Japanese game producer Kazuhisa Hashimoto programmed the Konami Code to unlock hidden benefits and bonuses for players through generations of consoles.
After the release of Gradius for the Nintendo Entertainment System nearly 35 years ago, Hashimoto’s code also went past Konami titles.
Developers paid tribute in their own titles, often giving players a surprise if they were curious enough to punch it in.
Following Hashimoto’s death this week, Konami paid their own respects to the long-time developer in a tweet. The company also expressed their thoughts for family and friends while sharing the code in a picture.
Game composer Yuji Takenouchi was also the first to share news of his passing earlier this week.
The Konami Code is also a simple combination press of direction and two face buttons, which could also be mapped on virtually any controller.
For players, chaining the code together in any game can put magic on the screen (or even bring some unintended consequences).
Using the code in Konami’s earlier games such as Contra granted players 30 extra lives.
Tapping it in BioShock: Infinite would turn the floating city of Columbia into a HUD-free survival nightmare.
You can also use it to give Gordon Freeman health packs in Half-Life 2, while bosses across the Metal Gear Solid series can appear on the map for an easy search-and-destroy.
As Polygon reports, Hashimoto started his work in developing hardware for Konami’s arcade machines.
When the NES was unveiled in 1983, he ported classics such as Track & Field to the system and was intrigued by the controller’s functionality.
It also became the birthplace of the Konami Code, intricately made so players couldn’t accidentally trigger it during gameplay. Today, the code exists across more than a hundred games while it could continue to change future game experiences at a few presses.
You can view a full list of games which use the Konami Code here.
CGMagazine pays respects to Kazuhisha Hashimoto and his contributions to the history of gaming. We also wish his family the best during this time.
Rest in peace.
