There are 4 entire menus in just the Top Menu alone, although most of them are pretty straightforward. While the main Debug Menu has been known about and accessible for a while, none of the other ones have ever been accessed in the non-debug versions. The main debug menu can be easily accessed in retail copies by scrolling past the boundary for the menu, but the options past the boundaries for the other menus either softlock the game or have the "unavailable choice" sound effect play when selected. The ones that play this sound effect are likely the debug options, but they probably need the debug features to be enabled in order for them to be accessible.

Main Debug Menu

The most well-known debug menu, and the only one that can currently be accessed in non-debug versions, this is the main debug menu accessible through the Top Menu. This is very similar to the debug menu available in the final game, except a few things work much better, and a few more things somehow work worse. This menu is easily accessible through the first yellow option in the Top Menu. Whenever the Top Menu is loaded, the cursor is automatically set to be pointing to this option.

Dungeon Debug Play#

This menu works completely differently than in the final release, being fully functional.

Go to a dungeon#

Allows you to enter any dungeon, and change several of the dungeon settings. Press left/right to change the options, and up/down to scroll to different ones. There are 3 options at the end that cannot be scrolled to, which are likely used to indicate the values of variables. Interestingly, the bottom 5 options had their text strings completely removed from the ROM in non-debug versions of the games; the translations here are unofficial.

Face Window Test#

Allows you to view every portrait in the game. Includes the sprite of the current Pokémon, the portrait, and the options against a green background. Press left or right on the D-pad to change the numbers by one, L or R to change them by 10, or X or Y to change them by 100.

Pokémon Test#

A sprite animation viewer. This shows two separate sprites for each Pokémon, which show off gender differences where applicable, against the same green background. This viewer only shows animations that would exist in-dungeon, like battle animations. This also shows the (file)size for the current sprites, but it always shows 0kb, meaning this is likely bugged. Controls are the same as the previous menu, but pressing SELECT will pause/unpause the animation and holding START slows the animation down.

Ground Pokémon Test#

Extremely similar to the previous menu, but focuses on "Ground" or non-dungeon animations, like eating or waking up. Only story Pokémon or potential Heroes/Partners get much use out of it. This also shows the filesize, but it isn't bugged like it is in the previous viewer.

Effect Test#

A viewer for various effects. Each effect will also play its corresponding sound effect if there is one. Move effects, emotions, and various story-related animations are shown. The effects do not loop automatically, but you can use the A or START button to replay it. SELECT will not pause the animation in this viewer.

Move Test#

Allows you to view every Pokémon in the game, using any move in the game. Press A to use the selected move. Trying to play any move(s) in quick succession will queue them. Moves that cover the entire screen with an effect, like Rain Dance (move 12) will temporarily break the message box. Funnily enough, entering this viewer will show the in-dungeon debug HUD, meaning that this is running within a dungeon under the hood.

Ground object Test#

Displays various non-dungeon-related graphics. This includes story-related graphics and footprints. There is a blue crosshair over the graphic, likely used to indicate the center. This also shows the filename and its filesize. Strangely, this viewer has different controls: L, R, X, and Y do nothing, and you instead have to hold left or right on the D-Pad to change the number by 10 or press them quickly to change it by 1. Pressing SELECT will toggle the crosshair. START will do nothing. Holding the R button while pressing a key on the d-pad will pan the graphic.

Ground Debug Play#

Almost identical to the final version, but actually works worse. Because they're so similar, the info won't be duplicated; go here to read up about the room in general. There are some minor differences, however, which will be explained here:

• Rather than using a blank save file, loading this provides you with the "default" file mentioned previously. If this room is loaded via the Main Menu, it still will not use your save file if there is one present, however loading it via the in-game debug menu will, which opens up much more functionality.
• This build uses the rotating leaf object in the third room, as in the final Japanese versions.

Team Controls#

Instead of simply doing nothing, "Initialize Team" and "Team Returns from Map" crash with the following errors respectively (sic):

!!!!! Assert !!!!!
file = 'common_dg.c' line =  414
enter parameter disnable

!!!!! Assert !!!!!
file = 'menu_ground_unit_return.c' line =  189
unit return call disnable dg warehouse

Green Kecleon#

The "Add Team Members" option is badly bugged here: If you choose not to recruit Uxie, the game will crash with the following error:

!!!!! Assert !!!!!
file = 'ground_sub_picture.c' line =  122
status locate error

Makuhita#

Inside "VISUAL_TEST", V00P02_M01A02A will crash once it is finished, with this error:

!!!!! Assert !!!!!
file = 'ground_place.c' line =  352
place number error 20533

Interestingly, these crashes do not happen in the build157_final ROMs, nor the final Japanese release, indicating that enabling the debug features is somehow the cause.

Ground Script Check#

Runs various scripts, or cutscenes, from the story. If a save file is present, it will be used, else it will load the default file. Once the cutscene is finished, you will regain control normally, however exiting the area usually leads to the debug dialogue that appears when you start a new game. If you enter a dungeon, it will crash with an error like this:

!!!!! Assert !!!!!
file = 'menu_ground_unit_init.c' line =  139
unit init duplication call

or return to the title screen. Interestingly, the textbox borders are green, instead of matching your hero's gender: this shows that your save file is not entirely loaded in, which is likely what causes the crashes and "new game" dialogue to appear. The "DEMO" options link to various parts of the intro. EVENT_M00A_01 initiates the "New Game" sequence. The "EVENT_HA_XXXXX" options lead to various cutscenes within the Guild. All of the "EVENT_MXX" and "EVENT_SXX" options lead to cutscenes of the "Main" (main story) or "Sub" (Post-game) story respectively, with the number corresponding to its chapter. There are several "EVENT_TGXX" entries at the end, which all crash the game with the same error when selected:

!!!!! Assert !!!!!
file = 'script_station.c' line =  1119
script get null

The "EVENT_MEND" options hang the game with no crash screen. "TITLE_TEST" brings up a dialog asking "Time? Darkness?", and selecting one will play the intro for the respective game. "BUBBLE_TEST" plays the cutscene where your hero and partner meet, crashing when they enter Beach Cave. "MAP_TEST" plays several cutscenes where the world map is cleared of clouds: it first starts at the very end of the Fogbound Lake expedition, then jumps to the initial Quicksand Cave cutscene (the one where they don't jump in), then the end of the Underground Lake cutscene, and crashes afterwards with the same error that shows when you select "Team Returns From Map" in the debug room. Interestingly, during these cutscenes, you are given an Onix and Nidoking as recruits, regardless of your save's recruits.

Ground Scene Check#

This brings you to a separate menu with the internal names of the game's rooms: The T00P0X ones are the debug rooms (Test/Town), the ones that are prefixed with a D are "Dungeon"-related, G corresponds to "Guild" rooms, H seems to be Sharpedo's Bluff and its variants (House), Ps are various non-dungeon places, like the Crossroads and the Hot Spring (Place?), the Ss are "special", like Pelipper's Island or the intro, the T01P0X locations are "Treasure Town", and Vs are "various?" "visual?" cutscenes. Selecting a room will activate the cutscene(s) that take place in that room: some have none, which will make nothing happen when selected, and some have several, which will bring up a submenu with all of the cutscene names which you can choose from. Most of the cutscenes hang or crash the game when they're over, and others will hang the game immediately.

Ground Map Check#

Partially broken in this build, as it appears to hang the game on a black screen. However, it is still possible to move the cursor; selecting an (invisible) option and subsequently pressing SELECT will fix the issue and allow the player to properly see the menu and select a background to view, which functions the same as the debug menu in the final game.

Save Data Edit#

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page. Specifically: What are the Check options meant to do?

This menu allows you to set your save file to various predetermined states. It does not give you a warning beforehand.

Opening Cutscene#

Resets the game, requiring the button combo to be inputted again.

Debug Switch#

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page. Specifically: What do the unknown options do?

Has the same options as the final's menu, but they actually work this time!

Debug Log#

This option was likely used to push debug logs to an external debugging device. However, it unfortunately doesn't seem to do much anymore.

Sound Test#

Works identically to the final game's version.

Message Test#

Also works identically to the final, except the game properly loads your save file. As a result, this no longer crashes on real hardware.

Document Test#

Also works identically to the final.

List Menu Test#

Also also works identically to the final, including hanging when you select an option.

Multi Menu Test#

Also also also works identically to the final.

Initial Sample#

Guess what? It works the exact same as the final. Except when it resets, you have to input the startup combination again for it to return to the top menu.

Check No. of Letters#

Works the exaaaaact same.

Review Text#

Also works the exaaaaaaaact same.

Event Upload

Present below the main Debug option is an option called "イベントはいしん"(Event Upload). Selecting this menu brings you to a list of 12 Wonder Mail total, and selecting one will transmit it over Local Communication. From here, you can open any Japanese copy of Time/Darkness, select the "Wonder Mail" option, select "receive", and finally "local communication" in order to receive it on your game.

The available Wonder Mail are actually special event missions, most of which were either posted on the Pokemon.com site through a password, or distributed over Nintendo WFC. Notably, the ones that were exclusively distributed over WFC are no longer able to be obtained, since they did not have a generated password, and WFC has since gone down. This means that this ROM is the only current way to obtain these missions in the present day! (unless you manage to find someone who still has the event mission present on their save file. good luck with that.)

Unfortunately, the local communication is unable to connect to the English releases of the games. However, it does still work on the final Japanese Time/Darkness releases, and the passwords are region-free if a mission has it.

Below is a list of all of the available missions, listed in their in-game order.

4MP= K98# CT%Y
R@-- &P7% %K86

FH0T HYNH R0QF
86N8 +SY@ &%YN

#&S6 NY2& YJN=
1P57 F0MN MH7Y

FN01 HWN- 00%F
8678 +XY@ &%#3

WNWY JXTK &5C1
4N3- P4NM 8K&C

X%8S WYY+ S-JF
PFH@ @##K 5W8K

HW+8 66%T 5S51
+J5Y 4-K# H@P-

78SR -H2M P0+4
Y6FY 1&Y+ #R9S

"Friend Rescue" Debug Menu

Within the "Friend Rescue" section of the menu, a new "debug" option has been added in yellow. It is quite small, but has a few useful features for testing the various types of Friend Rescue mails.

"Wonder Mail" Debug Menu

The "Wonder Mail" option in the top menu also has a debug option added to it. This allows you to manage the Wonder Mail in your Job List, without even loading the save file. Most of the options here are exactly the same as the Wonder Mail Editor in the Ground Debug Menu, and work identically. Strangely, while the "Debug" option itself is the standard Debug yellow, none of the options within the menu actually are.