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Level Select

Golden Axe · Sega Genesis · 1989 · Cheat Code

Select Arcade mode, then at the character-select screen hold Down/Left + B and press Start; a starting-level number appears top-left and can be changed with the D-pad

Effect: Unlocks a level select that lets the player choose which stage to start from.

Golden Axe's level select was a developer convenience retained in the final Genesis cartridge, accessible by holding a direction and button at the character-select screen in Arcade mode. A starting-stage number appears in the upper-left corner, which the player adjusts with the D-pad before beginning. The trick was especially useful because the Genesis port lacked any save or password system, and it was published in early Sega tip guides — becoming well known among Genesis owners as one of the system's first major cheat discoveries. (A related code, Down/Left + A + C then Start, grants nine continues.)

Key Facts:
  • One of the first widely published cheat codes for the Sega Genesis
  • The Genesis port had no save or password system, making this especially useful
  • A separate Down/Left + A + C code grants nine continues

Sources & further reading