Super Monkey Ball Jr.

Super Monkey Ball Jr.
Developer: Realism Publishers: THQ (US), Sega (EU/AU) Platform: Game Boy Advance Released in US: November 19, 2002 Released in EU: April 4, 2003 Released in AU: 2003 This game has unused areas. This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused text. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden level select. This game has regional differences. This game has a prototype article

Super Monkey Ball Jr. is what happens when Realism and Sega/AV bring Monkey Ball to a console that lacks an analog stick. It works a lot better than you'd expect.

Sub-Page

Prototype Info

Cheat Codes

All of these are entered on the title screen.

Super Nice Try

Press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, the Konami Code.

Super Blocky Mode

Press Left, Left, Right, Right, Down, Down, A.

Mode	Super Blocky Mode off	Super Blocky Mode on
Main Game
Monkey Golf

This reduces the resolution of the stages, characters, and objects from 240×160 (the GBA's internal resolution) to 240×80. The HUD and character icons are displayed normally.

Note that this mode is only effective in the main game and Monkey Golf. Other modes (such as Monkey Bowling, Monkey Fight, and the credits mini-game) are not affected, most likely because they do not use the graphical mode 4 and do not feature a camera that turns in 3 dimensions.

Super Enable All

Press Down, Down, Up, Up, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A. This unlocks all three mini-games (Monkey Fight, Monkey Bowling, and Monkey Golf), golf course B, Master stages, and unlimited continues, along with enabling all stages to be accessed in Practice mode.

Mini FE

US version	EU version

A Mini FE (frontend) menu can be accessed by changing the value of the RAM Address 0x030004b4 for the US version and 0x030004cc for the EU version to 0x00, or by enabling one of the below CodeBreaker codes and pressing L+R:

US	Europe
74000130 00FF 330004B4 0000	74000130 00FF 330004CC 0000

The options have also been translated into the other 4 languages (German, French, Italian and Spanish).

Level

This allows the user to select any main game stage, even the unused/dummy stages. This number cycles through 1 to 100. The Monkey golf stages cannot be accessed via this option.

Mode

Various modes of the game can be selected:

Fight

This takes the player to the Monkey fight minigame. AiAi will be selected as Player 1's character. The number of wins is set to 3, and the three stages are all set in Mid-Summer Jungle Square.

Bowling

This takes the player to the Monkey bowling minigame. The settings are set to one player, and on Normal mode. AiAi will be selected as the player's character.

Golf

This takes the player to the Monkey golf minigame. The settings are set to one player, and the player plays on Course A. Baby will be selected as the player's character.

Comp Mode

This takes the player to the Main game mode, but the player starts on the first golf course, which is not possible in normal play. This is because the RAM address 0x030019D3 for US and 0x030019D3 for EU contains the stage ID which will be loaded for Main Mode and Monkey golf, and the value is defaulted to 0x65 when the game is reset. This value is the ID for the first golf course, which is then loaded in the Main game mode. Baby will be selected as the player's character.

Credits

This takes the player to the credits mini-game. Baby will be selected as the player's character.

Level Select

This takes the player to the level select screen (from Practice mode) where the player can play all the stages that have been unlocked. Baby will be selected as the player's character. Going back to this menu by using the B button will freeze the game.

Tweak Screen

This loads the Tweak screen menu, which has additional settings.

Multiplayer

The player is taken to the Multiplayer menu as normal.

Pressing B on this menu will either give the message

SAVE FAILED 

or

SAVE OKAY

. This message replaces the date displayed, but not the time. Pressing Start will return the player to the main menu and will save the game.

Tweak Screen

Another set of options can be accessed, either from the Mini FE menu, or by changing the RAM address 0x030004b4 for the US version to 0x0A (or enable CodeBreaker code 74000130 00FF 330004B4 000A and press L+R). Attempting to access this menu in the EU version either from the Mini FE menu or by changing the RAM address 0x030004cc to 0x0A will cause the game to crash. Pressing Start will take the user to the Monkey bowling results screen (with no results displayed). Pressing A on that screen will take the player to a game of Monkey bowling with default settings (1 player, Normal Mode, AiAi as the player).

(Monkey)

This value ranges from 0 to 3, possibly representing AiAi, MeeMee, Baby and GonGon respectively. This does not seem to do anything any more.

(Draw Distance)

This is also a 2-bit value (ranges from 0 to 3), which changes the draw distance. 0 gives a very short draw distance, while 3 makes the player invisible and messes up the draw distance slightly. 1 (the default value) and 2 seem to make no changes.

'Ugly Mode'

This is a 1-bit value whose effect is currently unknown.

Upper Frame Rate Limit

This value is used to cap the maximum amount of frames per second rendered. This value varies from a measly 1 frame per second to 100 frames per second (which is higher than the amount of frames per second the GBA can physically render).

(Camera Rotate Speed)

This supposedly controls the speed in which the camera rotates, is defaulted to 30 and can vary from 0 to 75.

Rolling Resistance

This quantifies the amount of friction that there is when the player moves forward or backwards. The parameter ranges from 0 to 50 and is set to 22 by default. The lower the value, the slipperier the character will become.

Rotation Resistance

This determines the amount of friction when the player turns left or right. The default value is 48, and it can range from 0 to 100. The lower the value, the slipperier the character will become.

Gravity Air

This affects how quickly the character will fall. It is defaulted to -750 and can be set to values between -2000 and 0. At 0, the character will not fall at all and will remain in the air. The camera will then zoom out from the stage.

Gravity Floor

This value has the same range as Gravity Air, and shares the same default value of -750. This value determines how fast the user rolls across the floor. A value of 0 will prevent the user from moving from their spot.

World Tilt Force

This value will determine how much the floor will tilt as the player moves. It has a default value of 750 and ranges from 0 to 2000.

Springback Force

This value describes the amount of force that the player will experience when hitting an obstacle, such as a wall or a slide. Its default value is 550, and ranges from 0 to 2000.

Air Resistance

This determines the movement of the player in the air. Its default value is 16 and ranges from 0 to 50.

Pinball Bumper Force

This determines how far the character will fly when hitting a pinball bumper. Its default value is 20 and it ranges from 0 to 50.

Advanced Options

An additional menu can be located in the game by changing the RAM Address 0x030004b4 for the US version and 0x030004cc for the EU version to 0x17, or by enabling one of the below CodeBreaker codes and pressing L+R:

US	Europe
74000130 00FF 330004B4 0017	74000130 00FF 330004CC 0017

With the exception of the final option, the menus have been translated into the other four languages in the European version. Pressing B will take the user to the previous screen that they have been in.

Draw Distance

This option has three options: Low, Medium and High, though unlike the (Draw Distance) in the Tweak Screen, this no longer has any effect.

Screen Resolution

This option can toggle the Super Blocky Mode by giving the user two options: Full (240x160) and Half (240x80).

Display Framerate

This will enable a framerate display at the top of the screen during gameplay. Alternatively, the CodeBreaker code 32002C2D 0001 can be used as well.

Unlock Everything

Self-explanatory. After this option is selected, the user is taken back to the normal title screen, the game will be saved too with everything unlocked.

Add 2000 Play Points

It appears that this option will have no effect when selected.

Unused Stages

As mentioned above, the RAM address 0x030019D3 contains the stage that will be loaded. These following stages can be played by changing the hex value (CodeBreaker code 330019D3 00XX), or by using the mini FE menu. The following stages that are unused:

ID 66 to 70

The used master stages have ID numbers of 0x3c to 0x41, which correspond to 60 and 65 in decimal. The beginner stages use ID numbers 1 to 10, the advanced stages use ID numbers 11 to 30 and the expert stages use ID numbers 31 to 60. The next used stage after 65 is 71, which means the IDs 65 to 70 are placeholder stages. This explains why they use the same map as the very first stage, but retain the master stage background and the bottom of the platform is dark red. After completing any of these stages, the game will continue until stage ID 71 which corresponds to the Extra Beginner stage, and the game will end as normal when the third Extra Beginner stage is completed.

ID 75 to 80, ID 85 to 90, ID 95 to 100

The rest of the unused stages are exact duplicates of ID 1. Similarly to the master courses, the player can progress until they reach the next used stage in the game. 71 to 73 are the Extra Beginner stages, 81 to 83 are the Extra Advanced stages and 91 to 93 are the Extra Expert stages. Stage 101 is the first golf course, but it is impossible to complete. The HUD will still display the "Extra Beginner/Advanced/Expert" label.

Interestingly ID 74, 84 and 94 (i.e. the stages that come right after the final extra stages that are used) will cause the game to crash.

Crash Handler

If the game ever crashes, it'll display this very basic crash handler.

Build Dates

US Version	Oct 3 2002 17:14:24
EU Version	Dec 5 2002 10:49:38

(Source: Ferrox)

Debugging Text

A decent amount of debugging text is left in, including some stats that would have been printed from the game itself.

%s.chr
%s.pal
%s.map
Mini FE SAVE FAILED
SAVE OKAY
FE_setupLanguage DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() gameInfo.language is not in the range 0 - 4 %d
Warning: attempting to move non-existant overlay
Camera Rotate Speed
Draw Distance
Monkey
Pinball bumper force
Air resistance
Springback force
World Tilt Force
Gravity Floor
Gravity
Air
Rotation resistance
Rolling resistance
(Camera Rotate Speed)
Upper frame rate limit
'Ugly Mode'
(Draw Distance)
(Monkey)
TWEAKSCREEN_init
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Invalid tweakables set %.3f %s000 %s %d
FESCR13_fightSettings2
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() this screen doesn't exist anymore!
Error: Incompatible Versions Press the B Button MB
link state: %d
FE_selectNextEndScreen
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() This shouldn't happen!
FESCR30_resumeSavedGame
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() No saved game - shouldn't be on this screen! ??? %s (%d/10)
PREVIEW %s.pal %s.til  %s.map
RAST_init DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Not a valid DLL file %d
addVert DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Too many verts in section
addVert didn't work...
addQuad Non-existant vert
Too many flat-shaded polys in section
addTri
addUTexQuad
Too many textured polys in section
addUTexTri
getRealRailVert tvert out of range!
getRealVert
WORLD_allocTVerts
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Completely out of tverts (inc. slow mem verts..)
WORLD_build .smb loader
Section has ZBias (%d)
---------------------------
Sections Created:  %d
World Geometry:    %d bytes
World Centre:      (%d,%d,%d)
Active Tiles: %d
---------------------------
Incorrect version number!
ENTITY_add DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Out Of Entities!
ENTITY_processEntities
Out of entity quads (Far too many pnball bumpers)
ENTITY_create
out of range warp
World has more than 2 exits!!
Too many cameras
ENTITY_drawUnscaledIcon out of blit prims
CAMERA_update
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() No camera entities in world!
PREVIEW
SPRITEFX_initPltt
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Real pltt idx exceeds 15
SPRITEFX_addParticles
Invalid particle type!
MOTION_getPointOnSpline
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Nonexistant Spline!
MOTION_initSpline
Too many splines in level
SECTION_updateMotion
Unsupported 2-point motion type
ENTITY_updateMotion Unsupported entity motion type
BE_printDigits
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() only supports 2/5/7 digits
%d:%02d:%02d
END MARKER
Previewer mode
doesnt.exist
gongon
baby
meemee
aiai
celebrate
golf
balance
tumble
run+stand
LINK CODE
SEC MOVE
ENTITIES
GAMECODE
PHYSICS
DRAW
OT
XFORM/INS
BG COPY %d
GETSTRING
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Invalid Language
TEXTFX_init can't find overlay tx0%d tx%d
Failed to find obj '%s' bx0%d bx%d
TEXTFX_print
alt pltt not found!!
FIGHT_game
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Pause entered incorrectly %d pts
FIGHT_checkPause
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Invalid player pausing
Can't find pause menu background
Can't find pause menu monkey head
Pausing...
FIGHT_quickInput
Invalid controller
Invalid controller %d
FIGHT_control
%s.chr %s.map %s.pal
FIGHT_setupWinScreen
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Too many winners specified
FIGHTAI_externalState
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Player isn't AI controlled
FIGHTAI_rangeToPlayer
Invalid phys obj index
FIGHT_addPhysics
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() No spare physics objects
Object not found: %s
OVERLAY_findObject
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() failed to findobjectinoverlay()
OVERLAY_findObjectInOverlay
OVERLAY_changeImage
Wrong object type
OVERLAY_SCREEN_init
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Wrong version in overlay
OVERLAY_SHAPE_loadPalette
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Cant replace palette for tilemap
OVERLAY_TILEMAN_newSet
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Couldn't find spare tileset structure
OVERLAY_TILEMAN_allocTiles
Error with TileMap
Couldn't allocate tiles OVERLAY_TILEMAN_freeTiles
Corrupted Tileset %s.bim
OVERLAY_BIM_load
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Couldn't find image in bim file
OVERLAY_PALMAN_newSet
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Couldn't find a spare palette set
OVERLAY_PALMAN_addVBlankPalette
Cannot update more than 32 palettes in one VBlank
OVERLAY_PALMAN_allocPalette Couldnt allocate a new palette
OVERLAY_PALMAN_removePalette
Palette not under this palette set
OVERLAY_SPRITEMAN_newSet
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() No free sprite sets left
OVERLAY_SPRITEMAN_allocSprite
No free sprites left
Only valid GBA sprite sizes supported
OVERLAY_BIMMAN_findBim
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() No free bim images
OVERLAY_BIMMAN_freeBim
Trying to free unallocated BIM
numplayers = %d
mkys: %d / %d / %d / %d
blinked: %d
GOLF_initRound
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() too many players
GOLF_findNextPlayer
No player to select next!!
entities\ball.cel
shape\begraphics
SPRITEBANK_open
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() .ASB File - incorrect version number
MAX_VIRTUAL_PLTTS exceeded!
SPRITEBANK_flip
Set firstpltt with spritebank_init
Out of sprite palettes (next=%d)
Major balls-up!
SPRITEBANK_render
Arrgghh! Spritebank checksum failed
Out of range frame from:
Frame No: %d
Non-existant anim frame (Render)
Out of sprite palettes (next=%d, obj=%d)
SPRITEBANK_renderScaled
Out of affine params
SPRITEBANK_drawScaled
Sprite list overflow!
SPRITEBANK_draw
SPRITEBANK_drawSingleScaledSprite
SPRITEBANK_renderSingleScaledSprite
invalid sprite size
Initialising WOD file
MAIN_close
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Errrm...
App exited...
This shouldn't happen on a console...
MAIN_initLists
gameInfo language out of range
Fast F/L/#: %d / %d / %d
Slow F/L/#: %d / %d / %d
FILE_load
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Couldn't open file
Couldn't alloc memory.
FILE_loadAt
Couldn't open file.
File larger than buffer.
FILE_open
Too many files open.
AgbOpen
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() No free file handles.
DEBUG_Init()
Module:
Function:
Line:
%s() %d
Connection Lost! (Press A)
Source/memory.c
MEM_stackCheck
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Stack overflow!
MEM_init
No free fast mem - Can't init mem manager!
MEM_poolCreate
DEBUG_ASSERT() Assertion Failed
(FAILED: MEM_validate test 1 - ?)
(FAILED: MEM_validate test 2 - Dodgy alignment)
(FAILED: MEM_validate test 3 - ?
Failed to alloc %d byte block
(%d total free bytes)
Free Bytes: %d
Largest Free Block: %d
Num Blocks: %d
Called from '%s', line %d:
** Fast/internal memory **
** Slow/external memory **
MEM_allocate
Failed to validate %d byte block (%d free bytes)
Called from '%s', line %d
MEM_free
VIDMODE_addVBlankRegSet16
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Maximum register list size reached
VIDMODE_addVBlankRegSet32
padGetPressed -
Invalid Pad %d
INPUT_padGetPressed
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() INPUT_padGetStatus
AUDIO\PATCHES
GAMMA_correct
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Count must be non-zero
Gamma value out of range (0-31)
GAMMA_fadeToBlack
Fade value out of range 0 (normal) - 31 (black)
GAMMA_fadeToWhite
Fade value out of range 0 (normal) - 31 (white)
GAMMA_adjustBrightness
SYNC
Not connected
COMMS ERROR
RECV.
TIME.
CONK.
Values:%d,%d,%d,%d
debugShow
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Performance - %d pc (%d lines), Hi: %d pc, Lo:%d pc
**************** Mem:%d ****************
FADE_setup
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() You haven't set a shape with FADE_setShape()
Custom window function not registered
FADE_vblank
Unsupported fade type
BACKUP_SetType
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING()
Invalid EEPROM settings. %s.nsf %s.raw
FEAUDIO_addSFX
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Couldn't file audio file
Too many samples. %s.nsq
FEAUDIO_playSFX
Trying to play non-existant sample
FEOBJLIST_AddAudio
Couldn't allocate audio structure.
FEOBJLIST_AddSfx
Couldn't allocate sfx info
FEOBJLIST_AddMusic
Couldn't allocate music info
FELAY_SetFileNamePrt
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() FELAY_init: Not defined enough layfile name space.
Change
NO_PLAYFILES in FELAY_SetFileNamePrt
FELAY_init
FELAY_init: Trying to initialise non existant layfile.
FELAY_InitLayfile
CHUNK Version Incorrect
CHUNK Length Incorrect
Incorrect Version Number
Code Version: MakeLBN.inf v.%d
File Version: MakeLBN.inf v.%d
Get the latest MakeLBN.inf from $\BIN\MakeLBN.inf and the latest structures from $\COMMON\FELIB\INCLUDE\FEIMPORT.H
CHUNK Header Incorrect
Screens ection
FELAY_ReadAllObjects
Screen section size incorrect
Object size incorrect
Image size incorrect
Text size incorrect
Audio size incorrect
Sfx size incorrect
Music size incorrect
Line size incorrect
Unknown chunk %04x
Unknown Chunk Type Error
Reading File
FEOBJLIST_InsertObject
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Not been updated yet. Scream at Paul.
FEOBJLIST_AddObject
Too Many Objects! Change FEOBJLIST_MAX
Can't allocate Object_List.obj_last
BackGoto- set to both a screen and PREV
FEOBJLIST_AddImage
Too Many Images! Change FEIMAGE_MAX
Can't allocate feimaget
FEOBJLIST_AddText
Too Many Texts! Change FETEXT_MAX
Can't allocate fetext %d
FEOBJLIST_AddLine
Can't allocate feline
FEOBJLIST_drawObjectList
Drawing Non existant resource!!
Drawing too many Objects... alter DISPLAY_LIST_SIZE
Can't find obj
FEOBJLIST_findObjectByName
Error Trying To Find nonexistant Object
FEOBJLIST_DeleteObjectByName
Trying to Delete now existant Object!
Trying to clear existant resource!!
FEOBJLIST_setOverlayOn set ON Invalid Overlay
FEOBJLIST_setOverlayOff set OFF Invalid Overlay
FEOBJLIST_getOverlay
Getting Invalid Overlay
FEOBJLIST_findImageByName
There is no image attached to this Object!
FEOBJLIST_findTextByName
There is no text attached to this Object!
FESCR_setScreen_no
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Trying to set nonexistant screen
FESCR_setLast_Screen_no Trying to set nonexistant Lastscreen new
FESCR_setNew_Screen_no  Trying to set nonexistant Newscreen new
FESCR_setSfx
Trying to set nonexistant sound channel FESCR_getSfxId
Trying to access nonexistant sound channel FESCR_getSfxSample
FESCR_setBackGoto
Out of screen stack... try changing SCREEN_STACKSIZE!t
FESCR_setBackButton
Trying to set noexistant nackbutton
FETEXT_initLanguage
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Text database header ID incorrect!
FETEXT_loadLanguageFromBank
No language bank setup
Unknown language %0*d
FETEXT_getStringAscii
Trying to get invalid string
FETEXT_printString Can't allocate fetext pstring
ID %d : No String
FETEXT_findStringInfo
Not a text object
FETEXT_findXOffset
FETEXT_findYOffset
FELIB_VRAM_openBim
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Couldn't cache compressed BIM file
FELIB_VRAM_RegisterDefaultImage
Couldn't find default image. %s.bim
Couldn't load palette
Couldn't find palette
FELIB_VRAM_getPalette
Couldn't find image:
Register a Default Image with FELIB_VRAM_RegisterImage
Couldn't find image Source/fefont.c
PXVRAM_HashToID
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() HashToID string == NULL
FELIB_FONT_RemoveSystem
Not all font's removed
FELIB_FONT_InitFont
pff filename too long
FEDLL_Init
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Not a valid DLL file
SPRITE_Init
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Couldn't allocate sprite table
SPRITE_alloc
Too many sprites
SPRITE_allocScale
Too many scale parameters
SPRITE_tileAlloc
Run out of Sprite Tiles
SPRITE_newPalette
Couldn't allocate a palette
SPRITE_setPalette
Couldn't allocate 256 colour palette
SPRITE_freePalette
Freeing unused palette
SPRITE_addIdent
Too many sprite images added
SPRITE_addRect
Unsupported width
Unsupported height
FENAV_installNavigation
DEBUG_ASSERTSTRING() Invalid User Navigation Type

(Source: Ferrox)

Unused Text

Present at 0xBF9CC in the USA ROM is some text for a mini frontend along with an earlier build date. This text was removed in the European ROM.

Press Start button
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6
Level 7
Level 8
Stress Test
Physics Test
Select Level
Super Monkey Ball GBA
Mini Frontend
22nd Feb 2002
Fight
Bowling
Golf
Comp Mode
x
Level:
Mode:
Credits
Level Select
Tweak Screen
Parameter
Value
Build Date:

Unused Graphics

Unused "Technology Demo" Image

A leftover graphic from a tech demo. It seems to resemble that of the early online game demo of Super Monkey Ball named Super Monkey Ball Mini. This has been converted from the TGA image data found at offset 308994-3124AF in the US ROM and 3135E0-31D0FB in the EU ROM.

Unused Fonts

An unused font.

An unused Japanese katakana font. Since the game was never released in Japan, this font would have no appropriate usage.

Debug Icons

Possible debug-related icons.

Obscured Graphics

In the character select screen, the monkeys have the bottom 5 pixels of their waiting animation hidden by a text graphic of their own name. This hides some or all of their feet.

Regional Differences

Present in the US version is a glitch that allows you to play any level in practice mode without having to unlock it in normal mode first. Go to the level selection menu in practice mode and highlight any locked level. Press B to return to the character select and then select any character to return to the level select. Once you return to the level select, the level you highlighted will now be unlocked.

This was fixed in the European version by having the level select cursor return to Beginner 1 if a locked stage was selected before pressing the B button.