2. TAKING THE EASY PATH
 That little series of directions on the front?
 That’s commonly known in the video game industry as “The Konami
Code”.
 The code was a “cheat” system built into games by developer Konami.
In 1986 and 1987, Konami introduced stellar video game titles in
“Gradius” and “Contra”.
 Both games were welcomed with great applause, and though they had
some of the most memorable gameplay in the early days of the
Nintendo Entertainment System, they were REDICULOUSLY HARD to
complete.
 Using this code, you essentially enabled a “God Mode” in the games
where you, as the player were invincible, had unlimited ammo, and
could even choose what level to start out on.

3. BUT SURELY IT STOPPED THERE?
•
Oh no…. It didn’t….
•
To this day, hit video game companies write lines of code into their
biggest titles.
•
Some are a series of buttons you quickly tap out.
•
Some are a special password you type in to some random screen on the
game.
•
Some are simply character movements in a specific order around a
map.
•
Sometimes the companies provide you with easy access to these
codes, and sometimes these are found just by chance, as Easter Eggs,
and then they spread like wildfire across the Internet.

4. BUT WHY?
 Allegedly, a developer working on “Gradius” found the game to be too
hard when test-playing it, so he added a line of code allowing for the
cheat.
 The line of code was forgotten about, and left in the finished product.
 Players discovered the code and LOVED it!
 From then on, Konami included the code in most future titles just for
fun.

5. WHAT DID CHEATING THROUGHOUT YOUR
CHILDHOOD TEACH YOU?
If you win, go ahead and do it.
Why?
Cause Winning is BEST!

6. WHERE ELSE DOES THIS TRANSLATE?
Remember that big book report you have due tomorrow?
Did you neglect to finish reading the entire book in time?
CLIFFS NOTES!!! The ultimate literary cheat/shortcut!
Diagnosed with only a few months left to live?
BUILD AN EMPIRE!!