Before the time when you could download games, there was the GameShark.

The GameShark was a powerful tool for your Playstation, a simple disk or a memory card (depending on what version you had) that could unlock secrets and powerups based on the codes you used.

The GameShark, and its predecessor the Game Genie, was a fun tool for people who liked to rush through a game or were looking for a novel experience. I never had a Game Genie for the Super Nintendo, nor did I have a Game Shark for my Playstation games. That doesn’t mean I never used one, however.

I’m the kind of gamer that loves to go through a perfect playthrough. To that end, I love to use strategy guides to find all the secrets before I even fire up a game. It’s an obsession for me as I enjoy getting the most out of every game I own. Lately, I’ve found that obsession to be burdensome.

When I was 12, one of my friends allowed me to use a GameShark for my “Final Fantasy VIII” save file. Suddenly, my main character had max strength! Needless to say, he easily tore through enemies. I enjoyed that save file, as I maxed out every character and found as many secrets as possible.

I don’t think I could play through “Final Fantasy VIII” today, though. That one save file was practically perfect, and I’m not sure I’d enjoy a regular game after I was so super-powered.

It was easy to cheat, and it was fun. And in gaming, there are often no penalties for cheating — unless you’re playing online, of course. It’s a fun pastime for gamers who want to break the boundaries of a game’s universe and really explore how games work. Sometimes, incredible things are created from games such as “Team Fortress 2,” a popular shooter that has spawned plenty of Internet pictures, memes and jokes. Other times, terrible things happen, like the hackers in “Mario Kart 7” who did nothing but shoot blue shells at everyone. If you hacked blue shells, no one likes you.

The point is, cheating can sometimes take a good game and make it great. It can allow for even more creativity than what developers bargained for, which is a great thing to accomplish. Cheating can be OK, and it can sometimes be a lot of fun.

As long as you’re not cheating in an online game. If you’re a hacker who shot blue shells at everyone in “Mario Kart,” then you’re a jerk.