9 continues (instead of 3) How to Enter: At the title screen, hold Up + A + B + C until the Sega logo appears. Keep holding. When the game starts, check your continues – they’ll say “9”. ToeJam & Earl (1991) No cheat code – but a secret level warp via elevator.
Level Select + Debug Mode How to Enter: At the title screen (where it says "Sonic The Hedgehog 2"), press: Up, Down, Left, Right, Hold A + Start You’ll hear a ring chime. Now hold A and press Start to access the Level Select. While playing, press B to cycle through objects, C to place them, and Up + A to change Sonic’s art frame. Streets of Rage 2 (1992) Unlock the secret boss – and a shockingly difficult fight. sega genesis cheat codes
Instant level jump How to Enter: Get on any elevator, then press: Up, Down, Down, Down, Up, Down, Up, Up A secret prompt will appear, letting you choose any level from 0 (a bizarre glitch level) to 25. Debug Mode & Hardware Secrets Sonic 1 & Knuckles Code (Sonic 1): On the title screen, press Up, Down, Left, Right while holding A , then press Start. Debug mode enabled. 9 continues (instead of 3) How to Enter:
So next time you fire up a Genesis Mini or an original model 2, try tapping on Bloodlines or the Sonic 2 dance. The old magic still works. ToeJam & Earl (1991) No cheat code –
Level Select & Sound Test How to Enter: On the character select screen, move the cursor to Eric and type this as your name: B-A-R-R-Y Press Start. Now go to the Password screen and enter 2P 2P 2P 2P for the Sound Test, where you can warp to any stage. Golden Axe II (1991) Infinite continues – because the final boss is cheap.
Play as Mr. X (final boss) or Shiva How to Enter: At the title screen, press: Right, Right, Right, Right, Up, Down, Left, A If done correctly, you’ll hear a police siren. Start a 2-player game, and when selecting characters, hold Up + B on controller 1 and press A on controller 2. Shiva (or Mr. X) will appear. Mortal Kombat II (1994) Blood, babalities, and a hidden fight.
Before the era of downloadable patches and microtransactions, if you got stuck in a video game, you had three options: practice until your thumbs bled, call a expensive hint line, or punch in a cheat code . On the Sega Genesis (known as the Mega Drive outside North America), cheat codes were an art form. They were often bizarre sequences of button presses, sound test manipulations, or even requiring a second controller.