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Bank Of Canada Announces New $10 Bill With Konami Code Easter Egg

By Danny Cox
Published on: 05:59 PST, Apr 11, 2017

The Bank of Canada is preparing to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, and they’re doing it with a brand new $10 bank note. The new bill isn’t set to be released until June 1 of this year, but an image of it has been released, and the bank decided to have some fun with the announcement. Along with the unveiling, they have a website to promote the new bill and included one of the oldest known video game cheat codes in existence.

Yes, the Bank of Canada has included an Easter egg on their official website that pays tribute to the Konami Code.

The Financial Post reported that the new $10 banknote was first unveiled by the Bank of Canada last week. It will indeed celebrate the 150th birthday, and it looks quite sharp.

The Bank of Canada not only let the world see the new $10 bill, but they also launched a website devoted to it. On that site, you can see the dates for Canada’s 150th and move around a picture of the bill with a 360-degree look. There is plenty of information regarding the famous folks on the bill and the meaning of each image on the back as well.

Oh yeah, there’s also the Konami Code cleverly hidden as an Easter egg on the site. The same code that has been used in countless video games over the years, and it is one of the most famous cheats of all time.

If you’re not familiar with the code, it is simply a cheat code and most famously known for use Contra which was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. Inputting the Konami Code correctly at the start of the game would reward you with 30 lives, and here it is.

“Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A”

This code has been referred to as the “Contra Code” or “30 Lives Code” over the years, and that all depends on which game it is used in. AS PC Gamer revealed, it was simply used here by the Bank of Canada, and no one really knows what made them use it — but it is still awesome.

All you have to do is head to the official website for the new Canadian $10 bill and input the code from your keyboard. Do it correctly and you’ll be rewarded with $10 banknotes falling from the sky and an 8-bit version of the Canadian national anthem.

It really isn’t a huge deal, and the Easter egg won’t end up giving you anything special to keep or take home with you, but it is still really cool.

The Bank of Canada was really smart to make this little move because it does nothing but help them. Not only is it generating a ton of viral traffic to the website, but it is keeping viewers around to read up and learn more about the country and its history.

Ask any hardcore gamer or anyone who played video games in the ’80s and they can very likely tell you what the Konami Code is. Start mentioning “Up Up Down Down” and you’ll likely have someone else finish it for you. The code was most well-known for helping those playing Contra, but it has been used so many times since. Now, the Bank of Canada thought adding it to the release of its new $10 bill would help generate interest.

Well, it worked.

[Featured Image by Konami]

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