Berry glitch: Difference between revisions

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{{outdated}}
The '''Berry glitch''' (Japanese: '''{{tt|きのみ問題|きのみもんだい}}''' ''Berry problem'') is a [[glitch]] only found in early versions of {{game|Ruby and Sapphire|s}} which affects the game's internal calendar. The name of the glitch comes from the fact that the first thing a player will usually notice is that all [[Berry|Berries]] that have been planted have ceased growing. The glitch occurs 366 days after the game is first started, or 366 days after the internal battery is replaced, and causes all calendar-based events to be delayed by 366 days. After the glitch was officially acknowledged by [[Nintendo]] and [[The Pokémon Company]], they provided several methods to mitigate the effects of the glitch, and incorporated a permanent fix into later production runs of the game.
{{split|Dead battery quirks (Generation III)}}
The '''Berry glitch''' is a [[glitch]] only found in {{game|Ruby and Sapphire|s}} which stops the game's internal clock. The name of the glitch comes from the fact that the first thing a player will usually notice is that all [[Berry|Berries]] that have been planted but have not been harvested have ceased growing. The glitch typically occurs after about a year of owning the game, or to games that have been played for over 100 hours, but the exact mechanics of its cause are currently unknown.


==Other affected areas==
==Explanation==
As the game's internal clock has been frozen, any time-based events in the game in addition to Berries are also affected by the glitch:
The game cartridge contains a real-time clock (RTC) which keeps track of the year, month, day, hour, minute, second, and day of the week. When the RTC is first turned on, its date is set to January 1, 2000. Because the game has no need for an actual calendar system, it converts the RTC's year, month, and day data into a single "day number". The conversion function has a flaw, however: it will only count years (adding 365 or 366 days for each year or leap year) starting from 2001. So, while the RTC clock is reporting the year as 2000 or 2001, in both cases, the conversion equates this to "add 0 days to the day number". This means that, for the first 366 days the RTC runs (starting from January 1, 2000), the game's day number will count from 1 to 366 normally, but when the RTC clock reports January 1, 2001, the game's day number will start from 1 again.
* [[Lilycove Dept. Store]] will never have any sales.
* Lilycove Dept. Store will stop allowing the player to [[Pokémon Lottery Corner|draw a Lotto Ticket]] once per day.
* The [[Mauville Game Corner]] will never have any service days.
* The [[Energy Guru]] will never sell vitamins cheap.
* The tide in [[Shoal Cave]] will not change every six hours, also preventing players from obtaining any more [[Shell Bell]]s.
* The man who gives out {{TM|27|Return}} and {{TM|21|Frustration}} in [[Pacifidlog Town]] will stop giving out [[TM]]s.
* NPCs that hand out free Berries once per day will stop handing them out.
* [[Mirage Island]]'s random number will never change.
* {{p|Eevee}} will only be able to evolve into one of {{p|Espeon}} or {{p|Umbreon}} and not the other.
* {{rt|119|Hoenn}} and {{rt|123|Hoenn}} will be stuck with the same weather condition.


==Similar effects with dead battery==
If, for example, a [[Sitrus Berry]] was planted on December 31, 2000 according to the RTC, which the game interprets as day 366, it will be scheduled to be fully grown on day 367. Due to the glitch, "day 367" will not happen until the RTC reaches January 2, 2002. The result is that the growth of the Berry appears to be frozen for 366 days. Other effects of this glitch include:
When the game cartridge's {{wp|List_of_battery_sizes#Lithium_cells|CR1616 internal battery}} runs dry, the in-game clock will also stop, resulting in very similar symptoms to the above. However, cartridges that have a dead battery will display a message after the title screen warning of the dry battery and the fact that clock-based events will no longer occur. In contrast, games being affected by the Berry glitch will not display this message.
Cartridges that report a dead battery may or may not be also afflicted with the berry glitch; in this case, methods to fix one problem will not fix the other problem, which can make it look as if the fix has not worked. It can also cause the illusion that an Emerald cartridge is affected by the glitch. In order to fix a dead-battery issue, the battery must be physically replaced.  


==Similar effects after replacing a dead battery==
* Random events which are calculated once per day, including [[Energy Guru]] and [[Lilycove Dept. Store]] sales, service days at the [[Mauville Game Corner]], the random number for [[Mirage Island]], and weather conditions on {{rt|119|Hoenn}} and {{rt|123|Hoenn}}, will be frozen until 366 days after the game was last played before the glitch took effect.
{{Incomplete|section|Unclear/confusing, could use rewording}}
* Drawings at the [[Pokémon Lottery Corner]], NPCs who offer free Berries daily, and the man in [[Pacifidlog Town]] who gives {{TM|27|Return}} or {{TM|21|Frustration}} weekly, will be frozen until 366 days after these events were last used.
Cartridges that had their battery replaced may experience similar problems. This is because the timestamps that correspond to when clock-based events occur (which are counted in real time even when the game is turned off, thanks to the battery) depend on the battery constantly keeping it running. As soon as the battery runs dry, the counter cannot continue and automatically resets to its initial, lowest value. Unfortunately, even after the battery is replaced and the counter works again, it will start counting from this initial value rather than where it left off. This means that it would take years with a new battery for the timestamp to catch up to the previous value and for berries to grow again, and other "countdown"-based events to trigger. This may cause the illusion that a cartridge is affected by the glitch when it is not. It is simply waiting for the counter to reach a value much higher than it is.
* The number of successful rocket launches at the [[Mossdeep Space Center]] will be reset to 1.


Fortunately, a replaced battery experiencing this effect will still permit AM/PM effects, meaning [[Espeon]] and [[Umbreon]] will both once more become viable evolutions. The clock in the player's room will also function correctly.
The glitch does not affect the evolution of {{p|Eevee}} into {{p|Espeon}} or {{p|Umbreon}}, or the tides in [[Shoal Cave]], because these events are based only on the current time, not the day number.


[[Shoal Cave]] is a special case as it includes both dependencies: the tide will change (dependent on "real time") but Shoal Salts and Shoal Shells will not be refilled (dependent on a "countdown" relative to the previously saved timestamp).
==Similar effects with a dead or replaced battery==
===Dead battery===
When the game cartridge's {{wp|List_of_battery_sizes#Lithium_cells|CR1616 internal battery}} runs dry, the in-game clock will also stop, resulting in very similar symptoms to the above. However, cartridges that have a dead battery will display a message after the title screen warning of the dry battery and the fact that clock-based events will no longer occur. In contrast, games being affected by the Berry glitch will not display this message.


These issues can be fixed by creating a new save file (and therefore resetting the "last-saved"-field), so all countdowns will be relative to a new timestamp. Using additional hardware, it may be possible to set the RTC value to what it was before the battery died, or edit the "last-saved" field in a savegame.
The only way to fix this issue is to replace the battery. It is also possible for a game with a dead battery to be affected by the Berry glitch, however, meaning replacing the battery will not fix time-based events. To further complicate matters, replacing the battery may also cause issues of its own, as explained below.
 
===Replaced battery===
Cartridges that have had their battery replaced may also experience similar problems. When the supply of power from the battery is interrupted, the RTC is reset to January 1, 2000. As with the Berry glitch, this reset causes all scheduled calendar-based events to be frozen until the RTC reaches the expected value, which may take many years. This can be solved by starting a new game, or (with additional hardware) by altering the timestamp stored in the save file so it is lower than the RTC value, or by setting the RTC forward so it is greater than the save file timestamp.<ref>[http://furlocks-forest.net/wiki/?page=Pokemon_Ruby/Sapphire_New_Battery_Glitch Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire New Battery Glitch at Furlock's Forest]</ref>


==Fixing the glitch==
==Fixing the glitch==
The glitch can be fixed with the Berry Program Update from {{game2|FireRed|LeafGreen|Emerald}}, a patch from {{g|Colosseum}}, {{Pokémon XD}}, {{g|Channel}}, {{g|Box Ruby & Sapphire}}, the [[e-Reader]], or a specific interactive demo disc, as well as by sending the affected game to [[Nintendo]].
The glitch can be fixed with the Berry Program Update from {{game2|FireRed|LeafGreen|Emerald}}, a patch from {{g|Colosseum}}, {{Pokémon XD}}, {{g|Channel}}, {{g|Box Ruby & Sapphire}}, the [[e-Reader]], or a specific interactive demo disc, as well as by sending the affected game to [[Nintendo]].
If the Berry glitch has not yet begun, these programs will set the RTC forward by 366 days, which prevents the effects of the glitch. If the game is already affected by the Berry glitch, these programs will set the RTC forward to January 2, 2002, the date at which all effects of the glitch end. If the cartridge battery is replaced and a new game is started, the fix will need to be applied again.


===Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen/Emerald patch===
===Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen/Emerald patch===
{{Main|Berry Program Update}}
[[File:Berry Program Update FRLG.png|thumb|right|The main screen in FireRed and LeafGreen.]] [[File:Berry Program Update E.png|thumb|right|The main screen in Emerald.]]
# Load FireRed, LeafGreen, or Emerald until the title screen is displayed.
# Load FireRed, LeafGreen, or Emerald until the title screen is displayed.
# Press the Select and B buttons. After the new screen loads, press A.
# Press the Select and B buttons. After the new screen loads, press A.
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===e-Reader patch===
===e-Reader patch===
For Japanese versions, a special set of [[e-Reader]] cards (ID# 16-A001 & 16-A002) were distributed with Pokémon Scoop's Winter 2004 issue to allow players to fix this glitch by using e-Readers.
[[File:Berry Problem Repair Program.jpg|thumb|Japanese [[e-Reader]]+ cards containing the Berry Program Update, with explanation of the glitch from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.]]
For Japanese versions, a special set of [[e-Reader]]+ cards (ID# 16-A001 & 16-A002) were distributed with Pokémon Scoop's Winter 2004 issue containing the Berry Program Update (Japanese: '''きのみ問題修理プログラム''' ''Berry Problem Repair Program'').


===Interactive demo patch===
===Interactive demo patch===
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* [http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/berryfaq.jsp Nintendo.com]
* [http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/berryfaq.jsp Nintendo.com]
* [http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/axvp/kinomi/index.html Nintendo.co.jp]
* [http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/axvp/kinomi/index.html Nintendo.co.jp]
==References==
<references />


{{Glitches}}<br>
{{Glitches}}<br>

Revision as of 08:34, 22 November 2015

The Berry glitch (Japanese: きのみ問題 Berry problem) is a glitch only found in early versions of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire which affects the game's internal calendar. The name of the glitch comes from the fact that the first thing a player will usually notice is that all Berries that have been planted have ceased growing. The glitch occurs 366 days after the game is first started, or 366 days after the internal battery is replaced, and causes all calendar-based events to be delayed by 366 days. After the glitch was officially acknowledged by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, they provided several methods to mitigate the effects of the glitch, and incorporated a permanent fix into later production runs of the game.

Explanation

The game cartridge contains a real-time clock (RTC) which keeps track of the year, month, day, hour, minute, second, and day of the week. When the RTC is first turned on, its date is set to January 1, 2000. Because the game has no need for an actual calendar system, it converts the RTC's year, month, and day data into a single "day number". The conversion function has a flaw, however: it will only count years (adding 365 or 366 days for each year or leap year) starting from 2001. So, while the RTC clock is reporting the year as 2000 or 2001, in both cases, the conversion equates this to "add 0 days to the day number". This means that, for the first 366 days the RTC runs (starting from January 1, 2000), the game's day number will count from 1 to 366 normally, but when the RTC clock reports January 1, 2001, the game's day number will start from 1 again.

If, for example, a Sitrus Berry was planted on December 31, 2000 according to the RTC, which the game interprets as day 366, it will be scheduled to be fully grown on day 367. Due to the glitch, "day 367" will not happen until the RTC reaches January 2, 2002. The result is that the growth of the Berry appears to be frozen for 366 days. Other effects of this glitch include:

The glitch does not affect the evolution of Eevee into Espeon or Umbreon, or the tides in Shoal Cave, because these events are based only on the current time, not the day number.

Similar effects with a dead or replaced battery

Dead battery

When the game cartridge's CR1616 internal battery runs dry, the in-game clock will also stop, resulting in very similar symptoms to the above. However, cartridges that have a dead battery will display a message after the title screen warning of the dry battery and the fact that clock-based events will no longer occur. In contrast, games being affected by the Berry glitch will not display this message.

The only way to fix this issue is to replace the battery. It is also possible for a game with a dead battery to be affected by the Berry glitch, however, meaning replacing the battery will not fix time-based events. To further complicate matters, replacing the battery may also cause issues of its own, as explained below.

Replaced battery

Cartridges that have had their battery replaced may also experience similar problems. When the supply of power from the battery is interrupted, the RTC is reset to January 1, 2000. As with the Berry glitch, this reset causes all scheduled calendar-based events to be frozen until the RTC reaches the expected value, which may take many years. This can be solved by starting a new game, or (with additional hardware) by altering the timestamp stored in the save file so it is lower than the RTC value, or by setting the RTC forward so it is greater than the save file timestamp.[1]

Fixing the glitch

The glitch can be fixed with the Berry Program Update from Pokémon FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald, a patch from Pokémon Colosseum, Pokémon XD, Pokémon Channel, Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire, the e-Reader, or a specific interactive demo disc, as well as by sending the affected game to Nintendo.

If the Berry glitch has not yet begun, these programs will set the RTC forward by 366 days, which prevents the effects of the glitch. If the game is already affected by the Berry glitch, these programs will set the RTC forward to January 2, 2002, the date at which all effects of the glitch end. If the cartridge battery is replaced and a new game is started, the fix will need to be applied again.

Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen/Emerald patch

The main screen in FireRed and LeafGreen.
The main screen in Emerald.
  1. Load FireRed, LeafGreen, or Emerald until the title screen is displayed.
  2. Press the Select and B buttons. After the new screen loads, press A.
  3. Insert the Link Cable so that the system that the FireRed, LeafGreen or Emerald game is connected to the Player 1 cable port and the Ruby or Sapphire game is connected to the Player 2 port. Once this is done, press A.
  4. Turn on the device with Ruby or Sapphire while holding the Start and Select buttons.
  5. Refer to the FireRed, LeafGreen or Emerald game display for further instructions. The patch should be transferred at this time.

Pokémon Colosseum and XD patch

Linking an affected game to Colosseum or Pokémon XD for trading or battling will automatically download the patch. In addition, the Bonus Disc that came with pre-orders of Colosseum can be used to download Jirachi into a game; when this happens, the patch is downloaded as well.

Pokémon Channel patch

Downloading Jirachi from a PAL version of Pokémon Channel will automatically download the patch.

Pokémon Box patch

Linking an affected game to Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire, accessing the Go To Adventure mode, and then saving the game whilst playing will also automatically fix this glitch, with the message "The Berry Program was updated" appearing with the save confirmation. (This option is not available for Japanese versions.)

e-Reader patch

Japanese e-Reader+ cards containing the Berry Program Update, with explanation of the glitch from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.

For Japanese versions, a special set of e-Reader+ cards (ID# 16-A001 & 16-A002) were distributed with Pokémon Scoop's Winter 2004 issue containing the Berry Program Update (Japanese: きのみ問題修理プログラム Berry Problem Repair Program).

Interactive demo patch

Specially-marked demo discs were released to select stores across U.S. and Japan, so players can visit these stores and download the patch from the disc. In addition, players will also receive a Shiny Zigzagoon holding a Liechi Berry as a bonus. However, since the demo disc program does not block fixed games, players can receive multiple Zigzagoon by downloading to the same cartridge again.

Sending cartridge to Nintendo

If the player had no opportunity to download the patch, the game could be sent to Nintendo to have it fixed. However, as of August 2012, Nintendo stopped offering to patch the Berry glitch.

External links

References


Multiple
generations
Transform glitchesGlitch TrainersCloning glitchesError messagesArbitrary code execution
Generation I GlitchesBattle glitchesOverworld glitches
--0 ERRORBroken hidden itemsCable Club escape glitchDual-type damage misinformation
Experience underflow glitchFight Safari Zone Pokémon trickGlitch CityItem duplication glitchItem underflow
Mew glitchOld man glitchPewter Gym skip glitchPokémon merge glitchRhydon glitchRival twins glitch
Select glitches (dokokashira door glitch, second type glitch) • Super Glitch
Time Capsule exploitWalking through wallsZZAZZ glitch
Generation II GlitchesBattle glitches
Bug-Catching Contest glitchCelebi Egg glitchCoin Case glitchesExperience underflow glitch
Glitch dimensionGlitch EggTeru-samaTime Capsule exploitTrainer House glitchesGS Ball mail glitch
Generation III GlitchesBattle glitches
Berry glitchDive glitchPomeg glitchGlitzer Popping
Generation IV GlitchesBattle glitchesOverworld glitches
Acid rainGTS glitchesPomeg glitchRage glitch
Surf glitchTweakingPal Park Retire glitch
Generation V GlitchesBattle glitchesOverworld glitches
Charge Beam additional effect chance glitchCharge move replacement glitchChoice item lock glitch
Frozen Zoroark glitchSky Drop glitch
Generation VI GlitchesBattle glitchesOverworld glitches
Charge Beam additional effect chance glitchCharge move replacement glitchChoice item lock glitch
Lumiose City save glitchSymbiosis Eject Button glitchToxic sure-hit glitch
Generation VII GlitchesBattle glitches
Charge Beam additional effect chance glitchCharge move replacement glitchChoice item lock glitch
Toxic sure-hit glitchRollout storage glitch
Generation VIII Glitches
Charge Beam additional effect chance glitchCharge move replacement glitchChoice item lock glitch
Toxic sure-hit glitchRollout storage glitchParty item offset glitch
Generation IX Glitches
Glitch effects Game freezeGlitch battleGlitch song
Gen I only: Glitch screenTMTRAINER effectInverted sprites
Gen II only: Glitch dimension
Lists Glitches (GOMystery DungeonTCG GBSpin-off)
Glitch Pokémon (Gen IGen IIGen IIIGen IVGen VGen VIGen VIIGen VIII)
Glitch moves (Gen I) • Glitch types (Gen IGen II)


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