Columns Cheat Codes & Secrets

Starting Level Select

Columns on Game Gear includes a built-in configuration screen accessible before starting a game. From the title screen, press Start to reach the mode select, then navigate to the options panel. Use Left and Right on the D-pad to cycle the starting level from 1 through 9. Starting on a higher level increases the initial fall speed of the jewel columns, effectively letting experienced players skip the slower opening rounds and dive straight into challenging play.

This is the closest the Game Gear version comes to a formal level warp — there is no password system or mid-game stage skip, so configuring your start level before the session is the primary way to jump into harder conditions.

Flash Mode

Flash Mode is a hidden-objective variant built into the cartridge, selectable directly from the main mode screen. In Flash Mode, a single Magic Jewel — a specially marked gem — is placed somewhere in the playfield stack at the start of the round. Your goal is not simply to score points but to clear the Magic Jewel by building a matching sequence that eliminates it. The game ends when you either clear it (win) or the stack reaches the top of the well (loss).

To access Flash Mode:

1. Power on the Game Gear and wait for the title screen.
2. Press Start to enter the mode select.
3. Use Down on the D-pad to highlight Flash.
4. Press Button 1 to confirm and begin.

Flash Mode does not track a traditional score — it is a single-objective challenge useful for quick sessions and practiced chain-setups. Clearing the Magic Jewel on higher starting levels counts as a harder accomplishment and is a popular self-imposed challenge among speedrunners.

Sound Test and Music Select

On the options screen, in addition to the starting level, you can cycle through the game’s background music tracks using Left and Right on the music option row. While this is not a hidden code, it lets you set your preferred track — including the iconic “Clotho” theme — before beginning a session. There is no separate dedicated sound test menu, so this in-options selection is the only way to preview tracks without playing the game.

High Score Reset

The Game Gear version saves high scores to internal memory for as long as the console has battery power. To wipe the high score table and reset records to default:

1. Hold Button 1 + Button 2 + Start simultaneously at the title screen.
2. Release when the screen flickers or the title redraws.

This is useful when passing the cartridge to another player or resetting personal bests for a fresh run. Note that the Game Gear has no non-volatile save RAM on the Columns cartridge, so removing the batteries long enough will also clear scores naturally.

Gameplay Techniques and Beneficial Mechanics

Column Rotation Priority

The Game Gear’s Button 1 rotates the active jewel column upward (cycling the bottom gem to the top), while Button 2 also rotates — but in some regional versions the direction differs. Test your specific cartridge: if one button does not rotate as expected, the rotation direction may be reversed from the standard Japanese release. Knowing which button cycles which direction is critical for fast gem placement at high speeds.

Chain Reaction Exploitation

When a match clears gems, the jewels above fall and can trigger additional matches. The physics are evaluated top-to-bottom repeatedly until no new matches remain. Skilled players deliberately leave specific color distributions in the lower stack so that a single well-placed column triggers a cascade of three or more chain reactions. This exponentially increases the score multiplier and is the primary method for reaching high scores above 50,000 points.

Left-Column Stacking

Because columns fall straight down with no sliding physics, the leftmost and rightmost columns of the six-wide well are the easiest to control precisely. Many high-score strategies involve building deliberate color layers on the edges and using the center columns as a “dump” zone for mismatched pieces. When the center stack grows high, one targeted column on the edge can clear through the full height in a cascade.

Known Limitations and Version Notes

The 1990 Game Gear release of Columns is one of the most stripped-down ports in the game’s history. It does not include:

• A password system (no level codes exist)
• Hidden characters or unlockable modes beyond Flash
• A developer Easter egg screen
• Any invincibility or infinite-lives cheat code that has been publicly documented

The cartridge was a launch-window title and shipped with minimal memory overhead, leaving little room for hidden content. Unlike the Mega Drive version released the same year, no documented button-combination codes for hidden developer menus or alternate game modes have been found through ROM analysis or original documentation. The options-screen level select and Flash Mode represent the full extent of the game’s accessibility and alternate-play features.

Quick Reference