Pokémon Red and Green beta

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As with most gaming software, Pokémon Red and Green, in their final release, contain several "dummied out" features that were programmed into the games but for one reason or another had their activating events taken from the final versions.

In addition, the English translations of these games, Pokémon Red and Blue, had several of their own altered aspects during the two years between the release of the Japanese Blue and the English translations.

Concept art

The early concept art by Ken Sugimori

In a gaming exhibition called Game On, early concept art of Red and Green by Ken Sugimori was featured, along with beta material from Ruby and Sapphire. The concept art depicts rough versions of various concepts that made it into the final game. 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 Template:Type2.

Game Center CX: Pokémon special

A Japan-exclusive special Pokémon episode of Game Center CX, (or Retro Game Master as it is known 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 number which matches their internal index number, rather than their final Pokédex number. Nidoking, for instance is noted as being No. 007, rather than No. 034, either suggesting that there was an earlier method of ordering the Pokémon proposed, or that they reflect the order that they were programmed into the game. The latter is supported by interviews with Ken Sugimori, which verify that Rhydon (index no. 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 prototype names for Pokémon before the development of Pokémon Red and Green had finished. The following video contains an excerpt from the aforementioned interview.

By ChickasaurusGL

This video is not available on Bulbapedia; instead, you can watch the video on YouTube here.

Gameplay features

Battling against Professor Oak

At the beginning of the game, Professor Oak introduces the player to the world of Pokémon using a sprite that is similar to the battle sprites of other characters. However, he also has a full team of Pokémon programmed into the game, consisting of a Tauros, Exeggutor, Arcanine, Gyarados, and the final form of the starter Pokémon that was not taken by the player or Blue.

Oak's 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 defeat of the Elite Four.

This battle can be activated through the Mew glitch with a Special stat of 226, and remains in place in Pokémon Yellow.

Bird type

The Bird type may have been a prototype version of the Flying type. This can be seen in the final version of the game: Missingno. is recognized as a dual-typed Bird/Normal Pokémon. The Bird type is present in the programming of the Generation II games; this is unsurprising, since the game engine for Gold and Silver is based on 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 game such as YES/NO and HEAL/CANCEL. The words "WEST" and "SOUTH" in block capitals do not even appear in the final game.

Female player character

Artwork featuring an assumed female player character, with a Squirtle

There were originally plans for a female character to be playable in Red and Green, 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 game, to continue the standard of including a female protagonist option.

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 debug features were removed, they added Mew in the empty space. Nintendo thought that this would have been risky because altering the game code after completing testing, meant that any new bugs created by adding data with no debugging features would have been much harder to be fixed. Standard programming practices usually discourage altering the code and not testing it, just before releasing the game to the customer.

Unused Trainer class

A Trainer class known as "Chief" was omitted from the final game, though like Oak, a battle with an NPC with this data can be accessed through cheating. It is mentioned in-game by one of the Team Rocket Grunts in Celadon City, and shares its battle sprite with the Scientist Trainer class.

Locations

Alternative map locations

There are three map locations which are each identical to another map used in the final game, except for the fact that the default music 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 the Mt. Moon theme;
• The Underground Path's entrance in Route 6: has index number 75 instead of 74 and plays the Vermilion City theme;
• The Poké Mart at Cinnabar Island: has index number 173 instead of 172 and plays the Cinnabar Island theme.

Extra location accessible via Fly

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 (where the game defaults the location as 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 game.

Unused shop data

A part of the games' code relates to a shop and may be associated with the formatted map location as mentioned above. The "shop" lists Great Balls, Super Potions, Hyper Potions, Full Heals and Revives.

Items

Main article: List of dummied out items

Badges

Hidden items with the names of all the badges exist in the game's coding. This could mean that the badges were originally going to be items that were carried in the player's bag. The Boulder Badge and Cascade Badge 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 game, 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.

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 in its initial concept of Capsule Monsters. Strangely, the original Poké Ball sprites from Pokémon Red and Green don't show the button in the center of the Poké Ball.

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 glitches upon usage.

Localization

Prototype names

Unknown poster showing early names for Generation I Pokémon (click to enlarge-- names are shortened into seven characters)

During the promotional period that preceded the English release of both the anime and games, a large amount of Pokémon were shown with different names than they had in the games at release. Some of these names were similar to their current names, but some were quite close to their Japanese names, and others were completely different from any current Pokémon name.

#		Final name	Beta name	Japanese name
014		Kakuna	Kokoon	Cocoon
016		Pidgey	Pidge	Poppo
	Pidgeot	Pidgeott	Pigeot
019		Rattata	Rattatak	Koratta
023		Ekans	Arbo	Arbo
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
108		Lickitung	Tonguetyd	Beroringa
109		Koffing	Ny	Dogars
110		Weezing	La	Matadogas
113		Chansey	Lucky	Lucky
114		Tangela	Meduza	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

By blastoise4049

This video is not available on Bulbapedia; instead, you can watch the video on YouTube here.

"The MISTY wants to fight!"

"The BROCK wants to fight!" beta battle message

Before the American and European releases of Pokémon Red and Blue, screenshots were released of a rival battle with the text "The BLUE wants to fight!". While this text would work with a typical Trainer, such as "The LASS" or "The HIKER", as they were not given personal names until Generation II, it would cause problems with Gym Leader, Elite Four, rival, and game link battles, leaving them to end up as "The MISTY" or "The LANCE", as these Trainers did not at the time have titles, only their names. Because of this, the "The" article was dropped in the final version of the game, leading to the somewhat odd sentence style used until Generation III of "[Trainer's class/name] wants to..."

A screenshot in the instruction manual of Pokémon 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.

"<Pokémon> CUT down a bush!"

"ODDISH CUT down a bush!" beta field message

On page 31 of Pokémon Red and Blue's Nintendo Player's Guide, a different dialog string that reads "ODDISH CUT down a bush!" is used in a screenshot when cutting down the bush next to Vermilion City Gym. The fact that Cut can also be used to destroy areas of tall grass may have been the reason why the text was converted to "<Pokémon> hacked away with CUT!" in the final game.

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 Unreleased Pokémon Picross

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