ChoroQ

ChoroQ
Also known as: ChoroQ HG 4 (JP) Developer: Barnhouse Effect Publishers: Takara (JP), Atlus (US), Zoo Digital Publishing (EU) Platform: PlayStation 2 Released in JP: November 27, 2003 Released in US: November 17, 2004 Released in EU: March 25, 2005 This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden sound test. This game has a notes page

To do: Document the rest of the debug functions/menus that can be enabled via Debug Flags

ChoroQ is the last game in the High Grade series and the first to not be developed by E-Game. Aside from the linear locations, it now has a much larger emphasis on story, cutscenes, and easily-missable fetch quests.

Sub-Page

Notes

Debug Menu

A debug menu can be accessed by enabling the following code and pressing Start + Triangle:

JP	US	EU
	002634F8 00000001	00263478 00000001

Because this debug menu can crash the game easily, it is recommended to use savestates while exploring it.

The main menu options are as follows:

• Language: Changes the language.
• Hero Mode: Unknown.
• Male/Female: Changes the player character's gender.
• Birth-Month: Set the birth month configured for the player
• Works-Asign: Set which racing team your character is in between NON (None), RANO (Ranolfka) or SOBA (Sovass, SOBA was likely a typo). Only player accessible teams may be selected, so inaccessible teams like Team Pomnik or Team Kisbaba aren't available.
• Meter OFF: Unknown.

Texture Check

Seems to have been a texture viewer of sorts, though it doesn't seem to work.

Sound Test

A pretty self-explanatory sound test function. Allows the player to not only change the music track or sound effect being played, but also the volume and pitch.

Parameter Config

To do: Do the TOC Flags or Vars do anything?

A function which allows the player to change many in-game parameters. The options are as follows:

• PadConfig - Changes the control layout.
• Vibe Mode - Toggles vibration, which can be set to low, high, or disabled.
• Money - Allows changing current money in increments of 1000G.
• TOC Flags - Consists of flags between 000 and 999, all can be set between on or off by pressing X. May have a relation to save file flags.
• TOC Vars - Consists of variables between 0 and 1FF. Displays numbers on the right side which do not appear to have a visible purpose.
• Body/Parts - Provides options for setting certain part types (like engines or bodies) to be locked or unlocked. Press X to confirm a selection (for example, if the player presses X while All : ON is selected will result in all parts being unlocked). The results don't show immediately if invoked while in the garage, but if the player switches equipment pages, the parts will be updated to match the status.
• Letter - Sets what letters the player has received or read. The player may set all as read as well.
• Item - Set what items the player has.
• Event - Toggle whether an event has been completed, as well as the current score.
• UserBank - Unknown. May be a reference to the current save file slot. Can be set between 1 and 3.

Debug Flags

To do: Figure out what the debug options do.

Provides several debugging options, which can be toggled on and off (note: for the changes to apply, you have to reload the title screen, such as by selecting the Return Title option in the debug menu). They are as follows:

• Main DbgMenu - A different debug menu which can be accessed on the title screen.
• Debug Active - Enables the Mid Race Debug Menu (see below). It also allows pausing before the race starts (before the countdown).
• Debug Camera - Unknown
• MiniGame Dbg - Unknown
• Debug Gauge - Unknown
• Quick Entry - Unknown
• BGM Disable - Disables background music
• Dbg No Stream - Unknown
• Testing - Unknown

Return Title

Quits the player to the title screen.

Exit

Closes the debug menu.

Main DbgMenu

To do: Some of these appear to have no observable purpose. Check to see if they have any functions or if they were stripped out during development.

Note: You can advance a page by pressing L1 or L2. Also, opening the previously mentioned debug menu here will cause the highlighting graphics to glitch, and making any changes while currently in this menu will likely crash the game.

>> Normal Start

Takes the player back to the main menu.

Custom

Takes the player to the car customization screen with no options available except for the weakest parts. Choosing to go back will take you back to the main menu. If you use the debug equip option before selecting this, your new parts will be added here.

World Map

Crashes the game.

Debug Equip

Allows the player to choose between preset car options getting progressively better the further down the player goes. At the bottom is Ultimate which automatically equips the car with some of the best parts in the game. It's highly recommended to use this before any form of debugging that puts the player in a race as otherwise, the player car will start with the weakest parts.

(T01) Tank Test

Crashes the game.

(T02) Field Test

Crashes the game.

(T05) Saso Test

Starts a race automatically. A game over message appears, as well as text that says "Get ready" constantly overlaying the screen (even in the pause menu). Additionally, the player character appears to be unable to move. Engine sounds can be heard if the acceleration button is pressed.

(T06A) Trace Test

Crashes the game

(T06B) Replay Ed

Crashes the game.

(T06C) Movie Rep

Crashes the game.

(SXX) Course Map

Opens a menu with a list of internal track names and starts the player in a race.

(SXX) Course 2p

Same as above, except in a 2 player race without any CPU drivers.

(TXX) Town Map

Allows the player to choose a town to spawn in, as well as the time of day.

(RXX) Town Room

Allows the player to choose a building to enter. When the player leaves the building, they will be taken back to the main menu.

(GXX) Mini Game

Allows the player to select a minigame.

(---) Shop Room

Allows the player to pick any in game shop to enter.

(EVXX) Event List

Play any event of your choice.

(T08) Shene Test

Crashes the game.

(END) Ending Test

Plays the end credits.

(---) -- STOP ---

Unknown what this does. Appears to quit the debug menu.

Loading

Shows the loading screen endlessly. You can continue past this by pressing Start.

Body Shop

Takes the player to the Brachy Body Shop.

Parts Shop

Same as above, except the Parts Shop instead.

Paint Shop

Exactly as it says on the tin.

House Shop

Takes you to where you upgrade the garage.

Research Shop

Takes you to Fotbar Laboratory with synthesizing parts and reshaping the body unlocked.

Notice Board

Shows the bulletin board.

Name Entry

Allows you to type a name in.

(W01) World Map

Takes you back to the debug menu, again. Unknown purpose.

(MXX) Arena Map

Seems to do nothing?

(MXX) Mission Map

Seems to do nothing?

(MXX) Amuse Map

Seems to do nothing?

(T00) Zero Test

Crashes the game.

(T02) Night Test

Crashes the game.

(T04) 2P Test

Crashes the game.

(T09) 4P Test

Crashes the game. May be a remnant of a planned mode for 4 player races.

Tank Sample

Seems to do nothing?

Movie Test

Plays the intro race video before the title screen.

Auto Demo Test

Seems to do nothing?

Ending Test

Seems to do nothing?

Memory Warn

Seems to do nothing?

Demo Movie

Plays the video that shows if the player doesn't input anything on the game's main menu.

Mid Race Debug Menu

To do: Figure out if Hero Race Switch does anything

During a race or minigame, the player can pause the game while the debug mode is enabled and press select. This will replace the pause screen with another debug menu that can be scrolled through. It can also be invoked during cutscenes like the race that shows up if the player idles on the title screen.

Restart

Restarts the race/minigame from the beginning.

Return Director

Returns the player back to where they were before starting the event. For example, during a quick race, it will take the player back to the vehicle selection.

Garage Menu

Takes the player to the garage. This works even if the player isn't at a state where the garage should be applicable, like in a quick race. If in a quick race, the parts can be changed, but the changes will disappear after finishing or leaving the race. When leaving the garage, the player will be put back to where they were when invoking the menu, such as if they were in a race, they will be taken back to the same race.

Clear Mission

Automatically finishes the race/minigame with a win. In the case of races, the player will be awarded 1st place (even if they weren't actually first when activated)

Debug Camera

To do: Check to see if there's any consistency as to what causes the resource meter and/or coordinate viewer to be enabled when resuming the game. It doesn't always seem to do enable either of them (at least when testing on AethyrSX2)

Enables freecam. Once enabled, there does not appear to be a way to return the camera back to the player without restarting or leaving the race. The controls are as follows: X: Move camera backward (if held, the speed will massively increase). Triangle: Move camera forward. D-Pad up (same applies with the left analog stick): Rotates camera down D-Pad down: Rotates camera up D-Pad side: Rotates camera left or right Start: Resume game. This also seems to enable a resource usage meter and coordinates viewer sometimes.

Hero Race Switch

Appears to do nothing (resumes the race).

Replay

The rest is unreadable due to the pause graphic being in the way (it may say Replay Stage). Cuts to a replay of the current race. If the player has not finished the race yet, the replay will end after it gets to the end of the inputs and cut to the results screen, likely as a quick way to test the replay system.

Quit

Resumes the race

Crash Handler

Should the game ever crash, it will display a screen like the above. Curiously, it renders at the uncommon resolution of 426×448.