Up – up – down – down – left – right – left – right – B – A – start: the most famous cheat code in all of video game history. It appeared on the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), in nearly every Konami made game. Because of it’s reoccurence, it became known as The Konami Code, and knowing it by heart is one of the trademark signs of a true, old-school gamer. Although it was originally added to aid late testing periods before commercial launch, it soon exploded, showing up all over the world—in pop culture references, in songs, in movies, ingrained into every casual gamer’s head like a catchy tune slipping off of their fingertips. And most of all, this code, one started in a back end video game on an old time console, now serves as inspiration for aspiring video game designers today: a sign, a beacon, a dream that someday their games will reach such heights of fame, and they will make a part of something bigger than themselves.

Antioch Community High School offers a chance for some to achieve this dream. As soon as a student becomes a sophomore, they are able to enroll in a College of Lake County Technology Campus media arts and game design class.

“The program at Tech Campus is unlike any other classroom on earth. The curriculum is open-ended and extensive; the teachers have all worked in the field before, and the students are among the most passionate and skilled individuals I have ever seen. I decided to go to Tech Campus my sophomore year, and I have never regretted it,” said senior Jake Beake, video game designer and Tech Campus attendee.

Nick Beake, Jake’s twin brother, also plays a role in creating new video games.

“I’m a creative mind, a voice actor at heart,” N. Beake said. “I’m currently working with a small time video game company on their new game. I can’t say much until it’s released, but I can tell you it’s going to be a freeware, top-down sci-fi action adventure.”

N. Beake was contacted in December of 2013 and contracted to voice the main character and vocal effects for monsters, aliens and goons. He takes pride in the fact that he is the sole member of the voice cast, where he can really explore his vocal diversity. N. Beake also reviews video games in weekly segments.

Together, the Beake brothers make a digital dynamic duo, creating a company called T Elliot Interactive. In the beginning they just coded calculator games for TI-84’s and sold them to their friends, but they’ve moved on to bigger things.

“Since middle school, I’ve probably conceived of at least 25 different games,” J. Beake said. “But I’ve started actual work recently.”

Not long ago Jake asked Nick to draw up a story line for a new endeavor. Having a deep set love for old consoles and the programming language 6502 Assembly, the Beake brothers originally created a game for the NES, but have had to move production over to the PC.

“I’m partial to the PC,” J. Beake said. “I am semi-fluent in C++ (and, by extension, C), but have also taught myself 6502 Assembly, so that I could make games for the Nintendo Entertainment System. C++ was taught to me through Tech Campus. The language was invented in 1986, but it is still going strong, and is considered to be the industry standard, alongside Java and C#. I’ve use the Unreal Engine 3 before (which powers Gears of War and BioShock Infinite), but I have also worked with the HPL2 engine, which powers Amnesia: The Dark Descent.”

Whereas Jake manages the hardware and coding, Nick handles the creative aspects.

“Story presentation is everything. If you don’t have the story line, no gameplay or graphics can ever redeem your enterprise,” N. Beake said.

Both Beakes find inspiration in other video games. Sometimes it’s as simple as looking at a game and saying ‘I can do better.’

“Many ideas are based off experiences from my childhood, some are improvements on time-tested formulas, and others are my response to the question ‘wouldn’t it be cool if…?’,” J. Beake said.

Sometimes, video game designers even find inspiration in their dreams.

“Dream World is a concept I’ve had since middle school. It’s a fantasy game, but not in classic, wizards-and-dragons, style. Suffice it to say that it includes magic, robots, warships, and celestial cities. The story is inspired by my old group of friends, as they all appear as major characters. I made early prototypes for the game when I was much younger, but the idea has been shelved until the future. Dream World was the first game I thought of, though it has been altered and redesigned countless times over the years,” said J. Beake.

Jake Beake based his first game off of a series of reoccurring dreams, making video game design the most personal thing he has.

“I got into game design because I love video games, and I got into programming because I trusted no one but myself to make my games correctly,” J. Beake said.

Jake Beake is planning on going into video game development after high school. He plans to attend the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater and to major in Media Arts and Game Design (MAGD). After completing the voice work he’s developing right now, Nick Beake is going to attend University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh and major in Radio and TV-Film. Be sure to be on the lookout for their upcoming games and perhaps the resurrection of their favorite inspirational cheat.