Rampage is a classic arcade game released in 1986 by Bally Midway. It invites players to play as gigantic monsters wreaking havoc across North American cities. The game, inspired by monster films, has not only led to five sequels but also inspired a movie adaptation by the same name, released in 2018. As players control one of the three monstrous characters, they aim to demolish the cities while fending off military forces. Let’s dive into the world of Rampage and the cheats it accommodates for players.
Rampage Premise
In Rampage, players step into the roles of three humans transformed into massive monsters due to various scientific accidents. The game sets a simple albeit exciting objective to destroy city after city while battling military forces to survive. Players navigate through 128 days of destruction across North America, with the game cycle repeating five times. This destruction spree involves toppling buildings, consuming humans for health, and dodging attacks from military forces, including bullets and explosives. The military forces include foot soldiers, helicopters, and more.
The engaging mechanics of Rampage allow players to climb buildings and destroy them piece by piece. Smashing windows can reveal items or people, offering bonuses or hazards. The game balances destructive actions with choosing to back off, as players must manage their monster’s health by consuming food or risk turning back into the human form. The ultimate goal is to traverse through all the cities, ending the cycle with a so-called mega vitamin bonus in Plano, Illinois. After this the entire cycle starts again, allowing players to test their marathon skills.
©Screenshot for Rampage – Original
Rampage Characters
Rampage introduces three memorable monsters, each with a unique backstory and abilities.
Various accidents involving experimental substances transformed these once-human characters into colossal creatures. Players have the opportunity to control these characters, utilizing their distinct powers to navigate through the game causing havoc in American cities. As the monsters run out of health, they turn back to puny human beings, only to revive into monsters yet again. These three characters are at the core of the series and are featured in modern Rampage titles as well. Here’s a closer look at each of these characters:
- George: A King Kong-like gorilla transformed by an experimental vitamin. George specializes in holding the red-dressed women hostage, in addition to his brute strength and climbing skills.
- Lizzie: A reptilian monster, who looks a lot like Godzilla but was actually inspired by a bit more obscure monster named Ymir from a classic movie. She was mutated by exposure to a radioactive lake and can hold the men in yellow shirts to gain points.
- Ralph: Once human, now a giant wolf due to a food additive in a hot dog. Ralph’s unique trait is capturing businessmen.
©Screenshot for Rampage – Original
Games in the Series
Since a slow start to the franchise, Rampage expanded into a series roughly ten years after the initial title. The series is known for its unique blend of destruction and humor, spanning several sequels and ports across multiple gaming platforms. The series has ventured from arcade cabinets to home consoles, maintaining the core gameplay of monster-fueled destruction. Since the original game, and most notable of the series, the games have been featured on platforms such as Atari 2600, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, PC, and much more. The series highlights include Rampage: World Tour for PlayStation-era consoles and Rampage: Total Destruction for GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Wii.
- Rampage (1986)
- Rampage World Tour (1997)
- Rampage 2: Universal Tour (1999)
- Rampage Through Time (2000)
- Rampage Puzzle Attack (2001)
- Rampage: Total Destruction (2006)
Rampage Cheats
Rampage offers a variety of exploits that allow players to get unlimited continues after turning into humans, ways to avoid damage, and much more. We’ve also included the available Game Genie codes for those who can use them.
Steal Points
Start a normal 2-player game. When the other player runs out of energy and turns into a human, eat the human to obtain their points.
Unlimited Continues
Activate unlimited continues by pressing B when your character dies. This action revives your character, allowing you to resume playing without losing your progress.
Level Select
Activate the level select feature by pressing B + Select on the first controller and repeatedly pressing B on the second controller. After performing these steps correctly, you can choose the starting level when selecting your characters.
Water Skipping
Avoid water damage by pressing Up + B just before hitting the water. This technique enables your character to skip across the surface, preventing any damage from drowning.
Game Genie Codes
| Cheat | Code |
| More energy for Player 1 | NYSGLUYN |
| More energy for Player 2 | NYVKTUYN |
| Less energy for Player 1 | YLSGLUYN |
| Less energy for Player 2 | YLVKTUYN |
| More energy for both players after continue | NNNGKNYN |
| Less energy for both players after continue | YUNGKNYN |
| Take no damage from water | AAOUOPPA + AASLSPPA |
| Take no damage from falling | AEXLPGAP |
| Take no damage from attacks or bad food | GXXLALOP |
| Take more damage from falling | AXXLPGAP |
| Gain double energy from food | GEULLLIA |
| Gain half energy from food | AEULLLIA + ZKULTUZE |
Rampage Cheats FAQ
What can you play Rampage on?
The original arcade Rampage is likely available to modern gamers only as an emulation. However, there are other Rampage titles that can be played on the PC and various game consoles.
Can Rampage be played in multiplayer mode?
Yes, Rampage supports up to three players simultaneously, each controlling one of the monstrous characters, making for an excellent couch co-op experience.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Screenshot for Rampage.