Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1993 action game developed by Bits Studios and published by LJN, based on the iconic movie of the same name. While the main version of the game was released for Sega Genesis and SNES, a version was also released for the NES to account for the less powerful machine. Don’t worry – we’ve got cheats for both versions.
Despite the film being one of the most revered action movies of all time, Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘s video game adaptation didn’t exactly fare well with critics. To many critics and players, it was one of the worst games released on all of its platforms.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day Premise
©Screenshot from Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Like many similar games of its era, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a side-scroller shooter. The game takes you through various levels, with eight locations based on the film. You’ll fight your way through areas such as the truck stop, John Connor’s house, and the final steel mill, among others. If you’ve seen the film, you’ll constantly stop to look around at locations you recognize from the iconic 1991 movie.
The mission objective is shown to you via the in-game HUD, presented through the eyes of a Terminator. Some would say it’s difficult to read, while others would say it’s commitment to the style. Each level has its own unique objective, whether that be finding certain items, or protecting John Connor from other Terminators. To achieve your goals, the game offers a variety of weapons as seen in the film, and you unlock even more as you progress.
The game does a good job of ensuring that there’s some variety in the gameplay. Between side-scrolling sections, there are also vehicle missions, which resemble the chase sequences from the movie. You’ll use motorbikes and police cars to escape the T-1000 as he relentlessly hunts you down.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day Main Characters
©Screenshot from Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
For the most part, Terminator 2: Judgment Day follows the overall plot of the film. Because of this, all of the iconic characters that fans have come to know and love for over three decades are here, including the T-800 Terminator, John Connor, and Sarah Connor.
Their roles are essentially the same, too. The T-800 and Sarah are there to protect John from the relentless T-1000. It’s just a little smaller scale in the video game medium. For example, Sarah Connor’s role is toned down considerably, and you’ll meet other enemies beyond the T-1000. It’s not a straight adaptation, but it’s as close as it could be while working within the video game medium, especially given the hardware restrictions at the time.
Here are the main characters in Terminator 2: Judgment Day:
- T-800 Terminator: You play as the T-800 throughout Terminator 2: Judgment Day. This 16-bit rendition of Arnold Schwarzenegger himself must escort John Connor to safety, defeating other Terminators along the way.
- John Connor: The young John Connor features throughout the game, accompanying the T-800. He is often the center of mission objectives, with the T-800 needing to protect John from the T-1000.
- Sarah Connor: Compared to the movie where she plays a starring role, Sarah Connor’s role is toned down in this game. She appears as an NPC in a few levels, but for the most part, plays a background role.
- T-1000 Terminator: The T-1000 is the main antagonist of the game, chasing the T-800 and John as a constant thorn in their side.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day Titles in the Series
©Screenshot from Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
In theory, the Terminator series and the video game medium are a match made in heaven. The movies perfectly capture the power fantasy of the unkillable machine, which should translate amazingly well to a shooter game – at least, you would think so.
However, Terminator games have often struggled for critical acclaim, never really finding their audience. Early releases tended to be side-scrollers, during a period where movie tie-ins were often seen as cheap cash-ins. Given the popularity of the Terminator movies, it isn’t difficult to understand how publishers felt video game tie-ins were a shoo-in to be successful.
In more recent years, Terminator games have moved beyond the films. Recent movies in the series haven’t exactly been critical darlings, so an effort has been made to separate the two mediums. It’s likely that we’ll see plenty more Terminator games going forward, and hopefully we can eventually get one that really lives up to the series’ legacy.
- The Terminator (DOS) (1991)
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (arcade) (1992)
- The Terminator (1992)
- The Terminator 2029 (1992)
- RoboCop Versus The Terminator (1993)
- The Terminator: Rampage (1993)
- The Terminator: Future Shock (1995)
- Skynet (1996)
- The Terminator: Dawn of Fate (2002)
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (2003)
- The Terminator (2003)
- Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
- Terminator 3: War of the Machines (2003)
- Terminator 3: The Redemption (2004)
- The Terminator: I’m Back! (2004)
- Terminator Revenge (2006)
- Terminator Salvation (2009)
- Terminator Genisys: Revolution (2015)
- Terminator Genisys: Future War (2017)
- Terminator: Dark Fate – The Game (2019)
- Terminator: Guardian of Fate (2019)
- Terminator: Resistance (2019)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day Cheat Codes
©Screenshot from Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
For Terminator 2: Judgment Day on the SNES, there are two types of cheats – base game, and Game Genie. The first set is included with every version of the game, requiring no additional tools to use them. The second, Game Genie cheats, require the use of a Game Genie cartridge. If you’re playing the game on an emulator, you don’t have to worry about this, as most emulators support the use of Game Genie cheats natively.
Then, there are the NES cheats, which are for a different version of the game entirely. We’ll get into that soon enough, though.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day Base Game Cheats (SNES)
To use the base game cheats, you must first activate Cheat Mode by using the following code: “L, L, L, Down, L, Down, Y, B, R, L“. After this is enabled, you’ll be able to use the rest of these Terminator 2: Judgment Day base game cheats.
| Cheat Code | Cheat Effect |
|---|---|
| L, L, L, Down, L, Down, Y, X, Y, X, L, L, L, X | Gives you 999 ammo. |
| L, L, L, Down, L, Down, Y, X, Y, X, Y, Y | Turns on auto-defend mode. |
| L, L, L, Down, L, Down, Y, X, Y, X, Start | Automatically completes all mission objectives for the current level. |
| L, L, L, Down, L, Down, Y, X, Y, X, A | Turns off infinite health. |
| L, L, L, Down, L, Down, Y, X, Y, X, B | Turns on infinite health. |
| L, L, L, Down, L, Down, Y, X, Y, X, Select, Start | Opens the Level Select menu. |
| L, L, L, Down, L, Down, Y, X, Y, X, L, L, L, L, L, X | Gives you the Auto-Rifle. |
| L, L, L, Down, L, Down, Y, X, Y, X, L, L, L, L, L, L, X | Gives you the Mini-Gun. |
| L, L, L, Down, L, Down, Y, X, Y, X, L, L, L, L, X | Gives you the Shotgun. |
| L, L, L, Down, L, Down, Y, X, Y, X, L, L, L, L, L, R | Skips to the end of the game. |
| L, L, L, Down, L, Down, Y, X, Y, X, L, L, L, R | Skips to Game Over Screen 1. |
| L, L, L, Down, L, Down, Y, X, Y, X, L, L, L, L, R | Skips to Game Over Screen 2. |
Terminator 2: Judgment Day Game Genie Cheats (SNES)
If you own a Game Genie on the original SNES version of the game, or are simply playing on an emulator, these are the additional cheat codes you can use in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
| Cheat Code | Cheat Effect |
|---|---|
| C18E-3D07 | Gives you infinite bullets. |
| DD25-1FAD DD67-1D7D | Gives you invincibility. |
| 4D8F-140F EE8F-146F 8D8F-14AF | Gives you moon jumps. |
Terminator 2: Judgment Day Game Genie Cheats (NES)
If you’re playing the 8-bit version of Terminator 2: Judgment Day on the original NES, there are a ton of separate Game Genie codes that you can use to get an advantage in-game. This cheat list is way more comprehensive than the SNES versions, but again, requires either owning a Game Genie or playing the game on an emulator. Here’s the full list:
| Cheat Code | Cheat Effect |
|---|---|
| AOOXOAEI | Allows you to use the elevator in Stage 3 without a key card. |
| ZENLKTZE | Allows you to collect 10 bombs instead of two. |
| AAVPAZAP SZNYTSVV | Removes the requirement for bombs in Stage 4 to blow the building up. |
| AIVLKYEL ASEUOYEP | Allows you to drive through closed gates. |
| LESPKGZA LEVPEGZA | Makes you jump faster and longer. |
| LAOOVZZA LAUOXZZA | Makes you run much faster. |
| AAAEAA AAAEAA AAAEAA | Gives you the Mini-Gun. |
| AANYISIL | Allows you to hold more than three barrels at a time. |
| ALPEZN ALPELN | Gives you infinite energy. |
| GXVTXZAX | Gives you infinite health. |
| SXOATOVK | Gives you infinite lives. |
| SZVXVUVK | Gives you infinite time to lay bombs in Stage 4. |
| SZOPOTVG | Gives you infinite weapons. |
| XKVPXKUZ OOVPUKXO ASKOSGAP AOKOVKGA | Allows to jump while mid-air. |
| PAOOVZZA PAUOXZZA | Makes you run much slower. |
| ENKTGPAP | Makes Stage 1’s boss die in one hit. |
| AAUAYATA | Allows you to start on the final Stage. |
| PANXPLGA | Lets you start with just one life. |
| PANXPLGE | Lets you start with nine lives. |
| XNVOSOKN | Gives you the ability to super jump. |
| OXNVKXPK VNNVSXNN | Massively reduces the amount of damage you take. |
| AASYPGTA AASYZGYA AASYLGYA AASYGKAA AASYIGLA AASYTGLA AASYYGGA AASNAGIA | Lets you unlock the entire first stage map without defeating enemies. |
| AEEOKXGP AEKPNZOT | Allows you to walk through walls. |
Terminator 2: Judgment Day Cheat Code FAQ
©Screenshot from Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Do Terminator 2: Judgment Day Cheats Work on The Sega Genesis?
No. As most of the cheats for the game are only available via the use of a Game Genie, the Sega Genesis version of Terminator 2: Judgment Day doesn’t have a way to use them.
Sadly, there is no separate cheat list for the game on Sega Genesis either. If you’re playing this game on that platform, we’d recommend you emulate it on another in order to use cheat codes.
Does Terminator 2: Judgment Day Have Achievements?
No. Terminator 2: Judgment Day was released way before any official achievement system was implemented on any gaming console, and the game itself doesn’t have its own set of in-game achievements. However, it’s only a short game by modern standards, so it shouldn’t take you long to complete everything the game has to offer anyway.
How Do I Activate Cheat Mode in Terminator 2: Judgment Day?
Activating Cheat Mode in Terminator 2: Judgment Day is really easy. During gameplay, use the following code: “L, L, L, Down, L, Down, Y, B, R, L“. This will allow you to use the rest of the base game cheats.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Screenshot from Terminator 2: Judgment Day..