The Konami Code Conspiracy

Facebook, Digg, Gamespot. What do these sites have in common? 30 extra lives, that's what.

You may have heard a couple of weeks back that someone discovered a strange little Easter egg on ESPN.com that made pictures of unicorns and other fantastical equine creatures appear on the screen when the 'Konami code' was entered.

Sadly, the bosses at the site quickly dealt with the 'problem', but it inspired others to go out and randomly try the code on other sites, just to see if anything would happen.

Turns out, plenty will happen, in places you wouldn't think of. Facebook, for example, adds a lens-flare effect when you type or scroll. Gamespot is a little more obvious, with the code taking your straight to the Contra cheat code page, or the Probotector page if you're in the UK.

A short list of sites that have some kind of Konami code shenanigans can be found here.

It's not all that strange if you think about it, a lot of web designers are going to have grown up with the NES, and likely have a warm place in their hearts for the Konami code's life-extending power, but its appearance turns the internet into a fun little scavenger hunt for gamers all over the world. Is this just a frivolous bit of fun, or is it a sign of something sinister?

Only by inputting the code, will you ever find out.

Source: 1up