Pokémon Colosseum

Pokémon Colosseum
Developer: Genius Sonority Publishers: The Pokémon Company (JP), Nintendo (INT) Platform: GameCube Released in JP: November 21, 2003 Released in US: March 22, 2004 Released in EU: May 14, 2004 Released in AU: June 24, 2004 This game has unused enemies. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused items. This game has unused music. This game has unused text. This game has debugging material. This game has regional differences. This game has a prerelease article

Pokémon Colosseum is a weird combination of Dragon Quest and Pokémon. GOTTA SAVE 'EM ALL, MAN!

To do: Fix this article. Also, there's supposedly a ton of unused text, unused animations [1], unused early Wes model possibly (?) talked about in a Japanese interview, plus Japan-only e-Reader content, and much more.

Sub-Pages

Prerelease Info

Unused Text

Bonus Discs

Debug Mode

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page. Specifically: This might be different in the European version. There also is a debug_menu.fsys file in the ISO, investigate this.

There is a small debug function that can be activated with the following Action Replay codes:

USA	Europe
0W0T-3G3X-BEGU4 761R-MU87-Y5HP6 VV06-B5P3-PQQJK 43X6-ZGAX-7CNFZ NBDE-ZNJ7-MDHZ1	ZVG4-2Q1X-1TXE3 CXJH-RJR6-M51AT ZKFE-CMMY-9GKHG 9393-TB37-2N5AG XTAM-9FPW-JC1VC

]]

With the code activated, pressing D-Pad Up will show or hide a bar that has Japanese instructions on how to use the debug function. Pressing the L button will cycle between pause (instant stop), slow (low frame rate), and play (regular speed). Pressing R will pause the game, like when pressing L sometimes, but is more accessible and doesn't need to be cycled to.

(Source: Ralf@gc-forever)

Unused Graphics

face412 is a desaturated placeholder version of Bulbasaur's icon with no shiny. It's moved to the left by 1 pixel.

Pokémon Textures

All Pokémon models from the first and second generation are lifted directly from the Pokémon Stadium games. Interestingly, some include extra expressions that aren't present in the Nintendo 64 games, nor are used here either.

Meowth

A small "ooh" mouth.

Abra

Its eyes open.

Hypno

Its eye widened.

Kingler

An eye without a pupil.

Electrode

A narrow, smiling mouth.

Horsea

Its eye looking upward.

Goldeen

Its eye recoiling from an attack.

Gyarados

Its eye recoiling from an attack, included with its shiny variant as well.

Zapdos

Its eye recoiling from an attack.

Granbull

Its eye recoiling from an attack.

Magby

A starry eye.

Unused Text

Extra Shadow Pokémon

To do: Add the rest of the story text referencing unused Shadow Pokémon.

A list of Shadow Pokémon included in leftover debug text strings includes some that cannot be obtained in the final game: Spoink, Psyduck, Baltoy, Mightyena, Castform, Porygon2, Breloom, Lunatone, Solrock, Roselia, Chimecho, Minun, Electrode, Snorunt, Teddiursa, Corphish, Spheal, Sandslash, Magcargo, Kecleon, Whiscash, Xatu, Wobbuffet, and Wailmer.

Interestingly, one of the game's early Japanese commercials showed the main character with a Castform on his team, which could be related to when it was originally slated as a Shadow Pokemon. Additionally, Baltoy, Lunatone, Solrock, Roselia, Snorunt, Teddiursa, Spheal, and Magcargo were later introduced as Shadow Pokémon in the sequel, while Mightyena, Breloom, Electrode and Xatu can be obtained by evolving Shadow Pokémon in that game. Sandslash is also obtainable as Sandshrew can be captured in Poké Spots. While Psyduck isn’t a Shadow Pokémon, it’s evolution Golduck is.

Some of these Pokémon are also referenced by unused story text:

• I obtained the hard-to-find SHADOW KECLEON! It's a trivial thing. Only the person who knows the password of this mail's title will battle. They're waiting just before Pyrite Colosseum!
• I obtained the hard-to-find SHADOW KECLEON! It's a trivial thing. Only the person who knows the password of this mail's title will battle. They're waiting at the entrance to the Shadow Pokemon Research Lab!
• I obtained the hard-to-find SHADOW KECLEON! It's a trivial thing. Only the person who knows the password of this mail's title will battle. They're waiting at the entrance to Team Snag'em's hideout！
• Hi, it's NETT. I analyzed the SHADOW POKéMON LIST again and discovered six more. The additions are SKIPLOOM, QUAGSIRE, SUNFLORA, FURRET, MAGCARGO, AND MINUN.. I'll send another update if I can find any more.
• Hi, it's NETT. I analyzed the SHADOW POKéMON LIST again and discovered six more. The additions are ARIADOS, LEDIAN, SHUCKLE, MISDREAVUS, SPOINK, and ABSOL. I'll send another update if I can find any more.
• Hi, it's NETT. I analyzed the SHADOW POKéMON LIST again and discovered six more. The additions are HITMONTOP, REMORAID, MANTINE, MEDITITE, BALTOY, and KECLEON. I'll send another update if I can find any more.
• Hi, it's NETT. I analyzed the SHADOW POKéMON LIST again and discovered six more. The additions are SWABLU, CASTFORM, SMEARGLE, GLIGAR, STANTLER, and MURKROW. I'll send another update if I can find any more.
• Hi, it's NETT. I analyzed the SHADOW POKéMON LIST again and discovered six more. The additions are PILOSWINE, FORRETRESS, GLIGAR, SNEASEL, PSYDUCK, and TEDDIURSA. I'll send another update if I can find any more.
• Hi, it's NETT. I analyzed the SHADOW POKéMON LIST again and discovered six more. The additions are HERACROSS, PORYGON2, WHISCASH, XATU, WOBBUFFET, and WAILMER. I'll send another update if I can find any more.

(Source: PokeFor.GreenChu.de, StarsMmd, original TCRF research)

Cut Line

A dialogue string, meant to be said by the girl ("Eh!? Chimecho isn't a Grass Pokémon... It's a Psychic Pokémon."), might be related to the Shadow Grass Pokémon King.

(Source: PokeFor.GreenChu.de)

Cut Trainers

Please elaborate. Having more detail is always a good thing.

• "HUNTER RETAY": Unused "Hunter" class trainer.
• "MALPES THE RIDDLE-LOVER"
• "SHADOW GRASS POKéMON KING"
• "Six Shadow Aipom Siblings": Would likely be an encounter with a team of... well... six shadow Aipoms, or six siblings that train shadow Aipoms. Another possibility is that they could have worn Aipom-themed outfits...

(Source: PokeFor.GreenChu.de)

Unused Entities

Shiny Celebi

(Click to animate)

For the sake of consistency, every Pokémon in every Pokémon game is given a Shiny variant, and Celebi is no exception. However, because the only way to obtain it legitimately was through distributions, the Shiny version of Celebi was left unobtainable through normal means.

Berry Juice

The only source of Berry Juice in any of the Generation III games would've been as a held item on wild Shuckle in FireRed and LeafGreen, but the event needed to make Shuckle appear in the wild was never released, so the item is effectively unused.

BERRY JUICE

A 100%
pure juice
that restores HP
by 20 points.

e-Reader Leftovers

Card e Room

To do: A workaround to obtain the e-Reader Pokémon in the European version. Be more specific about which dialogue is missing in the European version.

After completing the main story in the Japanese version, players could access the "Card e room" via the left door in the Phenac Stadium lobby, where they could battle VR Trainers by scanning Battle e cards. In international versions, both doors in the lobby lead to the battle area, though the Card e room is still seen in the demo that plays after waiting on the title screen. However, the Card e room is present yet inaccessible in international versions. There are translation mistakes like not capitalizing the first letter in the game's name. The word e-Reader uses a different letter "e" not seen elsewhere.

If you have gained access to the Card e room in the US version, you are able to use a Japanese e-Reader and e-Reader cards to battle VR Trainers. As the e-Reader itself is Japanese, all text on the e-Reader will be displayed in Japanese. You can not use an English e-Reader, and English e-Reader cards were never made available. Translation is nearly complete, with Japanese text still being displayed for the name of e-Reader cards that change the stadium, for the difficulties, and for the title card in the top left of the menu. In order to gain access to battles, you must load a program from the game onto the e-Reader. This program must be loaded from the US version, trying to use the program loaded from the Japanese version will not work.

In the European version, the game is unable to connect to the e-Reader. The Card e room's NPC dialogue is missing, and they will only display empty text boxes when interacted with.

To enter it, visit the basement of the Phenac City Pokémon Center with this Action Replay code.

USA	Europe
ED1R-7K1B-6MH0T 6V4G-BR63-1VBAG GMNK-UQNE-QR78H ZDXJ-VZFY-NTNQX NRTU-8KHF-1PZZ8 DEED-TK1H-U6N5P BHDF-N90M-BKMPV	YY7R-UN4A-YYT8M 6V4G-BR63-1VBAG GMNK-UQNE-QR78H ZDXJ-VZFY-NTNQX NRTU-8KHF-1PZZ8 F57Q-1RNH-ZBAKF CNU4-TJFW-TR1W0

(Source: Ralf@gc-forever (US and EU))

Although the e-Reader content was removed from the international versions, the theme used for the menu screens, "virtual", can still be found on the disc.

Miscellaneous

• "cerebi_dat" in ex_shrine.fsys (used for the Relic Stone) is included in the main game disc, even though it is only used in the Japan bonus disc.
• The e-Reader content is present on the North American disc, including an unreleased 21st card.
• As Phenac Stadium is the only area in Pokémon Colosseum considered "underwater", and since the only Shadow Pokémon fought in Phenac Stadium are in the e-Reader room, the Dive Ball's 3.5× catch rate multiplier is also unused in the international versions.

To do: Try to force-load this content.

Removed Map Leftovers

Removed Dungeon

To do: What happens if the maps are loaded?

Pokémon Colosseum's maps have internal names which use prefixes denoting their content - "M#_" for cities, "D#" for dungeons, "S#" for the Outskirt Stand and Snagem Hideout, "T1_" for Orre Colosseum, and "ex_" for the Bonus Disk content.

Of the game's dungeon maps, D1_ is used for the Shadow Pokémon Lab, D2_ is used for Mt. Battle, and D4_ is used Realgam Tower, skipping over D3_, suggesting a dungeon was cut at some point in development (note that Pyrite Cave and The Under Subway are considered part of Pyrite Town and The Under, so use the "M2_" and "M4_" prefixes.)

Similarly, going by map index numbers, Mt. Battle occupies maps 074 through 095, while Realgam Tower occupies 102 through 119, with 096 through 101 consisting of empty maps with the default "met a distant land" met location text. These would have presumably belonged to D3_, suggesting it consisted of five maps.

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness retains Colosseum's map naming conventions, and repurposes the "D3_" prefix for the S.S. Libra.

Regional Differences

To do: Explain the differences between the Japanese and international credits themes and upload them here. Redo Rui's renders when a updated Blender script is released.

In the Japanese version, Rui wears a crop top and a miniskirt. In the international versions, her shirt and skirt are both longer, and she also wears a white belt.

Japan	International

• The English logo was changed to remove the Japanese version's brick wall look. Oddly enough, an earlier version of the logo (with the brick background) was used for the boxart of the US Bonus Disc.

Japan	International

• The Japanese release of Pokémon Colosseum shows a slightly longer, more dramatic title-screen reveal in which the stone colosseum literally rises up out of the desert ground before the game logo appears. In the international release, that segment is shortened or in some cases appears skipped so that the colosseum is already on-screen by the time the title fades in.

Japan	International

• Additionally, Rui's model image on the Japanese title screen is of an older model, and her expression is different.

Japan	International

• In the Japanese version, Somek, the 100th trainer of Mt. Battle, wears a horseshoe moustache. In the international versions, he has no moustache.

Japan	International

• This change is also reflected in his thumbnail image for each version, which can be found in chara_big.fsys inside chara_bigl074.gtx.

Japan	International

• In the main menu, when selecting a mode, the Story Mode image featuring Wes and Umbreon was changed. The Japanese version's image uses an older Wes model, changed near the end of development.

Japan	International

• Most of the differences in the credits come down to language, staff listings, and regional acknowledgments. The Japanese credits chiefly focus on Genius Sonority (the primary developer) and the Japanese publication staff including e-Reader related roles, since Colosseum had some e-Reader functionality there. Meanwhile, the U.S. credits add in all the localization teams, Nintendo of America staff, and any regional QA or marketing roles. There are also small differences in the final copyright lines. The Japanese version’s credits (often due to typographical or stylistic choices) displays “GAMEFREAK” as one word without spacing in between. Meanwhile, the international versions consistently list it as “GAME FREAK.” And lastly, the dates at the end reflect the different release years in each region so it shows “2003 Pokémon” and “1995–2003.” for the Japanese version and “2004 Pokémon” and “1995–2004.” for the international versions.

Japan	International

• Additionally, the credits theme of the international versions has an extra 7 seconds added to the start, of a softer, more “atmospheric” or “relief‐like” lead‐in before the main musical phrase begins—whereas in the Japanese version, it jumps right into the main theme without that extra buildup. After that short intro in the international version, the rest of the piece matches up rhythmically and melodically with the Japanese track. It’s essentially the same composition, just with a slightly extended opening section for the international release. That extra intro probably helps align the music with the longer credit scroll in the Western versions (since they list additional localization staff). Everything else about the theme (its notes, instrumentation, and overall duration once it’s in full swing) is the same in both regions.

International Version

Japanese Version

• Three Shadow Pokémon are unobtainable by normal means due to the e-Reader room (see above) being dropped from the international versions. By completing a VR trainer difficulty, the player would be challenged by a real trainer in the e-Reader Room with a Shadow Pokémon. There's one trainer for completing each difficulty, and the Shadow Pokémon that were obtainable were Togepi, Mareep, and Scizor. Interestingly, Togepi and Mareep have evolved forms already in the regular game as Shadow Pokémon, and they would go on to be used as Shadow Pokémon again in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.