Undocumented SKANNERZ Secrets

Last updated 4/3/2003

Since I got my SKANNERZ scanner, I've become more and more impressed with the game, but the instructions that came with it (AKA "Flux's Notes") seemed to leave out a lot of information.  So, I decided to start keeping notes on things as I discover them, and also to share them with anyone else who might be interested.  Since this will be a work in progress, if I think of new unanswered questions I'll put them down as well.

If you have any comments, I would love to hear them!  Send them to: .  If I use your information on the page, I promise to mention your name! :)

By the way, if you haven't visited it already, check out the Official Skannerz Website.  It has a lot of good information (although it does require JavaScript and Adobe Acrobat Reader, unfortunately).

Contents

I.    CLASS ADVANTAGES II.   OPPOSING TEAM'S MONSTERS III.  POISON EFFECT IV.  EXPERIENCE, HIT POINTS AND LEVELS V.   HEALING AND HEALING CODES VI.  ITEMS (ORIGINAL SKANNERZ) VII.  NEW MONSTER CODES/"EXILES" VIII.  SKANNERZ COMMANDER IX. "WHERE ARE THE BARCODES?!?"

I. CLASS ADVANTAGES

OK, this one is in the instructions, but a lot of people don't seem to take advantage of it.  The instructions say:

Like a game of Rock/Paper/Scissors, "Magic" class monsters have the advantage over "Power" class monsters, "Power" class monsters have the edge when fighting "Tech" class monsters, and "Tech" class monsters are the favorite in a battle with "Magic" class monsters.

This is why I make all my teams with one monster from each class.  When I get into a battle, the first thing I do is see what class my opponent is, and switch to the monster in my team that has the advantage!

As to what the advantage actually consists of, when a monster with the advantage hits, it does one extra point of damage.  And when a monster at a disadvantage hits, it deals one less point of damage than normal.

For example, DRAGADRONE, a Tech class monster, has a first level attack of Kick (4 pts).  However, Kick will only do exactly four points of damage to another Tech class monster.  Against a Magic class monster, it will do five points of damage, because Tech class monsters have the advantage over Magic class monsters.  Likewise, when it hits a Power class monster, it will only do three points of damage, because Power class monsters have the advantage over Tech class monsters.

In addition, having the advantage might make you harder to hit, and vice- versa, but I haven't been able to prove this yet...

When you scan a bar code and get a battle, the first monster is determined by the bar code, but the second and third appear to be randomly generated (but are always from the same tribe as the first monster).  The hit points of the opponent monsters seem to be generated to roughly equal those of your monsters, presumably to make each battle an evenly- matched one.

What happens if you never heal your monsters?  If all your monsters are knocked out and you scan an opposing monster, the screen will tell you that you have scanned an "incompatible" monster.  If you're more interested in collecting all your tribe's monsters than in battles, this is actually not a bad idea.  (Thanks to Jake Wheeler for this idea.)

A few monsters have what's called "Poison Effect" as part of their attack.  If an attack with Poison Effect hits an opponent, on that turn and every following turn the opponent loses one additional point from the poison.  It loses this point whether it is hit again or not, and the poison damage adds to whatever damage it takes if it does get hit on a given turn.

The good news is that poison damage is not cumulative; if your monster is hit twice, it doesn't start taking two points of poison damage a turn.  Also, a monster only takes poison damage while in battle; if a poisoned monster is switched out, it stops taking poison damage while "on the bench".  Strangely, if you use a weapon item to hit a poisoned monster, it won't take poison damage that turn, even though it's still in battle.

When a monster is poisoned, it shows a tiny skull and crossbones on the bottom right corner of the screen.  Likewise, the screen shows a large skull and crossbones before applying the poison damage each turn.  Also, a Potion of Healing cures poisoning.  (Thanks to Colt Python for pointing this out.)

As an example of using poison effect, one of my preferred monsters is OCTEYE, which has reached third level.  It has a first- level attack of Venom (3 pts, poison effect) and a third- level attack of Fog (7 pts).  When it comes into battle, I have it Venom until it gets a hit, which poisons its opponent, and then I have it Fog until it or its opponent are knocked out.

Do I really need to add that, if you have a monster with Poison Effect, you definitely need that monster on your team? ;)

Whenever a team wins a battle, each member of the team gains one point of experience.  Also, after winning a few battles, the number of hit points a monster has starts to increase.  To see how many hit points a monster has, choose "MONSTER" from the Main Menu, find the picture of the monster, and press the "A" button to see it's name.  Press the "A" button again to show the monster's hit points, speed, and defense rating.  Press the "A" button one more time to display the monster's level and experience.  (Pressing the "A" button yet another time shows the monster's attacks and "code".)

(In the Skannerz instruction sheet, AKA "Flux's Notes", it says:

Select "code" to access the code you can use on my website www.skannerz.com so you can find out other cool stuff about your monsters.

However, there seems to be no place on the Official Skannerz Website to use the codes.  Maybe Radica China just decided not to use the codes after the instructions were already printed?  Thanks to Jacob for pointing out the above sentence in the instructions.)

I used to assume that a monster's levels were determined by its experience points, but it's actually determined by the monster's hit points.  At 31 hit points, a monster advances from level one to level two, and gains a second attack.  At this point, each time the monster attacks, you can choose which of its attacks to use.  Normally, you'll just want to use the new attack, which is almost always more powerful.  (There are exceptions: the monster SHERPA has a first- level attack Kick (4 pts) and a second- level attack Hatchet (3 pts)).  Occasionally, though, you'll want to use a first- level attack, for instance if the first- level attack has poison effect.  (See III. POISON EFFECT above for an example using the monster OCTEYE.)

Likewise, when a monster earns 71 hit points, it reaches level three and gains a third attack.  The maximum number of hit points that any monster can have is 99.

All three monsters on a team need to be healed after a successful battle, even if they didn't actually see combat.  I used to believe that just being on the team causes each monster a point of damage, but then it was pointed out to me that, after a successful battle, each monster gains a hit point.  However, the point is towards the monster's maximum hit points, not their current hit points.

For example, suppose a fully- healed 10 hit point monster is on a winning team, but doesn't actually fight.  Its maximum hit points will go up to 11, so that the next time it is healed, it will have 11 hit points.  But, it will still have only its original 10 hit points until it is healed again.  If it had only had 7 hit points before going into the match, it would become an 11 hit point monster with only 7 hit points until it was healed.  (Thanks to Colt Python for correcting me.)

Healing codes are universal.  The instructions say that:

The only way that your monsters can be healed is by scanning a bar code from ANY Radica game package.

So, you can use the healing code tag on the chain to heal any monster, not just the ones from the same tribe.  Also, a healing code is available on the Official Skannerz Website at www.skannerz.com/pdf/healing_code.pdf, which I have reproduced here:

Once, after healing my monsters following a battle, on a whim I picked "SCAN" on the main menu and scanned my healing code one more time.  To my suprise, I got a battle!  My Zendra healing code had generated a TROG!  I had figured that you could get the same monster from various different UPC codes, but I didn't expect that the same code would both heal and generate a monster, depending on how it was scanned.

An item can only be used by a monster of the same class (except for potions, which can be used by any class).  So far, every item I've seen can only be used once, after which it disappears and must be scanned in again.  (Does anyone else cut out their bar codes and paste them into a book? ;)

A. WEAPONS

These are great!  None of my monsters do ten or twelve points of damage when they hit, much less guarantee to hit when they attack!  So, the first thing my monsters do in battle is to use all their weapons, and only then to they actually start attacking.

Strangely, if you use a weapon item to hit a poisoned monster, it won't take poison damage that turn, even though it's still in battle.  That's a small price to pay for the guaranteed massive hit, though!

1. Blast Pistol (Tech class):
	Delivers a guaranteed hit for ten points of damage.
2. Blast Rifle (Tech class):
	Delivers a guaranteed hit for twelve points of damage.
3. Crossbow (Power class):
	Delivers a guaranteed hit for ten points of damage.
4. Spell Book of Sleep (Magic class):
	Causes your opponent to lose his/her next turn, and also delivers one point of damage.
5. Staff of Lightning (Magic class):
	Delivers a guaranteed hit for twelve points of damage.
6. Sword (Power class):
	Delivers a guaranteed hit for twelve points of damage.
7. Tazer (Tech class):
	Causes your opponent to lose his/her next turn, and also delivers one point of damage.
8. Tremor Hammer (Power class):
	Causes your opponent to lose his/her next turn, and also delivers one point of damage.
9. Wand of Magic Missile (Magic class):
	Delivers a guaranteed hit for ten points of damage.

B. ARMOR/DEFENSE

1. Amulet of Protection (Magic class):
	Reduces the damage from your opponent's next three attacks by three points each.  In other words, the next three times your monster gets hit, the attack will do three less points of damage than normal.
2. Armor (Power class):
	Reduces the damage from your opponent's next three attacks by three points each.  In other words, the next three times your monster gets hit, the attack will do three less points of damage than normal.  (Thanks to Colt Python for this information.)
3. Helmet (Tech class):
	Reduces the damage from your opponent's next three attacks by three points each.  In other words, the next three times your monster gets hit, the attack will do three less points of damage than normal.

C. ITEMS THAT ATTACK YOUR OPPONENT'S ITEMS

1. Gauntlets of Crushing (Power class):
	Destroys a random item belonging to your opponent.  (It does NOT let you steal an item from your opponent, as stated on the Official Skannerz Website!)
2. Scroll of Decay (Magic class):
	Destroys a random item belonging to your opponent.
3. Vaporizer (Tech class):
	Destroys a random item belonging to your opponent.

D. POTIONS/HEALING

1. Potion of Healing (all classes):
	Apparently, there are two strengths of this potion.  One heals twenty points of damage, and the other heals only ten points of damage.  I discovered this when I once noticed that I had three potions in my items.  Thus, you can be healed of thirty points of damage by drinking both!  HOWEVER, be warned that the ten- point healing potion sometimes "goes bad" and turns into a Potion of Poison! Also, either Potion of Healing cures being poisoned.  (However, it won't prevent your monster from being poisoned all over again the next turn! ;)
2. Potion of Poison (all classes):
	Causes three points of damage to YOU!

E. OTHER/UNKNOWN

1. Boots of Speed (Power class):
	Increases the damage caused by your monster's next three attacks by three points each.  In other words, the next three times your monster hits its opponent, the attack will do three more points of damage than normal.  (Thanks to D. SKye Hodges for this information.)
2. Crystal Ball (Magic class):
	Guarantees that your next attack will hit. (Note that the Official Skannerz Website incorrectly shows this with a Tech symbol, not a Magic symbol.)  (Thanks to ace1580 for this info.)
3. Homing Device (Tech class):
	Guarantees that your next attack will hit.
4. Mantra (Power class):
	Guarantees that your next attack will hit.  (Thanks to ace1580 for this info.)
5. Ring of Speed (Magic class):
	Increases the damage caused by your monster's next three attacks by three points each.  In other words, the next three times your monster hits its opponent, the attack will do three more points of damage than normal.  (Thanks to D. SKye Hodges for this information.)
6. Vitamins (Tech class):
	Increases the damage caused by your monster's next three attacks by three points each.  In other words, the next three times your monster hits its opponent, the attack will do three more points of damage than normal.  (Thanks to Colt Python for this information.)

In the May 2002 issue of Tips and Tricks Magazine, a new monster, Orbit, was introduced.  Later, eleven more new monsters were introduced, and the twelve were collectively called the "Exiles".  The Exiles are:

Death Blossom Hot Head Orbit Paing Salamandaro Shard

Siphon Snoizel Styx Techumsa Visionary Voo Doo

(This list was obtained from the website for The Monster Book of Bar Codes -- see IX. "WHERE ARE THE BARCODES?!?" below for more information on this book.)  I haven't seen any of these new monsters myself, but I understand that they don't belong to any of the three tribes/colors, so they can be captured by any color Skanner.

However, even before the existence of the Exiles was announced, some users stumbled across them.  I got the following message from Alex ("Zendra18" at the Message Boards on the Official Skannerz Website):

While I was battling my Ujalu Skanner against my Zendra Skanner (I have all three), I let them turn themselves off after a minute.  I then disconnected them and connected the Zendra Skanner to my Pataak Skanner.  I turned the Pataak Skanner on and went to "VS".  I then turned on the Zendra Skanner.  My Zendra Skanner showed a screen that said "Press ON" with an arrow pointing straight.  After a minute it turned itself off again.  The Pataak Skanner was fine, but the Zendra Skanner wasn't.  When I scrolled through the screens, it allowed me to go up five more levels before the "SCAN" option.  I didn't believe my eyes!  It showed screens saying "DEFENSE", "SPEED", "LEVEL", "CODE", etc.  I pushed left on the control pad to go back to "SCAN".  Then, everything was alright again, except that when I went to "MONSTERS", I had other, newer monsters!  I had monsters from both Pataak and Ujalu, the Skannerz I linked with.  I also had these other monsters:

#138 Shard, Lv 1 Attack: Bite
#137 Death Blossom, Lv 1 Attack: Poison
#131 Paing, Lv 1 Attack: Slap
#128 Hot Head, Lv 1 Attack: Scorch
#127 Snoizel, Lv 1 Attack: Conjure

Even more interesting to me than the new monsters are those extra screens that Alex saw; were they put there by the game's developers to let them edit their monsters' statistics, or even enter totally new monsters?  Again, if anyone knows more about this, or has had a similar experience, I'd love to hear about it.  (Thanks to Alex for the story.)

According to a recent email from Leslie Swan, holographic cards with some of the Exile monsters are now being included with new Skannerz:

Just wanted to let you know that the monsters

#137 Death Blossom, Lv 1 Attack: Poison
#131 Paing, Lv 1 Attack: Slap
#128 Hot Head, Lv 1 Attack: Scorch

came with my Skannerz (Green) that I bought last week.  They were on holographic cards with barcodes on the back.

In a second email, she added:

The cards are marked "Exiles" where normally it has the Tribe info.  My son's cards, which came with his Red Skannerz, are:

#135 Salamandro, Lv 1 Attack: Bite
#130 Styx, Lv 1 Attack: Whisper
#127 Snoizel, Lv 1 Attack: Conjure

Also, my son and I have found movies (VHS & DVD) to be an excellent source for monsters/items.

(Many thanks to Leslie for kindly passing along this news and information.)

I can't help but wonder if there are any more monsters stored in the Skannerz chipset.  If not, I guess we'll just have to wait for the much- rumored Skannerz II.  Speaking of which...

Click on photo for a much larger version. (Many thanks to Gimpy0014 for the photo.)

It's official.  The Official Skannerz Website now has a new opening screen announcing the Skannerz Commander.  The text on this screen is:

Skannerz Commander has landed!  It's NEW with the next generation of battling!

You CREATE and CONTROL the tribe with a new set of monsters to scan and battle.  You can banish a monster but be careful, they now hold a grudge.  Try to defeat opposing tribes now that the stakes are higher.  If you win in battle, the opposing monster joins your tribe.  Losing will cost you a monster.  Check out your local store to purchase your very own Skannerz Commander!

Well, last weekend I went to the local Wal-Mart, and sure enough, they had them for sale.  I haven't had time to really check it out thoroughly, but I did play with it a little, and can tell you the following:

First things first: SKANNERZ COMMANDER IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE ORIGINAL SKANNERZ!  Not only can you not connect a Skannerz Commander to do battle with one of the old Skannerz, but it doesn't recognize any of the old monsters.  I scanned some of my saved bar code for my old blue Skannerz and got new, totally different monsters.  So, when you get your Skannerz Commander you're starting from scratch!  (Of course, you can scan your saved bar codes to try to get new monsters; they just won't give you the old monsters when you do.)

The first thing I noticed was that they had added two new entries to the main menu, namely "TRADE" and "BANISH".  "TRADE" is used to let Skannerz Commanders swap monsters when connected together.  "BANISH" lets you delete a monster from your collection.

Also, the Skannerz Commander's monsters don't have tribes; any Skannerz Commander can potentially collect any of the new monsters.  Reading the new version of the instruction sheet shed some light:

If a large heart beat appears, you have successfully scanned one of four different things:

Direct Scan Monster(DSM) - A monster who voluntarily becomes part of your tribe.

Battle Scan Monster(BSM) - A monster who does not wish to become part of your tribe.

Grudge Match Monster(GMM) - A monster you have previously banished.

Item - An item that your monsters will use during battle.

If it is a DSM, and you do not already have it in your tribe, the unit will ask if you with to "RECRUIT" or "BANISH" this particular creature.  If you choose to recruit the monster, it becomes part of your tribe.

Secret Flux Hint: Every time you banish a particular monster, it's honor is disgraced and it becomes very angry.  Therefore it becomes harder to beat every time you banish it.

In other words, if you scan a "Battle Scan Monster" (a monster who's willing to join you) and than banish it, if you scan the same bar code again, you will get the same monster, only it will now be a "Grudge Match Monster" that you will then have to battle.

Also, they've made combat more complicated.  According to the instructions, you will now see a battle screen during combat.  What's more, you now have to attack and block at certain times during your turn.  I'm going to have to fight a few battles to see what they are talking about.  Once I figure it out, I'll let you know what I've learned...

I've gotten a few emails asking me to post barcodes for monsters and items.  For me, searching for and collecting the barcodes is half the fun, so I don't plan to post any.  However, if you really want barcodes without having to search for them, the site https://dskye.0catch.com has the complete set in an Adobe Acrobat file that you can download and print.  (Thanks to D. SKye Hodges for letting me know about his site.)  The Video Games Trading 4 Kids site also has a page at https://www.vgt4kids.com/skannerz_barcodes.htm, although it doesn't have all the codes.  (Thanks to Nitro for letting me know about this page.)

Also, the site https://www.fredee.com/ sells The Monster Book of Bar Codes, a very nice booklet which now, with the release of the new fifth edition, contains every monster and item code for both the Skannerz Commander and the original Skannerz!  It sells for $12 (which includes shipping).  (Thanks to Fred Seitel for the info.)

The site https://www.skannerz.org/ sells The Ultimate Barcode Directory, which not only contains every monster and item barcode for the original Skannerz, but also has color photos, descriptions, and statistics for each entry.  (Note that I haven't actually seen this book; I'm only going by what it's webpage says.)  It also sells for $12 including shipping.  (Thanks to ace1580 for telling me about this site.)  The site also has a "pre-press" edition of The Commander Directory, which has the Skannerz Commander codes, but also says that "the barcodes have not been fully tested" -- more information on this booklet is available on their website.

Thanks to D. SKye Hodges, Colt Python, Fred Seitel, Leslie Swan, Jack Wheeler, ace1580, Alex ("Zendra18"), Daniel ("Gimpy0014"), Jacob, and Nitro for contributing to this web page. SKANNERZ and all monster images are trademarks of Radica China Limited.

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