Stage select:
Play a game, lose, and do not continue. Go to the main menu, select the resume option, and press Left, X, Down, Up, Right, Left, Up, X. Highlight the "Players Name" option and use LS or RS to select the stage. Note: All Samurai Shodown save games must be deleted to turn off the stage select option. Three lines of text will appear at the bottom of the screen:

"Level Select Enabled" confirms that the Stage Select code was entered properly.
"Debug Pattern Codes Enabled" explains the numbers that are displayed at the top of the screen.
"Zap and Excerciser Enabled" allows special game functions. Zap allows you to drain all of an opponent's power by holding LS + RS. It will not kill your opponent. Instead, your character must deliver the fatal blow with any attack (even if it is blocked).

Same color opponent:
Start the one-player game, then join in with player two and pick the player the computer was using. Kill player one. Do not continue and your character will start with the one-player game again. Join in with controller one, and again pick the same character the computer was using. Kill player two. When the next one player game starts, your character will be the same character and color as the computer.