The 50 Greatest Cheats In Video Games

Image via Complex Original

Cheat: Dancing Zombies

Who knows how much better typists we'd be if Sega's The Typing of the Dead caught on, possibly replacing Mavis Beacon in our elementary schools? We can still enjoy it on the Dreamcast and PC though. To see the zombies dance, make it to the end credits and start typing the developers' names as they appear. It's not exactly 'Thriller', but it's a fitting finale to one of the best reskins in gaming history.

Cheat: Game Debug Menu

Here's the first of a few debug codes on our list, saved for the games where it really helps. The Super Star Wars Trilogy is known for being difficult so there's little shame in getting some help. To access the debug menu, press A, A, A, A, X, B, B, B, B, Y, X, X, X, X, A, Y, Y, Y, Y, and B at the title screen. Then start the game and press L+R on controller 2.

Cheat: Extra Continues

Sega's classic street brawler isn't especially hard, but some extra credits wouldn't hurt. To get some extra continues, press Left, Left, B, B, B, C, C, C, and Start on the title screen.

Cheat: Invincibility

There are debug menus and extra continues, but sometimes you need some straight up invincibility. One of the hardest (yet somehow fun) shooters on the Genesis was Gaiares, a game that I never beat honestly. To unlock invincibility, start the game and press Start to pause. Then press A, C, and Left at the same time. The screen will freeze, indicating that the code worked. You'll need to activate this code in every level.

Cheat: All Weapons

Target Earth is one of the hardest games on the Genesis, but worthwhile if you're a fan of anime-styled mech shooters. This code is worth trying out just for the challenge of unlocking it. To get all the weapons, you need to make a beeline for the boss at the other end of the first level without picking up any weapons or destroying anything. You'll know you succeeded when you've beaten the level with over 2800 points. Now you can enjoy the rest of the game with solid firepower.

Cheat: Full Arsenal

Super Castlevania IV is about as challenging as any game in the series. To make it all the way to Dracula means you most likely have the skill to defeat him with additional help. In case you do want some help, you can get a full arsenal of max health, 99 hearts, a cross, a III stone, and a fully upgraded whip. To do this, go to the screen with the stairs leading to Dracula. Don't climb it; instead, jump to the left. Notice you're on an invisible platform. Go all the way left of the screen to find the upgrades.

Cheat: Invisibility (Multiplayer)

If you've poured hundreds of hours into this multiplayer classic, then you might already know of this devious cheat. To get invisibility in the multiplayer mode, enter L+C-Up, L+R+C-Left, R+Up, L+C-Right, R+C-Left, L+Right, L+R+C-Left, L+C-Right, L+Up, and L+R+C-Down during gameplay.

Cheat: Sound Test

The novelty of sound tests might have worn off after the 16-bit era, but that hasn't stopped newer games from featuring it as a hidden treasure. To find the sound test in the PSP version of Final Fantasy Tactics, begin a New Game and when you're at the name entry screen, enter 'PolkaPolka'.

Cheat: Everything Unlocked

It's often the first person shooters that benefit the most from Everything Unlocked codes. It's certainly the case for this 14 year old (!) FPS. To get everything unlocked, simply enter 'BEWAREOBLIVIONISATHAND' in the Cheat Menu.

Cheat: Special Cup

20 years later, we'd like to think most 30-something SNES owners have played through every cup in Mario Kart. It's also the honest way to unlock the very challenging Special Cup. If you want to skip the proper playthrough and just unlock the Special Cup through a cheat, follow these steps. At the cup select screen, press the following buttons in order: L, R, L, R, L, L, R, and R.

Cheat: Called Homerun

Proficient slugger that he was, did Ken Griffey Jr. ever have the ego to point toward the outfield and call a home run? When Ken Griffey Jr. is up to bat, pause the game and press Left, Left, Right, Right, Right, Left, and Left on the d-pad.

Cheat: All Characters and Courses

The original Hot Shots Golf is one of the very few PSOne games that manages to age gracefully, much thanks to studio Camelot Software Planning. Even with its arcade style accessibility, Hot Shots Golf is as challenging as any golf game, enough that I was guilty of restarting my PlayStation when I knew my round wasn't going well. If you don't have time to go through all the effort, this code will unlock all the characters and courses. When the bouncing logo appears in the title screen, hold L1 + L2 + R1 + R2 on the second controller and press Up, Up, Down, Up, Left, Right, Right, Left, Up, Up, Down, Up, Left, Right, Right, and Left.

Cheat: Big Head Mode

No cheats list would be complete without a Big Head Mode. It has appeared in everything from countless sports games to the Duke Nukem series. This is also a good opportunity to highlight the relatively obscure Incredible Crisis, published by the equally obscure Titus Software. It made charming, plot-driven genre-hopping minigames cool a couple years before WarioWare came out. A Big Head Mode is tame in quirkyness compared to the rest of the Incredible Crisis, but here's how you get it anyway. While playing with the first controller, press Up or Down on controller 2. That's it.

Cheat: Level 3 Cheat

At the way EA's deciding what to publish, what to reboot, and what attention should be devoted to social gaming, who knows when we're getting a new Road Rash. Road Rash 3 was one of the series' high points and you can enjoy a bit of a boost with this cheat. To get $20,000, a DMG 1000, several weapons, and a Level 3 skip, input A, B, Right, A, C, A, Down, A, B, Right, A. on the title screen. You'll know you inputed it correctly when the siren goes off.

Cheat: Hidden Fantasy Zone Game

Sometimes the best game-within-a-game unlockables are the random pairs. Take Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf, one of the launch titles for the Sega Genesis. Somehow, you can unlock a special level based on the Master System era series, Fantasy Zone. Rather odd to include a cutesy shooter in a golf game; were both titles made by the same studio? To play this minigame, get 100 strokes on any hole without finishing the hole. At the Game Over screen, press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, and A. To control Opa-Opa in Fantasy Zone, press B to shoot and C to drop bombs.

Cheat: Rocket Launcher with Unlimited Ammo

Here's another example of "if you have the skill to unlock this, then you may not need it". We may not "need" a rocket launcher with unlimited ammo in Resident Evil, but it sure would be fun to have. This unlockable has reappeared in many RE sequels, but it was first available in the original 1996 game. To get the unlimited ammo rocket launcher, all you have to do is beat the game with either Chris or Jill in under 3 hours. Let the credits roll and save your game. Then load the game and open the first chest to get the rocket launcher.

Cheat: Infinite Continues

For another example of an infinite continue cheat, here's one of Sega's biggest cult series of all time. Panzer Dragoon has its tough moments, so we'd like to think countless retries should help. Press Start on the title screen, then press L, L, R, R, Up, Down, Left, and Right. And just like that, infinite continues.

Cheat: Overnight Max Stealth

No, it's not a code; just one of the very few exploits that snuck its way into our list. There are a lot of character attributes to develop in Skyrim. One that you don't have to worry about is Stealth, which you can upgrade to its maximum level while you sleep. You're credited with Stealth everytime you're crouched near an enemy while staying unseen. This exploit works because Skyrim's developers did not add stop animation for the times that a character walks at an obstacle. To max out Stealth with minimal effort (as well as gain extra levels) crouch behind a wall or rock near an enemy. Then move forward against the obstacle, and stick a piece of tape on your controller keeping your characters in perpetual forward motion. Keep your console on for about a day and you'll have full Stealth when you return.

Cheat: Infinite Work Days/Yen

As beloved as Shenmue is, we couldn't rank this cheat higher because it involves working a tedious warehouse job! But you're addicted to the local arcade and gumball machine prizes, so at least this job will teach you the value of money (sorta). If you play the game correctly, you'll only need to work several days in order to move the story along. Though if you want more money, here's how to keep working as long as you like. On your third day on the job, you're supposed to investigate Warehouse #17 after work. Instead, skip this event and the next day you'll repeat this third day on the job, just with a bit more money in your pocket. Repeat this as many times as you like.

Cheat: Infinite Shurikens

The Revenge of Shinobi isn't an especially hard Genesis game, but it isn't easy either. This game doesn't tempt you with level selects or invincibility modes that would spoil the experience. Instead, the game offers reasonable handicaps, like infinite shurikens. To get this, go to the Options Screen, move the cursor to Shurikens and set the quantity to '00'. Then wait about 30 seconds. You'll then hear a sound effect and the '00' will turn into an infinity symbol.

Cheat: Special Options

Often included in many top 10 Genesis games list, Shining Force II was one of the best SRPGs of the 16-bit era. The game had its share of hidden features, including your standard sound test and the ability to rename your characters. One of the more interesting secrets is a menu of special options. When the Sega logo appears, press Up, Down, Up, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Up, Right, Down, Left, Up, and B. Then hold down Start and keep holding it until you've selected which game you want to continue. When you've highlighted the game you want to continue, select it with the C button. Now you can access unusual features such as auto battle and the ability to control opponents.

Cheat: PaRappa's Voice Change

PaRappa (and Chop Chop Master Onion) is getting a mild revival thanks to PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. If you still have the original PlayStation game or want to pick it up digitally in the PSN store, here's a unique code you may not have known about. If you want to play other character voices from the game, complete the first two levels with a Cool rating. Then press X, X, X, Triangle, Circle, Triangle, Square, Square, Right, Left, Square, X and finish then the next level. On level 4, press X, Square, Triangle, Circle, and X. Now PaRappa's voice will change. Hold R1 and press Circle or Triangle to cycle through the other voices.

Cheat: UFO Ending

Silent Hill 2's UFO ending is part of a tradition that started in the original Silent Hill and has continued with almost every installment since. Getting it in SH2 isn't too hard, though you can only get it in the Greatest Hits and Xbox versions of the game. To see the UFO ending, you need to beat the game once plus the Maria scenario. Start a new game and you'll find yourself in the restroom once again. Look around and pick up the blue gem. You need to use the gem in the following places: 1) The Brookhaven Garden after fighting the hanging men, 2) in front of the row boat on the dock after leaving the meat locker, and 3) in Room 312 before you watch the tape.

Cheat: Level Select

No unusual cheats here; just one way for novice gamers to experience every level of this really difficult SNES classic. To unlock level select, highlight 'Exit' on the Options screen using the first controller. Then hold L and Start on the second controller and press Start on the first controller.

Cheat: New Game Bonuses

Through glitches or by design, there's a ton of secrets in Symphony of the Night. The easiest ones to get are also some of the most useful unlockables. Here are just a few of them: Axe Lord Armor: Beat the game and start a new one with the name AXEARMOR 99 Luck: Beat the game and start a new one with the name X-X!V"Q 99 INT (but with other stats lowered): Beat the game and start a new one with the name X-X!V" Play as Richter Belmont: Beat the game and start a new one with the name RICHTER

Cheat: Play the Atari 2600 Game

Pitfall Harry and Harry Jr. might have stepped aside for the Nathan Drakes and Lara Crofts of the gaming world, but here are two ways you can relive their exploits. Not only is there the well-received 16-bit Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure, but you can also unlock the original game, Pitfall!. To unlock the Atari 2600 game, go to the title screen and enter Down, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, and Down. That's 26 As, get it?

Cheat: Drebin Discounts

Affording merchandise at Drebin's Store isn't especially hard, but who are we to refuse a discount? To get the lower rates, set the PS3 system clock to either Wednesday or Sunday and items will be cheaper. In addition, store items in Act 5 will be half off.

Cheat: Turkey Assassin

Assassin's Creed III is as large as any open world game, and with that, possibilities for secrets. One of the more interesting ones involves a turkey. To get a tukey sidekick, progress to Sequence 6 or later. Return to the Davenport Homestead and as you face the front door, walk around to the right side of the manor. Now hide around the corner at the back. Whistle to get the attention of a turkey. Go to it and press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, and A. The turkey will now sport the Assassin's hood, sticking to Connor's side.

Cheat: Tank!

The Getaway was one of Brendan McNamara's earlier titles before making a bigger name for himself with L.A.Noire. This London crime drama is also one of the more constrained open world games, designed so that the player would focus on the story. That said, there is an opportunity for some extra-curricular mayhem. To drive a tank through London, go to St. James' Park. There you'll find the Army barracks, and in there, a tank.

Cheat: Extra Nodes & Credits

In space...no one can hear you whine about the limited resources on a ship taken over by necromorphs. A few thousand credits doesn't sound like cheating when you're dealing with enemies as frightening as the ones in Dead Space, no? Simply enter these codes in the Pause screen. For 10,000 credits, enter X, Y, Y, Y, X, X, and Y For 5 nodes, enter Y, X, Y, X, X, Y, X, X, Y, X, X, Y

Cheat: Prince of Persia in 3D

Unlike the Pitfall code, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time takes it up a notch by featuring the first level of the original Prince of Persia in 3D! To get this first level in 3D, start a new game and stay on the balcony. Press in the left analog stick and press A, X ,Y, B, Y, A, X, B.

Cheat: Two Instant Win Stages

Any Japanese rhythm action game with a Bob Dylan reference in the cutscenes deserves a spot on our list (see screenshot). If you're having a hard time with some of the stages, here's a way to "beat" two of them. To beat the fourth and sixth stages, push the PS2 eject button while playing either of those stages. The game will declare your victory and your rank will be based from the notes you've played.

Cheat: Ghost Mode

The lackluster reception of this year's Epic Mickey games (the sequel and the 3DS release) only makes one want to replay this Sega Genesis classic. To unlock Ghost Mode at any point in the game, press and hold down A, B, and C together, then press Start.

Cheat: Unlimited 1-ups

Are you one of the few gamers (like me) who could use as many 1-ups as possible in Super Mario Bros.? Here's how to get unlimited 1-ups; just don't go over 100 or it'll be Game Over: Go to World 3-1 and turn into Super Mario. At the staircase before the end flag, notice the two turtles coming down. Jump over the first one and jump on the second one. It should hit the star and bounce back. Keep jumping on it to keep yourself up. As long as you don't hit the ground, each consecutive bounce will unlock a 1-up.

Cheat: More Password Unlocks

We've already spotlighted the Justin Bailey cheat in our last list, though Metroid is such a password-accessible game that we wanted to show a few more cheats. Enter these in the Password screen: Start with Wave Beam: 000000 000000 040000 0000X8 Invincibility and Infinite Missiles: NARPAS SWORD0 000000 000000 215 Missiles, 5 Energy Tanks, All Powerups, & Both Mini-Bosses Dead: X-X-uJ lls0W0 fVvweG 000WNr

Cheat: Unlock All

It'll be a few years before we see a proper Guitar Hero revival. In the meantime, if you have that nostalgic drive to see where it all started, you can save time by entering this Unlock All code. At the game selection menu, press Yellow, Orange, Blue, Blue, Orange, Yellow, and Yellow.

Cheat: Debug Menu

What comes easier for you: creation or destruction? Whatever your Godly poison, SimCity 2000 has always been a safe outlet to do both. These powers become that much more accessible with the game's debug menu. To access the debug menu, simply type Priscilla during the game.

Cheat: All Guns, Ammo, and Keys

Were the id Software folks big special effects fans? You'd think so after learning one of the most helpful cheats for Wolfenstein 3D. To get all guns, ammo and key, simply enter ILM at the same time during gameplay.

Cheat: Debug Menu

Here's another worthwhile Debug Menu, and is one of the multiple 16-bit game cheats with an image of David Perry (he's also in Cool Spot). To access the Debug Menu, go to the Options screen and enter A, C, A, C, A, C, A, C, B, B, B, and B. You'll know this was entered correctly when you see David.

Cheat: Green HIll Zone

This non-cheat easter egg is worth checking out but will take some time and patience. Sonic Generations did a lot to reunite gamers with a several classic Sonic levels, but Sonic Adventure 2 Battle has a remarkable 3D model reinterpretation of Sonic's very first level on the Genesis, Green Hill Zone. Again, getting the Green Hill Zone remake is quite a task. You have to collect all 180 emblems in Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. Trust us though, it's worth it.

Cheat: Launch The Flagman & Lose Your Head

Not exactly a perfect port of the arcade classic, but this home version of Super Monaco GP makes up for lower visual fidelity with a campaign mode and some remarkable easter eggs. To send the flagman into sky, simply try to run over him as you cross the finish line. If you happen to be winning a race, you should also hold down A, B, and C as you cross the finish line. Instead of holding up a trophy, your driver will be holding up his own head!

Cheat: Game Soundtrack

Wipeout XL wasn't the first game to use licensed music, but it certainly was one of the first to use it well. Such an electronic dance driven soundtrack in 1996 might have been foreign to many gamers, but U.K.-based developer Psygnosis was more than happy to educate, as well as introduce many to a little known energy drink called Red Bull. What better way to experience a soundtrack than by simply popping the game disc in a CD player. That's all you need to do to enjoy Wipeout XL's music without firing up the game.

Cheat: Auto Leveling

One of the beauties of Final Fantasy XII's gameplay is in the semi-automated design of the Gambit System. By assigning a series of if/then commands to your party, you can engage in a battle without lifting a finger, but still have a gratifying sense of accomplishment in winning the fight. Now imagine adding a foe that infinitely spawns lesser foes and with you having the ability focus just on those weaker targets. Set your gambits right, leave your PlayStation 2 alone for two or three days, and voila, Level 99 party. See this Gamefaqs leveling guide for more details: LINK

Cheat: Street Fighter Costumes

The last mainline Onimusha game also had quite a few unlockables. It was amusing to find there's extra items to unlock pertaining to the game's "dating-sim" component. Overshadowing those cheats are the game's Street Fighter costumes. To get these outfits, do the following: at the menu screen, select Special and put the cursor on 'Exit'. Then enter these codes: Cammy costume for Jubei: L2, L2, Right, Right, L3, Tringle, Left, L1, L2, Square Chun-Li costume for Ohatsu: R3, Right, L2, Left, Left, R3, L1, R1, Right, R3 Guile's costume for Roberto: R2, L2, Left, L1, Left, Right, R3, Square, Square, Triangle Ryu's costume for Soki: Left, Triangle, R2, R3, Square, R1, R1, Right, Left, L2 Ken's costume for Tenkai: L3, L3, R3, R3, R3, Left, R2, L1, Square, Right

Cheat: Respawning 1-ups

As much as it is often an exploit, the respawning 1-up has been a practical resource for novice players for games as recent as New Super Mario Bros. U. One of the earliest examples was in Area 5-3 of Ninja Gaiden on the NES. Go to the 3rd floor in the tower, grab the 1-up. Go back down to the 2nd floor and back up to the 3rd floor. There's another 1-up for you to grab.

Cheat: Donkey Kong Head

Even by 16-bit era standards, Shiny Entertainment did not hold back on both creative and useful codes with games like Earthworm Jim. You can see a full list of the game's cheats here, but we thought to highlight one of the more curious changes you can make to Jim. To give him a Donkey Kong head, pause the game and enter Down plus C, B, A, A, A, A, B, and C.

Cheat: Super Jump & Invincibility

Mega Man was not the highest or longest jumper during his 8-bit adventures, but you can change that with this cheat. If you want Mega Man with a super jump, all you have to do is press Right on the second controller. This will even allow him to walk across the bottom of pits. Heck, let's throw in the invincibility cheat: Jump into a pit, then press Right on the second controller. Have the energy bar go to black and jump out of the pit. You'll remain invincible as long as you do not get any energy. Oh, and Mega Man's arm cannon won't work but weapons he gets from bosses will.

Cheat: Blitzball Easy Win

There's no cheating like cheating in sports. When it comes to the Blitzball mini game in Final Fantasy X, you won't hear me complain about cheating (ie. wasn't my favorite part of FFX). Sure, you can get a lead in Blitzball, but can you maintain it? Here's an exploit to do just that. When you are in the lead, swim behind your goalie. Everyone else will go to the other side and swim around. If an opponent is following you, just shake him loose. Stay behind the goalie until the game is over.

Cheat: Console Mode

Even a single player game like Half-Life feels like it has more cheats than your average PC title. Many of these can be accessed through the game's Console Mode.

To get Console Mode, right click on the Half Life desktop shortcut. In Properties, go to the Target tab. Look for the line that reads: X:\Sierra\Half-Life\hl.exe. Put "-console" at the end of that line so it reads: X:\Sierra\Half-Life\hl.exe -console. Note the space after ".exe". Now launch the game and notice that the startup screen has a "Console" option. There are a ton of cheats you can enter, so here is a large collection of them.

If you just want Invincibility, enter: /god in the Console Mode.

If you want Invisibility, enter: notarget in the Console Mode.

Cheat: Defeat The End Easily

Not many 60-90 minute boss fights are worth the time, but the duel against The End is a classic. If you are pressed for time, you can skip the fight altogether. First, enter The End's boss fight area. Save the game and go to the PlayStation 2's hardware settings. Advance the clock a few years, then launch Metal Gear Solid 3 using your save. Now you won't have to fight The End since he died of old age.

Here's another way to defeat The End. After the first swamp area with the one-man hovercrafts, a cutscene will play. After the cutscene, take out your sniper rifle and kill The End as he's being rolled away in his wheelchair.