30 Lives Code

Contra · NES · 1988 · Cheat Code

Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Select Start (two players: B A Start)

Effect: Starts the game with 30 lives instead of the default three.

Contra on the NES was infamous for its brutal difficulty — the default three lives made completing the game a serious challenge. The Konami Code adapted for Contra granted 30 lives and became arguably more famous than any other application of the sequence, because it was the version that millions of Western players first encountered. The code was prominently published in Nintendo Power magazine and spread instantly. For many players of the era, "Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start" is synonymous with Contra rather than Gradius.

Key Facts:

The most widely recognised application of the Konami Code in Western markets
Nintendo Power's publication of the code helped make it a cultural phenomenon
Contra's three-life default was considered nearly unbeatable without it