Konami Code Uncovered in Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness After 25 Years on Nintendo 64

A Hidden Legacy: Konami Code Found in Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness on Nintendo 64 For decades, Konami cemented its legacy in gaming history with the iconic "Konami Code" cheat, a series of button presses that became synonymous with unlocking secret features and extra lives in the company’s games.

Perhaps most famously used in Contra on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), granting players much-needed lives, this code became a rite of passage for gamers through the NES era and well into the console generations that followed.

However, as the gaming landscape evolved into the era of the Nintendo 64, the inclusion of the Konami Code began to phase out—at least, so many believed. In a remarkable twist more than 25 years after its original release, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness, a 1999 Nintendo 64 title developed and published by Konami, has been found to contain its own concealed version of the famed cheat.

This discovery was announced in April 2024 when speedrunners Moises and Liquid Cat, highlighted via the JupiterClimb Twitter account, revealed their findings to the wider gaming community. "Players can now unlock all playable characters and their alternate costumes from the outset by entering a specific code at the game’s title screen," JupiterClimb explained in a widely shared post.

This code also grants immediate access to the game's challenging Hard Mode—a feature especially useful for those whose Nintendo 64 cartridges may struggle to retain save data due to worn-out backup batteries. While the newly uncovered code does not exactly replicate the original NES-era inputs, it closely mirrors the intent, delivering an unmistakably classic Konami experience.

By following a precise sequence of inputs using the Nintendo 64’s controller, users receive an audible cue confirming the code’s activation: - For unlocking the character Henry, players must press: C-Up, C-Up, C-Down, C-Down, C-Left, C-Right, C-Left, C-Right, L, R, Z. - To unlock all characters, costumes, and Hard Mode, the full code is: C-Up x4, C-Down x4, C-Left x2, C-Right x2, C-Left x2, C-Right x2, L, R, Z. It's worth noting that although Hard Mode’s status won’t visually update on the file select screen after entering the code, restarting the console corrects this minor display issue.

This subtle bug does not affect gameplay, leaving the unlocked features accessible as intended. Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness itself is a notable entry in the franchise, serving as an expanded and refined version of Castlevania 64.

Released exclusively for the Nintendo 64, the title provided significant enhancements, additional characters, and alternate scenarios, distinguishing itself within the series' storied history. The recent unearthing of this Konami Code further enriches the legacy of both Konami and Nintendo’s N64 library, reminding gamers and developers alike of the enduring joy of discovery.

As the code spreads among retro gaming enthusiasts and Castlevania fans, it reaffirms the timeless appeal of both cheat codes and classic Nintendo hardware.

Konami Nintendo Nintendo 64 Castlevania Castlevania Legacy of Darkness Konami Code Moises Liquid Cat JupiterClimb