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Cave Story/Unused Text

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This is a sub-page of Cave Story.

The scripts in Cave Story are very easily decoded as plain text, so we can see all of the text that falls outside of specific dialogue box events and such. Things in this section may have been intended as dialog or cutscenes, or may just be leftover comments.

ArmsItem

Item names and descriptions.

#6002
<PRI<EVE7002<MPJ7002<MSGNo data for this floor.<NOD<CLR<END

Present between the description of Arthur's key and Santa's key. The "<MPJ" command, which doesn't appear in any event except this one, jumps to an event if the map's "mapping flag" has been set with the similarly unused "<MP+" command. Pixel probably had something like map stations, from Metroid, planned in mind, but decided not to follow through with it. Or, he simply didn't want the player to use the map in some areas.

This event is run when using the Map System in the inventory, and it immediately jumps to event 7002, which just shows the map, leaving the <MPJ command unused, and the "No data for this floor." text to never appear.

AGTP Translation Official Translation
Puppy
Dog
Jenka's pet dog.

The name and description for Jenka's puppies. However, whenever acquiring a puppy, a flag is set that gives the puppy a unique name and description.

Head

Global events such as health refills, death, and drowning.

XX: head.tsc   4000 - 4099
4000:Almond水難

This appears at the bottom. This is one of Pixel's comments that he used to keep track of the flags in the game, but he seems to have forgotten to remove it from this script. The one flag noted here (4000) is about running event 1100 when drowned, rather than the standard drowning event. "Almond" is the internal name for the Core (and by extension, the "Core" map), which is the only place in the game where the above flag is used. The two kanji mean "flood" (as in drowning).

Eggs

The Egg Corridor.

AGTP Translation Official Translation
-0505
<PRI<MSG<FAC0013What...?<NOD<CLRWhere am I...?<NOD
What did I...?<NOD<CLRWho are you?<NOD<END
-0505
<PRI<MSG<FAC0013
What?<NOD<CLR
Where am I?<NOD
...I?<NOD<CLR
You are?<NOD<END

This event (numbered 505, but rendered inactive; the first character should be "#" instead of "-") occurs between the events for the boss battle with Igor at the end of Egg Corridor. It shows that, originally, Igor survived to say those lines if talked to after the battle, and had a large profile face for the dialog, numbered 13 (which was later replaced by Jenka's face).

Oddly, there are no commands in this event which would play a 'getting up' animation (implying that he would simply change back to normal immediately) and the script freezes the entire game state while it's running so nothing can move or animate anyway.

Unfortunately for Igor, he is no longer interactible after combat and instead falls to his knees before flopping to the floor and laying there.

MazeI

First room of the Labyrinth.

The following text can be found at the bottom of the script file:

37: MazeI      0640 - 0659
0640:初到来
0641:扉開く
0642:ライフカプセル

Translated:

0640:Initial entrance
0641:Open gate
0642:Life Capsule

Notes about the flags used in this map. Funny that out of all the maps, only this one (and technically the Core room in Head.tsc) got to keep its notes.

Plant

Yamashita Farm.

#0105
<PRI<MSGWant to save?<YNJ0000<SVP<CLRGame saved.<NOD<END
#0106
<PRI<LI+1000<SOU0020<AE+<MSGEnergy replenished.<NOD<END

It's a room-specific save and healing prompt, before they were added to Head.tsc. Seems to be a pretty old holdover from early in development.

The save script differs from the one in Head, as it doesn't set the flag that confirms the player has saved at least once. Also, the AGTP translation has this as "Want to save?" while the regular save prompt is "Do you want to save?". However, the Japanese is exactly the same in both cases (セーブしますか?), suggesting that this was simply a leftover from an earlier translation.

Curiously, the Nicalis translation retained this oddity exactly as it was from the AGTP translation.

Jenka1

Jenka's house, before being raided by Balrog.

Each puppy says something different after you return him/her, and they're all aligned next to Jenka. The joke was that the first puppy would bark once "Arf!", the second would bark twice "Arf arf!", the third three times "Arf arf arf!", the fourth would perform a combo breaker and say "Booop.", and finally, the fifth would say "Five!".

However, when you enter the door to Jenka's house with the fifth puppy on your head, the game takes you to "Jenka2" to show Balrog stealing the key. From there on, "Jenka2" is the map you're taken to. As such, the fifth puppy never gets in line (said line being in "Jenka1") and the last part of the joke is lost.

Eventually, the Nintendo Switch version of Cave Story+ added the ability to carry multiple puppies at once. When multiple puppies are brought to Jenka when she has less than 4 of them on her, the player is required to exit and re-enter the room in order to trigger the cutscene with Balrog, allowing this line to finally appear in-game.

MazeO

The Camp in the Labyrinth where Curly is.

AGTP Translation Official Translation
The mysterious robot,
Monster X...
Your chance to attack
is when its hatch opens.
The mysterious robot,
Monster X...
When the hatch opens...
that's your chance to attack.

Someone should have told you when to attack the Labyrinth's mid-boss, but this text is never used.

MazeB

Labyrinth B, the room where Prof. Booster appears.

When Prof. Booster appears, and you talk to him, there's an alternate script where when you try to talk to him with the Tow Rope, he will say "Ooh..." instead of his usual dialogue.

AGTP Translation Official Translation
Ooh...
Uuhh...

You get the Tow Rope in the Core room before or after fighting the Core, but by then, you can't backtrack to Labyrinth B (you're blocked either at Dark Place, or if before the fight, the door to it), and by the time you're able to get back to Labyrinth B, Prof. Booster has already left, making this event impossible.

However, one of the changes in the Switch port included the ability to leave the Core room after gaining the tow rope, meaning you can actually backtrack and see this dialogue in-game.

Almond

The Core's room in the Labyrinth.

Once the core is destroyed, the doors to the main room close and the first terminal reads "ERROR" when you try to inspect it. The underwater terminal is programmed to do the same, but the problem is that when the Core is defeated, the elevator that leads to the underwater terminal is blocking you, so you can never read its "ERROR" message.

Blcny2

The Balcony, when it's crumbling.

In the regular Balcony, when it's not crumbling, if the player gets too close to the left edge, the message

AGTP Translation Official Translation
Any further and you're
going to fall!
You'll fall beyond this point!

appears. The script for this message is also present when the island is crumbling, but doesn't play since you need to jump off the edge.

Cent

The Plantation.

AGTP Translation Official Translation
It's still too early to come
here...
You're too early...

This message appears if you try to enter the door to the Final Cave before the rocket is ready.

There is actually a 'cheat' way to get up there without the rocket - you get a few Stumpies from the top left corner or down there around the pool at the bottom. Lure them to the presses, get yourself damaged by them, then quickly boost through a few presses. You won't take 127 damage due to the invincibility. Keep doing this to get to the top. You can save there, but it will display the message so you can't get through the door.

AGTP Translation Official Translation
.....
You're one of those killer robots!
Oh, you got me...
.....
You must be a killer robot!!
Captured...

This strange script is used for when you talk to Mimigas without the Mimiga mask. However, the script beyond the ellipses is unused because an <END command precedes it.

This may have been an alternate script for the guard grabbing you when you try to use the teleporter, and taking you to the cell where Sue was. It mutes the music, shows this text, fades the screen to black, and takes the player to the cell.

The "Oh, you got me..." line is a strange alternate version of "You were caught...".

Momo

Momorin Sakamoto's hideout.

AGTP Translation Official Translation
What I need right now
is a Booster.
Now, who would have one
of those...
At the moment I need a
Booster.
I wonder if anyone would
have a spare handy...

Sue's mother needs a booster to complete the rocket, and she says this if you don't have one with you. However, by this point you either have the Booster v0.8 or v2.0 mandatorily.

Ring2

The King's Table, where you battle against the Doctor.

AGTP Translation Official Translation
Oh hey, you're that...
Ah!
You're from that time...

When you talk to Santa, the Mimiga to the right of the Doctor, the game checks if the battle has ended. If so, it runs event #0222, where he reminds you who he is. If the battle is taking place, it runs event #0221, where he says "Look out! Behind you!". If neither of those is true, it shows that text. One problem though: the battle starts when you get close to the Doctor, and you can't talk to Santa without getting through the Doctor. In other words, you can't talk to Santa before the battle, so this text is never used.

Hell2

The second floor of the Blood Stained Sanctuary/Sacred Ground.

There's a script that hides the HUD and displays this message:

AGTP Translation Official Translation
There's no going back...
You can't go back...

It was most likely intended for the door in this area.

Demo Finishers

During development, Pixel released some prototype versions where the storyline would only go to a certain point, after which a message would be displayed noting that the rest of the story will be added later.

MazeB

Labyrinth B, the room where Prof. Booster appears.

If the player tried to leave through the door in Labyrinth B, the following message would appear:

AGTP Translation Official Translation
Thank you. This is as far as it
goes for now.
  2003/09/27 Studio Pixel
Good work!
This is it for now.
  2003/09/27 Studio Pixel

This message doesn't appear because the script that takes the player to the Boulder Chamber runs before the message's script.

Oside

Outer Wall.

If the player tried to enter the door that leads to the Storehouse where Itoh is, the following message would appear:

AGTP Translation Official Translation
That's all...
No more...

As with the previous message, the script that transports the player plays before the message's script.

Location of the unused NPC.

Also in the Outer Wall, there is an NPC inside the wall, to the left and below the door that leads to the Storehouse, with almost no info, and named "Debug cat". Its sprite is used in the credits, as the first person credited in the special thanks section. This NPC triggers the following message:

AGTP Translation Official Translation
Thanks for helping with the
debugging.
This is as far as the game goes
for now.
I'm thinking I'll make this next
stage the last one.
Wonder how far I can get in
just two months...
Thanks for helping debut this game!
I have only made up this much so far.
I'm thinking I'll make this next
stage ahead the last one.
With two more months we'll see
how far I can get...

Blcny1

Balcony, first arrival.

There is a Cthulhu burrowed underground, a bit to the left of the entrance to the Throne Room. When spoken to, the game hides the HUD and displays this message:

AGTP Translation Official Translation
Nice job.
Thank you for all the hard work.


It then fades out, displays the message

AGTP Translation Official Translation
Ending.
Fin.

and rolls the credits.

Blcny2

Balcony, when it's crumbling.

The same Cthulhu as above, when spoken to, hides the HUD, plays the credits song, writes

AGTP Translation Official Translation
Thank you for testing!
The next part is still
under construction...
Good work on the debugging!
It's still under construction 
ahead...

and restores the song that was playing before.