Level Select

Level Select, also referred to as Stage Select and Zone Select, is a regular or hidden menu in the video games in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. When accessing the Level Select screen, it features every Zone, Special Stage, Bonus Stage or multiplayer exclusive level in the game, which the player can access from there. Most of the time, the Level Select menu is the place where the Sound Test feature can be found, and activate other hidden features, such as Debug Mode.

Level Select was more-or-less a hidden feature in the earlier installments and spin-off titles of Sonic the Hedgehog series. Over time, however, Level Select has become a regular menu feature in later games. In such cases, the Level Select only shows a map or a list of Zones that the player has already cleared.

Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis)

 * Sega Genesis Revision 1: On the title screen, the player has to press ↑ ↓ ← → and the Ring chime can be heard. Hold down and press the start button to enter Level Select menu.
 * Sega Genesis Revision 2: On the title screen, the player has to press ↑ ↓ ↓ ↓ ← → and the Ring chime can be heard. Hold then down and press the start button to enter Level Select menu. Aside from Revision 2, this variant of the code only work in the Japanese release of the game.
 * 2013 Re-Release: The player has to start the game with "no save". On the Sega screen, the player has to tap the letters S-E-G-A and the Ring chime can be heard. The player then has to hold a pair of fingers on the bottom of the screen and wait until the title screen appears and he/she enters the Level Select menu.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis)

 * Original: The player has to go to the Option menu from the title screen and on the Sound Test section, insert the numbers 19, 65, 09 and 17 in that order. The player will then hear Ring chime and from there has to return to the title screen by pressing start at the Options menu. Here, the player must then press the start button while holding down to enter the Level Select menu.
 * Simon Wai prototype: On the title screen, the player has to hold down down and press the Start button to enter the Level Select menu.
 * 2013 Re-Release: Just like in the 2013-release of original Sonic the Hedgehog, the player must start the game with "no save", tap the letters S-E-G-A on the Sega screen and the Ring chime can be heard twice. The player then has to hold a pair of fingers on the bottom of the screen and wait until the title screen appears and he/she will enter the Level Select menu.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Master System/Game Gear)

 * Game Gear: While the game is booting up, the player has to hold down both the D-Pad in the southwest direction and the 1 and 2 buttons at the same time. From there, the player has to continue holding down the buttons and D-Pad as the title screen appears. When Tails blinks for the time on the title screen, the player must press the Start button while still holding the other three buttons down. The player will then enter the Level Select.
 * Master System: While the game is booting up, the player has to hold down both the D-Pad in the northwest direction and the 1 and 2 buttons at the same time. From there, the player has to continue holding down the buttons and D-Pad until the title screen appears, then press the 2 button to enter the Level Select.

Sonic the Hedgehog CD

 * Sega Mega CD: When at the title screen, the player has to press ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → and hold down to enter the Stage Select.
 * 1996 PC Release: When at the title screen, the player has to press ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → and then press Space on the keyboard to enter the Stage Select.

Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball
While Level Select menu does not technically exist in Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball, the player can skip to one of three later levels in the game through a similar code. To do this, the player has to go to the options menu and press ↓  ↓  ↓   ↑   ↑   ↑ in that order. A small chime can then be heard and the player must return to the title screen. Now at the title screen, holding down will take the player to Lava Powerhouse, holding down  will take the player to The Machine, and holding down  will take the player to the Showdown.

Sonic Chaos

 * Game Gear: When the player enters the title screen with the text "Press Start Button" appearing, press ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ → ← → → ← and then the 1 and 2 buttons and finally the Start button to enter the Level Select screen.
 * Master System: Similarly to the Game Gear version. When the player enters the title screen with the text "Press Start Button" appearing, press ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ → ← → → ← and then the 1 and 2 buttons to enter the Level Select screen.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 &amp; Knuckles
When using one of Level Select codes for these games to access a regular Zone, the player can control the game's speed and character movement by pausing and pressing a corresponding button; press to reset,  for slow motion, or  for show pixel-by-pixel movement.


 * Sonic the Hedgehog 3: When the Sega screen starts turning black in the beginning of the game, the player has to quickly press ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↑. After completing the code correctly, the player hears a Ring chime and the "Sound Test" option will appear on the title screen. Selecting it will take the player to the Level Select menu.
 * Sonic & Knuckles: The player has to find one of the pump elevators in Mushroom Hill Zone. After Sonic or Knuckles hangs onto the handle of elevator, the player has to press ← ← ← → → → ↑ ↑ ↑, and the Ring chime can be heard. The player then has to press the Start button and then to return the title screen. There, the player must hold down  and press the Start button after choosing a playable character.
 * Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles: The player has to find one of the swinging ropes with handles in Angel Island Zone. After making the playable character hang onto it, the player has to press ← ← ← → → → ↑ ↑ ↑ and the Ring chime can be heard. The player must then press the Start button and then, which will take the player to the title screen where the "Sound Test" option will have appeared as the third choice on the title screen. Selecting it will take the player to the Level Select menu.

Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble
While the game is powering up on the Game Gear, the player has to hold ↑ on the D-pad. The player must continue to do that until Knuckles gets the third Chaos Emerald in the intro cinematic. At this point, the player has to press the Start button which give off the Ring chime. At the title screen, the player must then select a character and he/she will then be taken to the Zone Select menu.

Knuckles' Chaotix
In this game, the player must enter the Color Test menu and adjust the six numbers in the top left column. There, the player must set the first row in the MARS column to 06, 0B and 11, and the second row to 04, 00 and 04. The player must then press Start to return to the title screen, where the option "Stage Select" will have appeared on the bottom of the screen. From there, the player can enter the Stage Select.

When playing in a Stage chosen from the Stage Stage, if the player pauses the game during gameplay, it is possible to move the playable characters anywhere with the D-pad and holding down, or  will make them and their Combi partners move faster.

Tails Skypatrol
At the title screen, the player has to press ↑ on the D-Pad and the 2 button at the same time, and then press the Start button. This lets the player access the "Secret Options" menu, which contains Level Select, Background Music and Sound Effect tests.

Sonic Labyrinth
After the game logo has appeared on the title screen, the player has to press ↑ ↑ → → → ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← in that order. The word "Select" then appears and on the option menu, the option "Sound Test" will have been replaced with "Level Select", which the player can access the Level Select menu through.

Sonic 3D Blast

 * Genesis version: At the title screen, the player has to press  →   ↑ ↓, which will take the player to the menu. When starting the game from there,, the Level Select menu appears. After choosing the level from the Level Select menu, the player can skip to the next Act by pressing Start and  button.
 * Saturn version: At the title screen, the player has to press both the control pad in the northwest direction, and the A and C buttons at the same time. This will activate the "Master Code", which will cause the text Press Start" on the title screen to stop blinking. While this version of Sonic 3D Blast does not feature a Level Select, the player can when starting a game normally after activating the Master Code and then pausing the game skip to the next Act by pressing the A button or skip to the Zone by pressing the B button. When not pressing the A or B button during a pause, pressing C skip to the boss of Panic Puppet Zone, pressing X button gives free extra life, pressing Y gives a free Sonic Medal and pressing Z grants automatically all seven Chaos Emeralds.