This is a list of all the unused or dummied content within each versions of Secret of Mana.
SNES Version[]
Unused Items[]
Mana Sword[]
Barring glitches or cheat codes, it's impossible to get the sword up to Level 9, unlike every other weapon. However, if you do get an extra Sword Orb by whatever means, it can be upgraded, and comes complete with an icon that's never otherwise seen (and a whopping 127 attack power, when the next strongest weapons have only 56). Normally this sword is gained only in the final battle by having both the Girl and the Sprite cast Mana Magic on the hero, but it's applied more or less the same way as the elemental "Saber" spells, and thus doesn't change anything on the menu.
Be warned, however, that even if you do cheat your way into possession of this sword, it won't deal extra damage to the Mana Beast. In fact, if you cast Mana Magic on the sword, it will become the Spike Knuckle, the Level 0 glove.
Unknowed Item[]
There exists in the ROM an unused, dummied item that acts like a healing item upon use, but has no apparent effects. It is possible, judging from the way the object looks, that it was meant to be a sprite to show the Weapon Orbs in your inventory.
Ruby Armlet[]
The Ruby Armet is a helmet for the Girl with a defense of 46. Mandala seems like the likely place where this helmet would have been sold since it lacks a helmet for the Girl and its stats are in the range of the Circlet. Also starting from Todo Village, Candy is no longer being sold in shops and are replaced by Chocolate (except Tasnica and a few Neko shops). It might have been a developer oversight by placing Candy instead of Ruby Armet in the shop menu. Use Pro Action Replay code 7ECC240C to put it in a helmet slot.
"Max Candy"[]
Use Pro Action Replay code 7ECC3C3F to put this item in an arm protection slot (or hex 3F via editor). It has no name and looks like a Candy. It provides the following when equipped:
Defense: +255 Strength: +5 Agility: +5 Constitution: +5 Intelligence: +5 Protection: Literally protects against all status effects - Includes: Slow, Unconscious, Frosty, Stone, Confused, Balloon, Pygmy, Barrel , Moogle, Poison, Burning and Death. - Barrel means players cannot use "Barrel" from the inventory wheel. - Death protects players from spells(?)/chests that cast death on their target. They still die when their HP reaches zero.
Bare Head/Body/Arm[]
Value 00 for the armor modifier code gives a miscolored trashcan with the description "Bare Head" (translated from French here), values 15 and 2A give similar items with the descriptions "No" and "Nothing". These might have been intended to remove helmets, armors, and arm protections respectively.
Note: The Item hex range is 00 to 3F. +40, +80, and +C0 is added to the byte value if a character has it equipped.
Unused Sprites[]
White Sprite[]
Using Pro Action Replay code 7EE18056 will change the Boy into a completely whited-out Sprite. There exist several duplicates of the Boy, Girl, and Sprite in the character data, some with alternate palettes (such as for the fight against the clones in Sage Joch's cave), but this white palette is unique to the Sprite and not used anywhere.
Neko Back and Walking Frames[]
The Pro Action Replay code 7EE18099 will change the Boy into Neko. Neko never moves from any place where you find him standing in the game, but with this code you can see that he has unused walking forwards and backwards sprites. He will blink his eyes as he walks. This is also the only way to see him from behind.
Watts Unused Tile[]
Watts has an unused tile. The right sprite shows how it could be used. The main difference is his beard color.
Sage Joch Walking Frames[]
The Pro Action Replay code 7EE180A3 will turn the Boy into Sage Joch and you will see that he has walking forward sprites. Joch never moves from the spot he is standing on during normal game play. However, it's possible to activate this animation by standing behind him and talking to him. Characters are programmed to turn and face you when you talk to them from behind, but since Joch has no back view, his walking animation is called up in place of it. This was probably an oversight on the programmers' part.
Scorpion Leader Unused Tile[]
The Scorpion leader has also an unused tile. The right sprite shows how her head would look like, no match could be found with body tiles. Her hair is different and her cape seems closed over her shoulder.
Dyluck Walking Frames[]
Most NPCs have a complete set of walking frames, but some do not use all of them. Here, Dyluck's downwards walking frames are unused.
Geshtar Unused Frames[]
Geshtar has downwards and sideways walking frames, which are unused, but no upwards walking frames. On the other hand, he has an alternate downward standing sprite, holding the Mech Rider helm. This can be seen by using the Pro Action Replay code 7EE180B1 and walking upwards.
Unused Character[]
The Pro Action Replay code 7EE180B3 will change the Boy into an unused character in a white cloak. This character is right between Fanha and Sheex in the character data, so he(?) was most likely meant to be another servant of Emperor Vandole.
Sheex[]
Sheex uses downwards walking frames, but extra tiles can be seen around the sprite. Moreover, the shoulders seem off for two frames. Using the available tiles, the sprites can be corrected. In addition, the upwards walking frames are unused.
More interesting is another head for Sheex, with a helm. There is a version available for all his frames (first line is as observed in the game with extra tiles cleaned, second line corresponds to corrected sprites). The white spot on the helm makes it look unfinished.
Thanatos Walking Frames[]
Like other characters, Thanatos has unused frames, sideways in this case.
Elinee Without Hood[]
The Pro Action Replay code 7EE180BA will turn the Boy into the witch, Elinee. Slide left or right to activate an unused sprite of Elinee without her hood. There is an additional sprite without her hood and with her mouth open. This can be seen by bringing her to an area with enemies, but may freeze the game.
After she is reformed, the hooded witch's sprite is simply replaced with an elderly female villager sprite instead of using these, presumably so she can randomly walk around the room after the conversation and during the ending. If there was another location where the sprites could be used, it's long gone from the final game, barring something obscure like Elinee being initially unhooded when encountered outside the boss room or something.
Elinee also doesn't have sprites for moving upwards, so when she walks north after initially talking to her, she will do the hand-waving animation instead.
Truffle Walking Frames[]
All walking frames of Truffle are unused. It is interesting to note that his sprites are obtained by adding a crown and moustache to the regular mushrooms sprites.
Toppled Snowman[]
The Pro Action Replay code 7EE180EE turns the Boy into a Snowman. Holding up or down reveals an unused sprite of the Snowman crumbling apart. In the first game you could destroy snowmen after turning enemies into them with the Ice spell. How this would have exactly worked in the sequel is unknown, unless it was simply a damaged animation, which would make the status much like Balloon or the Flame status effect. As it is, both enemy and ally snowmen cannot be hurt until the status effect wears off on its own.
The Pro Action Replay code 7EE180EF turns the Boy into the midget version of the snowman. It, too, has an unused frame of it slightly toppled over.
Casting Boy[]
Use Pro Action Replay code 7EE58001 to turn the Sprite into the Boy. Then cast a spell. The animation is available! Note that some sprites may be used by other animations.
Laughing Boy and Girl[]
Only the Sprite laughing animation is used in-game. Use Pro Action Replay codes 7EE02F25 and 7EE22F respectively to display the animations.
Unused Enemy Sprites[]
This may have been intended as a hurt animation.
Some monsters have such fun sprites, but this one is unused.
Rarely-used hurt and unused attack sprites for the fish monsters. The hurt sprites are used, but will very rarely be seen during a normal playthrough as the fish have to be hurt to 15hp or below (at least for the Iffish near the Water Palace). Once that is done and they try to start their next attack action, they will permanently go into a catatonic state switching between the two hurt sprites.
These unused eyes for the Mimic Box would probably have been overlaid on a chest sprite.
Some unused sprites for Nemesis Owl.
The body parts might have been intended as sleeping sprites, but they cannot be put to sleep. The tails may or may not match the bodies.
An alternate hurt or sleeping sprite.
Unused sprites for Weepy Eye and Whimper. While the Whimper enemy does drop tears occasionally when in an "opening" idle animation before it is aware of the player, these frames don't play; only the teardrops falling are animated.
Several unused sprites and parts of sprites for Werewolf and Wolf Lord, including a bloody bite.
The regular wolves also have an unused sprite, maybe intended as a preparation for a pounce or a howl.
Myterious NPC[]
You cannot use 7EE180xx codes to turn the Boy into this NPC (possibly a soldier or bandit, given his clothing). Its tiles are present in the ROM near the big-headed villager, which the Boy turns into for two consecutive values of the code. Maybe one of them was supposed to point to this one?
Note that the palette of the Pandora guard was chosen for aesthetic reasons, but the actual palette might be found somewhere in the ROM.
Unused Boss Sprites[]
Neither Mantis Ant nor Metal Mantis turn their head like this; they always face directly down.
An unused part of sprite for the Gigas bosses. On the right is how the full sprite would probably look like.
Some unused sprites for the central eye of the Wall bosses contracting.
Two frames of animation for the wheel of Kilroy and Kettle Kin, with an oblique orientation. Sadly, no chainsaw was found in RAM for the PAL version...
It would seem that Spring Beak or Axe Beak could have been able to run or kick. Their only moves in the game are jumps, and the feet stay the same.
According to this sprite part, Minotaur or Gorgon Bull could have fallen over, or maybe it is some sort of kick... It does not really fit with the rest of the sprites.
Unused parts of Aegagropilon sprite (actually on a background layer). On the bottom is how it would probably look like assembled. It seems that Aegagropilon could eat characters, like some other bosses...
An unused hand for Hexas, it would fit on the upper arms.
These are present with the sprites for the Dragon bosses. The shattering ice block was certainly made for Snow Dragon and the fireball for Red Dragon. It is not clear what the third object would have been used for, or how to assemble it.
Unused Music[]
Debug Room[]
Start a new game or load a saved game, then turn on the Pro Action Replay code (7E00DC0F) and exit the screen to enter the Debug Room.
Unfortunately, none of the people in the room seem to do anything except for the King. Talking to him starts the Intro sequence again, sending you straight back to the waterfall near Potos Village.
Unused Text[]
Medicine[]
Text for some kind of medicine, possibly intended to restore HP/MP. English:
Drink this medicine! It'll fix ya right up!
Japanese:
やどやのかわりに、タスマニカ めいぶつ、パチパチドリンクじゃ！ひとくちのむだけで回復する！
Diary Entry[]
An incomplete diary entry that refers to the fake emperor. The parts in parentheses appear in the actual dialogue. English:
(Unfinished diary entry) ...My cover's been blown... Some monster's using the Emperor's body to (Text suddenly stops [PLAYER]:What does this mean?
Japanese:
(かきかけのにっきがおちている) 「[・・]ダメだ、ついに見つかって しまった[・・]。皇帝はニセモノだ！ 魔者が 皇帝になりすまし[・・][・・] (にっきは ここでとだえていた)『どういうことだろう[・・]
Translated version of the above:
(A diary is lying on the ground) "...It's no good. I've been found out... The Emperor is a fake! Some monster has taken his place..." (That's the last entry) [PLAYER]: I wonder what it means...