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Known for being worth more than three cats,
though my true beginning lies in seeking greater power.
Contrary to popular belief I never needed to begin.
On the front page you may get a sizzler,
but seek me with your voice to receive unlimited free queries

What am I?

Hint:

I can't exist in a world without order and direction

Hint 2:

I am known for being worth three and a third cats to be more precise

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    $\begingroup$ Don't know why there are downvotes as you have a good track record for puzzles and this seems like a good one. +1 from me. $\endgroup$
    – hexomino
    Jun 16, 2016 at 4:39
  • $\begingroup$ just wanted to clarify - the last line says you receive "unlimited free queries". Does that mean you can ask it unlimited queries, or does it return queries when you talk to it? $\endgroup$
    – Jeremy
    Jun 16, 2016 at 14:38
  • $\begingroup$ Probably 'The Bible'.. maybe worth more than 3 cats.. and sizzler like font used on front page. $\endgroup$
    – ABC
    Jun 21, 2016 at 14:09

4 Answers 4

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I think the answer is

enter image description here

aka the

Konami Code

Known for being worth more than three cats,

In Contra (and Gradius II), entering the code at the title screen starts the player with thirty lives (if a cat has nine lives, that's three and a third cats, as per Hint 2).

though my true beginning lies in seeking greater power.

The first ever use of the code in Gradius, entered when paused, activates a bunch of power-ups.

Contrary to popular belief I never needed to begin.

I think this refers to the fact that you didn't have to press the start button also for the cheat to work, just the buttons above. I believe this was a common misconception.

On the front page you may get a sizzler,

Entering the Konami code on the front page of reddit will cause a small throwing star made of bacon to fly across your screen.

but seek me with your voice to receive unlimited free queries

A Google voice search for the Konami code unlocks a hidden cheat mode where a voice declares "Cheat mode unlocked: Unlimited free Google searches."

Hint 1

The code involves directional buttons pressed in a specific order.

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  • $\begingroup$ This is correct, though the first clue is about Contra, the most well known use of the code $\endgroup$
    – Gordon Allocman
    Jun 21, 2016 at 15:24
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I don't really believe this -- there's too much I don't have a good fit for -- but could you possibly be

Google?

Known for being worth more than three cats,

Absolutely no idea, though Google (now Alphabet) is worth an awful lot. Maybe there's some famously valuable company with a catty name that's out-capitalized 3x by Google, or something.

though my true beginning lies in seeking greater power.

"Google" is a misspelling (accidental at first but deliberately embraced, I think) of "googol", a number equal to $10^{100}$, a large power of 10.

Contrary to popular belief I never needed to begin.

Numbers, unlike material things like people and galaxies, are timeless. (But this doesn't quite work: perhaps a googol is timeless, but Google isn't the same thing.)

On the front page you may get a sizzler,

The front page of Google's search results often has something striking or witty commemorating a particular occasion or person.

but seek me with your voice to receive free queries

If you have an Android phone you can say "OK, Google" to it followed by asking it to do things -- including, e.g., search-engine queries.

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  • $\begingroup$ Good attempt, though this is not the correct answer $\endgroup$
    – Gordon Allocman
    Jun 16, 2016 at 11:15
  • $\begingroup$ I'd have been disappointed if it were! But perhaps having a wrong answer out there will encourage someone else to figure it out. $\endgroup$
    – Gareth McCaughan ♦
    Jun 16, 2016 at 11:32
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I'm going to take a shot in the dark here.

I believe that the answer is

TIME

I have no idea about the cat part, but for seeking greater power

early calendars were based on religious beliefs (think mayans)

Contrary to popular belief I never needed to begin.

beginning of time, big bang, etc., etc. were random events

On the front page you may get a sizzler,

Time magazine often displays attractive actors/actresses, celebrities, etc. on their cover

but seek me with your voice to receive free queries

say "What's the time?" in any populated area and you're bound to get an answer

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  • $\begingroup$ Good attempt, but not the correct answer $\endgroup$
    – Gordon Allocman
    Jun 16, 2016 at 14:19
  • $\begingroup$ Oh well, I tried. Fantastic riddle! $\endgroup$
    – Dalton D
    Jun 16, 2016 at 14:19
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Series, although I can't follow some of the clues.

"Known for being worth more than three cats"

a straight is worth more than three of a kind?

"though my true beginning lies in seeking greater power"

series are useful for calculating e.g., integrals.

"Contrary to popular belief I never needed to begin."

you have have a series with no first element.

"On the front page you may get a sizzler"

don't know.

"but seek me with your voice to receive unlimited free queries"

a reference to Apple's Siri.

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  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to Puzzling. Could you please edit your answer to show your thought process and/or explanations as to how it fits the clues (at least as far as you know)? $\endgroup$
    – Business Cat
    Jun 16, 2016 at 19:51
  • $\begingroup$ This is not the correct answer $\endgroup$
    – Gordon Allocman
    Jun 16, 2016 at 19:56
  • $\begingroup$ Rats! I'll keep thinking about it, thanks. $\endgroup$
    – Hector Pefo
    Jun 16, 2016 at 20:08

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