Official GSC Programming & Beta Glitch Thread

[Gulzar]

This thread is for the posting of programming information regarding Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal. The information contained in this thread has been deemed important enough to be made a sticky.
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Hello! My name is Gulzar, and I am a Pokémon Programming Expert. I have always been fascinated with the programming of videogames, especially Pokémon. A few years ago, I became fascinated with “beta” programming. Beta programming is anything that was left in the programming by the original programmers that was not intended for the final product. As I have found, Pokémon games are filled with beta programming. This sticky pertains to the beta programming of Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. Some of what I have found can be seen in this sticky.
In my search for beta programming, I have discovered maps, music, text, houses, and trainers that were not in the final release of the game. People have not always believed me, as some of my finds have been stunning. The first few posts in this sticky reflect the mood first felt when I displayed my finds. As the sticky goes on, you will see that the mood gradually changes from skepticism to praise. I hope you will agree that the finds here, found not only by me, are worthy of praise.
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(note: not all of the below items were found by Gulzar)

Beta Finds:

Finds:
Mt. Silver
Lake of Rage City
Cherrygrove
Violet*
Goldenrod*
Ecruteak*
Olivine*
Mahogany
Beta Town*
Beta Town 2*
Beta Town 3
Beta Town 4*
Beta Route 23
Beta Team Rocket Hide-Out FB1
Beta Team Rocket Hide-Out F1
Beta Team Rocket Hide-Out F2
Cinnabar Lab entrance*
Cinnabar Lab room 1*
Cinnabar Lab room 2*
Cinnabar Lab room 3
Cave 1
Cave 2
Cave 3
Cave 4
Cave 5
*map’s in-game tileset was edited for ease of viewing

Other Beta Threads:
Beta Olivine House
Beta Music
Teru-Sama
Safari Zone

Key Contributors:
Gulzar
~Bent~
Darrill
muckers

+--------------First Post------------------+

After playing around with the programming of my Gold version, I came across two strange maps:

Strange map 1

Strange map 2

These images are not made up or tampered with (except maybe the house roof color, because of the editing program I use). I personally wonder what they are doing in the game, and where they are supposed to be. What is your opinion?

[Ellie]

I have no clue for the first one, but I believe the second one is Lake of Rage Town. It was in the beta version of the game, but not the final. I guess the coding must have still been there.

[Luxuria]

I have no clue for the first one, but I believe the second one is Lake of Rage Town. It was in the beta version of the game, but not the final. I guess the coding must have still been there.

Ummm sorry to sound n00bish but what's a beta version?

[PersianKing]

It is basically the Uncut version of the game. the final version has things taken out that they decided wasnt needed for it.

[shining-Celebi]

The first image might be a prototype of the real MT. Silver
The second one is Lake of Rage Town that got taken out, but you can still fly to the real Lake of Rage

[Serebii93]

Now just how did he get it to be all cool like that? I want my Lake of Rage to be like that...and my Mount Silver.

[Luxuria]

Now just how did he get it to be all cool like that? I want my Lake of Rage to be like that...and my Mount Silver.

He said "After playing around with the programming". But I'd also like to know what exactly did you do? Like open up the cartrage? ect.

[liquinn]

meh, interesting. . .hmm

[Gulzar]

Sorry if I wasn’t clear before, but when I said I had been playing around with the programming I meant that I had been reading the programming and converting the programming into images. And also, my Lake of Rage and Mt. Silver is normal just like everyone else’s. The maps that I found are distinctly separate from Lake of Rage and Mt. Silver in the game. Overall, your ideas have been very interesting.

[indigestible_wad]

It's quite obvious that he second one is the lake of rage. It looks exactly like the original, exept for the left side of the picture.

The first one is a little less obvious. I'm sure that it is Mt. Silver, but still, instead of being a horizontal maze, it's a vertical maze. It does have that pokecenter, making it one of only a few caves, so it would have to be Mt. Silver considering all the other caves save one are from Kanto and therefore not allowed to be tampered.

Good find.

[MaskedManAbsolkid]

I confused the first one with Lake of Rage because it has that type of grassy field, and the house and cave are roughly where the center and cave are. The second one is the coolest too a gym too!

[Black Marauder]

I know Absolkid, hmm... I think the first is some area around Mt. Silver and the other is the top part of Lake of Rage, aww I wish we could've gone there

[marioguy]

From another website, I saw the secret maps, there was also a Cinibar Island Lab map.

[Dunsparce]

After playing around with the programming of my Gold version, I came across two strange maps:

Strange map 1

Strange map 2

These images are not made up or tampered with (except maybe the house roof color, because of the editing program I use). I personally wonder what they are doing in the game, and where they are supposed to be. What is your opinion?

I'm sceptic... I've never seen that O_o;

What did you do, then, if it is real/

You used a ROM. That's the ONLY way you can get pictures of that quality u_u You can't take that kind of picture of a cartridge, for it would only be a camera picture of your Gameboy screen.

I doubt your findings greatly, unless you managed to pulled a Recon Dye on us :/

[Locke Yggdrasill]

If you can so cleanly convert the programming to images, there is obviously a hex offset, or a bank number. Would you care to share either of these numbers? And, what editing program you used. These are crucial to the authentication of your maps.

meh, interesting. . .hmm

Way to contribute, liquinn. :Ð

[Magma Leader Maxie]

I have no idea how you managed to get hold of this, since it would have certainly been removed before any release, but I believe that they might have thought that a town shold be placed around Lake of Rage and the second one might be Mt. Silver, like suggested. Perhaps the Lake of Rage town was moved into today's Mahogony Town?

P.S. I've never seen the coding of any Pokemon game. What is it like? Is it compiled into some low-level nonsence or can it still be read? Binary pehaps?

[Gulzar]

Ahh, skeptics, skeptics. You are correct, Dunsparce, that I do not take pictures of my gameboy screen. As I stated before, I convert the hex values into visual images using a program. That program is, Locke Yggdrasill, an enhanced version of Goldmap. I will give you the offsets to satisfy curiosity, and curiosity only:

Map 1:
Start offset = $A9A37
End offset = $A9B9E

Map 2:
Start offset = $AC180
End offset = $AC2E7

I hope this answers your questions . Oh, and Magma Leader Maxie, the programming of all gameboy color games is in hexadecimal, just like the offsets I gave.

[marioguy]

I'm sceptic... I've never seen that O_o;

What did you do, then, if it is real/

You used a ROM. That's the ONLY way you can get pictures of that quality u_u You can't take that kind of picture of a cartridge, for it would only be a camera picture of your Gameboy screen.

I doubt your findings greatly, unless you managed to pulled a Recon Dye on us :/

What's wrong with using a rom. There's nothing, now go back to your hole.

[Gulzar]

marioguy, it’s ok that people are skeptic and critical. I would just like some input as to what people think of these maps. But now, another question for people: What do you think happened to these maps and why weren’t they included in the gameplay?

[Serebii93]

Ahh, skeptics, skeptics. You are correct, Dunsparce, that I do not take pictures of my gameboy screen. As I stated before, I convert the hex values into visual images using a program. That program is, Locke Yggdrasill, an enhanced version of Goldmap. I will give you the offsets to satisfy curiosity, and curiosity only:

Map 1:
Start offset = $A9A37
End offset = $A9B9E

Map 2:
Start offset = $AC180
End offset = $AC2E7

I hope this answers your questions . Oh, and Magma Leader Maxie, the programming of all gameboy color games is in hexadecimal, just like the offsets I gave.

How do you use those numbers? How exactly did you mess with the programming? I really want to know.