↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A: Google Reader does Konami code

A rogue retro-gamer at Google has apparently programmed the famous Konami code — the mother of all cheats, the giver of life and ammunition to small, spoiled children with poor motor control— into Google Reader. Just make sure you're at the Home Page, then enter Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A. The result? A horizontally shrugging Ninja will pop-up in the sidebar (although I'd argue that it really should be a Contra-esque Schwarzenegger for optimal effect) and your unread items will be reset to 30... the same number of lives, of course, you'd get in the NES era once the code had been successfully entered.

Google hearts the Konami Code [Crunchgear]

[#1 posted by prion , June 10, 2008 1:16 PM]

No hot-linking on the image huh? They could have been much worse with their substituted pic. I applaud their discretion.

[#2 posted by kattw , June 10, 2008 1:27 PM]

But that same code caused you to spontaneously explode in Gradius III. Never forget...

[#3 posted by kerry , June 10, 2008 1:31 PM]

also it adds "ninja!" to the search field. Fun!

[#4 posted by BCJ , June 10, 2008 1:39 PM]

Damn it. Now I am going to be spending the rest of my day on the various sites I use seeing whether the code does anything.

Thanks Mr. Brownlee for wasting my day.

[#5 posted by Tenn , June 10, 2008 1:46 PM]

Repeating the code returns your items to normal. Coolio.

[#6 posted by shutz , June 10, 2008 1:48 PM]

The code also works on Digg: when you first reach a Digg item's coments page, before you click on any of the comment threads to open them, just type the code, and all collapsed threads will open.

[#7 posted by Enochrewt , June 10, 2008 2:08 PM]

But if you didn't have to hit "Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, SELECT, Start" when you were a kid, you were a friendless loser.

[#8 posted by Adam C , June 10, 2008 2:31 PM]

Using the code on any gamespot.com page takes you to the "Contra" cheats page on the site...

[#9 posted by stratosfyr , June 10, 2008 2:33 PM]

Shit! I did it before reading that whole paragraph and now I'm gonna miss a bunch of posts!

Oh well. Probably wasn't going to read them anyway.

[#10 posted by Aloisius , June 10, 2008 3:35 PM]

That Contra code is forever burned not only into my mind, but also into my muscle memory.

[#11 posted by Andy Nonymous , June 10, 2008 6:02 PM]

[#12 posted by Not a Doktor , June 10, 2008 7:40 PM]

http://www.google.com/reader/ui/1466947354-ninja-sidebar.gif

[#13 posted by zax , June 11, 2008 1:06 AM]

This is very cool, internet easter eggs, there should be more. Anyone else know of any??

[#14 posted by deusdiabolus , June 15, 2008 7:37 PM]

This is full of "heh".