Top 10 Best Cheats in Video Games

Don’t lie, we have all used cheats in games at least once in our lives. Whether it be Grand Theft Auto wanted level cheats or Sims money cheats. I have compiled a list of what I consider the top 10 best that I have ever used. Not to be confused with mods in PC games or Gameshark codes. I’m talking about the ones that are a part of the game when you enter a series of buttons. I will be using ones from the same series but not game. So let’s get started!

10. Scarface: The World is Yours – Balls Cheat

via Lifewire.com

This 2006 video game was set as a sequel to the 1983 movie Scarface in the event that Tony Montana survived. After he loses everything he goes on a mission to get everything back and take care of that cockroach Alejandro Sosa. This game had the cheats menu set up right when you press start so the developers knew that people would need them. One of my favorites is the “balls” cheat, yes, you read that right. It is basically a berserker mode where, if full, Tony can go on a shooting rampage but sustain no health loss. He can actually gain health in this mode.

There is a way to make sure it is full all the time but the player would have to pause after it depletes. All the player has to do is enter FPATCH in the cheat screen. I admit that I have used this way too many times when playing but players can hear iconic lines said by Al Pacino in the movie in this mode.

9. Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 – Infinite Rail/Lip balance

via darkstation.com

During a time when the show Viva La Bam and Jackass were popular were when this game came to consoles. The player can create their own character of whichever gender they choose and compete in two teams: Team Hawk or Team Bam. It is chock full of stupid stunt vibes that can be expected from the aforementioned MTV shows.

Cheats have been a staple for most Tony Hawk games and this one is no exception. From cheats for characters, media movies or levels, the options for cheats have been limitless. The best one to me is the perfect Lip/rail balance. Most moves that rack up points in the games are grinds on half pipes or rails, so this one was used a lot in my playthroughs. It was a tough choice because infinite manual was one I triggered in game. There is an option to have all of them on or just some of them. To put this one in you’ll have to be out of the main story and in the options screen. Enter the word straightedge and you are ready to rock out.

8. Grand Theft Auto III – Spawn Tank

via lifewire.com

Grand Theft Auto III follows Claude, a mute felon who escapes from police custody. Betrayed by his literal partner-in-crime Catalina, Claude works for various seedy individuals to make money, the end goal is taking down Catalina.

Controversial as the game can be, it was sure a lot of fun growing up. This 2001 Rockstar game had one of the best sandbox worlds of its time. The sky was literally the limit on where you could go and what you could do. Of course the player would have to advance the story mission to get to certain areas but that’s where cheats can come in use.

There were so many to choose from in this game but the best would have to be the tank. Spawning a tank would be great in real life because you wouldn’t have to sit in traffic, but the occasional vehicle explosion would sit uneasy for most people. This cheat came into handy when Claude has to take care of a mob boss who was planning to have him capped. The player would wait for him to leave his gentleman’s club and then go after him. Most people who didn’t use cheats would just shoot out the window while driving. To me that was too difficult so I opted to getting into a tank and ramming into the mob boss’s vehicle which caused it to explode. This cheat requires specific button presses and not entering in keywords but they can be found here.

7. Tony Hawk’s: American Wasteland – Moon Gravity

via youtube (AllShamNoWow)

By far the last and best Tony Hawk game with a story mode. Released in 2005, the game follows a high school drop-out trying to make it as a skater in Los Angeles. It tells the story of previous skater legends before Tony Hawk such as the Lords of Dogtown and bringing them together for an ultimate skate park. The game has punk vibes with the art and music, which has shaped players taste in music.

Just like any other Tony Hawk game, it has cheats that can be used by entering them on the options menu. Enter 2them00n in the cheats menu and you will be soaring high. This cheat can help with multiple tricks in the air at one time which gives the best points possible. There are many objectives in the game that require a high score at the end, why not utilize this code for the best one of all?

6. Bully – All Hobo Fighting Moves (PS2 Only)

via rollingstone.com

Another Rockstar entry, Bully was one of a kind. The main character, Jimmy Hopkins, has been kicked out of every private school he has been to. His mom and step-dad decide to send him to one of the worst schools in the country while they are on their honeymoon (which is a whole school year long apparently). Bullworth Academy has one of the worst cliques players have ever seen. Most of what happens in the game could never happen in real life, but I digress.

Many players have been eagerly waiting for news on a sequel but it has been over 10 years since it was released. In the meantime, players can enjoy this game with the various cheats it has. This one requires two controllers where you enter the cheat on the second controller.

The best one by far is the hobo fighting moves. Yes, there is a hobo that teaches the player different fighting techniques.  Without the cheats, Jimmy would have to find random transistors around the map. That can take a lot of time, so why not just plug in the second controller and have the fighting moves right now? These can be helpful when facing the different clique bosses around the school.

5. The Lion King – Level Selection (SNES)

via youtube (Tealounge)

Doing a throwback game where I first learned about cheat codes. Many people can relate that this game was super difficult, especially Level 2 (Can’t Wait to Be King). I have beaten the game without but before I did, I tried the level selection cheat first.

It is a fairly short game and it appears with one other cheat (Invincibility), but it was a memorable cheat. The option was in the start menu. The player had to press the B, A, R, R, Y on the options screen and choose between the level they want to start at. Each level was styled a certain way with different obstacles which kept players on their toes, but with these cheats they could skip many of them.

4. The Sims 2 – Motherlode (PC)

via ea.com

Who all wishes that there was a cheat box in real life where we could type in motherlode and get $50,000? We all have used this cheat to get the ideal house with all the fun gadgets. The whole point of The Sims is to build a life we either want or use the full extent of our God-Complex to torture these poor virtual characters. Either way, it’s too fun.

Players need to press Ctrl + Shift + C and enter boolProp testingCheatsEnabled true. That way players can use any cheats they want. Bring up Ctrl + Shift + C again then enter motherlode and the household funds will jump up $50,000. It can be entered many times (not sure of the cap) and the player can buy the whole town.

3. Spider-Man – Bighead enemies

via inverse.com

This game is derived from the Sam Raimi movie of the same name. The game has not aged well but there are still fun to be had in this open world game. There are many codes in this game but most pale in comparison to the bighead cheat. It can be entered in the Specials menu where it says cheats. Enter joelspeanuts and every enemy character in the game will have a head so huge Megamind would be jealous.

There is a bigger target with this cheat and the player will be more likely to land a critical hit.

2. Grand Theft Auto IV – Every Cheat (read why below)

via Medium

This entry isn’t the favorite for GTA: IV but the cheats were so easy to use, that I couldn’t choose any specific cheat. These cheats aren’t funny but are more tactical in their use. Every player wants their character to have full health, armor and weapons.

When Niko gets a cell phone from Roman, the player can enter a series of numbers to activate a cheat. After entering the phone number once, the player won’t have to enter again. They can just bring the phone up and go to the cheats menu. Below you will find the series of cheats provided by GTAboom.com.

1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – Jetpack

via mspoweruser.com

Even though the previous entry featured many cheat codes, they don’t compare to the jet pack cheat code.

Carl “CJ” Johnson is the main protagonist just wanting to be with his family and ensure they’re safe. It seems like a simple thing to want but this game proves that the player will have to go through trials to make sure his family is safe. With an antagonist like Officer Tennpenny (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson), CJ has a hard time trying to keep his nose clean.

Before GTA: IV, most people had to travel by driving to their destination. San Andreas had a map so huge that it would take a long time to get from one end to the other. The jet pack wasn’t available in the game without cheats until the near end. Putting the cheat in had made transportation easier, the player could just fly over traffic or any other obstacle. If I want to avoid the Ballas, I could just summon a jet pack and fly over without getting shot at.

This list is primarily made up of cheats that I enjoy but that doesn’t mean others won’t agree. Why don’t you give these a shot and comment below whether they’re the best or not.

(Featured Image by Kamil S via Unsplash)