5 ms·

Writing a Program in Pokemon Blue

145 points by jackhammer2022 13y ago

lewisflude 13y ago
Is this machine assisted or could I do this on a regular Game Boy? Regardless, this is very interesting. That music brings back childhood memories of insomnia.
- adrianmalacoda 13y ago
  There are various bugs in the game that can be exploited to achieve this, without the need of an emulator or cheating device. The creator of the thread demonstrates how to obtain the special "item" in the game that makes it possible in a YouTube video [0] and has a video demonstration of actually running a program here [1] [0] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD_GVaQwn8o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD_GVaQwn8o [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3EvpRHL_vk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3EvpRHL_vk
kanzure 13y ago
Here's a similar exploit for Gold/Silver: http://forums.glitchcity.info/index.php/topic,6716.0.html http://forums.glitchcity.info/index.php/topic,6716.0.html edit; If you are interested in finding other glitches, there's commented source code over here: Red/Blue: https://github.com/iimarckus/pokered https://github.com/iimarckus/pokered Crystal: https://github.com/kanzure/pokecrystal https://github.com/kanzure/pokecrystal (Gold/Silver doesn't compile yet)
- hacker789 13y ago
  The explanation (and subsequent discussion) in your first link is wonderful. I love that there are nerds tucked away in random corners of the internet, making themselves happy by working on obscure, challenging problems like these.
jds375 13y ago
This was my favorite part of playing around with old Pokemon games. It's actually unfortunate you can't do them in the newer games
- liuyanghejerry 13y ago
  I think it's mostly because old games written in ASM, while newer ones in C/C++.
  - jimmaswell 13y ago
    Writing an entire game in ASM must be a pain.
  - anon_java_hater 13y ago
    What are you implying?
  - ekimekim 13y ago
    More importantly, new hardware has proper memory protection, so instead of cool tricks you just get segfaults...
failrate 13y ago
I want a pokemon-type game with robots, where this isn't a cool trick, but a critical part of the game.
- derefr 13y ago
  Something like Core War, but with more RPG (or possibly MOBA) elements?
  - failrate 13y ago
    Yes, similar. Also, the collectibility aspect is key to knowledge acquisition. Or, you could also go the Jade Cocoon route, which used genetic combination.
- ajanuary 13y ago
  Hack'n'Slash[1] from Double Fine's Amnesia Fortnight (where they spend 2 weeks prototyping a bunch of game ideas) is a little like that. [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpTZNRH9iZw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpTZNRH9iZw
Ellipsis753 13y ago
This is insanely cool. Someone on the thread linked to this Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3EvpRHL_vk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3EvpRHL_vk . He uses the glitch to program an entire game into ram and then runs his own breakout clone style game through this code execution glitch.
liuyanghejerry 13y ago
For people who are interested in Pokemon hack, checkout http://www.pokecommunity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=156 http://www.pokecommunity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=156
drakaal 13y ago
I predict this could be more popular than Node.JS Already has a good install base. Hardware is proprietary, but it is cheap. There are emulators/VMs to run on more commodity hardware. The demographic is young so it will have time to mature before enterprise adoption. It will be awesome.
pbrook 13y ago
This is one of the most elaborate hacks I've ever heard of. Programming via adding items to your inventory in Pokemon. Incredible.
- Dragonai 13y ago
  Seconded. Hands down the most sophisticated hack I've seen in my life. I am absolutely amazed that something like this is possible.
- unimpressive 13y ago
  This is easily in my top five, but the hack that had me buzzing all night with its cleverness when I read about it is Nils Schneider's method of extracting the ipod bootloader: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7085 http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7085
comex 13y ago
These sorts of "exploits" have also been used in Pokemon and other games for extremely fast tool-assisted speedruns: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UnB1fomvAw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UnB1fomvAw (Pokemon Yellow) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDx6gzvLqWs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDx6gzvLqWs (Super Mario World) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CvJqzYpWms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CvJqzYpWms (EarthBound)
- chilldream 13y ago
  I love these. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALFvB-UWaxg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALFvB-UWaxg (Chrono Trigger in less than 4 minutes)
em3rgent0rdr 13y ago
awesome! Fun example to teach arbitrary code exploitation!
pearjuice 13y ago
Reading that thread felt like being on the play ground as a kid and some noisy classmate "who's dad worked at Nintendo" explains how to get a 152th Pokemon. I was pretty amazed that at the end it wasn't a made-up lie or joke but that those trivial steps (5 steps to the left, go there and there) actually led to something.
chilldream 13y ago
It's neat how many glitches people have found in these particular games. A couple other Pokemon "arbitrary code" hacks (in the Yellow version): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UnB1fomvAw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UnB1fomvAw (Pi day celebration) http://aurellem.org/vba-clojure/html/total-control.html http://aurellem.org/vba-clojure/html/total-control.html (proof-of-concept for a clojure-to-pokemon-to-assembly compiler) A "normal" playthrough in which the author shows off various glitches (most without any kind of cheat device): http://lparchive.org/Pokemon-Blue/Update%2001/ http://lparchive.org/Pokemon-Blue/Update%2001/

145 points by jackhammer2022 13y ago

Is this machine assisted or could I do this on a regular Game Boy? Regardless, this is very interesting. That music brings back childhood memories of insomnia.

adrianmalacoda 13y ago
There are various bugs in the game that can be exploited to achieve this, without the need of an emulator or cheating device. The creator of the thread demonstrates how to obtain the special "item" in the game that makes it possible in a YouTube video [0] and has a video demonstration of actually running a program here [1] [0] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD_GVaQwn8o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD_GVaQwn8o [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3EvpRHL_vk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3EvpRHL_vk

kanzure 13y ago

Here's a similar exploit for Gold/Silver: http://forums.glitchcity.info/index.php/topic,6716.0.html http://forums.glitchcity.info/index.php/topic,6716.0.html edit; If you are interested in finding other glitches, there's commented source code over here: Red/Blue: https://github.com/iimarckus/pokered https://github.com/iimarckus/pokered Crystal: https://github.com/kanzure/pokecrystal https://github.com/kanzure/pokecrystal (Gold/Silver doesn't compile yet)

hacker789 13y ago
The explanation (and subsequent discussion) in your first link is wonderful. I love that there are nerds tucked away in random corners of the internet, making themselves happy by working on obscure, challenging problems like these.

jds375 13y ago

This was my favorite part of playing around with old Pokemon games. It's actually unfortunate you can't do them in the newer games

liuyanghejerry 13y ago
I think it's mostly because old games written in ASM, while newer ones in C/C++.
- jimmaswell 13y ago
  Writing an entire game in ASM must be a pain.
- anon_java_hater 13y ago
  What are you implying?
- ekimekim 13y ago
  More importantly, new hardware has proper memory protection, so instead of cool tricks you just get segfaults...

failrate 13y ago

I want a pokemon-type game with robots, where this isn't a cool trick, but a critical part of the game.

derefr 13y ago
Something like Core War, but with more RPG (or possibly MOBA) elements?
- failrate 13y ago
  Yes, similar. Also, the collectibility aspect is key to knowledge acquisition. Or, you could also go the Jade Cocoon route, which used genetic combination.
ajanuary 13y ago
Hack'n'Slash[1] from Double Fine's Amnesia Fortnight (where they spend 2 weeks prototyping a bunch of game ideas) is a little like that. [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpTZNRH9iZw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpTZNRH9iZw

Ellipsis753 13y ago

This is insanely cool. Someone on the thread linked to this Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3EvpRHL_vk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3EvpRHL_vk . He uses the glitch to program an entire game into ram and then runs his own breakout clone style game through this code execution glitch.

liuyanghejerry 13y ago

For people who are interested in Pokemon hack, checkout http://www.pokecommunity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=156 http://www.pokecommunity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=156

drakaal 13y ago

I predict this could be more popular than Node.JS Already has a good install base. Hardware is proprietary, but it is cheap. There are emulators/VMs to run on more commodity hardware. The demographic is young so it will have time to mature before enterprise adoption. It will be awesome.

pbrook 13y ago

This is one of the most elaborate hacks I've ever heard of. Programming via adding items to your inventory in Pokemon. Incredible.

Dragonai 13y ago
Seconded. Hands down the most sophisticated hack I've seen in my life. I am absolutely amazed that something like this is possible.
unimpressive 13y ago
This is easily in my top five, but the hack that had me buzzing all night with its cleverness when I read about it is Nils Schneider's method of extracting the ipod bootloader: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7085 http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7085

comex 13y ago

These sorts of "exploits" have also been used in Pokemon and other games for extremely fast tool-assisted speedruns: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UnB1fomvAw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UnB1fomvAw (Pokemon Yellow) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDx6gzvLqWs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDx6gzvLqWs (Super Mario World) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CvJqzYpWms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CvJqzYpWms (EarthBound)

chilldream 13y ago
I love these. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALFvB-UWaxg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALFvB-UWaxg (Chrono Trigger in less than 4 minutes)

em3rgent0rdr 13y ago

awesome! Fun example to teach arbitrary code exploitation!

pearjuice 13y ago

Reading that thread felt like being on the play ground as a kid and some noisy classmate "who's dad worked at Nintendo" explains how to get a 152th Pokemon. I was pretty amazed that at the end it wasn't a made-up lie or joke but that those trivial steps (5 steps to the left, go there and there) actually led to something.

chilldream 13y ago

It's neat how many glitches people have found in these particular games. A couple other Pokemon "arbitrary code" hacks (in the Yellow version): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UnB1fomvAw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UnB1fomvAw (Pi day celebration) http://aurellem.org/vba-clojure/html/total-control.html http://aurellem.org/vba-clojure/html/total-control.html (proof-of-concept for a clojure-to-pokemon-to-assembly compiler) A "normal" playthrough in which the author shows off various glitches (most without any kind of cheat device): http://lparchive.org/Pokemon-Blue/Update%2001/ http://lparchive.org/Pokemon-Blue/Update%2001/