What are Easter eggs and Cheat codes?

When it comes to modern day video gaming, the sky is the limit. Over the years video games have evolved from basic two dimensional actions like that seen in classics like Pong to full three dimensional worlds that are fully explore able by the player. With such advancements, realism has also improved to such a point that at times it can be hard to tell the difference between a real or rendered image.

The one thing that has remained a constant in the world of video games is the use of codes and cheats and the inclusion of Easter eggs. Below you will find more information on what cheat codes actually are.

A cheat code is best defined as a button combination or password which can be entered in order to trigger an event or effect within the game. Often you will find that cheat codes perform simple things such as adding ammunition to a weapon, giving a particular item, making one invincible or possibly even changing a character completely.

On the other hand, an Easter egg is a surprise that may be hidden somewhere within the game. The origins of the first Easter egg are unknown, however developers continue add them in to their games. A classic game series for Easter eggs is the Grand Theft Auto series where Easter eggs are hidden in every little corner of the games.

Another way to cheat can involve the use of a cheat device rather than a code that is entered through the keyboard or controller. A cheat device is a piece of hardware or software designed for the specific purpose of cheating. Through the use of such devices, a player is able to enter codes or actually slightly modify the contents of a game. The most common cheat devices are the Game Shark, Action Replay and Code Breaker (also known as the Xploder).

Cheat codes are generally safe to use and there are millions of gamers around the world who actively use cheat codes in their everyday gaming. Cheat codes will not hurt your game system or game. Manually entering a cheat code while playing simply activates a dormant section of code in the game programming so that the desired effect can be achieved (unlimited ammo, invisibility, etc.).

Although it is rare that you hear horror stories of cheat codes messing up some poor sap's gaming system, it can happen when using downloaded files. With downloaded files, only the person who created the extra code knows exactly what is does. At times such files can do some serious damage, but it is incredibly rare.

At times, the use of codes can make your game become unstable when you enter a code or add a patch to the game. One common effect is the loss of the ability to save your progress. Also, your game may simply crash. Most cheat pages will warn you if the code has a habit of causing such side effects.

Almost every video game system is capable of using cheat codes in one way or another.