Note: This section is largely deals with using a real Game Genie on a Genesis/Mega-Drive.
You may find one or two of the tips useful for using Game Genie codes in emulators though. You will find more information about entering and using Game Genie codes in emulators in the "Using Game Genie Codes" section. You will need to read the instructions that came with your emulator for help using the Game Genie function with that particular emulator.

Entering Codes.

To enter codes, look up the game title in this e-book and choose the codes you wish to use. Games appear in alphabetical order and can be accessed from the menu on the left. You can enter up to five codes at a time*, and some effects use up more than one code.
 
*Note: the five code limit only applies to a real Game Genie, when using the Game Genie function in emulators you can generally use as many codes as you want although you may occasionally encounter strange or undesirable behaviour when using lots of codes at once.


 

  • The 5 rows of blank squares are the Code Lines. The "Swirling Star" Cursor will appear on the first space of the top Code Line.
  • The 3 lines of letters in the bottom portion of the screen are the Letter/Number Choices that make up the codes. You will see a Sword on the screen pointing to the Letter Choice "A" on the left side of the screen as shown above.
  • To enter codes on the Code Screen, use the the Genesis/Mega-Drive Control Pad in Port 1.
    • Move the Sword to point to the first Letter Choice of the first code using the Directional Pad (D-Pad) on the Control Pad.
    • Press the A Button on the Control Pad to enter the letter on the Code Line. The "Swirling Star" Cursor will move to the next space. Continue in this way until all the code letters have been entered (and all the spaces on the line are filled). You have now entered the first code.
    • After you have completed a Code Line, the "Swirling Star" will move to the first space on the next Code Line.
    • Repeat this procedure to enter up to five codes, if desired.
    • If you make a mistake and enter the wrong letter, press the C Button to backspace and delete the last letter entered. Then enter the correct letter as described above.
    • To start all over again, turn the Genesis/Mega-Drive power switch off and then on again to bring up the empty code screen.

NOTE: If you are using a special controller and are having difficulty entering Game Genie codes,
try turning off any special features such as "Turbo." OR. use a standard Control Pad to
enter the codes.

IMPORTANT: SOME GAMES REQUIRE A "MASTER CODE" TO BE
ENTERED BEFORE THEY WILL WORK WITH THE GAME GENIE.
THE "MASTER CODE" DOES NOT NEED TO BE ENTERED IN THE
TOP CODE LINE, IT CAN BE ENTERED ON ANY OF THE CODE LINES.

Starting the Game.

When all desired codes have been entered, double-check them to make sure they have been entered correctly and double-check to make sure a Master Code has been entered if one is required. Then press "Start" on the Control Pad to begin the game. The first screen of the game will appear as normal. You can now play the game as usual, according to the instructions that came with it.

IF THE GAME DOES NOT BEGIN WHEN YOU PRESS START,
CHECK TO SEE IF THE GAME REQUIRES A MASTER CODE,
AND DOUBLE-CHECK THAT THE MASTER CODE HAS BEEN
ENTERED CORRECTLY IF ONE IS REQUIRED.

 

  • To return to the Game Genie Code Screen from the game at any time, press Reset.
  • To play the game again and keep the codes in effect, press Reset and then Start.
  • To play the game normally without any effects, you do not have to remove the Game Genie. Just press Start with no codes entered on the Code Screen, or move the Effects On/Off Switch to the down (OFF) position and press Start.
  • To restart the game with no codes entered, turn the Genesis/Mega-Drive power off and then on, and then press Start.

Advanced Code Editing Features.

Press Reset during a game, or at the end of a game, to return to the Code Screen. All the codes you previously entered will still appear in the Code Lines. At this point, you can:
 
  • Restart the game using the same codes by pressing Start.
  • Add, delete or change one or more codes on the screen using the following techniques:

 

How to Erase or Change a Code Letter, a Code, or Codes.

TO MOVE THE SWIRLING
STAR TO A LETTER OR
SPACE ON THE CODE LINES.
Press and hold down the B Button on the Control Pad
and use the D-Pad to move the "Swirling Star" to the
desired letter or space.
TO ERASE A LETTER Move the "Swirling Star" to the desired letter and press
the C Button.
TO CHANGE A LETTER Move the "Swirling Star" to the letter. Release the B Button
and use the D-Pad to move the Sword to the new letter.
Press the A Button to insert the new letter.
TO ERASE ONE CODE Move the "Swirling Star" to any letter in the code (see above).
Press and hold down both the B and C Buttons on the
Control Pad at the same time and hold both down for a
couple of seconds
.
TO ERASE ALL CODES Press and hold the A, B and C Buttons at the same time
and hold all 3 down for a couple of seconds.

Uses of the Effects Switch.

  • To play a game without using effects, move the switch to the down (off) position.
  • Depending on the game you're playing and the codes you're using, the Effects Switch can sometimes be used to turn the effects on and off as you play.
  • Follow these tips for best results with the Effects Switch:
    • ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE SWITCH IS "ON" WHEN YOU PRESS START IN THE CODE SCREEN.
    • ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE SWITCH STAYS ON UNTIL THE GAME ACTUALLY BEGINS TO PLAY (NOT JUST TITLE OR OPTIONS SCREENS, BUT GAME PLAY ACTION) EVEN IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO PLAY WITH EFFECTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE GAME.
    • If you don't want to play with effects, turn the switch off after game play begins.
    • Some effects may take a few seconds to disappear after the switch is turned off.

 

IMPORTANT: WHEN USING SOME CODES ON CERTAIN GAMES,
SOME EFFECTS MAY NOT SHUT OFF, OR SOME GAME
CONDITIONS MAY NOT CHANGE BACK TO NORMAL.

For example, many "start with" codes make certain changes at the beginning of the game that will not disappear when you turn off the Effects Switch. If you use a code such as "Start with 9 lives," in a game that normally gives you 3 lives, turning off the switch will not cause the number of lives left to go immediately back to 3. You will continue to use up the remaining number of lives until you lose them all and the game ends.

On most games, codes that may not shut off include "start with" codes affecting lives, credits or character points, level-warp codes, and some other codes.

On most games, codes that are more likely to shut off include invincibility, speedup, jump codes, and some other codes. 

If You Have Problems with Codes...

It is possible that some codes or combinations of codes may cause undesired effects at some point in the game play. If this occurs, IT WILL NOT HARM YOUR GAMES OR GAME CONSOLE.

Simply press Reset or shut off the power to the Genesis/Mega-Drive and turn it back on again to bring up the Code Screen. (or, continue playing if you can.)

Entering passwords and Game Genie codes together may cause problems on some games.

If you experience an undesired effect:

  • Double-check to make sure you entered the codes correctly.
  • Check if the game requires a Master Code.
  • Double-check that the Master Code has been entered correctly if one is required.
  • If the problem occurred when using a single code, enter a different code.
  • If the problem occurred when using a combination of codes, try using a different combination of codes, or deleting one or more of the codes.
  • Start the game again.

Some Game Genie codes may have no effect, sometimes as a result of the game publisher making changes to a game in later production runs. In addition, there are other reasons why codes don't work. A 16-bit video game contains a very large number of ever-changing conditions, so you may be the first to discover a location, situation, or combination of conditions in a game where a code problem occurs.

Using Master Codes.

Some games require a "master code" to be entered before they will work with a Game Genie, if you have a master code for a game you MUST USE IT.

There is a way to bypass the need to use master codes however which will allow you to use an extra cheat code. Enter your codes in the Game Genie Code screen as normal without the master code, but before you press the start button to begin the game make sure that the effects switch is in the OFF (down) position, the effects light should not be lit.

Now press the start button and wait until you first see any sign of the game starting (usually about 5 seconds). Then immediately flip the Game Genie switch "ON" (up). The game should now work correctly without the need for a master code. This is not guaranteed to work with all games that need master codes, but here is a list of games where this trick is known to work:
 

  • Desert Strike

  • F-22 Interceptor

  • Jungle Strike

  • NHLPA Hockey '93

  • PGA Tour Golf 2

  • Road Rash

  • Road Rash 2

  • Road Rash 3

  • Street Fighter II C.E.

This works slightly differently when using the Game Genie function in an emulator as master codes are only required when the game is starting up, and as Game Genie codes are never active when you first load a game they are generally not required. The only time you will need master codes when using emulators is when you press the "reset" button, when you do this any codes being used will still be active and you will encounter a red screen if a master code is required. This can be fixed by either entering the master code (remember the five code limit does not generally apply to emulators), or switching off any active codes, and pressing "reset" again.

Problem Games!

Most games will work with the Game Genie without any problems, although some games may not be compatible. Even if you encounter a problem game the Game Genie will not harm your Genesis
/Mega-Drive or your game with one important exception...

The Game Genie is known to have particular problems with games that have a built in save game feature. You may not be able to start a new game or save your game when using Game Genie codes, also a few codes are known to corrupt or delete your save data which means you will lose any saves you already had. In a few very rare cases this may even prevent you from playing the game even after you have removed the Game Genie as the game will crash when you enter the save menu, it is usually possible to fix this problem using the Game Genie itself by looking in the codes for an "erase save data" code although you will again lose any saves you had.

This does not generally apply to emulators, the save data may still be corrupted but you should be able to use the emulators own "save game" features to bypass the problem although this isn't guaranteed to work with every game.