Catch Missingno. In Pokémon Red And Blue
Ah, Missingno. – the glitch Pokémon that has become the stuff of legend among Pokémon Red and Blue players. For those who stumbled upon it accidentally in the early days of the franchise, it was a bizarre, blocky silhouette that defied all logic. For those who deliberately sought it out, it was a rite of passage, a secret handshake into the deeper, more unconventional corners of the game. Fortunately, for the intrepid trainer, learning how to catch Missingno. in Pokémon Red and Blue isn’t as obscure as you might think. It involves a specific sequence of in-game actions and a bit of careful navigation. While it’s important to note that encountering and “catching” Missingno. can have unintended consequences on your game save, the allure of this unique entity has kept players curious for decades.
The primary method for triggering the Missingno. glitch relies on interacting with a specific trainer and then manipulating the game’s data through the “Old Man” trick. This trainer is located on Route 8, just to the east of Lavender Town. They are a Gambler who stands facing upwards, directly in front of the Underground Path entrance. The crucial part is that you must not have battled this particular trainer yet. If you have, you won’t be able to trigger the glitch using this method.
The next step involves the “Old Man” trick. You’ll need to have your Pokémon stored in a specific order in your party. The Pokémon that will influence the type and index number of Missingno. is the sixth Pokémon in your party. This is because the game reads the sixth slot of your party data to determine what to display, and when combined with a specific trainer’s data, it creates the glitched entity.
Once you’ve ensured the Gambler on Route 8 hasn’t been defeated and your party is arranged, you need to trigger the Old Man event. Fly or walk back to Cerulean City. From Cerulean City, head north to Route 24, and then continue north through Nugget Bridge to Route 25. The Old Man you’re looking for is found near the house of the secondary trainer that Bill will eventually move into. He’s teaching a Slowpoke to perform a “right turn.” You must engage him in conversation. When he delivers his dialogue about teaching Slowpoke, you’ll be forced to watch his demonstration. As soon as he finishes his explanation, you need to immediately open your menu and use the Fly or Teleport TM to escape Cerulean City. The destination doesn’t matter as much as the speed of your departure after his dialogue.
Now for the most pivotal part: returning to Route 8. Once you’ve escaped the Old Man’s demonstration, your objective is to fly or walk directly back to Route 8. As you enter Route 8 from the west (the direction of Lavender Town), you’ll notice that the game’s graphical interface will become a bit scrambled. This is a sign that the glitch is properly initiated. Immediately, you should see wild Pokémon begin to appear. Crucially, these wild Pokémon will not be normal. Instead, you will encounter Missingno.
Encountering and Catching Missingno. In Pokémon Red And Blue
When you encounter Missingno., it will appear in its iconic blocky form. The specific type and appearance of Missingno. you encounter are determined by the abbreviated name of the last Pokémon you battled (or, more precisely, the game reading the memory address associated with that Pokémon’s name). The specific “M” shape is often generated by the Pokémon “Aerodactyl” or “Marowak” in the game’s memory. However, the most commonly encountered version, the one that looks like a series of stacked blocks, is often produced through the specific sequence described.
Now, the act of “catching” Missingno. is surprisingly straightforward, much like catching any other wild Pokémon. Engage it in battle, weaken it sufficiently, and then throw a Poké Ball. Ultra Balls are generally recommended for their higher catch rate, but even a Great Ball or a standard Poké Ball can do the trick if you’re lucky and have weakened it enough. The key is to get its health low without knocking it out.
The Consequences of Catching Missingno.
It’s vital to understand the implications of encountering and capturing Missingno. The primary and most well-known consequence is the phenomenon where your “Hall of Fame” data gets corrupted. This means that when you look at the Pokémon you’ve defeated and recorded in the Hall of Fame, they will often be replaced by Missingno. or strange glitched sprites. This is a visual bug and generally doesn’t affect your actual game progress or the Pokémon in your party.
However, there’s a more significant concern. Some players have reported save file corruption after encountering and particularly after catching Missingno. This can manifest in various ways, from minor graphical glitches to your entire save file becoming unplayable. The exact cause of this corruption isn’t fully understood, but it’s thought to be related to how the game attempts to process the glitched data.
Therefore, if you decide to catch Missingno. in Pokémon Red and Blue, it is strongly advised to do so on a save file that you have backed up or that you are willing to risk. Many players who wanted to experiment with Missingno. would create a new save file specifically for this purpose, or play on an emulator where save states are readily available.
Beyond the visual and save file repercussions, Missingno. itself possesses some unique characteristics. When caught, it often has incredibly high stats, sometimes exceeding the normal limits of the game. It can also be used in battle, though its attacks can be unpredictable due to its glitched nature. Some players have even used Missingno. to duplicate items, a particularly powerful exploit that was widely shared among fans. The sixth item in your inventory will be duplicated a staggering 50 times if you trigger the item duplication glitch, which is also often associated with encountering Missingno.
In conclusion, the process to catch Missingno. in Pokémon Red and Blue is a classic example of exploiting glitches within early video games. It involves a specific sequence of trainer encounters, area navigation, and menu manipulation. While the lure of the unknown and the unique properties of Missingno. are undeniable, players should proceed with caution, understanding the potential impact on their game saves. For many, the experience of encountering and catching this legendary glitch Pokémon remains a memorable and defining moment in their Pokémon journey.