Game Genie Was More Than The Sum of its Cheat Codes

Game Genie, the infamous cheat device that granted infinite lives and unlimited ammo, began as nothing more than a tiny knob on a golden game cartridge. That cartridge was a copy of Treasure Island Dizzy, a puzzle game on the Nintendo Entertainment System starring a cartoon egg that wore boxing gloves. The knob was there so you could--in theory--adjust the number of lives you had, thereby making the game easier or harder as desired. Dizzy's developer, Codemasters, thought this extra feature woul...