Game Genie (Mega Drive)
From Sega Retro
The Game Genie was a series of devices sold by Camerica and Galoob for the NES, SNES, Gameboy, and Megadrive that when used allowed the player to enter "codes" which modified the game data allowing the player to cheat. It was attached to the end of a cartridge and the whole assembly was then inserted into the cartridge port of the console in question. The codes had many effects, most often giving the player some form of invulnerability or infinite ammo or some such modification. The codes came in a little booklet shipped with the Game Genie or in a quarterly update that a Game Genie owner could subscribe for, but now all of these and many more discovered or created by players can be found online. There are whole websites dedicated to just Game Genie codes.
When the original NES Game Genie was introduced, Nintendo opposed it utterly, taking matters to court, and actually managed to initially stop the sale of the device in the U.S. (though they failed further north - in many gaming magazines of the time, Camerica had placed Game Genie ads saying "Thank You Canada!") Eventually, Nintendo relented, and the Game Genie was sold in the U.S. However, the design of the NES Game Genie, meant to deal with the awkward loading mechanism on the console, prevents it from being used with ease with the late-model revised NES (though it can be forced in.) An adaptor was made to deal with the problem, but few were requested, and can be hard to find today, as the stock was liquidated.
Though there are no current Game Genie products, most video game console emulators feature Game Genie support, and both the Pro Action Replay and Gameshark "game enhancers" can trace their lineage in part to the Game Genie.
Programming Your Own Codes
Codes listed on the Internet give you an idea of the kind of effects you can create by programming your own codes.
- The easiest way to make your own codes is to make slight changes in existing codes. In the next sectoin, there are simple tables that show you how to change the codes you find to create effects you might enjoy.
- If you are making small changes to existing codes, you must have eight characters in the code.
- You can also program codes simply by using random characters. You must have eight characters int eh code.
- Using two or more codes at the dame time is a more difficult way to program random codes, since it's harder to tell which code is making the effect happen.
- Some kinds of codes are easier to program. The best ones are codes with numbers in them (number of lives, number of rings, minutes on the timer).
- Some kind of codes are harder to program, such as "infinite lives" or "super mega power."
- Many codes you create will have some effect, but often it will be such a small change that you will not notice any difference. You many have to try many random codes before you get an interesting effect.
- If you find a random code that has an interesting effect, then try changing it by using the program technique in the next section. This way, you are more likely to hone in on a really good effect.
Your success in code programming will depend a lot on luck. Keep trying! Of course, some of the effects you create you may not like. Almost any effect is possible — good, bad, interesting, annoying, fun or just plain silly.
If a code you program interrupts the game or causes an undesired effect, just turn thep ower off and then on again, and program different codes to play.
How to Program
There are two basic methods used to program your own codes by changing existing codes:
- Using Method 1, you change the 6th character of the code.
- Using Method 2, you change the 1st and/or 2nd character of the code.
Remember, these methods work best when the code you wish to change has numbers in it. They will usually not work on a code like
"infinite rings."
The best way to proceed is to write down the original code, look up the choices in the tables below, and then write down all the variations underneath the original code. This way, you can return to your Game Genie with your own list of codes to try.
For both methods, refer to the table below.
How to use the tables: Find the character you want to change in one of the tables, then substitue one of the letters in the same table.
Table 1 A E J N T Y 2 6
Table 2
B
F
K
P
V
Z
3
7
Table 3
C
G
L
R
W
0
4
8
Table 4
D
H
M
S
X
1
5
9