024, 9:41:41 AM

Retro Stu

omg teletext! Pressing 888 would get you the subtitles for TV shows.

S

SpecialEffectLiam 6/22/2024, 8:06:06 AM

My most memorable ones have to be the cheat codes in GTA San Andreas. The jetpack, the weapon packs, the tank.. all made the game so unique! I used be able to enter those from memory within a matter of split seconds.

I tell you what I miss though, cheat discs.. does anyone else remember those? You put the disc in first, load the cheats you want to use and then you put the game disc in. That was so much fun, though I do think it’s the reason I could never get passed one level on LOTR Return of the King

Samuel 6/22/2024, 7:14:14 AM

I can't believe no one has mentioned the Contra cheat codes yet!

Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start

The Contra cheat code, more accurately the Konami Code, is a cheat code that was commonly used in Konami games, and was popularized in Contra, giving 30 extra lives to the player.

Its simplicity and pattern made it the only cheat code I didn't have to write down

Makster 6/22/2024, 9:40:49 AM

Samuel

Look at the bounty submission above yours

Makster 6/22/2024, 6:23:26 AM

If you don't recognise this code then you probably don't apply for the senior citizen's discount at NQ64 or Pixel Bar.
It the Konami Code! In any Konami game inputting this code will reap a reward when it was on the NES - most famous being Contra and getting 30 lives at the start of the game.

Other cheats that are burnt into my head

'rosebud' or 'motherlode' also known as the money cheat in The Sims. Probably one of the cheats that has made it into every mainline The Sims sequels
THESHIT for Grand Theft Auto 1. I convinced my parents to get me this game when I was 6 and just found out about swear words. I had to get my sister to promise me not to tell my parents that I was using this word. (for reference - this unlocked all the cheats)
It's not really a cheat but playing PC Fallout 3 or NV, opening the console and typing 'tgm' unlocked god mode. Saved me from soft locking myself in the subways of Fallout 3 when I was just a little vault dweller experiencing the wasteland for the first time

Paul 6/23/2024, 3:02:10 PM

Makster

I dont understand the GTA issue, whats wrong with saying thes hit?

😁

A

Awildbrendan 6/22/2024, 5:51:50 AM

"pow" Age of Empires (2 - I think)

Me and my little brother used to play Age of Empires on my dad's work laptop some 20+ years ago. Pressing Enter and typing "pow" without the "s spawned a unit that was a baby on a tricycle. Super powered but you had to be clever with it as it could be converted by enemy priests. Those were the days.

Also, for extra credit - up,down,up,down,left,right,left. I don't know what game it was from but I do know it isn't the Konami code misremembered. This code has permanent residence in my brain

Philip 6/22/2024, 2:10:58 AM

SimCity 2000 - pirntopsguzzardo gave you $500k cash.

I'd spam that cheat code to build arcologies or anything I wanted really.

GameofBeardz 6/21/2024, 11:02:45 PM

“Motherlode” - Sims

50,000 bucks straight into your bank account on the Sims. Sometimes I would use it at the start of the game so I could set up my house the way I wanted it and then would play properly, get a job and earn the rest of the money from there.

I just wish it worked in real life…

JB

Josh B 6/21/2024, 9:38:11 PM

R1 R2 L1 R2 Left Down Right Up Left Down Right Up

The ultimate in GTA cheat codes and in itself became a challenge to see just how quickly you could input it and rack up huge amount of ammo for the RPG! So much fun to be had just causing chaos on these games!

Fras_Shoyo 6/21/2024, 9:17:29 PM

The experience of using cheats may be the Ramble Racing Ps2 game where there are cheats that can unlock good and fast cars, for example, maybe like I like the Maelstrom vehicle which is predicted to be the fastest in this game, so every time there is a match offer to race I always unlock this car and become a winner in every match and very satisfied, sometimes regretting also using cheats and using good cars while my friends use ordinary cars, sometimes I regret it by using cars that are very overpowered.

Foolish_Imp 6/21/2024, 6:12:00 PM

My brother and I used to always try cheat codes on our Ps2/Ps1 games and whatever other consoles we got after that. My brother was always getting those cheat code books, and we would look at them for hours trying to remember them for our games or games that we wanted. We, famously, could never properly execute a single code, despite having a book right in front of us.

One code in particular was for this atv game that we used to play, and it was supposed to unlock all progress so that we could ride on all the maps and use all the vehicles. We never managed to get it to work and we also, never managed to unlock the whole game ourselves. It didn't matter anyway because we only chose vehicles based on color at that stage in our lives and we only ever chose to ride on one map so I highly doubt we would have tried out other things if the code had worked.

I don't know if it was clumsy little kid fingers or just our poor reading skills, but cheat codes were never in our favor as kids. However, those years of failure are some of my favorite memories revolving around cheat codes because we always acted so betrayed, like it was the game or the codes fault, but never thought to question our skills.

P

Paige 6/21/2024, 6:02:48 PM

The Jetpack cheat in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for PlayStation! I had it written down on a piece of paper for easy access - I loved combining it with the parachute.

Nine 6/21/2024, 9:37:20 PM

My memories use cheat code on ps1 is playing yugioh with game shark,

Im really remember what the powerful is game shark, with that's cd game i can finish story about game yugioh on ps1.

Fortunely you can summon exodia hahaha

Toretto 70 6/22/2024, 4:07:27 PM

This cheat code from GTA SA (anti police) this cheat code make me first time I know about cheat code. in my country they call it The Patient Police :D

Gaypengwing 6/23/2024, 2:57:33 AM

The one that springs to my mind immediately has to be the MOTHERLODE cheat code for loads of money in the sims, I used it so much as a child on my countless forgotten about houses and interior design ideas before moving on to the next 🙌

Shovel 6/23/2024, 7:10:23 PM

OMG, it has to be the Motherload one and the gnome one for simoleons on the Sims, this was a way to get loads of in game currency to buy and decorate your house, character, and pets however you want, I

do remember there was something that you would risk by doing this though. It brings me back, I remember we would write it down and keep it in the PS2 cover of the game. Really old times!

LegendaryJL 6/24/2024, 4:16:24 PM

The Motherlode and Kaching cheat codes from The Sims games were a lifesaver when playing them, I used to think I was a rich man living in luxury!

Paul 6/24/2024, 4:22:33 PM

Has anyone mentioned the Sims motherlode yet?

😁

Makster 6/30/2024, 3:43:27 PM

Paul

I love how synonymous that game is with that cheat. So much so I think they just have an option at the start of the game where you toggle whether you want it on from the stat or not