A collection of alphanumeric strings, when entered right into a peripheral machine, modify the habits of a traditional 16-bit online game. This performance permits gamers to change sport mechanics, equivalent to granting invincibility, infinite lives, or skipping ranges, by manipulating the sport’s underlying code. As an example, inputting a selected sequence might get rid of enemy encounters in a selected stage.
The follow supplied an early type of user-generated modification inside video video games, predating fashionable modding communities. It permitted gamers to beat troublesome sections, experiment with totally different gameplay experiences, or just discover the sport world with out typical limitations. These modification strategies turned standard as a result of problem introduced by the unique sport and the will to tailor the expertise to particular person preferences.