Cheat codes for video games have a proud history. Hardly a game ever manufactured-even dating back to early Atari and the first computer games-has not had cheats either built in or a had way to program in changes. True, cheating sort of came about by chance, but today there is a whole game cheat culture with its own share of the publishing industry.
At first, cheating was done only by the technically savvy gamers. It was not easy, and the every day gamer didn’t have the skills. Cheating back in the day required literally reprogramming a game before it was loaded into the computer’s memory. This breed of cheats were called POKES and could be used to create much the same effects that cheats produce in newer games-make a character unstoppable, get unlimited health, etc.
Game manufacturers from the beginning built cheats into their games. These were not meant for the use of players, however, but for the game testers. It made the pre-release testing process quicker. Usually, the cheats were not removed before the games went on sale, and gamers found them. Accessing these cheats became so ubiquitous that game designers took note. Players began to expect them, and designers obliged, rewarding gamers with creative, wacky, or interesting cheats and unlockables.
Some players cried that cheats were dishonest, bad, wrong, and un-American. Even some of the gaming magazines echoed the chant, but it was soon spent. The cheats were just too cool. They could bypass levels and speed up play for the time-challenged. They could take you to hidden locations and unlock stuff. They definitely made game replay way more interesting. And they could make garbage trucks fly and dinosaurs appear undead-how wack is that?
So cheat all you want! Cheats make gaming more inventive, letting you make the game do what you want it to do. Be as serious or as clever as you like! Game cheats are the best way to get the most out of your games.