Sonic Origins level select codes and how to find Hidden Palace Zone

How do you perform the level select codes in Sonic Origins? Our cheat codes guide will answer that very question.

Sonic Origins is out this week but the level select codes aren’t exactly the same as they were in the original Mega Drive / Genesis games.

While the inputs are similar, the process for entering the cheat codes is a little different, as are the rewards you get for entering them.

The written version of this guide is below but if you want to see a video version, you can watch that here:

With that said, here’s how to perform the level select codes in Sonic 1, Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 + Knuckles, as well as how to access the Hidden Palace Zone in Sonic 2.

Sonic Origins – Sonic 1 level select code

The level select code for the original Sonic the Hedgehog is the easiest to pull off, and features the most hidden content.

On the title screen, when the words ‘Press Button’ appear, enter Up, Down, Left, Right. You’ll hear a ring chime. Then press X (on an Xbox controller), Square (on a PlayStation controller) or Y (on a Switch controller).

This will take you to the level select screen. Not only does it let you choose any stage you want, it’ll also give you the following options to toggle:

• Player – choose which character to play as. 01 is Sonic, 02 is Tails, 03 is Knuckles and 00 is Sonic and Tails together
• Spindash – turn on or off the spindash move (Down + Jump) introduced in Sonic 2
• Gnd Spd Cap – turn on or off a speed cap for Sonic when he’s on the ground
• Air Spd Cap – turn on or off a speed cap for Sonic when he’s in the air
• S1 Spikes – turn on or off the Sonic 1 spikes rule. If it’s on, Sonic will die if he hits spikes then bounces onto another set of spikes
• Items – change the Sonic 1 items for Sonic 2 or Sonic 3 items (such as the fire, electricity and bubble shields)
• Max Emeralds – choose whether the game requires you to collect 6 or 7 Chaos Emeralds

Sonic Origins – Sonic 2 level select code

The level select code for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the original Mega Drive game involved entering the Options menu and playing certain music tracks.

Since the Options menu is no longer in Sonic Origins, the code is instead the same as the one used when the Sonic 2 cartridge was attached to Sonic & Knuckles.

On the title screen, when the words ‘Press Button’ appear, enter Up, Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right. You’ll hear a ring chime. Then press X (on an Xbox controller), Square (on a PlayStation controller) or Y (on a Switch controller).

This will take you to the level select screen, which includes the new Hidden Palace Zone. This won’t be immediately selectable, however, and until it is you’ll need to find the level manually, which we’ll explain how to do below.

Sonic Origins – how to find the Hidden Palace Zone in Sonic 2

The Hidden Palace Zone was the stuff of legend among Sonic fans for many years.

It was originally planned to be one of the stages in Sonic 2, but at some point during development the level was scrapped – not before screenshots appeared in magazines, though.

Years later prototype versions of Sonic 2 would be shared online, showing the incomplete Hidden Palace Zone.

However, when Sonic 2 was ported to iOS and Android in 2013, developers Christian Whitehead and Simon Thomley were given permission by Sega to complete the Hidden Palace Zone and add it into the game.

It’s once again available in Sonic Origins, and here’s how to find it. In Act 2 of the Mystic Cave Zone, head right and immediately drop off the bridge, keeping to the low ground. Keep doing right until you can go no further, then drop down and make your way past the rotating crates.

Lower the next bridge, jump off the yellow spring that follows and after this you’ll find a pit with a vine over it (as seen in the screenshot above). Instead of pulling the vine to lower the bridge, drop into the pit. This will take you to the Hidden Palace Zone.

If this is too hard to follow, our video guide at the top of the page shows you the entire route to take.

Sonic Origins – Sonic 3 + Knuckles level select code

Finally, here’s how to perform the level select code in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 + Knuckles.

The level select cheat in Sonic 3 was notoriously difficult because it had to be entered during an extremely short time period.

Thankfully, this is no longer the case and there’s plenty of time to enter it.

When the words ‘Press Button’ appear, enter Up, Up, Down, Down, Up, Up, Up, Up and you’ll hear a ring chime.

Now press a button and move the cursor down to find a hidden ‘Sound Test’ option.

Choose this to access the level select, which not only gives access to new Blue Spheres stages but also lets you play the five Competition stages (which used to be multiplayer only) in single-player.