The Konami Code Strikes Again: Facebook Adds Some Flare

Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start.

There are few codes more sacred to old school gamers than the Konami code – a cheat code that originated on the original NES and has since made its way into many other games. More recently, some popular websites have been getting in on the action, with mischievous easter eggs from sites including Digg and Google Reader.

Today, Facebook is joining the club. Entering the code will enable what I’m going to call ‘lens-flare‘ mode, adding the over-used Photoshop effect to a Facebook page whenever you click your mouse. Just enter the above code using your keyboard’s arrow keys (substitute ‘Enter’ for Start), and click anywhere on the page. It is totally useless, but looks sort of nifty and is guaranteed to impress your friends. For at least ten seconds.

Last summer, Google Reader implemented the code, which introduced a Ninja to the site’s interface. And entering it on some game-related sites, like GiantBomb and GameSpot, will take you to a page about Contra (the game that popularized the code, because it was nearly impossible to play without it). But of all these, the one that takes cake was ESPN, which began showing dazzling unicorns and rainbows when you entered the code. Seriously. It has since been taken down, but you can watch a video of it here.

For more Konami code Easter Eggs, check out our post on CrunchGear.