For the original Sega Genesis/Mega Drive version of Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), enter Up, C, Down, C, Left, C, Right, C at the title screen, then use the level-select flow to start with debug mode enabled. The mobile version uses a different sequence: 01, 09, 09, 01, 00, 06, 02, 03 in Sound Test. These instructions apply to the versions described below; not every later re-release or hardware revision is established to work the same way.
Original Genesis/Mega Drive code
At the title screen, press Up, C, Down, C, Left, C, Right, C. The code is commonly documented for the original 1991 console release. Entering it is only part of the process: use level select to launch the game with debug enabled.
The archived Sonic HQ Sonic 1 Code Bank describes a specific flow: after entering the sequence, reset, enter level select again, and hold A until Sonic appears. An Arcade History summary instead describes following the title-screen code with Start while holding A. Because these accounts differ in their level-select details, follow instructions for your game revision rather than assuming the button sequence alone starts debug mode.
Using debug mode on the original console
Once debug mode is active, the documented controls are:
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- B: Switch between controlling Sonic and object placement.
- A: Change the selected object.
- C: Place the selected object.
Mobile version code and steps
SEGA Support documents a separate method for the mobile version. Do not use its Sound Test code as the Genesis/Mega Drive button sequence.
- Start the game in No Save mode.
- During the SEGA logo, tap S, E, G, then A.
- Hold two fingers on the lower half of the screen until level select appears.
- In Sound Test, enter 01, 09, 09, 01, 00, 06, 02, 03.
- Enter a level, then tap the score area to access debug mode.
In the mobile version, use the on-screen plus/minus controls to cycle through items and Jump to place the selected item. See SEGA Support’s debug-mode instructions for this mobile procedure.
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Which code should you use?
| Version | Code | How to activate it |
|---|---|---|
| Original Genesis/Mega Drive release | Up, C, Down, C, Left, C, Right, C | Enter at the title screen, then use the level-select flow to start with debug enabled. |
| Mobile version covered by SEGA Support | 01, 09, 09, 01, 00, 06, 02, 03 | After the No Save, logo, and level-select steps, enter it in Sound Test. |
The console and mobile procedures are documented for their respective versions; the cited instructions do not establish compatibility across every later re-release or hardware revision. SEGA’s Sonic Origins English manual provides release context, not debug-code instructions.
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