Missingno Glitch Pokemon from the first generation of games

Missingno is a true legend of the first generation of Game Boy games. On its basis, fans created countless legends and myths. Eventually, with this glitch, you could get a lot of in-game benefits and catch inaccessible Pokemons.

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Is Missingno a Pokemon? Basic information

Missingno is an abbreviation for Missing Number, meaning that the game tries to find information about Pokemon that does not exist. Technically, this is not an official Pokemon, but an error in the game code. It appears in Pokemon Red and Blue games, the Yellow version has been improved and we can not meet MissingNo in it in the same way as in previous installments. MissingNo. occurs when a player performs a specific sequence of actions, such as placing certain items in inventory, using HMs (Hidden Machines) in specific locations, and surfing on certain coasts. Meeting with glitch causes errors in data recording, which leads to many irregularities in the game.

One of the most well-known effects of a meeting with Missing Number is the increase in the number of items in the backpack, especially the Master Ball (allowing you to easily catch any Pokemon). In addition, after a clash with it, the amount of Pokemon in Pokedex can be incorrectly increased, and sometimes other incorrect graphic or sound effects may also appear. The iconic appearance of MissingNo itself is not accidental, although it would seem that it is only a combination of pixels, its sprite (image) is predetermined. This is the result of compression of image files and how they are displayed. After catching it, we can see in the statistics its type – Bird/Normal. This type of Pokemon does not occur in the game and is probably a remnant of the beta version, in its place the Flying type was created.

However, it is worth noting that meeting with MissingNo. can be risky, because it can lead to damage to the game’s save. Players were warned against experimenting with this phenomenon, as the consequences could have been serious, including the loss of game save. Nevertheless, it has become an iconic element of the Pokemon culture and is often mentioned by fans of the first generation of games.

Old Man and Cinnabar Island

It is worth noting that meeting him in the game Pokemon is the result of a programming error, not the intended element of the gameplay. However, if you are interested in experimenting with this phenomenon, keep in mind that using in-game bugs can lead to potential problems with game save data. Here is the general way players often encounter this bug in the first generations of Pokemon games:

Old Man and learning to catch:

Head to the city of Viridian City and talk to the NPC known as Old Man, answer his question “NO” and watch the sequences of learning to catch Pokemon.

Fly and Surf:

These two HMs are necessary to catch or meet a glitch.
Fly/Swash on Cinnabar Island
Fly to Cinnabar Island and head right to the shore of the island.

Meet MissingNo.:

Swim only along the shore, do not move away from it. You will start to meet high-level Pokemons like Golduck. After a while, you should meet Pokemon MissingNo.

Wygląd Pokemona MissingNo.

The main image, as we mentioned earlier, is generated by the game through special guidelines. This is a complicated process and we will not discuss it in full. However, this is not the only character under which he appears. It often uses images not used in the game, ie Aerodactyl and Kabutops skeletons. Also, a ghost from the town of Lavender Town appears in this glitch. In the Pokemon Yellow version, it takes on a completely different look. This is due to the fact that fixed bugs originally allowing you to meet it.

Missingno in other versions of games

Since the first generation, the creators have improved many things in the code and thanks to the increasingly stronger equipment, they did not have to use strange and problematic solutions to save space on the cassette with the game. Therefore, most new games no longer have issues like Missing Number. However, with the help of codes, we can produce similar effects also in newer versions of pocket creatures.

Due to its popularity, it was even added in the form of an Easter Egg in the XY series. Its shape is visible in the interior of the house in the city of Lumiose City. In the LeafGreen and FireRed series, missingno appears as a question mark typed in a circle.

Summary of Pokemon Glitch Information

Although MissingNo. is a phenomenon of code error, many players experiment with it because of their curiosity and desire to explore hidden aspects of the game. However, it is always worth being careful, as using bugs in the game can lead to data loss or other problems.