Vib-Ribbon

Vib-Ribbon
Developer: NanaOn-Sha Publishers: SCEI (JP), SCEE (EU) Platform: PlayStation Released in JP: December 9, 1999 Released in US: October 7, 2014 (PlayStation Store) Released in EU: September 1, 2000 This game has unused animations. This game has hidden development-related text. This game has revisional differences.

Vib-Ribbon is a graphically simplistic but very challenging rhythm game where a vector graphics rabbit called Vibri must get through an obstacle course made of "sound generated shapes" from songs on CDs.

The game was initially released only in Japan and Europe, but a North American release followed after nearly 16 years, when the game was released as a PSone Classic on PS3, PSP and Vita.

Unused Animations

To do: Post a GIF of the animation, perhaps?

S_V0#.ANM

Found in GAME/##_FILES.PAK/TITLE/V_CL

Debug Text

Spread out throughout the executable multiple times are these simple strings:

 Info: status=%d, type=%d, size=%d
 Analog: Left(%3d,%3d), Right(%3d,%3d)
 CONTROL =

There's also text for a sound test at 0x40D4 in MAIN_G.EXE:

 OFF
 MAIN
 PSJ MODE SELECT
 UNKNOWN MODE SELECT
 MODE SPEED SELECT
 CD CHANGE
 TRK SELECT
 ALERT VIB CD IN
 ALERT AUDIO CD IN
 CD CHECK
 OPTION
 PSJ HISCORE
 UNKNOWN HISCORE
 CLEAR
 AGAIN
 AGAIN SELECT
 DONE

And these strings at 0x43CC, which might have been for a level editor:

 Selector Type
 Pattern Index
 Distribution Index
 Road Part Period
 Select Period
 Effect Parameter
 Effect Duration
 Send Random Effect
 Send Reverse Effect
 Send Screw Effect
 Send Camera Effect
 distribution
 MemPtr: file %s not found

Version Differences

To do: Does the PS3 version have anything to prevent the player from playing CD-ROM data tracks? Does the PS3 version still struggle with playing Enhanced CDs?

The PlayStation 3 port removes the in-game restriction that prevents players from reading Track 1 on a CD. This was originally in-place because the Vib-Ribbon disc stored game data on Track 1, and trying to play that back as Redbook audio can risk damaging one's speakers.

The fact that the PS3 version is a digital download consequently makes this concern mostly redundant. Additionally, the PSP and Vita versions cannot use CDs to generate stages, as those systems cannot read CDs at all.

(Source: Original TCRF research)