Why Old School Gamers Might Get A Kick Out Of This Hidden Alexa Command

You may remember back in the day — before the internet took over — when video games were full of secrets. Cheat codes were hidden within the game that would unlock new content and features, whether it be by pressing a string of buttons or interacting with a level a certain way. Alexa pays homage to this era of video game secrecy with a hidden mode of its own: Super Alexa Mode. 

Unlocking Super Alexa Mode requires you to remember a particular button combination you may have inputted yourself on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) back in the 1980s. To activate Super Alexa Mode, you must say: "Alexa, up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start." Unlike back in the day, however, unlocking Super Alexa Mode doesn't add any new content, capabilities, or superpowers to Alexa, but it will reply with different responses depending on how accurately you enter the Konami code. It's just a fun easter egg that pays respect to old-school gaming before the internet revealed all its secrets.

While Super Alexa Mode doesn't offer anything that will make your life easier, it will definitely make you smile if you are a fan of old-school Konami games. Back in 1986, "Gradius" Head Developer Kazuhisa Hashimoto created a code that would allow gamers to start the game with every available upgrade — but this was supposed to just be for developers to test. While it was never intended for players, the code was never removed. Some clever gamers figured out the code and rather enjoyed the concept of having all-powerful ships. 

Konami added the iconic button string to other NES titles, including "Contra," where entering the code would give players 30 extra lives (a relief for such a challenging game). The Konami code has even been carried into modern-day consoles, including games like "Dead by Daylight." It's now been in over 100 video games since Hashimoto's lucky mistake. 

Alexa has a few other video game-related easter eggs, even if you weren't around for '80s gaming. You can say things like "Alexa, all your base are belong to us," or "Alexa, do a barrel roll," or even ask it to self-destruct. Don't worry, your Alexa won't actually do it. It's just one of many ways that Alexa has been using AI to get even more impressive over the years.