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[ash_ag]

GlitterBerri, who is known for her translation of Hyrule Historia, often puts up fan-translations of old interviews and other game material. A few months ago she compiled known information from Pocket Monsters 2's (the game that would become Gold and Silver) appearance in Spaceworld '97 primarily based on an old account by a Japanese fan who attended the event. Thought these would interest many. Here's the article.

A couple highlights:

The game started inside the player's house. At this time, you already had a level 8 Pokémon (which might mean that the event where you receive a Pokémon from Professor Oak was removed for the demo). This could be one of three Pokémon, depending on the ROM:

A Japanese fan's recreation of Honooguma.

Honooguma
• Type: Fire
• Moves: Scratch, Leer
Honooguma, which translates to ”Fire Bear", appears to have been either replaced by or converted into Cyndaquil. Cyndaquil starts out knowing Leer, but can't learn Scratch.

We had known about Honooguma and co. from what was assumed to be official concept artwork. As it turns out, those illustrations are actually a fan's recreations of the demo's Pokémon, but the above screenshot suggests that those beta Pokémon existed indeed. Conversely, another screenshot confirms that "Happa" wasn't actually a preliminary design for Chikorita, but pretty much the finalized one. It also features Girafarig's predecessor.

Be sure to check out the author's other articles on Pocket Monsters 2, as well as the links at the bottom of the page.

P.S.: Here is a Japanese trailer for Gold and Silver from 1999. Not directly related to Pocket Monsters 2, but the music it uses doesn't exist in the games as far as I know. Does anyone recognize it? Sounds very Masuda-like, and it doesn't seem like something IGN just added on top, since you can hear some game sounds. It's pretty great.

 

[Hot Coldman]

Girafarig got a real Catdog thing going on there. Freaky.

 

[Regiruler]

Girafarig got a real Catdog thing going on there. Freaky.

I honestly think proto Girafarig looks better.

If they ever do an evolution for it that's a very good route to take.

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

Neat, I always wondered the authenticity of those beta Pokemon design as actually being official art.

 

[AnkiRendan]

They should bring Honoguma back. I love that interpretation.

 

[bakedziti]

Honooguma kinda looks like slugma in the screenshot.

 

[Slamtastic]

It would have been neat if instead of making new electric rodents, they instead made the following games' "Pikachus" be of different elements. But I suppose that reads on Eevee's toes a bit (if they actually got around to adding more Eeveelutions for the remaining types0.

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

The PC was open to a webpage that said the following:
A new Pokémon called Yoroidori has been discovered. Its type is Flying/Metal.

This Pokémon, whose name translates to “Armor Bird”, was likely an early version of Skarmory. Skarmory’s Japanese name is エアームド (Eāmudo), but it’s classified in the Pokédex as an “Armor Bird Pokémon”. The Metal type is now known as はがね (Hagane), meaning “Steel”.

Huh, I've heard of Yoroidori thrown around before as a proto Skarmory but I never recalled where the name came from...neat.

 

[Andrefpvs]

I would cry tears of enjoy if I could ever get my hands on this build of the game. I am fascinated by it.

 

[Berordn]

It would have been neat if instead of making new electric rodents, they instead made the following games' "Pikachus" be of different elements. But I suppose that reads on Eevee's toes a bit (if they actually got around to adding more Eeveelutions for the remaining types0.

Dedenne, Togedemaru and Emolga all at least have additional types.

I'd rather they just made them viable outside of fringe cases.

 

[ash_ag]

Interestingly, Lugia is nowhere to be seen in the demo. Taking a couple things into account, it seems that Lugia's development history is very different from that of Ho-Oh. It was added later into the development, and anime writer Takeshi Shudo seems to have had at least some influence on its creation.

At one point during the game's development, the Ho-Oh that appears on the title screen of Gold was rendered in color instead of silhouette. This functionality is still accessible in the final game by using a a glitch that causes Ho-Oh to be displayed in color, albeit with an incorrect palette. Conversely, the Lugia that appears on the title screen of Silver lacks these extra palette colors, suggesting that this title screen may have been created well after the developers decided to use silhouettes, and that Lugia was added significantly later in the game's development.

The producers of the movie had trouble deciding which pokemon would be the main stars. Mew and Mewtwo had already been used in the first movie and Ho-Oh had been rumored to appear in some temple somewhere in the Gold & Silver games so the only legendary pokemon left for them to use were the legendary bird trio Fire, Freezer, and Thunder. Screenplay writer Shudou Takeshi asked the game designers if he could create a new pokemon to act as a fourth legendary who represents the deep sea currents and, much to his surprise, they said yes. Shudou Takeshi doesn't actually state on his blog that he was the one who designed or even named the pokemon but it seems like the overall idea of "legendary pokemon who represents the sea" did come from him.

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

I've always gave the movie flack for making Lugia this guardian of the Legendary Birds when that element is virtually absent from the games but it seems based on what you just posted I've got it wrong---Lugia was designed first to serve that role but the games didn't follow through with it (until the spin-off titles played with it here and there).

 

[ForkNetwork]

That Girafarig looks a lot more interesting than the one we got

 

[sixteen-bit]

Wow, what a blast from the past.

RIP Iwata btw.

 

[Dark Orchid]

Yeah, I had noticed that fansite being posted around on TCRF around September last year with the comment "there's even some stuff about the Gold Demo on it" and I was at Google Translate copying the whole page faster than I've ever moved in my life. Even posted about it in the main thread but I don't think many people cared. I'm glad GlitterBerri did a more accurate translation, it's a good read that was probably almost lost to time.

That screen with Honoguma on it was a massive breakthrough I feel, nobody had even been able to prove this thing existed in the often rumored form (unused starters) until then. I haven't seen the Girafarig screen beforehand, is that one new as well? Also it's quite likely that those drawings of the prototype Pokemon were fanmade despite looking like they were done in Atsuko Nishida's style, it explains for the discrepancies between the recently uncovered sprites and what they look like. I doubt whoever drew them was sitting at that demo station with pencil and paper and probably had to rely on memory.

Edit: Traced the image back to TCRF. It was connected to a video.
That's a lot of footage from this thing. Also, I'm kinda frustrated that this video has been up for two years and nobody noticed until this month, haha.


Also re: Ikari, a lot of people have noticed that it's sounds like a squid pun. I seem to remember that there's an unused header (or text, or something?) for Lake of Rage (Ikari no Mizuumi) where the Ikari is in katakana instead of hiragana. Ever since I read both of those two things I've drawn conclusions that maybe "Ikari" was the boss of the lake before they introduced shinies or thought to make it a Gyarados. The area did go through massive changes at some point. Considering the turtle on that one magazine cover looks like Tirtouga, it's even possible that the design later went on to become Malamar, albeit heavily reworked (with a different designer making it).

Relevant images:

 

[The Broken Ska Record]

It would have been neat if instead of making new electric rodents, they instead made the following games' "Pikachus" be of different elements. But I suppose that reads on Eevee's toes a bit (if they actually got around to adding more Eeveelutions for the remaining types0.

I agree. I mean, when Marril was shown off, everyone called him Pikablu. Different elemental versions of Pikachu would be pretty cool.

 

[Nocturnowl]

The girafarig palindrome name works even better when the back half is even further similar to the front instead of the odd tail.

 

[RRockman]

I'm incredibly salty.

Honooguma looks like a fire pikachu.

I want a fire pikachu.


Like now

 

[Hot Coldman]

I honestly think proto Girafarig looks better.

If they ever do an evolution for it that's a very good route to take.

I'm guessing they walked back the design when considering how it's meant to walk, for the anime.

 

[The Broken Ska Record]

I'm guessing they walked back the design when considering how it's meant to walk, for the anime.

They also changed its sub-type from Dark to Psychic where Dark makes more sense to me by how it looks.

 

[Dark Orchid]

I like how they just kept the pose from the front of that sprite as well:

Also, I edited my massive post up above because no one else had posted yet but then 3 people did, but there's video of the 97 version (which is where the Girafarig sprite comes from). Here. Contains a lot of things mentioned in the Glitterberri translation (Pokeball wild transition) and has some more shots of those GATE buildings that we always see in early material.

 

[brinstar]

It's so bizarre to think about a time where they could show early builds of Pokemon featuring monsters that wouldn't make it to the final game. The franchise is ran so tightly that shit would never fly now lol

 

[Mr. Robot]

I still believe that they will eventually release that fire bear like they did with this turtle.

Relevant images:

Also the clefairy hitmontop thing they had.

 

[MulderYuffie]

Gen 2 is my favorite finding out things about it's beta is just fascinating to me.

 

[I am Christina Aguilera]

Might I interest you guys in some preview scans from a 1998 Japanese Game Boy encyclopedia?

http://imgur.com/a/Y7tQx

 

[WrenchNinja]

This was pretty great. Thanks for posting this.

 

[Giga Man]

"CatDog" Girafarig looks better than that awkward Chain Chomp for a tail.

 

[Forkball]

It's wild that before Pokemania took over the world, they were already showing off the second game in Japan. The GS rumor mill is especially funny considering Japan got the game a whole year before us and thus all the answers were readily available. People argued over Pikablu forever, but now we get leaks of Pokémon before they're announced.

 

[RoyaleDuke]

Pokemon GOLD still the GOAT even before it became gold.

 

[Dark Orchid]

It's wild that before Pokemania took over the world, they were already showing off the second game in Japan. The GS rumor mill is especially funny considering Japan got the game a whole year before us and thus all the answers were readily available. People argued over Pikablu forever, but now we get leaks of Pokémon before they're announced.

Everyone was arguing over Bill's Garden and Charcolt and Anthrax, meanwhile I'm just sitting there with the Neo Premium File:

This era is just a really weird time in the franchise's history. A lot of stuff that people would consider massive leaks nowadays were just left in other games and shown on floor demos. I noticed in that video I posted that the Gameboy Camera was up next at the same show, then I remembered that it actually has a few unused/future sprites in it because it was in-dev at the same time as G/S:
Here's a Pikachu sprite that never got used, might have been for Yellow or might have been in this build of G/S

Here's Chansey's Gold sprite

Yellow itself also uses quite a few things from G/S, probably due to the delay and both of them being worked on at the same time. Exeggutor, Red, and Blue all have their G/S sprites. G/S also uses Blue's Voltorb sprite, but I don't exactly blame them for copying something that's just a ball with eyes.

 

[Gospel]

I love this stuff.

I remember Celebi23 had compiled a ton of pokemon spaceworld '97 stuff in his project thread (that I still have bookmarked) but sadly, most of the image links are dead.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

Everyone was arguing over Bill's Garden and Charcolt and Anthrax, meanwhile I'm just sitting there with the Neo Premium File:

Hahah, I had that! Actually, I still do, it's in my bookcase. The paper insert fell apart though, so it's just the plastic folder and the sleeve of cards.

 

[celebi23]

I love this stuff.

I remember Celebi23 had compiled a ton of pokemon spaceworld '97 stuff in his project thread (that I still have bookmarked) but sadly, most of the image links are dead.

Yeah, sorry about that. When MobileMe & iDisk were closing, I luckily backed up all the files. I'll try uploading everything somewhere else sometime over the next few days.

 

[Erv]

Hahah, I had that! Actually, I still do, it's in my bookcase. The paper insert fell apart though, so it's just the plastic folder and the sleeve of cards.

Dam. I think I had this wasn't it just 9 cards of the starters or was something else in the binder? I also think I had a similar binder with Umbreon,Espeon and unown cards. Does anyone remember that?

 

[Dryk]

They also changed its sub-type from Dark to Psychic where Dark makes more sense to me by how it looks.

A typing we didn't actually get until Gen 7 too

 

[Hero of Legend]

Here's a Pikachu sprite that never got used, might have been for Yellow or might have been in this build of G/S

Decided to color that Pikachu sprite.

 

[Mellahan]

Love this. I wish GameFreak were more willing to show early development Pokemon.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

Spaceworld ruled. Bring back Spaceworld.

 

[Joqu]

Man, this is very interesting stuff. Like many people who've got an interest in beta Pokemon elements I've been familiar with that fire rodent art, and it has always been considered official as far as I'm aware. Feels crazy to know it's a recreation.

 

[ryan13ts]

This is awesome, thanks OP. I've always been interested in video game betas and this one is up my top 5 that I'd like to see come to light someday. I remember about the two unused Pokemon and the skateboard that never materialized back in the day (early 00's), so seeing some new info on this is great. Can't believe that artwork of the beta starters I thought was official was just a fan drawing for all these years.

Maybe one day the actual demo will pop up and we can get even more insight into the development process on this game.

 

[AzureFlame]

Decided to color that Pikachu sprite.

Best Pikachu is fat Pikachu.

 

[Dark Orchid]

This is awesome, thanks OP. I've always been interested in video game betas and this one is up my top 5 that I'd like to see come to light someday. I remember about the two unused Pokemon and the skateboard that never materialized back in the day (early 00's), so seeing some new info on this is great. Can't believe that artwork of the beta starters I thought was official was just a fan drawing for all these years.

Maybe one day the actual demo will pop up and we can get even more insight into the development process on this game.

Interestingly enough, there's an unused movement type that's very similar to ice physics. You move in one direction until you hit an object. Now, it's very possible that this was just how they had planned to do the ice physics before moving it to its final place in the code, but due to the relatively low index number it has and how early the skateboard talk began, you start to wonder.

I want the 98 demo to show up someday almost as much as the Mother 3 64DD build, hopefully it does. The 98 one probably has more features and was right before the delay and Iwata's resurrection of the project because it was a buggy mess (you can tell it is with the problems it has with the SGB, only one palette). Sadly, right now the best we have is a leaked Japanese Crystal Debug ROM that was turned into a patch. It does have the battle debug menu and shows that the unused "PROF." trainer class still exists from Gen 1, albeit with no valid parties.

Hopefully either demo gets dumped someday, but I've heard doing that brands you as untrustworthy among prototype collectors and nobody sells you things in the future. I guess they like the exclusivity. Kinda selfish imo.

 

[Sponge]

I want that fire Pikachu so bad. All our Pikachu clones nowadays just follow a "make it white and a different animal" method.

 

[The Broken Ska Record]

Love this. I wish GameFreak were more willing to show early development Pokemon.

I agree, but I understand their trepidation. Especially since they will reuse concepts in later games.

 

[ryan13ts]

Hopefully either demo gets dumped someday, but I've heard doing that brands you as untrustworthy among prototype collectors and nobody sells you things in the future. I guess they like the exclusivity. Kinda selfish imo.

Don't even start me on some people in the prototype collecting community. The way some of them act in regards to prototypes and obsessively hording/actively keeping the game or info from getting out is ridiculous. Does other people having something they have really make them feel that insecure?

It's even worse when they try to shit upon people that help share some of this stuff to the world, especially prototypes of stuff people have been interested in for years. I've even heard of some collectors going all out to out-buy prototypes from people they know would dump it, just so no one else can experience it and it can be all theirs... to sit and collect dust.

I truly hope if this protoype gets found one day, that the last time of person it finds it's hands into are the type of people I just bitched out... otherwise we'll probably find out anymore about it.

 

[CD'S BAR]

Jesus, watching that trailer...the in-battle art really is timeless. What gorgeous game to this day. Same goes for the music.

 

[Caelus]

I wasn't really around for it, but I miss that watercolor style for Pokemon. I think it still looks good even on modern Pokemon, and might make it easier for people to warm up to the designs.

 

[Princess Carl]

I wasn't really around for it, but I miss that watercolor style for Pokemon. I think it still looks good even on modern Pokemon, and might make it easier for people to warm up to the designs.

Yes.

 

[dci260]

This is so intriguing, especially those unreleased/prototype pokemon. A piece of gaming history.

Don't even start me on some people in the prototype collecting community. The way some of them act in regards to prototypes and obsessively hording/actively keeping the game or info from getting out is ridiculous. Does other people having something they have really make them feel that insecure?

It's even worse when they try to shit upon people that help share some of this stuff to the world, especially prototypes of stuff people have been interested in for years. I've even heard of some collectors going all out to out-buy prototypes from people they know would dump it, just so no one else can experience it and it can be all theirs... to sit and collect dust.

I truly hope if this protoype gets found one day, that the last time of person it finds it's hands into are the type of people I just bitched out... otherwise we'll probably find out anymore about it.

I know what you mean. I seem to recall that the owner of two of those unreleased Marble Madness 2 machines is holding them hostage from the public.

 

[foxuzamaki]

Love this. I wish GameFreak were more willing to show early development Pokemon.

Same