THE DOG Island (Wii)

THE DOG Island
Also known as: The Dog Island: Hitotsu no Hana no Monogatari (JP) Developer: Yuke's Publisher: Ubisoft Platform: Wii Released in JP: April 26, 2007 Released in US: May 6, 2008 Released in EU: April 11, 2008 Released in AU: March 13, 2008 This game has unused areas. This game has unused enemies. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused items. This game has unused text. This game has regional differences.

This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.

THE DOG Island is an adventure game where you play as a dog searching for the cure to your younger sibling's illness.

To do: Images for the unused icons, more detailed info where necessary.

Unused Graphics

Animal Icons

All enemies and friendly animals in the game have a unique icon, including color variants. The exception is the Ancient Monster: despite having icons in red, green, yellow, blue, and rainbow, it has none in its own white color.

The bat's icon is used in the minecart escape minigame, but every other animal's icon goes unused.

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Items

To do: Find out how many of these items have actual item data and which are just icons.

These include event/quest items and a huge number of unused food items. Some examples of event items are Noble's cane (both broken and fixed), the prize flowers that indirectly cause the player's sibling to collapse, and a broken version of the Quicksand Stick. Evidence for these is in the game's folder for icons, but (thus far) Beef Jerky is proven to be a real item. Needs looking into.

Really Cold Ice Cream, which has only one color in the final game, has multiple different colors left in the files.

Unused/Early Map

ID 2100: Rune Cave (Early Rune Caverns)

To do: Add Screenshots, as well as it's map.

An early version of Rune Caverns exists within the game files and seems drastically different and more complex than the more linear version the final game uses. This map can be accessed by replacing the map data with another existing area, though it leads to mob behaviour breaking.

There are few items that can be sniffed and dug up, most notably being an unused Beef Jerky item. In addition, bees can be seen in one of the rooms. In the final game, they are harmless and only used as a roadblock. However, their placement and appearance of a mood bubble hints that they were supposed to be harmful. There's also some water that cannot be swam in.

There are three exits as opposed to the final game's two, all of which have light coming from them to suggest they don't lead to other cave segments. This could suggest that the Ancient Grove (the place located at the end of the final Rune Caverns which holds the Legendary Flower) would've been expanded on and possibly segmented. The extra exit may have been for that. However, it's also possible that the exit would take the player to Rune Canyon.

This map's ID is in-between Dry Valley (2000) and Dry Canyon (2200). However, the map ID of the final Rune Caverns is 2800, making it the last non-town map in the game. It's likely that Rune Cave was redone late into the game's development.

{{source: WinterDoggo Channel}}

Regional Differences

Japanese version

The Japanese version of the game has a number of differences from the international releases:

• An idle animation where the dog licks in between its legs. In the international version, this is only in the opening cutscene, but in the Japanese version any dog out in the open (including yours) can do this.
• The order of the Breed Select has changed drastically.
• In the Wii version, an additional orange battery warning appears at 2 bars.

US and European English Versions

While these are functionally identical, some scenes have text changes:

• One instance of "killed her" when Francis is talking about her past is replaced with "hurt her badly" in the US release.
• In the US release, the Anc Queen's speech revolves around the "Guardian Shell". In the European version, it is referred to as the Crust.

Unused text

Left in the files is some unused text relating to the Puroro Town section. Various differences to the final game are here, such as the local dialect being different, Mar (called "Maw" here) working for Enzo, the player having to deliver milk to 3 other dogs, and the player's sibling collapsing before the festival begins.

A trailer for the game also shows this order of events in Japanese. This shows an interesting look at the development and translation of the game, as these unused scenes are left fully translated.

There is also a small amount of text explaining an earlier version of the Mail system.

Puroro Town (day)

From 0021_0050.wdb:

You're Maw's pup, ain't you? 
So Maw can't make it due to her youngest being sick, eh? 
I'm sorry to hear that... 
But it causes a problem for me too. 
Our deliveries are already late. 
And now there's no dog to help me! 
What? You? 
You'll help me instead of Maw? 
Well, that's mighty kind of you! 
None of my litter ever lift so much as a tail to help! 
Sleeping like babies even at a time like this! 
Ah! No time for chatter! 
We need to get this milk out to everydog! 
I've already put the milk into this basket.
You need to deliver to... 
Ornela, Hugo and Gloria's houses.

From 0021_0200.wdb:

Your mother must be worried about you by now!
Best get your tail off back home and put her mind at ease.

From 0021_0600.wdb:

You're late today!
Oh, your Maw's pup, ain't you.
What? Your brother's sick?
Sorry to hear that. You work hard now, OK?

From 0021_0700.wdb:

Thank you so much!
Hey, what happened to Maw?
Oh, the little one is sick? So you've come instead?
Look at you, still so young..
And out working for your family! I'm impressed!

From 0021_0800.wdb:

Thank you for the milk!
You're Maw's eldest, right?
What happened to your mother?
Oh dear, I hope he gets better soon!
You need to work hard to support your mother, then!

From 0021_1250.wdb:

Oh dear... What can we do...?
Is there no cure?
Maybe... On “THE DOG Island.”
There's a famous doctor named Potan who lives there.
He may know a way to cure your son.
“THE DOG Island”…
But that's so far away!
Surely he can't make such a trip in this condition!
I would advise against it.
Oh…
Your only chance, as I see it, is to go and ask Dr. Potan to visit your house.
But I can't just go off and leave my son alone!
I know.
There is also no guarantee that Dr. Potan would be willing to come.
The best thing you can do is stay by his side until the end.
I must get going...
Please, if you need anything else just let me know.
Thank you…
Oh... What can I do...?!
#Name#
No!
It's too dangerous.
That's why your dad left in the first place!
To look for a cure for his sickness!
And he never came back!
I'm not going to lose you the same way!
I couldn't bare it!
Promise me, on your tail and nose…
Promise me you will never mention this again!
Now! Promise me dear.
I promise.
Then I don't want to hear any more about it.
Tonight is festival night, isn't it?
Your friends will be going, won't they?
I can manage things here for a few hours.
You go and have some fun.

Puroro Town (night)

From 0022_0100.wdb:

Come one, come all!
You there! You look like a dog who knows a few tricks!
How about taking part in our Treasure Hunt?!
[Take part in the content?] 
Yes No

Well said!
The rules are simple.
Three Spiral Shells have been hidden around the town.
You need to sniff them out and bring them back to me!
Just in case you are new to this little game…
The fastest dog to find the Spiral Shells and get back here is the winner!
So keep your eye - and your nose! - on the prize!
Now, on your marks, get set 
GO!

Oh, that's a shame!
Well, come back if you have a change of heart!

Three Spiral Shells have been hidden around the town.
You need to sniff them out and bring them back to me!
The fastest dog to find the Spiral Shells and get back here is the winner!

Mailman

From 9850_0200.wdb:

Hey! #name#! This must be your first time using this. Do you want me to explain how to use it?
[Listen?] 
Yes No
I'm a delivery man. 
I deliver things to towns and villages. 
You just choose a place to deliver something and it'll get delivered in a jiffy. 
It'll cost you a Woof for each delivery. 
And you'll only be be able to choose places...
That you've been to before.
Do you want me to explain it over again?
[Listen to the explanation again?] 
Yes No