7 Classic Pokemon Glitches That Made It To Virtual Console

MissingNo

Caution: This one can mess up your game, especially in Pokemon Yellow. If you’re after MissingNo, be prepared for bizarre, and occasionally game-breaking consequences.

How could we list Pokemon glitches without including this guy? MissingNo comes in many forms, and there are many ways to encounter him, but the easiest and most famous way involves the same Cinnabar coastline as before and the caffeine-loaded old man who teaches you to catch Pokemon. Ask him to teach you to catch Pokemon, then watch his demonstration. Afterward, fly to Cinnabar and Surf along the coast for a wild ride of janky glitched Pokemon, including MissingNo.

What you encounter depends on your character name. You might run into Safari Pokemon above the level cap, blobs of glitchy who-knows-what, a skeleton Kabutops, or weird trainers. MissingNo is a common encounter, oft seen in his blocky, backwards-L shape knowing Water Gun, Sky Attack, and…another Sky Attack. It’s a Bird/Normal-Type Pokemon, even though Bird isn’t a really type in-game (Flying is). You can run away or defeat MissingNo safely in Red or Blue (simply encountering it causes issues in Yellow), but capturing it can cause strange issues with your game, especially if you put it in the PC or try to battle with it.

But if you’re feeling brave, experimenting with MissingNo is a blast. I got mine to evolve into Kangaskhan on multiple occasions, and there’s a way to clone items in Red and Blue if you want infinite Master Balls. Plus, what happens if you try to transfer him to Pokemon Bank? Probably nothing good–maybe don’t try that one. Experiment at your own risk, and enjoy the thrill that comes from having an adventure the developers didn’t originally intend.