Pokémon Colosseum

Pokémon Colosseum is a weird combination of taking Dragon Quest devs to make a Pokémon game with no prior knowledge on the franchise, a tight development cycle and lots of ideas that couldn't be finished. GOTTA SAVE 'EM ALL, MAN!

Prerelease Info Unfinished PostgameAn entire postgame was left in the form of text in the files, and it was about time someone put the pieces together. Leftover TextAll of the text not meant for the postgame, including debug strings, leftovers from the RS code, other cut characters... Bonus DiscsColosseum received region-exclusive discs with bonus content, but most of their content is already present on the standard game's discs. e-Reader LeftoversA whole side mode that was chopped out of the international releases, but still has a bunch of leftovers.

Debug Mode#

There is a small debug function that can be activated with the following Action Replay codes:

0W0T-3G3X-BEGU4
761R-MU87-Y5HP6
VV06-B5P3-PQQJK
43X6-ZGAX-7CNFZ
NBDE-ZNJ7-MDHZ1

ZVG4-2Q1X-1TXE3
CXJH-RJR6-M51AT
ZKFE-CMMY-9GKHG
9393-TB37-2N5AG
XTAM-9FPW-JC1VC

With the code activated, pressing D-Pad Up will show a bar that has Japanese instructions on how to use the debug function, and it can be hidden with D-Pad Down. Pressing the L button will cycle between pause (instant stop), slow (low frame rate), and play (regular speed). Pressing R will pause the game, like when pressing L sometimes, but is more accessible and doesn't need to be cycled to. Deactivating the Debug Mode while the game is frozen will make the characters move in place, but without the game itself progressing.

Additionally, there's a room in the files called waza_viewer ("move viewer"), a repeat of Phenac Stadium where the Debug Mode is loaded by default and the camera is locked in place.

Unused Graphics#

face412 is a desaturated placeholder version of Bulbasaur's icon with no shiny. It's moved to the left by 1 pixel.

Stadium 2 Leftovers#

All Pokémon models from the first and second generation are lifted directly from the Pokémon Stadium games. Most of these are textures related to a Pokemon's expression when recoiling from an attack, but there are also some mouths for unused expressions.

Meowth	Abra	Hypno	Kingler	Horsea	Goldeen	Gyarados	Gyarados (Shiny)	Zapdos

Interestingly, some include extra expressions that aren't present in the Nintendo 64 games, nor are used here either.

Electrode	Granbull	Magby

Shiny Celebi#

For the sake of consistency, every Pokémon in every Pokémon game is given a Shiny variant, and Celebi is no exception. However, because the only way to obtain it legitimately was through distributions, the Shiny version of Celebi was left unobtainable through normal means.

Postgame Trainer designs#

In the unfinished postgame for this game, some trainers were intended to use a unique design to differenciate them from their normal trainer class, and their textures can still be found in the same rooms they were meant to appear in.

The Phantom Wanderer, Myth, would use a variation of a male chaser design with dark skin, a white suit and a blue scarf.

Body Texture	Face Texture

The Riddle Lover, Malpes, would use a variation of a Rich Boy with a yellow jacket, red scarf, brown hair, and green eyes.

Body Texture	Face Texture

The Bear Tamer, Pian, would use a variation of a Lady with a pink dress, black ribbon, red hair, and red eyes.

Body Texture	Face Texture

Unused VS Screen Portraits#

In Battle Mode, all trainers are represented with a VS screen portrait when starting the fight, selecting the Pokémon and on the results screen. Wes and the GBA protagonists (from Ruby, Sapphire, Firered or Leafgreen) have two portraits either facing left with a red outliner if they're Player 1, or one facing right with a blue outliner if they're Player 2. All NPCs only have a portrait with a blue outliner facing right, since when fought on either Mt. Battle or the Colosseum, the player is always considered Player 1, but even the characters only normally fought during the Story Mode have a portrait, which goes unused. These include:

- All Cipher Peons

Cipher Peon (Male)	Cipher Peon (Female)	Cipher Peon (Skrub)
Cipher Peon (Verde)	Cipher Peon (Rosso)	Cipher Peon (Bluno)

- All Miror B.'s goons

Folly	Trudly	Ferma	Reath

- All Cipher Admins and Leaders

Miror B.	Dakim	Venus
Ein	Nascour	Evice

- All members of Team Snagem

Team Snagem Member	Biden	Agrev	Gonzap

- All Special Postgame Trainers (both still present in the final game somewhere and unused in different rows)

Bodybuilder (Mirez/Balargas)	Cipher Peon (Mirakle B.)	Deep King (Agnol)
Chaser (Myth)	Lady (Pian)	Rich Boy (Malpes)

- And all prominent side characters. It's worth noting that Somek/Battlus has two different portraits with and without his horseshoe moustache for both his normal looks in the Japanese version of Colosseum and his censored appearance in the international releases, although both go unused. Additionally, Eagun is never directly fought, only seeing a fight between him and Cipher Peon Skrub, and Rui has trainer data, despite never participating in a fight, which includes a character portrait.

Willie	Cail	Justy	Vander
Eagun	Rui	Somek/Battlus (Japanese)	Somek/Battlus (Censored)

Deprecated Ribbons#

In the data for the Generations III and IV games, there are multiple ribbon designs that were never made available or distributed, and then completely replaced in Generation V and onwards. In Pokemon Colosseum, these unused ribbons were all given a new HD design to be displayed in case they were later distributed later down the generation.

Marine Ribbon	Land Ribbon	Sky Ribbon

Unused Room Data#

Unused Battlefields#

Pokemon Colosseum has a select range of battlefields to accurately represent the location a fight takes place, but there are a few that go unused.

This battlefield depicts the outside of the Cipher Lab, and would have been used during a couple fights during the postgame, and possibly an altered fight with a scientist with the Card Key that instead takes place in the garage. When succcessfully snagging a Shadow Pokemon, the met location would have been FRONT OF LAB.

Another battlefield depicts the inside of a Mt. Battle lobby, but there are no battles that take place inside the lobby itself. When succcessfully snagging a Shadow Pokemon, the met location would have been MT. BATTLE.

The last battefield depicts the 2nd floor of the Realgam Tower, and was intended for the first fight with Gonzap and the second encounter with Milky in the postgame. Unlike the other two, this stage is clearly unfinished, with the trainers and Pokemon appearing way above ground, and the geometry for the lower platform leaving a blank space. When succcessfully snagging a Shadow Pokemon, the met location would have been REALGAM TOWER 2F.

Cipher Lab (Exterior)	Mt. Battle Lobby	Realgam Tower 2F

Unused Met Locations#

Like in the mainline games, Colosseum has an internal list to determine and then display where a Pokemon was first caught, hatched, or received. Due to the limited encounter table and not being able to transfer eggs from other entries, some of these locations are never used.

Possible Removed Dungeon#

Pokémon Colosseum's maps have internal names which use prefixes denoting their content - "M#_" for cities, "D#" for dungeons, "S#" for the Outskirt Stand and Snagem Hideout, "T1_" for Orre Colosseum, and "ex_" for the Bonus Disk content.

Of the game's dungeon maps, D1_ is used for the Shadow Pokémon Lab, D2_ is used for Mt. Battle, and D4_ is used Realgam Tower, skipping over D3_, suggesting a dungeon was cut at some point in development (note that Pyrite Cave and The Under Subway are considered part of Pyrite Town and The Under, so use the "M2_" and "M4_" prefixes.)

Similarly, going by map index numbers, Mt. Battle occupies maps 074 through 095, while Realgam Tower occupies 102 through 119, with 096 through 101 consisting of empty maps with the default "met a distant land" met location text. These would have presumably belonged to D3_, suggesting it consisted of five maps.

Tyring to load any of these maps results in a game crash, as there's no data associated with these rooms.

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness retains Colosseum's map naming conventions, and repurposes the "D3_" prefix for the S.S. Libra.

Extra Shadow Pokémon#

Pokémon Colosseum was developed with a focus on reintroducing Gen 2 Pokémon that were not available in the Ruby and Sapphire Pokédex and would still not be present with the Gen 1 remakes, as the jump between the Game Boy Color and the Gameboy Advance didn’t allow for trading between generations. However, a strict deadline didn't allow Genius Sonority to finish everything planned in time for release; due to this, later in development they prioritized adding at least the necessary Johto Pokémon for a National Pokedex by removing other Shadow Pokémon elsewhere if they had to, hence the Johto-focused selection.

By comparing the Shadow Pokémon list on the debug strings and the final version used, we can determine the scrapped Shadow Pokémon in the trainers still present in the final game and what other Pokémon were put in their place, and for the completely scrapped trainers, they later named those spaces in the final list with placeholder names (Shadow Extra XX). Parallel to this, the game also leaves up to 30 extra Shadow Pokemon slots meant to be used when using the E-reader cards and snagging a Shadow Pokemon so its data can then be saved into the savefile, but due to low sales in Japan, only the first 3 available slots were ever used. The set of flags that check whether a Shadow Pokemon has been snagged (Flags 1262-1357) and then purified (Flags 2126-2221) simply go unused for the scrapped pokemon,although they still have the same order from the debug strings.

Text	Translation	Notes
DPなし	Shadow (none)
DPマクノシタ	Shadow Makuhita
DPベイリーフ	Shadow Bayleef
DPマグマラシ	Shadow Quilava
DPアリゲイツ	Shadow Croconaw
DPヨルノズク	Shadow Noctowl
DPモココ	Shadow Flaaffy
DPポポッコ	Shadow Skiploom
DPヌオー	Shadow Quagsire
DPムウマ	Shadow Misdreavus
DPバネブー	Shadow Spoink	It was later replaced by Shadow Yanma.
DPオオタチ	Shadow Furret
DPマグマッグ	Shadow Slugma
DPテッポウオ	Shadow Remoraid
DPマンタイン	Shadow Mantine
DPコダック	Shadow Psyduck	It was later replaced by Shadow Qwilfish.
DPアサナン	Shadow Meditite
DPヤジロン	Shadow Baltoy	It was later replaced by Shadow Dunsparce.
DPチルット	Shadow Swablu
DPウソッキー	Shadow Sudowoodo
DPグラエナ	Shadow Mightyena	It was later replaced by Shadow Hitmontop.
DPエンテイ	Shadow Entei
DPレディアン	Shadow Ledian
DPスイクン	Shadow Suicune
DPグライガー	Shadow Gligar
DPオドシシ	Shadow Stantler
DPイノムー	Shadow Piloswine
DPニューラ	Shadow Sneasel
DPポワルン	Shadow Castform	It was later replaced by Shadow Aipom.
DPヤミカラス	Shadow Murkrow
DPフォレトス	Shadow Forretress
DPグランブル	Shadow Granbull
DPポリゴン２	Shadow Porygon2	It was later replaced by Shadow Vibrava.
DPアリアドス	Shadow Ariados
DPライコウ	Shadow Raikou
DPキノガッサ	Shadow Breloom	It was later replaced by Shadow Sunflora.
DPデリバード	Shadow Delibird
DPヘラクロス	Shadow Heracross
DPエアームド	Shadow Skarmory
DPミルタンク	Shadow Miltank
DPルナトーン	Shadow Lunatone	It was later replaced by Shadow Absol.
DPソルロック	Shadow Solrock	It was later replaced by Shadow Houndoom.
DPトロピウス	Shadow Tropius
DPメタグロス	Shadow Metagross
DPバンギラス	Shadow Tyranitar
DPハリーセン	Shadow Qwilfish	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 30).
DPノコッチ	Shadow Dunsparce	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 31).
DPヘルガー	Shadow Houndoom	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 32).
DPロゼリア	Shadow Roselia	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 33).
DPヤンヤンマ	Shadow Yanma	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 34).
DPエイパム	Shadow Aipom	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 35).
DPチリ－ン	Shadow Chimecho	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 36).
DPマイナン	Shadow Minun	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 37).
DPキマワリ	Shadow Sunflora	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 38).
DPビブラーバ	Shadow Vibrava	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 39).
DPマルマイン	Shadow Electrode	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 41).
DPユキワラシ	Shadow Snorunt	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 42).
DPツボツボ	Shadow Shuckle
DPヒメグマ	Shadow Teddiursa	It was later replaced by Shadow Ursaring (Shadow Extra 40 in order).
DPカポエラー	Shadow Hitmontop	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 43).
DPドーブル	Shadow Smeargle	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 44).
DPトゲチック	Shadow Togetic
DPヘイガニ	Shadow Corphish	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 45).
DPタマザラシ	Shadow Spheal	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 46).
DPサンドパン	Shadow Sandslash	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 47).
DPコイキング	Shadow Magikarp	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 48).
DPカクレオン	Shadow Kecleon	It was later given a placeholder name in the files (Shadow Extra 49).
DPエクストラ1	Shadow Extra 1	When using the E-reader, the data for Shadow Togepi is stored here.
DPエクストラ2	Shadow Extra 2	When using the E-reader, the data for Shadow Mareep is stored here.
DPエクストラ3	Shadow Extra 3	When using the E-reader, the data for Shadow Scizor is stored here.
DPエクストラ4-29	Shadow Extra 4-29	As the E-Reader didn't get any more cards, these slots were never used.
DPアブソル	Shadow Absol	Doesn't have its own slot to keep its data in the files.
DPナマズン	Shadow Whiscash	Doesn't have its own slot to keep its data in the files.
DPネイティオ	Shadow Xatu	Doesn't have its own slot to keep its data in the files.
DPソーナンス	Shadow Wobbuffet	Doesn't have its own slot to keep its data in the files.
DPホエルコ	Shadow Wailmer	Doesn't have its own slot to keep its data in the files.

(Source: PokeFor.GreenChu.de, StarsMmd, original TCRF research)

One of the game's early Japanese commercials showed the main character with a Castform on his team. There's also 6 extra e-mails by Nett that would have been used throughout the postgame that include mentions of all of these scrapped Shadow Pokémon. For more information on these scrapped Pokemon, check the Unfinished Postgame and E-reader Leftovers subpages.

• Hi, it's NETT. I analyzed the SHADOW POKéMON LIST again and discovered six more. The additions are SKIPLOOM, QUAGSIRE, SUNFLORA, FURRET, MAGIKARP, and MINUN. I'll send another update if I can find any more.
• Hi, it's NETT. I analyzed the SHADOW POKéMON LIST again and discovered six more. The additions are ARIADOS, LEDIAN,SHUCKLE, MISDREAVUS, SPOINK, and ABSOL. I'll send another update if I can find any more.
• Hi, it's NETT. I analyzed the SHADOW POKéMON LIST again and discovered six more. The additions are HITMONTOP, REMORAID, MANTINE, MEDITITE, BALTOY, and KECLEON. I'll send another update if I can find any more.
• Hi, it's NETT. I analyzed the SHADOW POKéMON LIST again and discovered six more. The additions are SWABLU, CASTFORM, SMEARGLE, GLIGAR, STANTLER, and MURKROW. I'll send another update if I can find any more.
• Hi, it's NETT. I analyzed the SHADOW POKéMON LIST again and discovered six more. The additions are PILOSWINE, FORRETRESS, GLIGAR, SNEASEL, PSYDUCK, and TEDDIURSA. I'll send another update if I can find any more.
• Hi, it's NETT. I analyzed the SHADOW POKéMON LIST again and discovered six more. The additions are HERACROSS, PORYGON2, WHISCASH, XATU, WOBBUFFET, and WAILMER. I'll send another update if I can find any more.

Unfinished Companion Inventory#

Normally, when you try to receive an item with a full inventory, the collected item is directly transported to the PC. However, there's data that indicated that the companion, Rui, would have been able to take and give items to you to help with storage management. This would have been possible with an incomplete 6th pocket space normally hidden until activated through a button in the ITEMS pocket, getting the same name as the one given to the companion, that was later repurposed for the inventory seen with the Cologne case.

In pocket_menu, there's two text strings, N/A 2 and N/A, that by comparing it with its German translation (Ken and Hizuki), we know these are the placeholder strings where the name given to the protagonist and the side protagonist are stored. Thus, if the inventory is accessed before naming the companion, it uses N/A for the pocket name.

Location	Text (EN)	Text (JP)	Text (GE)
pocket_menu	N/A 2	ケン	KEN
	N/A	ヒヅキ	HIZUKI

Inside the Rui's inventory, she only stores 10 specific items, not overlapping items if given two of the same, unlike the normal ITEMS pocket, but unused text indicates that she would not accept a repeated item. From inside her invetory, the player can choose to WITHDRAW the item to the normal ITEMS pocket, SWITCH its position around, or simply USE the item normally. The unused text on how this feature would have worked was left untranslated in Japanese (aside from, surprisingly, the Spanish translation).

Location	Text (JP)	Text (SP)	Translation
pocket_menu	(Rui)「これ以上(いじょう)持(も)てないわ どれかを引(ひ)き取(と)ってよ	(Rui): No te queda sitio para más objetos. Tendrás que dejar alguno.	(Rui): You don't have any room left for more items. You'll have to leave some behind.
	(Rui)「これを使(つか)えばいいのね？ オッケー、任(まか)せておいて	(Rui): Así que sólo debo usar esto. De acuerdo, déjalo en mis manos.	(Rui): So I just need to use this. Alright, leave it to me.
	(Rui)「もうそれは持(も)っているわ！ 同(おな)じものは持(も)てないよ	(Rui): Ése ya lo tienes. No puedes tener dos iguales.	(Rui): You already have that one. You can't have two of the same.
	(Player)は(Rui)から (item)を受(う)け取(と)った	(Player) ha recibido (item) de (Rui).	(Player) has received (item) from (Rui).

Unused Animations#

In-air Knockout animations#

In the original Pokémon Stadium, there was a unique animation if a Flying-type Pokémon that appears grounded on its normal animation is defeated while using Fly,where the Pokémon stumbles from its flying idle animation before falling. This mechanic was scrapped for Stadium 2, just placing the Pokémon back on the ground when knocked out, but the animations for that situations were left in the files. As Pokémon Colosseum reuses the exact same models and animation for the Pokémon present in the first two generations, these animations are also left unused in this game.

Farfetch'd	Doduo	Dodrio	Articuno
Moltres	Hoothoot	Noctowl	Togetic
Xatu	Murkrow	Delibird	Skarmory
	Lugia	Ho-Oh

Most surprisingly, even the new Flying-type Pokémon introduced in Hoenn that appear grounded on their normal animation also have this mid-air fainting animation, meaning the mechanic of a more organic knockout when using Fly was considered to be brought back, but it was probably scrapped due to complications with its implementation, as the flying idle animation also doesn't properly load in most cases. It has to be pointed out that while Vibrava and Flygon can learn Fly via TM and have a grounded idle animation, they don't count with special animations when using the move.

Taillow	Swellow	Pelipper	Tropius
Swablu	Altaria	Salamence

Unused Trainer animations#

All trainers count with a total of 10 animations in the files from 0 to 9:

-0: Shows the model in a T-pose.

-1: The normal overworld idle.

-2: Used when throwing a ball.

-3: The trainer extends an arm as if holding something on that hand. This could have been intended for a recalling animation. While the sequel didn't have a feature like this, the next game developed by Genius Sonority, Pokémon Battle Revolution, has very similar animations for that situation.

-4: The in-battle idle animation.

-5: The trainer reacts somewhat in fear.This could have been intended for a reaction when their Pokemon are hit, with Pokémon XD using similar animations.

-6: Defeat animation

-7: The trainer is attacked by a Shadow Pokemon while on Hyper Mode. Some of the Colosseum trainers cannot be fought during Story Mode, so this animation goes unused for some trainer classes.

-8: The trainer stands in guard after being attacked

-9: Intro animation. This animation is only used when the camera first pans to the opposing trainer when fought in a Colosseum,but they can also appear as the default intro animations by giving them the camera angles the main antagonists of Colosseum use on their intros (Miror B., Dakim, Venus, Ein, Gonzap, Nascour, Evice).

The exception to this rule are the protagonists of the game Wes, who count with two extra animation for throwing a Snag Ball and staying idle after that, and Rui, who doesn't ever appear only has the first 7 animations described previously, and she lacks an animation for a throwing ball, as that slot is used instead for her special cutscene where she detects a Shadow Pokemon.

During Hyper Mode, if a Shadow Pokemon is ordered to use a move that's different from Shadow Rush, there's a chance it'll instead choose to attack the player or the opposing trainer. All trainers have an animation for being attacked by a Shadow Pokemon, but as the GBA protagonists are only ever fought during Battle Mode, it's impossible to see these animations.

Pokémon animation oddities#

Hypno doesn't use a fainting animation in Pokemon Colosseum, with Memento ending almost after being used, and not showing a reaction to being knocked out. The animation still remains in the files, but it seemingly wasn't properly assigned. Pokemon XD would later properly use this animation.

Regional Differences#

Intro#

The Japanese release of Pokémon Colosseum shows a slightly longer, more dramatic title-screen reveal in which the stone colosseum literally rises up out of the desert ground before the game logo appears. In the international release, that segment is shortened or in some cases appears skipped so that the colosseum is already on-screen by the time the title fades in.

Title Screen#

Japan	International

Additionally, Rui's model image on the Japanese title screen is of an older model, and her expression is different.

Japan	International

Banner#

Japan	International

Rui Clothing#

In the Japanese version, Rui wears a crop top and a miniskirt. In the international versions, her shirt and skirt are both longer, and she also wears a white belt.

Logos#

The English logo was changed to remove the Japanese version's brick-wall look. Oddly enough, an earlier version of the logo (with the brick background) was used for the boxart of the US Bonus Disc.

Somek#

In the Japanese version, Somek, the 100th trainer of Mt. Battle, wears a horseshoe moustache. In the international versions, he has no moustache. This is likely to distance his look from the late Hulk Hogan. Oddly, the change was reverted back for Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.

Japan	International

This change is also reflected in his thumbnail image for each version, which can be found in chara_big.fsys inside chara_bigl074.gtx.

Japan	International

Main Menu Story Mode#

In the main menu, when selecting a mode, the Story Mode image featuring Wes and Umbreon was changed. The Japanese version's image uses an older Wes model, changed near the end of development.

Japan	International

End Credits#

The credits theme of the international versions has an extra 7 seconds added to the start, whereas in the Japanese version, it jumps right into the main theme without that extra buildup.

Oddities#

Solid Plant/Frenzy Plant#

Despite only being first revealed in FireRed and LeafGreen, the ultimate moves for the first partner Pokémon (Frenzy Plant, Hydro Cannon, Blast Burn) still exist in all Gen III games, but unseen unless a Pokémon that knows the moves is tranferred to the earlier entries. As Pokémon Colosseum was released before their availability, the move Frenzy Plant in the English localization is instead referred to as "Solid Plant", which is more aligned with its Japanese game.

Teleport in-battle animation#

The move Teleport has the unique property of allowing the user to always leave a wild battle, but always failing in a trainer battle. As Pokémon Colosseum doesn't include wild battles and it doesn't play out the animation of a move even when it misses or fails unlike the Stadium entries, the animation for Teleport can never be activated in a battle. However, the animation for Teleport still appears in the final game when the Abra at Mt. Battle teleports the player between areas, as revealed by forcing Teleport to work during a battle.

Different Ho-Oh Ending Animations#

While only including a minor difference in each, Pokemon Colosseum includes additional endings when defeating Evice after snagging all Shadow Pokemon and purifying Shadow Pokemon respectively, where Ho-Oh flies by with a different trajectory. This could be a leftover idea to include a proper true ending after meeting these criteria like in the sequel, Pokémon XD, where purifying all Shadow Pokemon unlocks a final animation with Michael leaving the Snag Machine at the Pokémon HQ Lab.

References#