Pokémon Ranger

Pokémon Ranger
Developers: Creatures, HAL Laboratory Publishers: The Pokémon Company (JP), Nintendo (INT) Platform: Nintendo DS Released in JP: March 23, 2006 Released in US: October 30, 2006 Released in EU: April 13, 2007 Released in AU: December 7, 2006 This game has unused areas. This game has unused code. This game has unused enemies. This game has unused objects. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused music. This game has unused text. This game has a notes page This game has a Data Crystal page

To do: Grammar and wording. Search for unused sounds. Prerelease material (Rhyhorn, early HUD, etc.). Debug and localization prototypes and internal material from 2020 leaks.

In Pokémon Ranger, you play as a Pokémon Ranger (shocking, I know). Equipped with the Capture Styler, use the touch screen to capture Pokémon and solve problems that may or may not be tangentially related to a major conflict. Capture on!

Sub-Pages

Notes

Unused Pokémon Data Gotta Clone 'Em All!

Unused Shiny Palettes Who even bothered to make all of them?!

Unused Objects Here is where Dexit was drafted!

Unused NPCs Check out Fiore's latest fashion!

Unused Graphics Almost done!

Unused Text Dummy, dummy, dummy! Must be funny!

Removed Pokémon

There are several references to cut Pokémon in the files. These Pokémon are Onix, Eevee, Igglybuff, Sudowoodo, Jumpluff, Sunflora, Unown, Wailord, Cacnea, Cacturne and Castform. A single reference to a disabled capture sequence where the player would have battled an Eevee can be found in trial_csv.dat.

All of these pokemon except Onix, Unown, and Castform appeared with similar graphics in game's sequels. Rhyhorn appears in prerelease material for the game but does not have any leftovers in the files.

Removed Maps

desert_m ($A9) (Kalakka Desert)

The temperature here swings far between
day and night, and an arid wind blows.

Some dummied-out data and leftover text exists for a location called Kalakka Desert which was scrapped. All that is left is an unused entry in the map header table; the map file desert_m has been removed. As the filename is suffixed, it is very likely that Kalakka Desert was a rather large cut area. The unused track SEQ_FIELD01 is set to play here.

mountain_j ($86) (Sekra Range)

An unknown area from Sekra Range. The two small caves found near Sekra Range are internally named mountain_j1 and mountain_j2, implying that this unused entry could belong to a scrapped cave.

Capture Maps

All the backgrounds for capture sequences are defined as actual maps. The following are the names of removed backgrounds that can be found in the map data::

• crock ($04)
• csand ($05)
• ctile2 ($98)
• cana ($D2)

Unused Music

ID	Filename	Song	Notes
$04	SEQ_ENCOUNT		An alternate version of the encounter jingle.
$05	SEQ_FIELD01		This song was supposed to play in the removed Kalakka Desert location. It doesn’t really match the style of the final game's soundtrack, so it may have been composed early in development.
$06	SEQ_GAMEOVER		A short tune that would have played if the Capture Styler broke. It is used in the sequel Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia.
$08	SEQ_RESULT		Another short tune likely intended to be used after a Capture Challenge ends. Interestingly, this ends up being unused in the sequel.
$1C	SEQ_JUNGLETOWN		A track based on Olive Jungle's leading motif. It is possible that this was the original background music for Summerland or, or another location near Olive Jungle.
$1F	SEQ_RIVAL		A short, unknown melody.
$24	SEQ_CHARACTER		Yet another mysterious tune. Might have been used for the sequence where the player has to select their name and gender.
$25	SEQ_FINALCAPTURE01		This removed track would have been the battle theme for either Raikou or Suicune. The track FINALCAPTURE02 is used for both of them whereas Entei uses FINALCAPTURE03.
$34	SEQ_JINGLE01		A short version of the saving jingle without the looping bridge. The full version that is used in the final game is called SEQ_SAVE_BRIDGE.
$35	SEQ_JINGLE02		An unknown jingle that does not match the game's style.

Unused Field Moves

To do: Investigate this.

There are some unused field moves, but it's not known if they are functional.

ID	Icon
$08
$09
$0B
$0C
$0D
$0E
$0F
$10
$12

Regional Differences

Fall City & Summerland Flags

Original	European

In the Japanese and American versions of the game, the flags in Fall City and Summerland feature the location name's initial letter. This was removed in the European version as the locations use different names depending on the selected language. Supporting individual graphics for every language would have required changes to the object data structures so this may be the reason why it was scrapped.