cheat codes
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Konami website now iPhone-accessible
Make this happen by mirroring the standard Konami sequence (up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right) using swipes instead of touching command keys. When you get to the BA sequence, a controller will appear on-screen to let you tap the B-button and then the A-button. As for the Konami-compatible websites listed, they are not as forgiving, I'm afraid. The iPhone compatibility does not extend to any of the listed pages that I tested. Given that we have fully entered the age of iPhone OS (and soon, the tablet), I think you can expect touchKonami to start expanding to ever new sites and applications. For example, Polish Demon's Emojinabler app (currently in App Store review) uses the sequence to unlock Emoji text access on non-Japanese iPhones. Know of a touchKonami-enabled website or App Store app? Let us know in the comments.
Wii Warm Up: Cheated
The latest It's-a Mario World put us in the mood for some discussions of retro-style game secrets. Let's go old-school and share some old cheat codes! What are your favorites? And by "favorites" we mean "codes you can recite from memory." And not just the Konami code, either!For some reason, though a whole childhood was spent meticulously copying codes out of magazines for schoolyard friends (oh, wow, that was totally piracy!) as soon as this topic came to mind, we thought of the Ikari Warriors II continue code. Yes, we did play way too much Ikari Warriors II in our youth. Really, any Ikari Warriors II is too much, but we retain an irrational affection for that ugly thing.
Forum post of the day: Try a twinkie
Seska of Ysondre has posed the challenge of twinking to players who hate this style of play. She stated that the joy of playing a twink is in planning how to get gear for the effort. To her twinking proves that gear is more important than skill. To do it right, twinking requires considerable time and effort (not to mention cash from higher level characters), but is a valuable experience. Seska is currently a level 16 Shaman, and plans to keep that character as a twink. She was met with agreement by some other twinks, but also a lot of resistance and resentment. Some people say that they have tried twinking and gotten bored with it soon afterward, like playing any other video game with cheat codes. This practice can also be frustrating for other players who would like to battleground as they level up but become demoralized by twinks.
The evolution of game extras
The Associated Press describes how cheat codes, Easter eggs, unlockables, and in-game advertising are converging as marketers try to create more money and drive more game sales. While the article takes a broad swipe at the topic, and it's just plain wrong at times -- Easter eggs are "brightly decorated circles or balls ... that [unlock] bonus points, monster-slaying swords, extra lives, or infinite health" -- it covers the evolution of cheats and Easter eggs. These tricks used to be added by programmers as a way to surprise gamers, but they've become co-opted by marketing departments that release the secrets on a schedule to raise interest in a game.With unlockable content, its transition to a for-pay service bothers us. We don't begrudge publishers the opportunity to change their business model to give gamers more options to buy a game; instead, the trend seems to be selling us the same game more than once. Where are the cheaper games with for-pay content?
Apple releases game cheat codes
Oh Apple. You bad, bad company. Instead of making your customers work to excel at iPod games, you go ahead and release cheat codes? Tsk, tsk, tsk. iLounge has an amazingly wrong and unethical article up today, that we at TUAW highly recommend you avoid because none of you are cheaters. And none of you would be interested in how to bypass levels for Texas Hold'em and Vortex.Remember, folks, cheating is wrong.
