[SpinDashMaster]

Credit to MickX, CG Soldier, and Strong Bad for the following information.

The following are the Level Select codes for each game. Please check this and memorize as we won´t repeat these codes everytime somebody asks about them on each Challenge topic. Ok?

Sonic 1 Level Select: At the Title Screen, press: Up, Down, Left and Right. You hear a Ring chime, saying that you´ve inputted the code correctly. Now, press A + Start for make a menu screen with all stages appear. Select one for your run and go!

Sonic 2 Level Select: Play Sound Test sounds 19, 65, 09 and 17, until you hear a Ring chime, confirming the code. Then press A + Start to go back to the title screen. Select 1 Player mode and Press A + Start.

Sonic 2 & Knuckles Level Select: At the Title Screen, press: Up, Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, and Right. You should hear a Ring chime, saying that you've inputted the code correctly. Now press A + Start to make the menu screen with all the stages appear.

Sonic 3/S3&K: Grab a vine (or handle from Mushroom Hill) and then press <<<>>>^^^. You hear a Ring chime, saying that you´ve inputted the code correctly. Press A + Start to go back at the main menu. When you get there, scroll down 2-Player and you find the "Sound Test" option. Select it and Level Select appears.

The following are codes to unlock the Super Characters in the games. Super Characters are only allowed to be used in the Master Emerald challenges where specified. As with the Level Select codes, please check this and memorize them as we won´t repeat these codes everytime somebody asks about them on each Challenge topic.

Sonic 2 Super Sonic: First, enable the Level Select code listed above. Once entered, return to the Title Screen by pressing A + Start. On the Title Screen, press A + Start again to enter the Level Select menu. Here, highlight the Sound Test option and play the following sounds: 04, 01, 02, and 06. A sound like a collected chaos emerald should play to confirm correct code entry. Now select the stage you wish to play, and Super Sonic will be available upon collecting 50 rings.

Sonic 2&K Super Knuckles: First, enable the Level Select code listed above. Once entered, press A + Start to enter the Level Select menu. Here, highlight the Sound Test option, and play the following sounds: 01, 06, 07, 07, 07, 02, 01, and 06. A sound like a collected chaos emerald should play to comfirm correct code entry. Now select the stage you wish to play, and Super Knuckles will be available upon collecting 50 rings.

Hope this avoids further confusions at the topics. Have fun with the challenges!

[DanielTheFalcon]

But that sonic 3 code is VERY hard to do.

[douglas]

Save game ftw?

[Rolken]

Yeah, the Sonic 3 level select is impossible (and different from the one listed with S&K). Here's my savestate, hold A for debug, press C to switch between characters.

[Groudon]

I've done the Sonic 3 level select successfully only once (I actually did it twice, but I slowed it down to 3% so I could input the directions frame by frame the 2nd time).

[Bonzi77]

0_o You guys have trouble on the Sonic 3 code?

...Meep.

Edit: Oh, right. Up, Up, Down, Down, Up up up up in like two seconds. YEah, that tough.

[CosmicFalcon]

I read that the Sonic 3 one was something dumb like UUDDUUUU to the beat of the drums.... lol.

At any rate it's impossible. Srsly. I swear. Totally.

[Groudon]

It's possible, just uberly hard.

[X-5]

nah it's just random, sometimes you get it first try sometimes  on your 20th. that's what makes it the best code ever.

[GerbilSoft]

It's not random. The problem is, emulators aren't 100% accurate. I've entered the code successfully many times on the actual console, but never on an emulator.

[X-5]

well not random, but pretty much impossible to consistantly pull off every single time, which to me is almost the same as randomness.

[SprintGod]

The important part of the Sonic 3 level select is the timing. If you don't know it, you'll never get it to work unless you're a lucky bastard.

The first half (u, u, d, d) is easy. Just do it quickly after the music starts, and finish before Sonic breaks the SEGA logo.

The second half (u, u, u, u) must be timed to coincide with the animation before the screen flashes, the first frame being when Sonic starts to back away into his title screen position and the last one being just before the screen flashes.

[SpinDashMaster]

In that case, you could just slow down the emulator to enter the code, and save a state afterward.