This year marks the 35th anniversary of the famous Konami Code, and for some reason, that means we're being treated to a new wave of merchandise based on, well... buttons.
As you may well know, the hidden 'Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A' command was first used in Gradius back in 1986 – when you enter it, you benefit from a handy power-up that goes a long way towards helping you clear some of the game's tougher moments.
If remembering the code is making you all nostalgic, you'll be pleased to see that a new website acknowledging its anniversary has appeared sporting special merchandise and new arrangements of retro Konami music. There are t-shirts, mugs, snapbacks, desk mats and more available, but here are some of our favourite picks, available here:
We imagine that entering the Konami Code in our comment section probably doesn't do anything (it definitely doesn't), but you're welcome to try it anyway. Will you be picking up any of this new merch?
Comments 23
They’ll do anything except release some games on consoles, Konami is such a joke of a company nowadays
Ironically, Konami's site doesn't have an Easter egg when you input the Konami Code.
It's always fun to try that code when visiting certain sites, many developers like to stick in Easter eggs.
Edit: Konami's special page for the code also completely misses its famous inclusion in Contra, which for the code is better known even if it was first included in Gradius.
Some later Konami games changed the effects of the Konami Code to punish would-be cheaters! But they substituted left and right with L and R to activate the real cheat code. Gradius III on SNES comes to mind.
Reading this, tried to enter the code on the page. Didn't expect it to work and it didn't
Soo the word merchandise no longer exists?
Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Select Start is also Konami's code from 30 Lives (Up Up Down Dance Mix) by Motion Sick in DDR X and DDR UNIVERSE 3.
https://youtu.be/HpCf8Y9bs3A
... they should get B.A. Barackus to sing a song about it. So that even those who don't know about the Konami code can make some sense of the BA portion.
"Up! Up! Down! Down! Left, right, left, right, B A START!"
Include a stupid little dance clip with it too and you've got gold.
Don't see why this code is any different to any other cheat code back in the day. Weird.
Everything Konami does these days is beyond disappointing
The style is very mid-2000s, kind of ugly
Can we use the Ikari Warriors code to bring Konami back to life?
Konami code: Virtual Boy edition
@carlos82 A B B Naw
Advance Wars is also 20 years old today. But nah, let's celebrate an input code instead. 😞
"Up up down down left right left right B A start, Just because we use cheats doesn't mean we're not smart."
Removed - inappropriate
@Clyde_Radcliffe Probably three reasons - it was easy to remember, say, and enter; it was used in multiple games; and its effects were generally very useful, possibly even game-changing. Who here could only beat Contra w/ the code? Not JUST me, right?
Where is Start?!?!
@Clyde_Radcliffe Not sure how often games even had cheat codes back then. It nevertheless gained enough attention in its day that even by the end of the decade developers working for other publishers were already copying and sometimes mocking it.
I just stopped by to tell all you newbs to get good.
@Clyde_Radcliffe For many NES gamers it was the first they had ever heard of a cheat code. Not only that, it was passed by word-of-mouth and actually worked unlike many of the rumors passed around (my uncle works at Nintendo...). Plus, it was very useful for a game many found very difficult, Contra. (Back then, no internet, and the number of gamers was a small nerdom, so super-secret stuff like this was gold)
What I can't remember is how I first found out about it. I played Gradius early on and often and did not know about it for a long time. Can't remember if it was in Nintendo Power or what.
@TryToBeHopeful love me some Moldy Peaches
@UglyCasanova and me some modest mouse / sub pop!
Back in the NES days, Konami was King.
Game after game was fun.
From Contra to Track and Field to Blades of Steel to Castlevania to Life Force to Rush'n Attack and on and on
The only real disappointment I ever had from them was The Adventures of Bayou Billy.
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