Yoshi's Story

Yoshi's Story
Also known as: Yoshi Story (JP), Yàoxī Gùshì (CN) Developer: Nintendo EAD Publisher: Nintendo Platforms: Nintendo 64, iQue Player Released in JP: December 21, 1997 Released in US: March 1, 1998 Released in EU: May 10, 1998 Released in CN: March 25, 2004 This game has unused areas. This game has uncompiled source code. This game has unused music. This game has debugging material. This game has regional differences. This game has anti-piracy features. This game has a prerelease article

Yoshi's Story is the spiritual successor to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. It's notable for its aesthetics and the fact that it's pretty easy... unless you attempt an all-Melon run.

To do:   Map of jump height test More unused levels/screens from Skelux? Elaborate more on regional differences. More debug features, or at least debug feature leftovers. Wii U Virtual Console version has a couple of files that patch something in /content/Patch/UNYSE0.154 called Yoshi_1.rpt and Yoshi_2.rpt, respectively. Figure out what it patches. Stuff from the 2020-07-25 Nintendo leak.

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Prerelease Info

Test Levels

These test levels can be entered by using the US GameShark code 883DC553 00?? (where "??" is one of the level IDs below) and entering a level in the time trial level screen while holding the GS button.

You can see them in action here.

Jump Height Test (E1)

The level's layout merely tests to see how high and/or far Yoshi can jump. Yoshi starts on a bone bridge above the level. Sideways numbers indicate the distance up from the ground, while the straight numbers indicate the distance between the floating platforms above. At the top of the pause screen it will say "ないデータをよもうとした", which translates to "Tried to read nonexistent data".

Cogwheel Test

A test of the Cogwheel platforms.

Cloudjin Boss Test

A test for the Cloudjin boss and see-saw platforms.

(Source: Golbez, cen, skelux)

(Videos: birby100, skelux)

Unused Music

This track sounds like the tracks that play when you open one of the pages in Story Mode, but it is never used.

Crash Debugger

To do: Add ways to crash the game.

A crash screen identical to the one in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is present in this game. To access it, enter GameShark code 81043880 FFFF 81043882 FFFF.

When the game crashes, input the following button code, which is the same code from Ocarina of Time:

1. L + R, then while holding both press Z.
2. D-Up
3. C-Down
4. C-Up
5. D-Down
6. D-Left
7. C-Left
8. C-Right
9. D-Right
10. A + B, then while holding both press Start.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

(Source: trashfolder.org)

Debug Mode

Enable GameShark code 80104698 0001 in the Japanese version to open up a menu.

To do: Add code for American version.

• Debug Registers 0
• Z+left to go away
• R(0)=0 general purpose register
• R(1)=8020de40 Z-buffer head pointer
• R(2)=0 !0: display the arguments of some functions
• R(4)=0 VERBOSE
• R(5)=0 !0: disable extended display list
• R(6)=0 OAM_SELECT(ReadOnly)
• R(10)=0 !0: copy matrix (matrices?) one-by-one
• R(11)=0 FrameOffSetX
• R(12)=0 FrameOffSetY

'!' means 'not' in most programming languages, so '!0' here likely means "if not zero".

(Source: Nekokabu, translation by Joe)

Uncompiled Source Code

Two fragments of code can be found in the ROM for the Japanese version.

At 0xB7568:

#include <bg_debug.h>
#if USE_DEBUGMODE
enum {
    REG_TESTMODE = REG_HAYAKAWA_BEGIN,
    REG_SCALE,
    REG_ROTATE /* MAX 15 ITEMS */
};
#endif /* USE_DEBUGMODE */

    REGINIT(SCALE, 1);
    REGINIT(ROTATE, 0);

    if (REG(TESTMODE)) {
	transform(REG(SCALE), REG(ROTATE));
    }

At 0xB76C8:

#include <bg_debug.h>

    REGINITN(NISIWAKI, 0, 1);

    if (REGN(NISIWAKI, 0)) {
	transform(REGN(NISIWAKI, 1), REGN(NISIWAKI, 2));
    }

(Source: Shygoo)

Regional Differences

To do: There are apparently a few level differences.

Boot Logo

International	China

The iQue version changed the Nintendo logo to the iQue logo. Its sound clip still saying "Nintendo!" though.

Title Screen

To do: These should be animated.

Japan	US/Europe	China

The Japanese version has the game's title written in pastel rainbow colors, which were dropped in favor of some simple shades in the international versions. This also affects the animation on the title screen. These changes were later adopted for the iQue release.

The copyright date was also updated between versions.

Story Mode Saving

In the Japanese version, you had to complete Story Mode in one sitting. The international versions save your progress in Story Mode after every level successfully completed, so you can continue where you left off.

Japan	North America

Clear memory screen

Japan	Translation	US
		Continue Data
おはなしモード	Story Mode	Story Ranking
トライアルモード	Trial Mode	Trial Ranking
ぜんぶけす	Erase All	Erase All

The Options menu had to be adjusted a bit because the Story Mode progression data can be deleted separately from score data (which is saved even in the Japanese version).

Story Mode (Continue From Page 2)
Trial Mode
Options
Practice

This feature does not revert when the language of a US cartridge is set to Japanese. The font used for the "Start From P.#" banner is unique to the US cartridge and doesn't appear at all in the Japanese version.

Also, when data is erased in the Japanese version, an explosion can be heard. In the US version, it plays a fanfare.

The US title logo remains English in Japanese mode, and the European version does not have a Japanese option. It was replaced by European languages.

US	Europe

Level Differences

Secret Coins

The US version adds secret coin formations that spell letters to every level, triggered when a heart fruit is eaten by Yoshi. These were entirely absent in the Japanese version.

Egg blocks

In the Japanese version, the egg blocks are always green. In the US and European versions, they match the color Yoshi you're currently playing.

Japan	US/Europe

Blargg's Boiler

In the Japanese version, in the first room of Blargg's Boiler a bone bridge near the end has two melons floating in bubbles right next to each other. The international versions moved one of the two melons to a better hiding place.

To do: Find that melon.

Shy Guy Limbo

The Limbo Shy Guys don't play the special rhythm tune in the Japanese version and sound just like regular Shy Guys.

Baby Bowser Battle

Yoshi and Baby Bowser start the battle further away from each other in the Japanese version. As such, you can tap Z to immediately snipe him with an egg as soon as the battle starts, making for a very easy kill. In the international versions, because Yoshi and Baby Bowser are closer to each other, an egg shot this way will simply bounce off of Baby Bowser, doing no damage.

Level End

In the international versions, finishing a level by eating 30 of the same fruit (easiest to do with melons, but possible with any) gives a slightly different finish - the heart graphic is replaced with a drawing of that fruit.

Mechanics Changes

• If you charge an egg in mid-air and perform a ground pound right before landing, Yoshi will do a ground pound that has no power (doesn't change Shy Guys color etc.) but still uncovers hidden melons/coins. This technique is faster in the Japanese version because Yoshi will skip the ground pound animation completely. In the international versions Yoshi still does the animation but no dust will come out (thus the name "Dustless Ground Pound").
• In the Japanese version Yoshi cannot jump while his tongue is out, this is possible in the international versions.
• In the Japanese version Yoshi can run around while swallowing a fruit. The international versions cancel all momentum when Yoshi eats a fruit on the ground.
• The Japanese version allows you to jump in mid-air by sliding off the edge as you're eating a fruit.

"Play other levels in Practice Mode" glitch

The Japanese version has a glitch that can allow the player to play any level from the first world in the Practice Mode. In international versions, this glitch was fixed.

To do this glitch, at least one level must be unlocked in Trial Mode.

1. Go to Trial Mode.
2. Enter any level. (This sets the "Yoshi is alive" flag to all non-green Yoshis.)
3. Exit the level by Z + Start.
4. Go to Practice Mode.
5. Die (e.g. press L + Z + A + B).
6. In the death cutscene, press Start button. This will bring up the retry menu. (This is possible because the non-green Yoshis are alive.)
7. Selecting "Yes" will bring the players to Level 1-1. Selecting "No" will bring the map screen of the first world, allowing the players to select any level from said world.

The pause screen behaves like Story Mode; The player cannot escape the level. However, completing the level will bring up the score tally of Practice Mode, and the game will reset to the main menu.

International versions fixed this glitch by resetting the "Yoshi is alive" flags when starting Practice Mode.

Anti-Piracy

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

The game checks for the correct CIC lockout chip. The game reads a value from $A0000164, then compares it. If the values match, it means the cart is likely genuine. If the values do not match, fruits and other objects will be missing and the game will not proceed.