THE TOP TEN BEST CHEAT CODES EVER!: PART 4

So you've made it this far - bet you can't wait to discover what our pick for the Best Cheat EVER is.

I've taken the pleasure of hiding the answer for you. I just didn't want to toss it your way. Let's test your gaming knowledge. I'll give you some clues:

  • This game was released in 1978
  • Gamers had to stumble upon an invisible object and drag it into another room
  • When this occured, the programmer's name came up on the screen
  • It is acknowledged of housing the first "easter egg" in a videogame
  • It is also widely accepted as the first graphic adventure ever created - which lead the way for Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy and many others
  • It was put in the game as a protest to the publisher who wasn't interested in giving the programmers credit for their hard work
  • The programmer's name is Warren Robinett

AnyAluck?DIfVnot,EI'veNhiddenTtheUanswerRsomewhereEon thisApage.TGoodAluck RfindingIit!2Think6of0it0like you're own little Easter Egg hunt.

Without Warren Robinett's initiative to take a little credit for his hard work, the "easter egg" in videogames might not have ever been. Of course, it's quite possible that someone would have tossed a secret or two in, but you can't discount Mr. Robinett's efforts. He was the first.

The easter egg was a little hard to find, especially because the instructions were passed from person to person. I had first heard the rumor in a game store when I went to purchase Superman for the Atari 2600. The guy behind the counter asked me if I had played the game (I've hidden the answer remember so I don't want to reveal it), which I enthusiastically answered "YES!" and he told me about this cool secret - which at the time he said was a rumor. Soon at schools and offices everywhere, the easter egg housed deep within the game became the hot topic.

Certainly the easter egg we're talking about (still hidden?) can't be looked up as a cheat code, but since it was the first documented case of a hidden extra within a game, it lead the charge for future easter eggs, extras, cheats and secrets and influenced a countless array of future programmers. Today easter eggs can be found in everything from computer software to videogames, DVD's and other forms of electronic entertainment. You never know when you're going to stumble on one...and when you do, you can thank Warren Robinett for that little burst of excitement you experience when something unexpected comes your way.

Thanks for reading and always remember - Cheat Happens!

By Vaughn