Cheat codes in computer and video games go way back. Practically from the first computer games, cheats were imbedded to make thorough play testing quicker for game developers. One early code for the game Manic Miner was actually the game developer's phone number. Game makers did not bother taking out the cheats and gamers embraced them. Like hidden bonus tracks on music recordings and special features on DVD's, they became expected. Whether for personal computer, gaming console, or handheld game system, only infrequently is there a game without cheats included.

Cheat codes have given birth to a mini industry of their own. Now there are cheat books, cartridges, magazines, and websites. As soon as little kids learn to read they're hunting for cheat code books at the school Book Fair and local game stores. Scraps of paper with codes copied on them litter their floor. Whether you're twelve or twenty, if you have limited playing time, you want to make the most of what you've got. Game cheats let you move ahead rapidly, skip levels, and when game stoppage occurs, instead of throwing the controller across the room in frustration you can often use a code to bypass the game freeze. Cheat codes rock.

Some games are so tough they're impossible to get through unless you resort to using cheat codes. Sometimes codes are added for just that reason-testers found them too hard to beat. Lots of people say cheat codes add extra replay value to a game. You can pick up a game you've already beaten and find new extras hidden in it, change your characters, and make replay a whole new experience.

Using game cheats is too much fun not to take advantage of them. Even though the word "cheat" makes it sound wrong, it's not. Besides, where games have high scorers gamers with game cheats activated are usually discounted in the final count anyway. Mostly, people just use cheats to up the excitement.