Tarepanda no Gunpey

This game/console's online features are no longer supported. While this game/console's online features were once accessible, they are (as of March 31, 2003) no longer officially supported and online-exclusive features may be documented as now-unseen content.

Tarepanda no Gunpey
Developer: Koto Laboratory Publisher: Bandai Platform: WonderSwan Released in JP: December 9, 1999 This game has unused graphics. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden sound test. This game has hidden bonus content.

Simply put, a reskinned Gunpey with a brand new story, which now covers Tarepanda's journey to take pictures of other Tarepanda (which are slowly stacked as the story progresses). Tarepanda was a major project for Sanrio (best known for Hello Kitty and Agguretsuko). As part of the cross-promotion, the game was also sold with a special edition Tarepanda Wonderswan.

Hex Font

A hex font can be found starting from 0xD06AC in the game's data.

Debug Menu

The game has a debug menu that can be accessed by modifying the state for the next state change. Set a breakpoint at the state machine located at F000:02FC, modify the state byte value at DS:0208 to 0x82 and continue execution to enter the debug menu.

Pattern Test

Exit back to the Debug Menu by pressing Start.

Face Test

Exit back to the Debug Menu by pressing Start.

Sound Test

Exit back to the Debug Menu by pressing Start.

Defunct Online Content

The game has many hidden online functions, accessed through the WonderGate cell modem. When booting up the game, press and hold the "A", "B", "Y1", and "Y4" buttons simultaneously, then tap and release the power button while continuing to hold down all four buttons until the intro scene begins. This will add a third option to the title screen, "わんだげーと” (WonderGate), and multiple submenus. As with the rest of the game, the online submenus have unique (and weaponizably cute) images of Tarepandas going about their lives. Once the code has been properly entered at least once, the cartridge will continue to boot with the WonderGate options enabled.

Note: Incorrectly-entering the code on real hardware will cause the WonderSwan to freeze on the first frame of the title menu and display a large white block in place of the usual Wondergate icon on the system bar. Power down the system, then reboot it without entering the code. Finally, boot the system up for a third time while entering the code again.

Main Menu

In order from top to bottom:

1. Dial in
2. Options
3. Return to main menu

Connection Sequence

After hitting the "connect" option, the game waits for you to hit X3 to confirm, then begins attempting to dial. If it fails to connect to the WonderGate after roughly 5 seconds, it kicks out to a failure screen of Tarepanda hung out to dry. The game will prompt the player to press the Start or X3 button and kick them out to the WonderGate menu.

• 

  Preparing to dial

• 

  Attempting to connect

• 

  Connection failed

Options Menu

In order from top to bottom:

1. Enter phone number
2. Test-dial the number
3. Clear number
4. Return to WonderGate menu

(Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20011031140654/http://www.swan.channel.or.jp/swan/software/index_gate.html)