One of the most well-known cheat codes in gaming just celebrated its 35th birthday, and it now has its own website to commemorate the occasion. The cultural significance of Konami’s renowned Konami Code is definitely worth commemorating, and it appears that the business recognizes this.
On April 25, the Konami code celebrated its 35th anniversary, but Konami felt that paying lip respect to the code was not enough. Instead, they spent time and effort building a website to show their love for the Konami Code and its pop-cultural following.
The website serves as a showcase for Konami’s Arcade Archives series of old games, as well as innovative adaptations of music from some of Konami’s classics and new items using the well-known code.
The webpage begins with a brief description of the Konami Code’s debut in the famous shoot-em-up series Gradius. When the code was input, the player’s vessel was boosted to almost full power, making the game considerably simpler.
The code appeared in a number of Konami products after that, with one of the most well-known occurrences in the extremely tough NES game Contra. The code, if input correctly, would grant players 30 lives to help them navigate through the game’s tough gauntlet of enemies.
On the Konami website, there is also some music. The tracks are remixes of classic Konami tunes, each with a distinct touch offered by different artists. Tokyo Machine, for example, has created a fantastic remix of the original Gradius theme.
DJ No.2, a Japanese musician, has put together an outstanding 6-song mix of lofi mashups with Konami classics, including Twinbee and Yie Ar KUNG-FU. The song is completed by meiyo and Yamazaru’s performances.
A visit to the site shows some new products as well. There’s also some limited edition Konami Code stuff, as well as a link to Konami’s other popular goods. T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, caps, and even a desk mat are all available, all of which feature the iconic code in all of its splendor.
If gamers want to try out the code for themselves, the site also allows users to purchase some of Konami’s masterpieces from the past, like Gradius and Gradius III, Twinbee, and Lightning Fighters.
It’s wonderful to see Konami honor its history, but this commemoration of the company’s past raises concerns about the company’s future. When Konami resumes production of legendary games, only time will tell.
