Sonic Mania – How to Unlock Level Select

Find out how to unlock the Level Select in Sonic Mania.
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Like the games that inspired it, Sonic Mania includes quite a few options that will let players jump between the different levels and zones in the game. In this article we’ll discuss how you can unlock the Level Select in Sonic Mania, which will let you easily swap between levels without having to worry about beating those before it.

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How to Unlock Level Select

Unlocking the Level Select screen in Sonic Mania is actually quite easy. Though, depending on the way that you want to unlock it, it may take you a bit longer. There are two ways to unlock the Level Select screen. The first way is to complete the game and beat every level. Once you have completed the game, you’ll be able to simply select the save file in question, and then hit the up and down buttons on your controller to access the different levels in the game. Of course, when you do this you’ll begin on Act 1 of that zone, and you’ll have to progress to Act 2 by normal progression means.

If you don’t want to have to progress through the different acts of the zone, or if you just don’t feel like completing the game by normal means, then you can actually activate a hidden Level Select by pressing a set combination of keys on your controller. This combination changes depending on the console that you’re playing the game on, but we’ve outlined the different options below so you can find out which one you need and then get it set up.

If you’re playing on the Nintendo Switch, you’ll need to head to the main menu and then press down and hold the B and Y buttons. Now, keep these buttons held down until you are kicked back to the main menu, and wait for it to say “press any button to start”. At this time, press the start button and it should bump you to a classic Sonic 2 style level select menu, which will allow you to jump between the different zones and acts that you want to move through.

At this time, we’re still a little unsure of what button combinations you’ll need to press to activate the Level Select screen on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. However, we have heard reports of the following combinations working for some.

PlayStation 4 – Hold Square and press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right, X, O

Xbox One – Hold X and press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right, A, B

Need more help in Sonic Mania? Be sure to check out our Sonic Mania tips, as well as our guide on how to unlock the Sonic Mania Sound Test. You should now know everything you need to know to unlock the Level Select screen and start jumping around the different zones.


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About the Author

Josh Hawkins

Josh has been exploring fantastic worlds and getting lost in video games for as long as he can remember. Starting out on the Super Nintendo with Super Mario World, and ending up in the world of next-generation gaming. He enjoys digging into the story and lore of massive RPGs, as well as getting lost just trying to make that last jump in any platformers he gets pulled into, as well as everything in between. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing for Entertainment.