Tweaking

File:Tweaking Glitch.PNG

A successful tweak.

Tweaking, sometimes called holepunching to commemorate its discoverer (a GameSpot forums member by the name of "Holepunch"), is a glitch in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl that causes the game to fail to load the graphics of an area.

What causes the effect

Maps in Diamond and Pearl are broken up into 32-step by 32-step squares that are visible at any one time, with nine of these squares loaded at any given time. When a player crosses over the game's various "load lines", located halfway across these 32×32 squares, the next area is loaded to memory, while the previous is unloaded. Through this, the overworld becomes a seamless area.

Using the bicycle in fourth gear, however, can cause the player to move too fast for the game to load the areas properly, especially if he or she changes direction while doing so to cross over the two load lines in the center of a square nearly simultaneously. Doing so triggers a race condition bug, causing varying effects such as a black area, a white area, or even, at times, a completely different section to load, or often simply freezing the game.

The distortion caused by tweaking can be solved easily by crossing a load line away from the distortion, as when the section is loaded again, it will be normal. It can also be solved by looking at a different menu screen, then returning to the overworld.

Exploitation

By tweaking in a specific manner in an area that has buildings that the player can enter, as well as forcing the game to load the section in such a way that the player can walk into the dark area, buildings can be entered through their currently invisible and not properly loaded walls. By reloading the map while the player is inside of the building, behind the warp to the actual inside of the building, and walking south, the player can end up on the inside of the building, but in the void area around the normally accessible portion, somewhat like the Surf glitch. Like the Surf glitch, a way can be found through the interconnecting area of this void to Newmoon Island and the Flower Paradise, where Darkrai and Shaymin reside. Arceus is yet to be found with this glitch. The same risks associated with the Surf glitch, such as locking oneself in the Mystery Zone, are found here. It may also cause the game to become permanently frozen, requiring a new game to be started.

In Pokémon HeartGold, SoulSilver, and Platinum, tweaking can still occur just as easily as in Diamond and Pearl.

More Information

[1] - A site dedicated to Tweaking and Pokemon glitching.

[2] - A YouTube Channel containing useful tips on Tweaking.

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Glitches in the Pokémon games Multiple generations Transform glitches • Glitch Trainers • Cloning glitches • Error messages • Arbitrary code execution Generation I Glitches • Battle glitches • Overworld glitches -- • 0 ERROR • Broken hidden items • Cable Club escape glitch • Dual-type damage misinformation Experience underflow glitch • Fight Safari Zone Pokémon trick • Glitch City • Item duplication glitch • Item underflow Mew glitch • Old man glitch • Pewter Gym skip glitch • Pokémon merge glitch • Rhydon glitch • Rival twins glitch Select glitches (dokokashira door glitch, second type glitch) • Super Glitch Time Capsule exploit • Walking through walls • ZZAZZ glitch Generation II Glitches • Battle glitches Bug-Catching Contest glitch • Celebi Egg glitch • Coin Case glitches • Experience underflow glitch Glitch dimension • Glitch Egg • Teru-sama • Time Capsule exploit • Trainer House glitches • GS Ball mail glitch Generation III Glitches • Battle glitches • Overworld glitches Berry glitch • Dive glitch • Pomeg glitch • Glitzer Popping Generation IV Glitches • Battle glitches • Overworld glitches Acid rain • GTS glitches • Pomeg glitch • Rage glitch Surf glitch • Tweaking • Pal Park Retire glitch Generation V Glitches • Battle glitches • Overworld glitches Charge Beam additional effect chance glitch • Charge move replacement glitch • Choice item lock glitch Frozen Zoroark glitch • Sky Drop glitch Generation VI Glitches • Battle glitches • Overworld glitches Charge Beam additional effect chance glitch • Charge move replacement glitch • Choice item lock glitch Lumiose City save glitch • Symbiosis Eject Button glitch • Toxic sure-hit glitch Generation VII Glitches • Battle glitches Charge Beam additional effect chance glitch • Charge move replacement glitch • Choice item lock glitch Toxic sure-hit glitch • Rollout storage glitch Generation VIII Glitches Charge Beam additional effect chance glitch • Charge move replacement glitch • Choice item lock glitch Toxic sure-hit glitch • Rollout storage glitch • Party item offset glitch Generation IX Glitches Glitch effects Game freeze • Glitch battle • Glitch song Gen I only: Glitch screen • TMTRAINER effect • Inverted sprite Gen II only: Glitch dimension Lists Glitches (GO • Mystery Dungeon • TCG GB • Spin-off) Glitch Pokémon (Gen I • Gen II • Gen III • Gen IV • Gen V • Gen VI • Gen VII • Gen VIII) Glitch moves (Gen I) • Glitch types (Gen I • Gen II)

This glitch Pokémon article is part of Project GlitchDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on glitches in the Pokémon games.