Secret of Evermore

Secret of Evermore
Developer: Squaresoft Publisher: Squaresoft Platform: SNES Released in US: October 1995 Released in EU: February 1996 This game has unused areas. This game has uncompiled source code. This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused enemies. This game has unused abilities. This game has unused text. This game has debugging material. This game has a prerelease article This game has a notes page This game has a Data Crystal page

Secret of Evermore is an action RPG developed by Square's American branch, and is along the same lines as Secret of Mana in terms of gameplay (but is otherwise unrelated). Rather divisive among gamers, in general.

Sub-Pages

Prerelease Info

Notes

Unused Alchemy Formula

Hidden with the game's other alchemy formulas is Laser, one that didn't quite make the cut. It can be used through hacking, but is very obviously unfinished. First, its icon is the same as the one used by Levitate. Second, its animation is the same as Acid Rain; not at all laser-like. And finally, despite its description stating it halves enemies' HP, it doesn't. It's just a very weak single/multiple enemy attack spell.

Inaccessible Carltron Enemy

If the player uses a patch code to leave the Guard Bot room at the start of the game, they'll find Carltron still standing right beside Professor Ruffleburg. Unlike the professor, though, Carltron is considered an enemy NPC, which means he can be targeted, attacked, and destroyed.

The "Carltron" enemy has no attacks, doesn't move, and cannot interact with the player in any meaningful way, other than turning to face the player when struck. He has 30 HP and awards the player with 15 Experience Points and 10 Talons (a currency) when beaten.

(Source: Iron Scorchy, Secret of Evermore Wiki)

As a side note, if the player activates the armor vendor, all item prices are displayed as Talons, the Prehistoria currency, instead of Credits, the Omnitopia currency, and does not adjust the prices to match the currency exchange rate of 2 Credits per 1 Talon.

Debug Flag

The Pro Action Replay (PAR) code 7e22eb08 enables debug mode; different parts of the game change behaviour with this flag enabled.

Examples:

• The Podunk intro when creating a new game will loop indefinitely when pressing Start.
• Entering Fire Eyes' village will trigger the ending sequence.
• Screen wrap counters will appear in the Desert of Doom.

Carltron in Crustacia Easter Egg

If the player kills the robots in the initial Omnitopia sequence by using all of the bazooka's ammo, then Carltron will appear in Crustacia when the boy shipwrecks there at the beginning of Act 2.

(Source: black_sliver)

Debug Menu

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page.

To do: GuyInSummers researches the debug functions here: http://acmlm.kafuka.org/archive2/thread.php?id=16881

A debug menu ring was present in a prototype shown at E3 1995, but now needs work to reconstruct it in the final game. It had a total of 11 options: the 10 listed below and Alchemist.

Use the Pro Action Replay (PAR) code 7E0814XX to change one of the items in your ring menu into one of the "Debug:..." items (open the menu a couple of times and try the "Status" icon to get the code working). XX must be replaced with:

• 00 - Debug: Create a monster
• 02 - Debug: Heel
• 04 - Debug: Show thud balls on path
• 06 - Debug: Turn off both backgrounds
• 08 - Debug: Show background 1 only
• 0A - Debug: Show background 2 only
• 0C - Debug: Show both backgrounds
• 0E - Debug: Select map
• 10 - Debug: Mode 7 Flight
• 14 - ROM Creation Date

However, this Pro Action Replay (PAR) code does not really do anything of note - it will just change one item in the ring menu, and that's all. The debug items do not work. Pointers to the programming for each need to be added manually.

Debug: Select map

This would bring up a menu to warp to any map in the game. The list of maps text is still present in the ROM, but no signs of any programming that loads it.

Plain Text in ROM

There are lots of plain text found in the ROM. Although a good part of it seems actually used by the game (it is even translated for the different versions), some interesting stuff can be found.

Magic: Thud Ball Missile 
Magic: Orb2Missile
Magic: Orb3Missile
Magic: Shak'em to DEATH!
Magic: Beam me up Scotty
Magic: Thud Vortex
Magic: High Voltage

Possibly debug spells, or the remnants of some magic testing menu. It is unknown if they can still be accessed.

Pixel Units

V-Blank Interrupts

Some diverse tidbits...

ftemp1 = i;
//		slant = ((max_tilt-ftemp1)-ftemp1)/(max_tilt-1);
		if(i<15)
		{
			slant=(15.0-ftemp1)/15.0;

mp1)/(max_tilt-1);
		if(i<15)
		{
			slant=(15.0-ftemp1)/15.0;
		}
		else if(i>15)
		{
			slant=(ftemp1-16.0)/-16.0;
		}
		else

This seems to be some fragments of code.

I can only talk about one life at a time!

It is not clear what is referred by this string, but the fact it was left untranslated indicates it was unused...

error: null life ptr used in script cmd 

No spells in library

Error: too many monster generators!

Finally, some error messages.

In addition, there is what might be some placeholder text for a bazooka description ("No special abilities, yet.") and a list of spells names and descriptions, including laser and a few more unused.
They are "Haul" (described as "Lift and move objects", seems similar to Levitate), "Mud Ball" (described as "Target gets splatted", possibly related to Hard ball or Crush), "Spell Wall" (described as "Protects hero from spells", only bosses use spells so that's probably why this didn't make the cut), and "Split" (described as "Target fights its double", that would have been nice). Unfortunately, these spells cannot be put in the game the same way as laser. "Fortify" is apparently the name of an unused Call Bead spell.

Inside the ROM, a couple of persons and enemies are mentioned that cannot be found anywhere in the game:

Barker

Girl

Boy

Man

Woman

Old woman

Old man

Person

Advisor

Alchemist

Harry

White Queen

Legendary boy

Legendary girl

Legendary Grandma

Legendary King

Legendary Man

Legendary Viking

Child's Pet

Metalliclaw

Brian's Test Ground

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page.

Map index $15 is a debugging map with the corresponding name Brian's Test Ground in the maps list. The name likely refers to Brian Fehdrau who was the lead programmer for the game. It shows a background of stars made into a smile.

Attempting to load the map normally crashes the game. It's currently unknown what causes the crash and if this map has any valid data associated with it (e.g., events, NPCs, collision, exits, background music, etc.)

Name Entry Check

While not unused, most players will never trigger the naughty name filter. On the name entry screen, a subroutine checks if the string FUCK (upper or lower case, or any combination) is present anywhere in the name and, if true, bit $20 is set in memory address $7E22E9. The skeleton in the desert will call you a potty mouth then demand 3 Amulets of Annihilation to board the ship:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

If you talk a second time:

• 
•