Debug mode

Shot of debug mode in action in Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Debug mode is a development tool which typically allows you to break the rules of the game in any number of ways and to give technical information that is of benefit to the programmers working on the games. For example, in Sonic the Hedgehog games, using debug mode gives the following effects:

• X/Y coordinates for the character and the screen are displayed in the HUD.
• A counter showing the number of sprites currently on-screen is displayed.
• Pressing turns the character into another sprite which can be placed directly on the level, such as a ring or enemy. and are used to cycle through items and place them respectively.
• When the game is paused, resets to the title screen, runs the game in slow motion and advances the game by one frame.

Other games have a debug menu, rather than in-game functions. Aladdin and Vectorman, for instance, both have debug menus.