darkSpyro

Quote: PainterRex

Does anyone know if the reset works on SSA wii or Giants Wii U?

You would need the Giants Wii game, not the Giants Wii U game. But it works whether you play on Wii or Wii U (through Wii Mode).

Quote: Dahvoo

Quote: PainterRex

Does anyone know if the reset works on SSA wii or Giants Wii U?

You would need the Giants Wii game, not the Giants Wii U game. But it works whether you play on Wii or Wii U (through Wii Mode).

So wii SSA game is not something that would work then? I remember someone saying something about it, thanks anyway!

Quote: PainterRex

So wii SSA game is not something that would work then? I remember someone saying something about it, thanks anyway!

Unfortunately, no. You can't reset crystals on SSA for Wii.

You can reset crystals on SSA for 3DS, Giants for 3DS, or Giants for Wii.

I need an advice, guys: would you suggest buying the 3DS version of SA or the Giants one?
Buying one of them mainly for the reset trick, but I heard the former is more of a platformer while the latter is similar to the console games.

It would be great if the trick worked with SWAP Force as well since it's one of the two Skylanders 3DS games I own, but I think it won't because of the different character selection system.
Never tried, though.

Thanks for the opinion, was oriented towards SA anyway.

What's the best 3DS portal to get preowned? I'm asking for a 2DS for Christmas... Eventually I'd want to play all the Skylanders games on it, but I'm starting with SSA so I can reset crystals. Would I have to get a Swap Force portal? If so, does it work on all the games?

the glow in the dark giants 3ds portal is my favorite, cause it's translucent and glows in the dark. also it has a usb port.
all of them work the same. the swap force one doesnt have a usb port, and i dont think the trap team one does either. but if you just want to use it on a 2ds then you wont need a usb port. (usb port is good for plugging into the PC and using the gui editor that program)

How to reset an existing Imaginator, e.g Fire Knight into a LVL 1 Knight with 0 coins? I have ownership already.

I guess just reset and pick Knight again. I wish there was some way to actually do that too

Hi guys I need some help with this. When I put the crystal in the Portal (wii Giants) it just comes up with the 'A toy on the portal can't be used in this game etc' screen. I've tried hitting start when it's loading but when I go into Settings > General it will only give me the option to allow visiting Nicknames or Adjust difficulty. I'm not getting any option to reset a broken toy. What am I doing wrong?

Quote: spot

Hi guys I need some help with this. When I put the crystal in the Portal (wii Giants) it just comes up with the 'A toy on the portal can't be used in this game etc' screen. I've tried hitting start when it's loading but when I go into Settings > General it will only give me the option to allow visiting Nicknames or Adjust difficulty. I'm not getting any option to reset a broken toy. What am I doing wrong?

Not sure if this is the issue, but are you accessing the settings from inside story mode (the pause menu)? Try accessing the Settings from the main menu of the game. I think the option may only appear if you're outside of story mode.

Quote: Sboy13

Quote: spot

Hi guys I need some help with this. When I put the crystal in the Portal (wii Giants) it just comes up with the 'A toy on the portal can't be used in this game etc' screen. I've tried hitting start when it's loading but when I go into Settings > General it will only give me the option to allow visiting Nicknames or Adjust difficulty. I'm not getting any option to reset a broken toy. What am I doing wrong?

Not sure if this is the issue, but are you accessing the settings from inside story mode (the pause menu)? Try accessing the Settings from the main menu of the game. I think the option may only appear if you're outside of story mode.

That was the problem. Thanks for taking the time to let me know the solution. It worked perfectly.

Sorry to drudge up an old topic, but the info in the thread was a bit ambiguous.

So I understand that Creation Crystals can be fully reset using Giants Wii software (either with a Wii or a WiiU in Wii mode), but does the same method work to reset traps?

If so, I'm assuming I'd need to use the Trap Team Portal, is this correct? Does the Giants Wii software read/blast whatever is in the trap slot as well as on the portal?

I have a batch of traps whose original owners already evolved many of the villains, and I'd like my kids to be able to do that on their own.

TIA!

You can use Pyrofer's tool to reset traps

//forum.darkspyro.net/spyro/viewposts.php?topic=90643

Hey, thanks for the response. I looked through that thread, and it appeared that it was iffy whether or not the reset functionality was available depending on the version, and I'm admittedly not as handy with code as I am with youtube videos (), so it'd be worth the 3 bucks gamestop charges for the used Wii game not to have to figure it out.

Was just curious if Wii Giants did the same thing for traps as it does crystals. I don't actually have Imaginators yet, so it may be a worthwhile investment even if it doesn't work with Traps, but inquiring minds want to know.

I discovered that under the Wendel entry of the skylanders wikia page, it says this:

"While this feature does not work on Skylanders or Magic Items from sequel games, it can be used to reset Traps and Creation Crystals containing a Villain or Imaginator. It returns as a feature in the 3DS version of Skylanders: Giants, accessed through the Portaltron 9000 operated by Hugo."

http://skylanders.wikia.com/wiki/Wendel

If it is just SSA 3DS, I'm out of luck, but my thought process is, the three games/systems that can be used to reset CCs are SSA 3DS, SG 3DS, and SG Wii, I thought maybe all three could be used to reset traps as well, and not just SSA 3DS. Just wondered if anyone here had tried.

In case anyone was curious, I got my answer. Yes, Wii Giants will also reset Trap Team traps.

I figured it would be worth the 3 bucks to get the game, especially since I'll likely pick up Imaginators and a bunch of the characters eventually if and when there's a big Black Friday/Holiday sale. But in the mean time...

I had a trap with one evolved Sheep Creep inside of it, and I knew that Chompy Mage was also evolved on that trap.
I went into Wii Giants story mode, put a character that the game recognized on the portal, then put the trap in the slot. The game threw the "this toy is not recognized" screen. From there, I pushed +, went to Main Menu, went into settings, physically removed the skylander but left the trap in the slot, and pushed Repair Broken Toy.
I opened Trap Team, put in the trap, and there was nothing in it (did nothing in game, like what happens when you put a brand new trap in the slot), and, when I went into the villain vault and put Chompy Mage into the Trap, he was unevolved.
Sweet. So, years after anyone would care now you know there's a way to clear out and un-evolve your traps.

Quote: pjc613

In case anyone was curious, I got my answer. Yes, Wii Giants will also reset Trap Team traps.

I figured it would be worth the 3 bucks to get the game, especially since I'll likely pick up Imaginators and a bunch of the characters eventually if and when there's a big Black Friday/Holiday sale. But in the mean time...

I had a trap with one evolved Sheep Creep inside of it, and I knew that Chompy Mage was also evolved on that trap.
I went into Wii Giants story mode, put a character that the game recognized on the portal, then put the trap in the slot. The game threw the "this toy is not recognized" screen. From there, I pushed +, went to Main Menu, went into settings, physically removed the skylander but left the trap in the slot, and pushed Repair Broken Toy.
I opened Trap Team, put in the trap, and there was nothing in it (did nothing in game, like what happens when you put a brand new trap in the slot), and, when I went into the villain vault and put Chompy Mage into the Trap, he was unevolved.
Sweet. So, years after anyone would care now you know there's a way to clear out and un-evolve your traps.

I have 3 questions regarding this;

Is there a known way to do this with the Wii U version of Giants, using the same toy repair method?
(If not, is the Wii U version actually any better than the Wii version?)

Does anyone know a method of holding the trap in just the right way that the 3DS portal can reset traps while using SSA?

And lastly, most importantly, how does resetting a villain variant trap to factory settings effect the variant flag for those 6 characters?
[Ex. I want to unevolve Riot Shield Shredder, is that possible, or will resetting his trap with the Wii Giant's method delete the flag that turns shield shredder into his riot variant within the trap?]

To question 1: It does not work with the WiiU disc, no. I tried the same method on it before buying the Wii disc. Good news was, the Wii disc was only 3 bucks, and, it'll come in handy if and when I get imaginators.
I wasn't specific above, though. You don't need the Wii console, you can use the WiiU console and play it in the Wii mode.
I haven't really tried the Wii Giants version (besides the 30 seconds it took me to test this out); you could look through the walk-through notes on the site to see if and how the Wii version differs. I know the SF Wii version is a bit different, but I don't know if the Giants game was big enough that the Wii version had to be stripped down much to fit on a Wii disc, lie SF had to be. The game looks ridiculously better on WiiU, however, since Wii can only go up to Standard Def. If you're asking because you have a WiiU and you're thinking of going back and getting the game, and are thinking of just getting one because you want to get your bang for the buck with the Creation Crystal / trap trick, do yourself a favor and just get both. They're 6 dollars total at Gamestop. You'll have a much better experience playing it in high def.

To question 2, I can't answer from personal experience, because I don't have a 3DS, but all that I've read makes it sound like it's a pretty straightforward procedure, which leads me to believe just setting it on the portal would work. Others could probably give a better answer, however.

To question 3, I was curious about that myself. I don't have a preloaded variant trap (and if I did, I'd probably not be willing to test it out for fear of losing the villain), but, I saw a few things that make me think it may be just fine. Skylanders Character List says this:


"Variant Villains in Traps

When all is said and done you will have the opportunity to collect six different Villain Variants. These Variants cannot be found or acquired in the game naturally, you must purchase an exclusive Trap in order to get these Variants.
Unlike normal Traps, these exclusive Traps already have a Villain trapped inside. So the first time you put this Trap in the Portal the Villain Variant will load up right away.
Similar to the Evolved status though, the variant information is tied directly to this exclusive Trap. This means that you can use this Trap as a normal Trap without fear of losing your Villain Variant.
Example:
Let's say you bought the Target Exclusive Water Log Holder Trap with Outlaw Brawl and Chain inside. The first time you put this Trap in the Portal, Outlaw Brawl and Chain will be there waiting for you.
Now let's say that you want to use this Trap to capture Chill Bill (another Water Villain). No problem, this exclusive Trap still functions as a normal Trap.
Now comes the scary part. If you go into the Villain Vault after putting Chill Bill into the exclusive Trap, you will not find Outlaw Brawl and Chain. Don't worry, this is how it's supposed to work.
As I said before, the variant information is tied directly to the exclusive Trap, so all you have to do is put regular Brawl and Chain back in the exclusive Trap. If you do this, Brawl and Chain will appear as Outlaw Brawl and Chain.


Evolved Variant Villains in Traps

If you choose to complete a Villain Quest with a Variant Villain it is possible to have an Evolved Variant Villain. So instead of having just Broccoli Guy or the variant Steamed Broccoli Guy, you could have Evolved Steamed Broccoli Guy.
Once again the variant information and the Evolved status are still associated with one particular Trap. However, unlike normal Evolved Villains you will only notice two differences:
An extended Villain timer
Strengthened Villain attacks
When you evolve a Variant Villain he will retain his variant appearance. His coloring will not be affected by the Evolved status."

http://skylanderscharacterlist...-started/traps/


So, what I take from that write-up is that variant information is similar to evolved information on a trap, but not the exact same. There are obviously two different places that such information is stored in the code on the trap, because a trap can contain a simultaneously variant AND evolved villain. That makes me wonder whether the variant tag in the code is rewritable at all.

Honestly, the better people to ask about such things would be the folks who are abreast of the goings-on in the thread linked by Mr Caesar three comments up. It sounds like the program is able to pull any information on the traps, as well as reset them, so I'd wager that the code folks could tell us whether the little tidbits of code that designate whether that trap contains a variant villain are subject to reset or not.

If, as I suspect (but still a BIG if), the variant tag in the code is not writeable or resettable, what would happen when the trap is reset, is that the trap would empty out, as it did in my example, but when you place the standard version of your variant villain into the trap from the villain vault (as in the quoted example from SCL), it would show up as the variant.

I'm quite curious myself. I concede and apologize that my response doesn't actually answer your third question, but I console myself that I've done the research I could do, and have pointed a possible direction for resolution.

I suppose my one question for you is, if Skylanders Character List is to be believed, you wouldn't see any difference between an evolved variant and an unevolved one, besides the increased strength and extended timer. If that's the case, why would one want to unevolve it except to make it shorter-lived and weaker?

Now if a variant trap was the only trap a person had of its element, and he wanted to unevolve the other regular villains he has used that trap for, that would be the only reason I can think of to reset a variant trap.

Can anyone who knows the code well share whether or not the variant tag on a trap is safe from being wiped out on a reset?

Usually when I'm asking questions like these, I'm asking for recording purposes. I still want to play all the games on my youtube channel, eventually, and show off stuff in a certain way. [I'm still trying to figure out that way to be honest, though.] So, in showing off the variant villains, I'd think it'd be better to have them in their weaker state first.

And a side question; If the variant villain is in the trap by default, wouldn't resetting it to factory settings put the villain back in the trap?

As far for resetting traps:

The thing is, I've set the trap on my 3DS portal, and it can get the toy to register. But I heard that SSA 3DS works for resetting traps. So, I just assumed there was some sort of trick I'm missing. Like I needed to hold it a certain way. I've reset at least 5 creation Crystals with SSA 3DS, so I'm not sure the problem. What am I doing wrong that I can't reset my traps with SSA 3DS? [For reference; I'm using a SSF/STT 3DS Portal with my N3DSXL.]

Ah. That stands to reason. It's true that it's a bit annoying when you're watching a youtube video and they tell you what you should see when performing a task, but then it looks different on their screen when they do it. Good thinking.

Regarding your side question, unfortunately, no, in this case a trap definitely doesn't work like a regular game/device/console's "revert to factory settings." Again, the folks over in the thread about Pyrofer's program would be better at explaining this stuff, but, the idea is there is precious little information that can be stored on the RFID tags in each figure or trap, and, honestly, most of that information is encryption. There are only a couple chunks of information that are read-only, and can't be modified in any way. One of those chunks of info is the identity of the figure/trap. In the case of traps that come with variants, the traps themselves, iiuc, are functionally no different than the traps of the same mold that don't have a variant inside them. In other words, you can buy a "Log Holder" water trap that doesn't include Outlaw Brawl and Chain, and if you load Brawl and Chain into the trap from the villain vault, you'll get the standard one in your trap, not the Outlaw one. So, it would be a solid assumption that "factory settings" for the "Log Holder" trap is JUST the read-only information of its identity as the Log Holder trap, since these things are mass-produced. Any information that's required to make a variant trap, well, variant, I almost guarantee, is subsequently written to the chip. If it can be written to the trap, it can be deleted.

Where my information runs out, and this becomes complete conjecture on my part, is what the 3DS SSA/SG or the WiiSG is actually telling traps and creation crystals to go do with themselves when they're being reset. It's basically a formatting process (not unlike one would do on a flash key or harddrive), but it obviously doesn't just blast the thing completely. It must have a process to clear out/reset to null any writeable field. I'd imagine this process is pretty generic to any RFID tag the skylanders franchise uses, since it actually works with toys that came out subsequent to SSA/SG, AND doesn't brick your trap or crystal.

What I'd be interested to know is if and how that process differs between what 3DS/Wii/SSA/SG does and what Pyrofer's program does. I read in the program thread that he took the "reset" button out of his most recent version precisely because the reset that his program was doing DOES clear out any information about variant villains stored on them. I presume his process is generally the same as the 3DS/Wii/SSA/SG's, but the SSA/SG reset may actually know to leave some fields alone that Pyrofer's program doesn't, IF there is consistency across games about what data goes where in the RFID tag, and the devs had the forethought to program their reset functionality to know what and what not to blast. Doubtful, but possible. And if so, Pyrofer's program clearly does not, since it says in a few places in the program thread that the program's trap reset DOES remove all traces of the variant.

Regarding your 3DS issue, again, my apologies that I'm not more help since I don't own a 3DS, but I presume that if it can register that a trap is there, it ought to be able to reset it.

Regarding resetting traps: I just did a quick test using my SSA 3DS and the portal that came with it. It's really difficult, but if you get the trap in just the right spot, it'll read it and give you the corrupted figure error. I assume you can clear the data from there, but I didn't try since I didn't want to actually clear the data right now.

Here's around the position I got it to read it from:

Quote: pjc613

Where my information runs out, and this becomes complete conjecture on my part, is what the 3DS SSA/SG or the WiiSG is actually telling traps and creation crystals to go do with themselves when they're being reset. It's basically a formatting process (not unlike one would do on a flash key or harddrive), but it obviously doesn't just blast the thing completely. It must have a process to clear out/reset to null any writeable field. I'd imagine this process is pretty generic to any RFID tag the skylanders franchise uses, since it actually works with toys that came out subsequent to SSA/SG, AND doesn't brick your trap or crystal.

It is conjecture and sadly it is wrong.
Without going into too much detail, the RFID chip is just 1024 bytes of storage.
Parts are read only and contain the figure type (whether it is spyro or a creation crystal) and some flags that distinguish series or molds.
Other parts are writeable and store gold and experience and so on.
Resetting is just overwriting the writeable parts with zeros.
A variant trap is preset data in the writeable parts and thus resetting a trap will clear the variant. On the other hand, if you know what you are doing, you can put any villain into any trap and set the variant status at will.

@ladala

Thanks for the image! That's really helpful.

@merl

So, in short DON'T Reset the 6 variant villain traps. Got it. However, on a side note, could you possibly explain setting the variant status at will thing? And if you do this on say, a magic trap with no variant villains. Will that give the trap a Special Tag?

Again without going into too much detail, as that would probably be against the forum rules.

There is a field in the writeable parts that contains the number of the villain that the trap would be a variant for.
On "normal" traps its empty and on the variant traps it contains the number of the variant villain.
If you know how to deal with encryption and checksums you can just put the number there and transform any trap into the variant type.

And no variant traps are for all intents and purposes just normal traps. To get the Special Tag you'd have to change the read only parts, which you can't.

Ah. Makes sense.

I also misinterpreted what you was saying slightly. I assumed you meant you could somehow glitch the variant tag active by doing some convoluted process in game or using multiple games and portal syncs. Something absurd like that.

I should of known better and realized you were talking about... some 3rd party tools I'm not even aware of, as I tend to stay away from all that...