Mega Man Battle Network 5 – The Cutting Room Floor

Mega Man Battle Network 5 is the fifth game in the Battle Network series; other playable Navis are finally introduced (and no, we’re not counting Operation Battle or Battle Chip Challenge), as well as new overworld, battle, and sound engines, and the unique/divisive Liberation Missions.

The two versions would later be combined for the Nintendo DS as Mega Man Battle Network 5: Double Team DS.

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Even though the build times are only 2 minutes apart, the initial release of Team of Colonel in Japan was more than 2 months after the initial Japanese release of Team of Blues. Also, the English versions seemingly have two different dates for some reason.

Region

Version

ROM Address

Text

JP

Team of Blues

03DE60

14E6F0

REXE5TOB 20041104 JP

Nov 14 2004 21:37:23

JP

Team of Colonel

03DE64

14E7D8

REXE5TOK 20041104 JP

Nov 14 2004 21:39:33

US

Team ProtoMan

03DF7C

14EB88

REXE5TOB 20041006 US

Apr  7 2005 10:29:59

US

Team Colonel

03DF80

14EC70

REXE5TOK 20041006 US

Apr  7 2005 10:40:02

EU

Team ProtoMan

03DF7C

14EB88

REXE5TOB 20041006 PL

Apr  7 2005 10:48:18

EU

Team Colonel

03DF80

14EC70

REXE5TOK 20041006 PL

Apr  7 2005 10:53:59

Unused Sprites

Unused Playable Character Sprites

The strength Team Navis you play as have unused sprites. TomahawkMan and NapalmMan both have crouching “defeated” frames presumably used when you defeat them in their respective levels. However, the game just has them stand there when you do defeat them and the frames go unused. This was not fixed in the NDS version. There is also an unused sprite of SearchMan blocking. This sprite is also out of place since normally an unused sprite from one version’s Navi shows up in the opposite version’s. Since the Team ProtoMan version was made first, this sprite could be from a removed scenario no longer present in any of the releases. The revision theory doesn’t match up with keeping both strength Navis’ unused sprites.

Unused Battle Sprites

New to the game was this charging animation used in Chaos Unisons. Back up; for some odd reason, the regular charge animation managed to still keep the palettes for the three stages of charging last used in the first game. This unused sprite shows the charge animation for Chaos Unisons in a mid-charge. The ball is actually larger than the first level and smaller than the third level charge. It also has an orange color similar to the regular charge’s mid-charge. This sprite either exists for some unknown program setup or because having a three-level charge for Chaos Unison was considered at one point, but was later scrapped.

Normally in the game, when Gyro Soul is enabled, Wind-elemental chips cause your propeller to spin, doubling the power of the next chip. This sprite shows that GyroMan would have utilized this effect normally exclusive to Gyro Soul. This stationary propeller animation shows that perhaps Team Navis would have had abilities similar to their Soul counterpart. There is no known way to enable this behavior on GyroMan.

MagnetMan has a couple of unused palettes. Keep in mind that MagnetMan has the most palettes out of all the characters. During battle, MagnetMan can create a blue-colored duplicate for his special attack. The first color is his blue duplicate colored to match his DS (Dark Soul) version. The second is the regular blue duplicate lightened up to be used as a movement color (since MagnetMan lightens up during his moving animation). However, probably due to programming reasons, all versions of MagnetMan use the regular blue color duplicate in his one attack. The sprite simply appears and disappears, leaving the light-blue one unused.

The Cactus enemy normally only shoots its head forward after a short while. This simple animation shows an unused animation where the enemy shakes for an unknown amount of time and then shoots its head. It’s possible this behavior would have been meant to trick the player about its attack timing.

Toad Soul’s charge attack uses a special trumpet arm. There is a palette for the Chaos Unison-version of Toad Soul. Because Chaos Toad Soul uses Dark Wide Shot as the charge attack this trumpet color goes unused.

Unused Overworld Sprites

LarkMan is an optional boss in the game. His sprite only appears in one map and uses no alternate colors. However, his overworld sprite did have alternate colors. The first color is a strange color swap of his original color. The second color is his DS version’s color. However, his sprite’s palette is identical both in and out of battle, so this is probably a color-pasting glitch made on the developer’s side.

The car sprite now has a new black palette. This would most likely have been used in the cutscene where Nebula first appears, until the new sprite seen in the final version was made. Some details have been redrawn since the previous game but since none of the maps have any cars present, this sprite isn’t used at all.

Chaos Unison Tutorial

Changing the battle type through a hack, there exists a Chaos Unison tutorial in the game. The text (and probably the icon too) of this tutorial is just a placeholder and does not make any sense. It looks largely incomplete and has Colonel explaining the tutorial regardless of the game version. The tutorial is also in Japanese in all versions of the game. In the retail versions of the game, Chaos Unison is explained through an anonymous email in SciLab.

Text:

Situation
Japanese text
Translation

Tutorial introduction
ダークブランドのチュートリアル
テストメッセージ
Dark Brand Tutorial
Test Message

Attempting to start the tutorial without performing Chaos Unison
熱斗、ユニゾンコメントを
わすれているぞ
Lan, don’t forget the comment about Double Soul

Battle start
ダークブランドのせつめい
テキストがでます
This is the explanatory text about Dark Brand

Tutorial end
ダークチップがつかえました
おめでとう
Congratulations for using a DarkChip

Wireless Multiplayer

The Rockman.EXE 5: Team of Blues instruction booklet claims that it is possible to play locally using the GBA Wireless Adapter. It even shows a selection screen not found during normal gameplay. The game does have support for the Wireless Adapter since it is used to play Crossover Battle with Boktai 2. The client and host screens exist in all versions and can be accessed using a menu hack. All menus are in Japanese regardless of region.

It is unknown whether a wireless battle or any game mode can be executed at all since the menus don’t function properly. The name select screen must also appear in the menu after the wireless screen but no evidence has been found to support this. Once a name is registered, it can’t be edited. The selection screen is also not referenced in the US version, though it exists, and the client and host screens load properly. There is no known way to trigger the selection screen in the Japanese version or any version of the game.

It is possible that this feature was removed due to complications with the external hardware the game accepted or the fact that the NDS port was already on its way which would support wireless play natively; Mega Man Battle Network 6 would eventually have wireless support.

(Source: Nigoli (manual))

Debug Text

Like the previous game, this game has a list of debug commands that when read by the game’s script system, causes the described effect. No known way to activate properly but likely used by developers at some point.

Can enter FurnacComp
Can enter ElevtrComp
Can enter CraneComp
Can enter SciLab HP
You got MaylBanr 
You got DexBannr
You got YaiBannr
You got SciLabBnr
You got GargCstlBnr
CyberCloud game
A BBS messages
Player Change
Defeated 100!
All NaviChng OK
ChaosUnison OK
You got 1 HP memory
You got RegUp 1
You got RegUp 2
You got RegUp 3
    0 Zennys cleared
    0 BugFrags
You got Extra Deck
You got Folder2
Add items to Higsby's and cart
You got Extra Deck
Ship Game begins "ProtoMan~
Ship Game begins "Colonel~
Ship Game begins "MegaMan~
Defeated Bass
You got a chip
LibMission 1 begins
LibMission 2 begins
LibMission 3 begins
LibMission 4 begins
LibMission 5 begins
LibMission 6 begins
LibMission 7 begins
LibMission 8 begins
LibMission 9 begins
You got Bass chip
You got a chip
New Record
Show Record
You got a chip
You got PA
Boktai trading set
You got key item
World Trip
You got all souls
You got NaviCust
New Mail
Very Wealthy
You got SubChip
You got all chips

Unused Accessories

Navi Customizer Programs

There’re three dummied out Navi Customizer Programs, which are HubBatc, MegaVirs and GigaVirs.

Chips

There are some other chip code of normal chips which can’t be acquired normally:

1. NumberBall * (given a Lotto Code in Double Team DS)
2. DarkRecover * (given a Lotto Code in Double Team DS)
3. DarkSonic *

Regional Differences

Title Screen

JapanNorth AmericaEurope

This game was the final Battle Network title screen change with the European logo; it was not done for the DS port.

Map Changes

The homepages from Lan’s friends have an unique design in Japan. In other versions they are similar to Lan’s homepage. While this improves navigation, the unique details they had were lost, like the ramp shaped like a piano in Mayl’s homepage and the pictures of GutsMan in Dex’s homepage. GargCastleHP was also simplified, but its design is similar to the small generic maps.

The Japanese version has an additional small map with a blue background. In the international versions they were replaced by the common green maps. While this gives less variety to the small maps, it improved navigation speed as the blue map lacks a straight path. Maps that use the blue version include some of the SquirrelCmps (2, 7, 9, 12 and 14), RadarComp, AirConComp, and ScrewComp.

ShipComp1 was removed in international versions, with ShipComp2 being slightly modified to include an entry point, and all ShipComp maps having the number in their names reduced by 1. Similarly, GargoylComp2 was removed, and GargoylComp3 and 4 had their numbers reduced. This also resulted in four Blue Mystery Datas being relocated, and one Green Mystery Data.

Japan
International

In Team Colonel, the painting inside Queen Bohemia is The Last Supper in Japan. The international versions changed it to a painting of fireworks; the DS version retained this change, while all other map changes were undone given its higher storage capacity.

Also in Team ProtoMan, Lan’s house would have rolled sushi rolls being prepared in the Japanese version, while the international version instead has beef stew instead.

e-Reader Content

Like with 4, the lack of popularity surrounding the e-Reader resulted in its removal in the international versions; despite this, all the content accessible with it is still functional, and can be re-enabled using cheats. This includes:

• Mod Cards – enhances MegaMan’s abilities and unlocks a battle with Bass XX. Many of these cards are balanced out by inflicting MegaMan with (in-game NaviCust) bugs, and only allowing up to 80 MB worth of “cards” at once.
  • Interestingly in the Japanese version, the bugs these Mod Cards added could be prevented with the BugStop NaviCust program in the Japanese version but the English version, despite rendering this entire function being unavailable, changed BugStop to not prevent bugs caused by Mod Cards. This was presumably a result of the combination being exceptionally overpowered to the point BugStop was banned from official Japanese tournaments entirely, with the English behavior also being applied in Battle Network 6.
• Item Cards – gives the player a random item or amount of Zenny; this include the Leaders Raid and Chaos Lord Giga Chips.
• BassCross MegaMan – gives MegaMan a pseudo-Double Soul form with Bass, giving him several buffs while still allowing him to enable other DoubleSouls; it was later made accessible in the DS version by slotting in the GBA versions with an already completed save file.

Glitches

The Japanese version has several oddities, suggesting it was rushed to completion; the international versions fixes all of these, as does Double Team DS:

• Exiting a Liberation Mission results in bizarre effects depending on MegaMan’s maximum HP; this also includes being able to soft lock the game.
• “No” still activating a Twin Liberation when using Meddy; in addition, this does not consume order points.
• Dark Chips deducting your karma and HP twice when running from battle.
• CrossDivide not functioning during the Colonel fights, as well as having a command code sound if a command code is attempted, despite it having no effect.
• An out-of-bounds clip when collecting Purple Mystery Data in Oran Area 1; it was fixed by simply moving the PMD to a different location.
• Activating a Double Soul in the same turn after swapping from a Navi Change resulted in the BassCross palette being replaced with the default MegaMan palette; despite the e-Reader functionality being disabled in the international version, this bug was fixed regardless.
• In the FactoryComp4, right before CosmoMan; if MegaMan is standing right where the gate was and the gate is put back up, he will be pushed past the cutscene marker. MegaMan is able to talk to the CosmoMan NPC, resulting in freezing the game.
• ShadowMan’s Bakuen fire attack does not reduce mood. Because of this, it can’t remove Full Synchro. In later versions, it reduces mood as it should.
• During the Chapter 5 cutscene in which MegaMan spots the fake NumberMan/SearchMan, the game never respawns his HP or current area until a screen transition occurs.
• It’s possible to delete your DarkSoul by using LifeSync (generally with any boss with 500 HP), then two AntiRecovers; fixed in international.

Virtual Console Changes

• Accessing the Communication menu now gives the player one of every Secret Chip (excluding LeadersRaid and ChaosLord), as well as BassCross MegaMan regardless of the region.
• The Japanese-only Liberation Mission exit glitch is fixed in its regional version.
• For unknown reasons, a random blur effect was added when moving in ACDC Town.