Robopon Sun, Star, and Moon Versions

Robopon Sun, Star, and Moon Versions
Also known as: Robot Ponkottsu - Sun, Star, and Moon Versions (JP) Developers: Hudson Soft, Red Company Publishers: Hudson Soft (JP), Atlus (US; Sun Version only) Platforms: Game Boy, Super Game Boy, Game Boy Color Released in JP: December 4, 1998 (Sun & Star Versions), December 24, 1999 (Moon & Comic Bom Bom Versions) Released in US: December 4, 2000 This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden sound test. This game has regional differences. This game has a Data Crystal page

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To do: Finish documenting the debug menu. Collect the English descriptions of the Moon-exclusive robots, since many of them can't be seen in the Sun version. Check out the newly discovered English Star version.

Robopon is notable for being something like Pokémon, except with robots. It's even more notable by having been screwed over by the localizers, as they only translated the Sun version of the game. Not long afterward, everyone thought about where the English versions of Star and Moon went.

Debug Mode

In the text for the main menu, there's a mention of a debug option. It's been disabled, but can still be accessed with the magic of hacking.

In the US version, setting WRAM address DFA7 to 02 (if no save game exists) or 03 (if a save game exists) on the Continue/New Game/Set Date/Time menu and pressing A will allow the player to access the main debug menu.

Note that the system has to be set to Game Boy or Super Game Boy for this to work. If the player is using a Game Boy Color, modify WRAM address DFC5 instead. For the Japanese versions, set the value to 03 (if no save game exists) or 04 (if a save game exists).

(Source: Torchickens (GB/SGB code), eientei95 (GBC code))

Test1

• Field - Appears to load a new game.
• Sprite - Unknown use (brings the player back to the debug 'main menu').
• World Map - Displays the world map that is shown for travelling between different locations.
• Continue - Loads the current save file, even if one doesn't exist. If a save file doesn't exist then the player will follow a glitchy route through trees to get to Grandpa Hogle from the top-left corner of Capri Town.

Test O

Probably the most useful for the developers.

• Dump Byte - Show bytes for some stats.
• Sirial - Test serial communication.
• Ir - Test infrared communication.
• Battle anime - Test battle animations. The Robopon Buddy is shown and the player will "fight" with a Level 99 Sunny against a Level 10 Muri. The game allows the player to test invalid battle animations (these may result in a freeze).
• Battle exec - Test battles with a computer with four Robopon ("Debug1" through to "Debug4") at Level 99.
• Sound - A sound test, where you can listen to any music track or sound effect (although the ability to play sound effects may be bugged as selecting them may do nothing).
• remot - Unknown. An "IR" message box is displayed as well as the Robopon Rocker. Possibly related to the GB Kiss feature, since the text "KISIYU 0x0" may appear.
• Comm Battle - Test 2-player battles.

Note: The player has to scroll down from the last option displayed on the menu to see the following options:

• Time - Two numbers are displayed both initiated at 00. The bottom number is increased by 1 every minute, and the top number is increased by 1 every hour. Possibly due to a bug, waiting on the screen for an hour may reset the bottom number to 09, and from then on the bottom number will increase to "19", "29", and so on.
• Ending - Displays the staff credits and resets the game.
• Super gameboy - Presumably Super Game Boy-related. It is unknown what this does, and selecting it may bring the player back to the top of the Test O menu.
• 64 data - Presumably related to the Nintendo 64 game Robot Ponkottsu 64: Nanatsu no Umi no Caramel, but also with an unknown use other than bringing the player back to the top of the Test O menu.
• Battle Chara - A menu to view the sprites of Robopon and characters (including invalid sprites) and assign palettes to them.
• Debug - Displays a "Monitor Hit any key [glitchy characters] aaaaaaaaaaaaa BBBBBBBBBBBBBBB" message box that loops seemingly infinitely.
• Color - Enables you to create a color palette for the screen with Red, Green and Blue values (misspelled "Bule") which can be set to a maximum value of 31.

Test Y

Four different minigame tests ("Speeder", "Puncher", "Shielder", and "Jumper"), complete with a roster of maxed out robots.

Test S

• R.PMenu - Appears to do nothing.
• Field - Go to the Pause/Start menu.
• Command - A menu for viewing a company profile and communications. There is a glitch in which exiting out from the Company Profile menu corrupts the menu/background graphics.
• Store - Go to a store, with loads of cash on hand.
• Elevato - Unknown; likely a menu related to an elevator given the name and the option B1 being available (however choosing an option may freeze the game). As well as B1, floors #1 to #4 are available (as seemingly nameless menu options).
• Name - Change the player's name and birthday.
• Dispatch - Unknown (appears to be related to dispatching Robopon).
• Period - Unknown (appears to only work if a Robopon has been dispatched).

Test M

There are six options here, Greatest6 to Greatest1. All have the game bring up a "Loading" screen that is notably long, but eventually the game loads what appears to be a predefined save file with data depending on which option was chosen.

Sound

Play the music for Capri Town.

Regional Differences

For the English version, religious references in Angie and Uggy's halo were removed, Stinky's sprite was changed to have his skull on his front side and not show him farting, and Snorks' phallic design and Peach's butt design were changed considerably.

The Japanese versions can connect with the Japan-exclusive Robot Ponkottsu 64: Nanatsu no Umi no Caramel. Needless to say, the game was not released in the US, thus making that functionality inaccessible to US owners.

GB Kiss

A GB Kiss Option is available on the main menu in the Japanese version, allowing players to write and receive letters. However, it was largely removed from the US version, leaving only the Robopon sending feature. Some untranslated text strings encoded with Shift-JIS remain, however, at 7E7 and CAE.