For decades, cheat codes were a staple of the video game experience. Whether players used them because they needed a bit of extra help to get past a difficult boss or just to mess around, cheat codes made games just a little bit more entertaining. But, as games have gotten bigger, better, and more mainstream, cheat codes have begun to steadily disappear.

Cheat codes weren't originally intended for players. They were created as a way for developers to debug games, making it easier to get through challenging bosses and skip levels so they could test different sections of whatever hot new release they were trying to put on store shelves. Maybe due to a lack of oversight, or maybe just to save time, these debug codes were sometimes left in games; a sort of hidden knowledge buried deep beneath the surface of other lines of code.

RELATED: MediEvil PS4 Cheats: Can You Use the Old Cheat Codes in the New Game?

Of course, players found them, whether that was by digging through code until something stood out or stumbling upon them accidentally while playing the game. Players loved them. Pretty soon, cheat codes went from being something that developers used to make development faster to something that could be sold as a feature, or a way to get more kids to buy Nintendo Power magazines, creating iconic cheat codes for the NES and beyond.

Look at the Konami code. It started out in Gradius to help developer Kazuhisa Hashimoto make it through the game, which he admits he wasn't very good at. Pretty soon, the simple button combination—up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, b, a,—became a cultural symbol. Now, not only is it in classic games like Contra, but references to it are spread all across the internet and pop culture. It's iconic - a symbol of how video games, once forced into the dark corners of bars and arcades, have grown into mainstream popularity, as the Konami Code can even be found in Fisher-Price toys now.

Cheat codes ranged from something as small and simple as adding lives for players, all the way to enabling blood in Mortal Kombat, a seemingly simple title that's surprisingly one of the most controversial games of all time. They continued to grow in popularity for years, leading to entire books filled from cover to cover with cheat codes. For many players, cheat codes are responsible for their fondest gaming memories.

Eventually, Game Sharks and Game Genies rose to prominence. With these devices, players could find exploits and cheats that developers didn't intend to put into the game in the first place. They were the first real way to crack a game wide open, even if that meant completely breaking it in some instances. Game Sharks and Game Genies helped spawn some of the greatest gaming urban legends out there, as they made things possible that weren't accessible by normal means.

goldeneye 007 on n64

For those that have been playing games for generations, there are tons of iconic cheat codes that have come and gone. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas became a playground for mayhem with just a few quick inputs. Goldeneye would let players go into big head mode. Entering "rosebud" in The Sims 2 would let players earn Great Gatsby levels of money in mere moments. When it was time to just kick back and mess around, cheat codes were always there to make players feel like a demi-god.

Then came the internet. As players became more connected online, cheat codes began to disappear. This is due, in part, to achievements and trophies. Their implementation was a way to keep track of progress and accomplishments within games, and they needed to be earned honestly to be fair. So, fewer and fewer games came with cheat codes - keeping the playing field even for all. Of course, there are some games that still allow cheat codes and simply block trophy progress, but cheats simply aren't as prominent as they were.

RELATED: Fortnite Black Hole Has Mini-Game You Can Play With A Cheat Code

Cheat codes have all but disappeared now. Sure, there are still the occasional titles out there that feature some type of infinite health or mega punch, but it's become fairly rare. Games, in many ways, have grown up. Anything that may threaten the tone that a cinematic experience is going for is cut, and that includes cheat codes. Those that want the ability to cause mayhem in their games have to turn to PC, where it's possible to mod games. Some games still feature cheat codes, like Red Dead Redemption 2, but they just aren't as special as they used to be.

With backward compatibility being a standard feature on both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, one can dream that journeying back to older games, games where cheat codes are prominent, may re-awaken the never-ending desire to cause chaos in a digital world. Who knows, maybe the next generation of games will see a cheat code resurgence in mainstream games.

Cheat codes are an important part of video game history. While they may not be as mainstream as they once were, it's hard to deny the effect that they've had on the industry. Goldeneye would have been just as fun if it weren't for big head mode, but it wouldn't have been nearly as memorable. At the end of the day, that's the best thing a game can strive to achieve - creating memories for players to talk about for decades and beyond. Maybe one day players will get to relive the joys of causing chaos as an invincible maniac, but until then, they'll just have to settle with replays of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

MORE: SNES Classic Edition: All the Cheat Codes You Need to Know