The console cheating device GameShark is making a surprising comeback. If you played console games back in the 1990s and 2000s, you likely remember or even used a GameShark. These were devices that would slot into systems, acting as an intermediary for games that loaded into the top. Players could then use the GameShark to change their games in various ways, enhancing them in some areas, while “cheating” in others, and it was a massive success. The GameShark generated more than $650 million in sales and was enjoyed by over 15 million gamers, and it’s coming back … sort of.
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On January 20, 2026, Todd Hays, the creator of GameShark, launched a Kickstarter to commemorate the device’s history in an intriguing way. Hays unveiled the news via a press release the day prior, in which he detailed the plan, which wasn’t necessarily to reinvent the GameShark for modern consoles. Instead, he’s written a book called The Complete Cheatcode Compendium, published by Gamepro. The book isn’t the only thing he’s developing for this venture, as there is forthcoming hardware, and the book comes with a digital companion platform that’s filled with “decades of open-source, public-domain game-beating code history, walkthrough, and digital strategy guides.”
GameShark Is Back With a Beautiful Compendium and Online Platform
The Compendium is further described as a living document that explores how classic games were beaten. It aims to preserve the history of the home video game console era that launched decades ago by focusing on how some of the hardest games ever made were beaten, both by expert gamers and by cheating devices like the GameShark. According to Hays, the Compendium is just the beginning, as the money raised through the Kickstarter will not fund the book. Instead, it will go towards producing the RetroShark, the first new GameShark device in nearly 20 years.
The RetroShark is being designed for modern gamers, helping them progress through games without taking away the challenge or what makes them unforgettable. It’s unclear from the press release what the device’s capabilities will be or which systems it will work with. Given the GameShark’s dominance during its heyday, it’s likely to be an impressive piece of gaming tech. The project and the Kickstarter are all about preserving the history of an era where players used cheat codes and gaming enhancements to make games more enjoyable, and it’s likely to be funded.
As of writing, the Kickstarter has been active for less than a day and is nearing its $10,000 goal, with over $6,400 in contributions. Being a retro gamer, I was quick to hop onto the Launch Day Special pledge level of $49 to secure my copy, and if you hurry, you can do the same. Other pledge levels come at $59, $99, and $119, depending on which options you’d like to unlock. You can also show your support by pledging a buck, so there are plenty of ways to show your love for this classic gaming system that helped millions of gamers enjoy their games in ways the devs never considered.
*Update: The project reached its funding goal on launch day.
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