A Quarter Century Later, New Konami Code Unearthed in Castlevania Game
April 16, 2024In an unexpected turn of events, a new use for the famous Konami code has been found in the game Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness, a whole 25 years after its initial release.
For those who might not be familiar, the Konami code is a well-known cheat code that programmer Kazuhisa Hashimoto first introduced in the Famicom/NES port of Gradius. The code, which is usually entered as: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, and A, has been featured in many of Konami’s games and has become a significant part of gaming culture.
New KONAMI CODE discovered after 25 years!!
In Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness, you can unlock all characters and costumes from the start: pic.twitter.com/ZkueeXCNeb
— JupiterClimb (@JupiterClimb) April 15, 2024
Despite its long-standing presence, it appears we don’t yet know all the games it’s hidden in. Recently, Castlevania speedrunner JupiterClimb highlighted that two fans, Moises and LiquidCat, discovered a new variation of the code in the 1999 game Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness for the N64. This code allows players to unlock all characters (Reinhardt, Carrie, and Henry) from the get-go, bypassing the usual requirement to unlock them manually with Cornell.
The cheat is activated at the main menu by pressing C-Up x 4, C-Down x 4, C-Left x 2, C-Right x 2, C-Left x 2, C-Right x 2, and then L, R, Z. A sound will play to confirm the correct entry. On the next game start, all characters should be available.
In a thrilling development, Moises has reportedly found more undiscovered codes, which are set to be revealed soon. This discovery has rekindled interest in classic games and their hidden depths, reminding us that there may still be secrets waiting to be uncovered, even decades later.