Pokémon Red and Green beta
It has been suggested that this article be moved to Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue beta. Please discuss whether or not to move it on its talk page. |
As with most gaming software, Pokémon Red and Green, in their final release, contain several "dummied out" features that were programmed into the games but for one reason or another had their activating events taken from the final versions.
In addition, the English translations of these games, Pokémon Red and Blue, had several of their own altered aspects during the two years between the release of the Japanese Blue and the English translations.
Concept art
The early concept art by Ken Sugimori |
In a gaming exhibition called Game On, early concept art of Red and Green by Ken Sugimori was featured, along with beta material from Ruby and Sapphire. The concept art depicts rough versions of various concepts that made it into the final game. They seem to include various battles, the Safari Zone, Red riding on a Lapras, a Blastoise, Celadon City, Silph Co., and a town with a fountain which could have been reworked into Celadon City. Some other Pokémon are identifiable in a raw or semi-normal form, such as Gastly and others are prototypical of an entire class of Pokémon, such as a basic Dragon type.
Game Center CX: Pokémon special
A Japan-exclusive special Pokémon episode of Game Center CX, (or Retro Game Master as it is known outside of Japan) included an interview with Satoshi Tajiri, where he revealed early Pokémon character profiles of Nidoking, Slowbro and Kadabra. Notably, they are given a number which matches their internal index number, rather than their final Pokédex number. Nidoking, for instance is noted as being No. 007, rather than No. 034, either suggesting that there was an earlier method of ordering the Pokémon proposed, or that they reflect the order that they were programmed into the game. The latter is supported by interviews with Ken Sugimori, which verify that Rhydon (index no. 001) was the first Pokémon ever created, and early sketches from Capsule Monsters featuring Rhydon. Nidoking is also referred to as マイコー♂ (Maikō♂) indicating that there were prototype names for Pokémon before the development of Pokémon Red and Green had finished. The following video contains an excerpt from the aforementioned interview.
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This video is not available on Bulbapedia; instead, you can watch the video on YouTube here. |
Gameplay features
Battling against Professor Oak
This glitch is in need of research. Reason: Needs research about the Blues Eeveelution having any affect on this battle You can discuss this on the talk page. |
At the beginning of the game, Professor Oak introduces the player to the world of Pokémon using a sprite that is similar to the battle sprites of other characters. However, he also has a full team of Pokémon programmed into the game, consisting of a Tauros, Exeggutor, Arcanine, Gyarados, and the final form of the starter Pokémon that was not taken by the player or Blue.
His Pokémon are of an even higher level than those of Blue as Champion, perhaps implying that he was at one point intended to be faced after the defeat of the Elite Four.
This battle is present in all of the Generation I games and can be activated through the Mew glitch with a Special stat of 226.
Bird type
The Bird type may have been a prototype version of the Flying type. This can be seen in the final releases of the games: Missingno. is recognized as a dual-typed Bird/Normal Pokémon. The Bird type is present in the programming of the Generation II games, possibly due to their engine being based on that of the Generation I games.
Directions
It is possible to force a situation where the player has a choice of selecting options NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, and WEST as opposed to the options which appear in the final game such as YES/NO and HEAL/CANCEL. The words WEST and SOUTH in block capitals do not even appear in the final releases.[1]
Female player character
Artwork featuring an assumed female player character, with a Squirtle |
There were originally plans for a female character to be playable in Red and Green, as older sketches suggest. Green from Pokémon Adventures seems to be based on her. The character was redesigned and included in the remakes of the games, to continue the standard of including a female protagonist option.
No Mew present
According to the interview by Satoru Iwata with Tsunekaz Ishihara and Shigeki Morimoto about the release of HeartGold and SoulSilver, localized as Iwata Asks, they admitted that after the debug features were removed, they added Mew in the empty space. Nintendo thought that this would have been risky because altering the games' code after completing testing, meant that any new bugs and glitches created by adding data with no debugging features would have been much harder to be fixed. Standard programming practices usually discourage altering the code and not testing it, just before releasing the game to the customer.[2]
Unused Trainer class
A Trainer class known as Chief (Japanese: シルフのチーフ Sylph's Chief) was omitted from the final releases, though like Oak, a battle with an NPC with this data can be accessed through cheating. It is mentioned in-game by one of the Team Rocket Grunts in Celadon City, and shares its battle sprite with the Scientist Trainer class.
Leftover track
An unused track has been recently discovered in the coding of the games. The music is originally high-pitched and incomplete, since only the individual audio channels are left. There have also been attempts at recreating what the complete theme would sound like.
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This video is not available on Bulbapedia; instead, you can watch the video on YouTube here. |
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This video is not available on Bulbapedia; instead, you can watch the video on YouTube here. |
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This video is not available on Bulbapedia; instead, you can watch the video on YouTube here. |
Locations
Alternative map locations
There are three map locations which are each identical to another map used in the final game, except for the fact that the default music used in the alternative location is different.[3]
These locations are:
- The house invaded by Team Rocket in Cerulean City: has index number 69 instead of 62 and plays the Mt. Moon theme;
- The Underground Path's entrance in Route 6: has index number 75 instead of 74 and plays the Vermilion City theme;
- The Poké Mart at Cinnabar Island: has index number 173 instead of 172 and plays the Cinnabar Island theme.
Extra location accessible via Fly
Formatted data exists for an additional map location.[4] It is located straight after the final town in memory (Saffron City) but just before Route 1. Its associated data is completely blank, even its header data and coordinates on the Town Map (where the game defaults the location as part of "Pallet Town" with coordinates 0,0), except for the fact that an unused flag when checked allows the player to Fly to it. Attempting to travel to this location simply freezes the game.
Unused shop data
A part of the games' code relates to a shop and may be associated with the formatted map location as mentioned above. The "shop" lists Great Balls, Super Potions, Hyper Potions, Full Heals and Revives.
Items
- Main article: List of dummied out items
Badges
Unused items with the names of all the Badges exist in the games' programming. This could mean that the Badges were originally going to be items that were carried in the player's bag. The BoulderBadge and CascadeBadge are the only ones that do something when used in battle - they allow the player to throw Bait and Rocks, respectively, as in the Safari Zone battles. When used outside of battle, they have another strange effect - after the throwing animation, the music changes to a loop of Professor Oak's "good Pokédex" jingle.
?????
There is an item in the game named ?????, which enables the player to Surf without using a Pokémon. Due to this ability, it is often referred to as Surfboard. In the final releases, the move Surf can be used by a Pokémon as a field move serving the same function. This has led a few players to speculate that either the move Surf was not originally implemented as a field move or that the move did not initially exist as an HM.
Poké Balls
Some concept art depicts Poké Balls on the ground, in two pieces. This is most likely just a carryover from when Pokémon was in its initial concept of Capsule Monsters. Strangely, the original Poké Ball sprites from Red and Green don't show the button in the center of the Poké Ball.
Pokédex
This item allows use of the Pokédex inside battle, much like Ash does in the anime. However, due to its incomplete nature, it causes various graphical glitches upon usage.
Localization
Prototype names
Unknown poster showing early names for Generation I Pokémon |
During the promotional period that preceded the English release of both the anime and games, a large amount of Pokémon were shown with different names than they had in the games at release. Some of these names were similar to their current names, but some were quite close to their Japanese names, and others were completely different from any current Pokémon name. Interestingly, the names appear to have been initially limited to 7 characters as opposed to 10 as in the final releases, something that has set a standard that remains today in Generation V.
# | Final name | Beta name | Japanese name | |
---|---|---|---|---|
014 | Kakuna | Kokoon | Cocoon | |
016 | Pidgey | Pidge | Poppo | |
018 | Pidgeot | Pidgeott | Pigeot | |
019 | Rattata | Rattatak | Koratta | |
023 | Ekans | Arbo/"Nagahis" | Arbo | |
024 | Arbok | Nagaasp | Arbok | |
028 | Sandslash | Sandstorm | Sandpan | |
035 | Clefairy | Aria | Pippi | |
036 | Clefable | Ariala | Pixy | |
037 | Vulpix | Foxfire | Rokon | |
039 | Jigglypuff | Pudding | Purin | |
040 | Wigglytuff | Custard | Pukurin | |
043 | Oddish | Ladish | Nazonokusa | |
046 | Paras | Parasyte | Paras | |
050 | Diglett | Digda | Digda | |
058 | Growlithe | Flamie | Gardie | |
059 | Arcanine | Blaze | Windie | |
060 | Poliwag | Aqua | Nyoromo | |
061 | Poliwhirl | "Aquanau" | Nyorozo | |
062 | Poliwrath | "Aquamar" | Nyorobon | |
063 | Abra | Hocus | Casey | |
064 | Kadabra | Pocus | Yungerer | |
066 | Machop | Kara-tee | Wanriky | |
067 | Machoke | Kung-foo | Goriky | |
068 | Machamp | Ju-doh | Kairiky | |
072 | Tentacool | Jilly | Menokurage | |
073 | Tentacruel | Man O War | Dokukurage | |
078 | Rapidash | Gallop | Gallop | |
079 | Slowpoke | Slowmo | Yadon | |
081 | Magnemite | Coil | Coil | |
082 | Magneton | Recoil | Rarecoil | |
083 | Farfetch'd | Fowler | Kamonegi | |
084 | Doduo | Dodo | Dodo | |
087 | Dewgong | Manaty | Jugon | |
092 | Gastly | Spirit | Ghos | |
093 | Haunter | Spectre | Ghost | |
094 | Gengar | Phantom | Gangar | |
096 | Drowzee | Sleeper | Sleep | |
099 | Kingler | Kingle | Kingler | |
102 | Exeggcute | "Eggstre" | Tamatama | |
103 | Exeggutor | "Eggscut" | Nassy | |
104 | Cubone | Orphon | Karakara | |
105 | Marowak | Guardia | Garagara | |
106 | Hitmonlee | Lee | Sawamular | |
107 | Hitmonchan | Chan | Ebiwalar | |
108 | Lickitung | Tonguetyd | Beroringa | |
109 | Koffing | Ny | Dogars | |
110 | Weezing | La | Matadogas | |
113 | Chansey | Lucky | Lucky | |
114 | Tangela | Meduza/Medusa | Monjara | |
118 | Goldeen | Goldy | Tosakinto | |
119 | Seaking | Neptune | Azumao | |
123 | Scyther | Stryke | Strike | |
130 | Gyarados | Skulkraken | Gyarados | |
131 | Lapras | Ness | Laplace | |
132 | Ditto | Morpho | Metamon | |
133 | Eevee | Eon | Eievui | |
137 | Porygon | Poregon | Porygon | |
138 | Omanyte | Ess | Omnite | |
139 | Omastar | Kargo | Omstar | |
140 | Kabuto | Att | Kabuto | |
141 | Kabutops | Lantis | Kabutops | |
142 | Aerodactyl | Ptera | Ptera | |
147 | Dratini | Dragoon | Miniryu | |
148 | Dragonair | Dragyn | Hakuryu |
Grammar
"The <Trainer's class/name> wants to fight!"
"The BROCK wants to fight!" battle message |
Before the American and European releases of Red and Blue, screenshots were released of a rival battle with the text "The BLUE wants to fight!". While this text would work with a typical Trainer, such as "The LASS" or "The HIKER", as they were not given personal names until Generation II, it would cause problems with Gym Leader, Elite Four, rival, and link battles, leaving them to end up as "The MISTY" or "The LANCE", as these Trainers did not at the time have titles, only their names. Because of this, the definite article The was dropped in the final releases, leading to the somewhat odd sentence style used until Generation III of "<Trainer's class/name> wants to..."
A screenshot in the instruction manual of Red and Blue still contains the text "The BROCK wants to fight!", possibly suggesting a late removal. The instruction manual also mentions Pokémon Leaders instead of Gym Leaders.
"<Player> sent <Pokémon> out!"
A slightly different grammar was going to be used for the message displayed when the player sends out his/her Pokémon in battle. Whereas in the final releases, the message appears as "<Player> sent out <Pokémon>!", the development builds used "<Player> sent <Pokémon> out!" instead.
"A wild <Pokémon> appeared!"
During the localization process, the message that appears when encountering a wild Pokémon read "A wild <Pokémon> appeared!" instead. This is similar to the situation with Trainer battles since the indefinite article A was dropped in the final releases, leading to the awkward sentence style of "Wild <Pokémon> appeared!" used until Generation IV, which brought back the initial style to the English versions of the games.
"The enemy <Pokémon> fainted!"
Akin to other sentence styles used in the pre-release builds of the English versions, the message shown when either a wild Pokémon or another Trainer's Pokémon fainted appeared as "The enemy <Pokémon> fainted!" instead. Like with the initial message of Trainer battles, the definite article The was dropped in the final releases. This style would later be reintroduced and improved in Generation IV, where the message appears as "The wild <Pokémon> fainted!" in the case of wild encounters and as "The foe's <Pokémon> fainted!" during Trainer battles.
"<Pokémon> CUT down a bush!"
"ODDISH CUT down a bush!" field message |
On page 31 of Red and Blue's Nintendo Player's Guide, a different dialogue string that reads "ODDISH CUT down a bush!" is used in a screenshot when cutting down the bush next to Vermilion City Gym. The fact that Cut can also be used to destroy areas of tall grass may have been the reason why the text was converted to "<Pokémon> hacked away with CUT!" in the final game.
References
This game-related article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games. |