Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right...

The odds are, if you are male, and you are reading this post...that you know what the title is, already. In fact, you probably not only know what the title means, but you've probably already began singing the phrase in your head, over and over again since you first read the words "up, up, down, down".

Ah, yes. It's time for a flashback, into the long ago relm of 8-bit video gaming systems. I am, of course, talking about the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Boys and girls from all over can relate some type of story or memory to Nintendo. They were simplier times back then, it seems like. After all, when the height of your weekend is weighed by the fact that you reached level 8-2 in Super Mario Brothers, and you still kept your fireballs...that's a simpler time.

For those of you who are a member of the "Old-School Gamers Club", you need no explanation to the title of this blog post. I will, however, explain it to those less fortunate souls, who have no idea what it is I'm talking about.

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

It's a code. It is THE code, actually. The holy grail of old school gaming codes. It is the cheat code that every single NES player knew by heart, and still do know, to this day. Start saying that code around any male 25+ years old, and they will finish it for you, without pausing to think, or to remember. It has been burned into their brains, like some sort of cosmic ray of knowlege, shot from the cannon of Mario himself.

The code was used in the old NES game CONTRA, and if you did the code at the start up screen of the game, you would start the game with not the normal 3 lives, but 30. Every kid used this code to beat the game, because it was almost impossible, without it.

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

It's like poetry, isn't it? It just flows off your tongue, like wine. For the girls who read this page, and who are curious to see how cool this is, try this: Find any guy you know who's at least 26 years old. While having a conversation with them, just start the code like this: "Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right..." and then stop. See what happens.

Good times.