Blood Code

Mortal Kombat · Sega Genesis · 1993 · Cheat Code

A B A C A B B (on the Code of Honor screen)

Effect: Re-enables the arcade-accurate blood and fatality effects that were censored in the default Genesis version.

When Mortal Kombat was ported to home consoles in 1993, Nintendo demanded the SNES version ship without blood or graphic fatalities, replacing them with sweat and toned-down finishers. Sega took a different approach, shipping the Genesis version censored by default but hiding a code — ABACABB, a nod to the Genesis band album — that unlocked all the gore. The contrast between the two console versions became a major talking point that helped drive Genesis hardware sales and fuelled public debate about video game violence, ultimately contributing to the creation of the ESRB rating system in 1994.

Key Facts:

ABACABB references the song "Abacab" by the rock band Genesis
The SNES version had no equivalent unlock; its censorship was permanent
The controversy directly influenced the formation of the ESRB in 1994