Pokémon Red and Green beta

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This article is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this article to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Add missing information and media, like that found on other sites, such as The Cutting Room Floor wiki; expand some information and add missing references to reliable sources, when applicable

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As with most gaming software, Pokémon Red and Green, in their final release, contain several leftovers from the development stages that pertain to elements once planned but later scrapped.

In addition, the English localizations of these games, Pokémon Red and Blue, had several of their own altered aspects during the two and half years between the release of Red and Green, thier bugfix release, Japanese Blue, and the release of the merger between the Japanese games into Red and Blue for overseas markets.

Global information

Pre-release

Female player character

File:Sugimori Starter artwork.png

Artwork featuring an assumed female protagonist, where she apparently has a Squirtle.

There were originally plans for a female protagonist 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.

No Mew present

According to the interview by Satoru Iwata with Tsunekaz Ishihara and Shigeki Morimoto about the release of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, localized as Iwata Asks, they admitted that after the debugging tools were removed, they added Mew in the remaining space on the ROM. Nintendo thought that this would have been risky because altering the internal data after completing the testing period meant that any new bugs and/or glitches created by adding data without recurring to debugging tools would have been much harder to fix. Standard programming practices usually discourage altering the source code and not testing it, just before releasing the software to the customer.

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 still the concept of Capsule Monsters. Strangely, the original Poké Ball sprites from Pokémon Red and Green lack the button in the center of the Poké Ball.

Post-release

Concept art

Early concept art by Ken Sugimori.

During a gaming exhibition called Game On, early concept art of Pokémon Red and Green by Ken Sugimori was featured, along with pre-release material from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. The concept art depicts rough versions of various concepts that made it into the final releases of the Generation I games. 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.

GameCenter CX

A Japan-exclusive special Pokémon episode of GameCenter CX, known as Retro Game Master 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 National Pokédex number which matches their internal index number, rather than their final Kanto Pokédex number. Nidoking, for instance is noted as being #007, rather than #034, either suggesting that there was another method of ordering the Pokémon proposed, or that they reflect their ordering in the internal data. The latter is supported by interviews with Ken Sugimori, which verify that Rhydon, which index number is 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 either placeholder or alternate names for Pokémon before the development of Pokémon Red and Green had finished.

A video containing an excerpt from the aforementioned interview can be watched on on YouTube.

Discoveries

Professor Oak battle

At the beginning of the player's adventure, Professor Oak introduces Red to the world of Pokémon using a sprite that is similar to the battle sprites of other characters. However, he also has three full teams of Pokémon programmed in, each consisting of a Tauros, Exeggutor, Arcanine, Gyarados, and the final evolutionary stage of one of the starter Pokémon.

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 player enters the Hall of Fame.

This battle is present in all Generation I games and can be activated by performing the Ditto glitch with a Special stat of 226 if the wild Ditto's Attack is lowered by 4, 5, or 6 stages (each will yield a different one of the three teams).

Bird type

The Bird type may have been a prototype for the Flying type. This can be seen in the final releases: Missingno. is recognized as a dual-type Bird/Normal Pokémon. The Bird type is present in the internal data of the Generation II games, possibly due to their engine being an upgraded version of 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 release, such as YES/NO and HEAL/CANCEL. The words West and South do not even appear in the final releases.

Unused Trainer class

A Trainer class known as Chief (Japanese: シルフのチーフ Silph's Chief) was omitted from the final releases, though like Professor Oak, a battle with an NPC with this data can be accessed through modification of the internal data or saved game data as well by cheating. It is apparently mentioned in-game by one of the Team Rocket Grunts in Celadon City, and shares its battle sprite with the Scientist Trainer class. However, he does not seem to have a team defined.

Music

An unused track has been discovered in the internal data. (link, link 2) The music is originally high-pitched and incomplete as only the individual audio channels are left. There have also been attempts at recreating what the full theme would sound like. (link)

Locations

Alternative map locations

There are three map locations which are each identical to another map used in the final releases, except for the fact that the default theme used in the alternative location is different.

These locations are:

• The house invaded by Team Rocket in Cerulean City: has index number 69 instead of 62 and plays おつきみ山のどうくつ Mt. Moon's Cave;
• The Underground Path's entrance at Route 6: has index number 75 instead of 74 and plays the クチバシティのテーマ Vermilion City's Theme;
• The Poké Mart at Cinnabar Island: has index number 173 instead of 172 and plays the グレンタウンのテーマ Cinnabar Island's Theme.

Unused location

Formatted data exists for an additional map location. 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 (as it is set as being 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 games.

Unused shop data

A part of the internal data relates to a shop and may be associated with the formatted map location as mentioned above. The shop data 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 internal data. 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.

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 bugs upon usage.

Localization-specific information

Pre-release

Pokémon names

Unknown poster showing early names for Generation I Pokémon.

During the promotional period that preceded the English release of both the anime and Pokémon Red and Blue, a large amount of Pokémon were shown with different names from those they had in the final releases. Some of these names were similar to their final 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	Early 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

Text

"ODDISH CUT down a bush!"

On page 31 of Nintendo Player's Guide for Pokémon Red and Blue, a different text string for using Cut on a tree on the overworld was used. It reads ODDISH CUT down a bush!, being used in a screenshot when cutting down the tree next to the Vermilion City Gym. The fact that Cut can also be used to destroy areas of tall grass may have been the reason for the change to {Pokémon} hacked away with CUT! in the final releases.

Grammar

File:BrockRB beta.jpg

"The BROCK wants to fight!"

Before the English releases of Pokémon Red and Blue, screenshots were released of a battle with the rival where the text string The BLUE wants to fight! was used. While this text would work with a typical Trainer, such as The LASS wants to fight! or The HIKER wants to fight!, 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 wants to fight! or The LANCE wants to fight!, 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 and/or name} wants to fight!^RBY;
• {Trainer's class and/or name} wants to battle!^GSC;
• {Trainer's class and/or name} would like to battle!^RSEFRLG.

A screenshot in the instruction manual of English 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.

A slightly different grammar was also going to be used for other text strings:

• {Player} sent {Pokémon} out! instead of {Player} sent out {Pokémon}!;
• A wild {Pokémon} appeared! became just Wild {Pokémon} appeared! (this change would be reverted in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, where it has been kept since then);
  • Similarly, The enemy {Pokémon} fainted! became simply Enemy {Pokémon} fainted! (since Diamond and Pearl, this was changed by adding definite article The back to the string and replacing the word enemy with foe for Trainer battles and with wild for wild Pokémon battles.

References

Beta versions of Pokémon games

Generation I

Red and Green • Yellow

Generation II

Gold and Silver (Spaceworld '97 demo) • Crystal

Generation III

Ruby and Sapphire • FireRed and LeafGreen • Emerald • Colosseum • XD

Generation IV

Diamond and Pearl • Platinum • HeartGold and SoulSilver

Generation V

Black and White • Black 2 and White 2

Generation VI

X and Y • Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

Generation VII

Sun and Moon • Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

Generation VIII

Sword and Shield

Generation IX

Scarlet and Violet

Unreleased

Pokémon Picross

Pokémon games

Core series • Side series • Spin-off series • Pokémon mini • Standalone spin-offs • Betas • Demos

This game-related article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.