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Generation III Glitch Discussion

The "Mawhile" typo in Pokémon Ruby - Page 1

The "Mawhile" typo in Pokémon Ruby

Posted by: Blaziken257
Date: 2014-08-07 00:51:50
Hello… some people may know that, in some English-language copies of Pokémon Ruby, Mawile's Pokédex entry has its name misspelled twice, as "Mawhile". However, later copies of the game corrected this error, where Mawile's name is spelled correctly.

Bulbapedia claims that the typo exists in American copies of the game, and was corrected in English-language copies in other regions, such as the UK and Australia:

Mawile's Ruby Pokédex entry erroneously has its name spelled "Mawhile". This mistake is only present in the American versions and was corrected for the English versions available in other regions.


However, what bugs me is that this isn't completely accurate, as later American copies have the typo fixed too!

Let me explain. The first American English Ruby cartridge that I had did have this typo (which I clearly remember seeing). I got it in March 2003, the month that it came out. Here are screenshots below:

[img]https://i.imgur.com/3uuYetM.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SjPZlcI.png[/img]

Late in 2004, my first Ruby cart was unfortunately stolen, and I soon replaced it with a new one in October 2004. This cartridge is also an American English cartridge. In this cartridge, the typo was fixed! Here are screenshots of the corrected typo (note that these screenshots below came from a ROM that I dumped myself, so it is most certainly American):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/aIyz7o0.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/sWxjFuJ.png[/img]

I've never seen anybody mention that later American English copies of Ruby had this typo fixed, so this is mainly why I'm mentioning this. It's also worth mentioning that when I run these ROMs in VBA-M, and go to File->ROM Information, the ROM version of the earlier ROM is 00, and the later one is naturally 01, which means the current Ruby cart that I have is a later revision. [size=8pt](As a side note, it doesn't appear that you can tell the revision of a GBA cartridge just by looking at its sticker, unlike GB/GBC cartridges. Maybe I'll explain this in detail sometime in a different post.)[/size]

I'm also wondering if there exist early UK and Australian copies with the misspelling. Does anybody know anything about this? Bulbapedia does say that there aren't any, but given that I already found an inaccuracy here, I'm not sure whether that statement is even accurate at all.

Re: The "Mawhile" typo in Pokémon Ruby

Posted by: tachi
Date: 2014-08-07 12:14:29
okay okay okay, hold on, what do you expect us to do about this claim on bulbapedia? Shouldn't you tell them this so that they can update it?

Interesting find by the way.

As for the australian and uk carts, they were released after it came to america, and seeing that they fixed it on some american carts, I'd bet they had fixed it for those countries before releasing it to them.

If there are some carts with the misspelling from those regions that exist, i'd put my money on the australian cart, as it only came there less than a month when we received ours.

Re: The "Mawhile" typo in Pokémon Ruby

Posted by: Stackout
Date: 2014-08-09 08:08:28
I'm going to assume the "Australia / UK" version is just US v1.1.

I have a UK Ruby cart, but no ROM dumper, sorry. I'm sure I could somehow dump it using DS homebrew though.

Re: The "Mawhile" typo in Pokémon Ruby

Posted by: SCared_Fir3
Date: 2014-08-09 13:10:04

okay okay okay, hold on, what do you expect us to do about this claim on bulbapedia? Shouldn't you tell them this so that they can update it?


The forum is called Pokemon Glitch Discussion for a reason.

Re: The "Mawhile" typo in Pokémon Ruby

Posted by: Bert
Date: 2014-08-09 15:13:20
But this isn't a glitch, it's a typo. So… why's it in the Glitch Discussion board?

Re: The "Mawhile" typo in Pokémon Ruby

Posted by: Stackout
Date: 2014-08-09 18:48:46

But this isn't a glitch, it's a typo. So… why's it in the Glitch Discussion board?


It could be argued that it's a translation error. Translation errors have been documented on our wiki (see Evolving Raichu).

Re: The "Mawhile" typo in Pokémon Ruby

Posted by: Yuzihax
Date: 2014-08-09 19:05:16
We're listing translation errors as glitches? The Evolving Raichu translation error is explicitly referred to as one.

That shouldn't actually count, I think. I can understand listing them, but throwing them in the same category as everything else is weird.

Re: The "Mawhile" typo in Pokémon Ruby

Posted by: Torchickens
Date: 2014-08-10 12:21:20

But this isn't a glitch, it's a typo. So… why's it in the Glitch Discussion board?


I think it's a better place than Pokémon discussion, because it's related to mistakes that the developers made.


We're listing translation errors as glitches? The Evolving Raichu translation error is explicitly referred to as one.

That shouldn't actually count, I think. I can understand listing them, but throwing them in the same category as everything else is weird.


I agree. I think translation errors are different enough to be used over glitch.

In my survey for what defines a glitch (although there were only 5 responses), the consensus was that glitches are unintentional game behaviour/effects, but are typos considered glitches?

On Wiktionary (although Wiktionary is user edited), it says a glitch is a bug or an exploit. I think this may be a good definition because it's more general. However, some exploits may not be considered glitches, which is why I made a category for them.

My suggested GCL terminology:

This is subjective, so let me know what you think.

1) Glitches - Problems that need fixing. Typos and translation errors (except for those that cause visual or operation glitches), as well as exploits are not included.
2) Glitch technique (Japanese: ) - A method of using a glitch to gain an advantage. I've heard the Emerald any Pokémon trick referred to as this in Japanese. Does it have to be for an 'advantage' though?
3) Glitch derivative - Tricks that you can only do thanks to glitches. Not pure glitches in this sense. Examples: old man trick, Ditto trick.
4) Lockup - A glitch that makes it so no controls have any effect, but other things like music may still be running. (e.g. Acro Bike lockup)
5) Freeze - When operations (things like walking, battling) cannot be continued, whether they are glitched or not.
6) Typo - A spelling mistake.
7) Grammar error - A mistake in how a sentence is formed.
8) Programming blunder - A clear mistake in the game code. e.g. Focus Energy in Red, Blue and Yellow quartering the chance of a critical hit.
9) Exploit - A trick that lets you not play the game normally, even though the effects of it are possible in another way. (e.g. changing the date on your Nintendo DS, RNG abuse)

I made up that definition of exploit, though. I'd like others opinion on it.

Re: The "Mawhile" typo in Pokémon Ruby

Posted by: camper
Date: 2014-08-10 13:02:08
Do we need to define "crash" as well?

Crash: When the game stops running abruptly (e.g. striped screen of death, last music note looping)

I would also expand the definition of "lockup" a bit:

Lockup - A state when no controls have any effect, but other things like music may still be running. (e.g. Acro Bike lockup, opening Pokemon menu after Super Glitch, opening Item menu during battles in "Old Man tutorial" mode when first item isn't usable)

The latter two examples aren't glitches, but the side-effects of glitches.

Re: The "Mawhile" typo in Pokémon Ruby

Posted by: Yuzihax
Date: 2014-08-10 13:22:28

I think it's a better place than Pokémon discussion, because it's related to mistakes that the developers made.


It's a mistake, yeah, but I think its a fairly different creature than the kinds of abominations we routinely call up on cue. It's more of a general game thing in my opinion.


In my survey for what defines a glitch (although there were only 5 responses), the consensus was that glitches are unintentional game behaviour/effects, but are typos considered glitches?


I'd figure the answer here is the same as above. It's a mistake on an entirely different level than the other reality warping wizard level bullshit stuff that falls under that particular bit of terminology.

Speaking of, that terminology list seems fairly solid to me.

Re: The "Mawhile" typo in Pokémon Ruby

Posted by: Stackout
Date: 2014-08-10 15:25:23
I'd prefer "bug" rather than "programming blunder" but that's just me :)

Re: The "Mawhile" typo in Pokémon Ruby

Posted by: Torchickens
Date: 2014-08-10 16:21:39

Do we need to define "crash" as well?

Crash: When the game stops running abruptly (e.g. striped screen of death, last music note looping)

I would also expand the definition of "lockup" a bit:

Lockup - A state when no controls have any effect, but other things like music may still be running. (e.g. Acro Bike lockup, opening Pokemon menu after Super Glitch, opening Item menu during battles in "Old Man tutorial" mode when first item isn't usable)

The latter two examples aren't glitches, but the side-effects of glitches.


Ah, that's a good point. I don't think 'crash' is a good word for that though, as 'crash' and 'freeze' may be used interchangeably. I suppose something like an invalid opcode makes the game stop running entirely (does it on a Game Boy?), but with other freezes the game may still be running, but with you unable to continue normally (something like this). I don't know how the Game Boy works well enough to say whether it completely stops running, though.


It's a mistake, yeah, but I think its a fairly different creature than the kinds of abominations we routinely call up on cue. It's more of a general game thing in my opinion.


Yeah, OK. I support moving it to Pokémon discussion now.


I'd prefer "bug" rather than "programming blunder" but that's just me :)


OK! Bug would make sense, as I think you're not the only one who thinks of bug like that. It's just on Wiktionary they have their definition "A problem that needs fixing, especially in computing." so something like the Trainer-Fly glitch could be called a bug, but it's a combination of events (being able to open the menu in a Trainer's vision by putting them off screen first, and then flying away and causing glitch derivatives related to that) rather than say, the Coin Case text having the wrong terminator byte. Wiktionary is not a good source though.

'Programming blunder' may not be specific enough though, because the game runs based on the program, meaning every glitch could be called one (except things like cartridge tilting). I'm not sure how to put into words what I was thinking of. Focus Energy glitch stems from a specific problem in a subroutine. Coin Case due to a byte that doesn't work as a terminator in English versions.

Edit: Ah. Maybe 'programming logic error'?

Re: The "Mawhile" typo in Pokémon Ruby

Posted by: camper
Date: 2014-08-11 03:58:40

but with other freezes the game may still be running, but with you unable to continue normally (something like this).

That one is a lockup, since controls won't work but the game is still running.

Re: The "Mawhile" typo in Pokémon Ruby

Posted by: Sanqui
Date: 2014-08-11 07:26:30
I have my own pet definitions of the terms "bug", "glitch", and "exploit".

A bug is a simple programming mistake, which may or may not have consequences.  For example:

A glitch is undefined behavior.  For example:

An exploit is abusing an oversight, bug, or glitch for an in-game advantage.  For example:


Due to this, I disagree with Torchickens that glitches are "problems that need fixing".  By my nomenclature, glitches are ultimately caused by bugs, which need to be fixed.

Re: The "Mawhile" typo in Pokémon Ruby

Posted by: Torchickens
Date: 2014-08-11 10:05:11

I have my own pet definitions of the terms "bug", "glitch", and "exploit".

A bug is a simple programming mistake, which may or may not have consequences.  For example:
    [li] The fact that you can encounter Pokémon on the Cinnabar Island shore is a bug, because the tiles are wrongly treated as non-water tiles.[/li]
    [li] The fact that switching the first and second move of a Transformed Ditto actually swaps Transform after the battle too is a bug, because the moves should be restored in the original order after Transform ends.[/li]

A glitch is undefined behavior.  For example:
    [li] Missingno. itself is a glich, because unintended data is read as Pokémon data.  There is no bug involved, the situation is unaccounted for because it should not happen in the first place.[/li]
    [li] The Cooltrainer move is a glitch, because a Pokémon can never have a move 0 in the first slot.  The effects caused by the game trying to read the 256th name are glitches.[/li]

An exploit is abusing an oversight, bug, or glitch for an in-game advantage.  For example:
    [li] Intentionally cloning the seventh item in your inventory by encountering Missingno. is an exploit.[/li]
    [li] Using the Cooltrainer glitch to change the opposing Pokémon species so you can catch it is an exploit.[/li]


Due to this, I disagree with Torchickens that glitches are "problems that need fixing".  By my nomenclature, glitches are ultimately caused by bugs, which need to be fixed.


I like this. I personally think glitch and bug should be interchangeable though, as in video gaming they seem to be used indiscriminately. However, I prefer glitch to avoid confusion where 'bug' may be thought as a specific programming error, and because Bulbapedia have called (most) errors 'glitches'.

Trying to use different meanings for them doesn't feel right to me. I rarely hear people talking about Pokémon 'bugs' instead of 'glitches', except in Japan where they're usually called '', and where glitch Pokémon may be called 'bug Pokémon'.

I always try to use 'prerelease' or 'unused content' (depending on the context) over 'beta' as of a year or two ago, because they have clear meanings, but 'glitch' and 'bug' have more ambiguous, subjective meanings.