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Tech

'Age of Empires: Definitive Edition' Still Has the Best Cheat Codes in Gaming

Annihilate your Bronze Age enemies with a sports car.

The first thing I did when I started up Age of Empires: Definitive Edition was hit enter to bring up the game’s chat window and type "BIGDADDY.” I was delighted to see a pixelated sports car spawn next to my town center. I immediately raced to the four corners of the map and used my rocket cart to murder my primitive competition. This new version of Age of Empires kept all the old cheat codes.

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is a $20 remaster of the real-time strategy classic. The game lets players run a civilization starting in the bronze age and take it into iron age. It’s fun, but it came out when I was 14 and using cheat codes to mess with my unsuspecting friends. I’d host a game, check the box that allowed chats, and hope they wouldn’t notice.

I’d give it 15 minutes, then spawn rocket cars. By the time they’d figured out what was going on, it was too late and my empire of sports cars had reduced the lesser players to rubble. Eventually, I wasn’t allowed to host games anymore.

It’s great that this remaster of Age of Empires kept those old cheat codes. The developers at Microsoft Studios have overhauled the graphics, added quality of life improvements, and remastered the soundtrack. All the changes updated the game for the modern age without removing its soul. For me, keeping Age of Empire’s ridiculous cheat codes is proof of that. Using the cheat codes doesn’t even disable the achievements. Go forth with nuclear weapon wielding soldiers (E=MC2 TROOPER) and conquer your enemies. When you get bored, load up your catapult with peasant (JACK BE NIMBLE) and laugh as their contorted bodies slam into the walls of your enemies.