The Wave UFO (or Henshin UFO) is a virtual pet alien created by Bandai and its main feature is that the alien will change form when it detects specific waves - wi-fi waves especially, a good and bad thing. This page rescued from a defunct website give a nice little summary:
While looking for other information I came across
//www.tamatalk.com/IB/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png which explains the menus and gives a little overview. I thought I'd add that although it repeats some of the information present in the instructions.
I've noticed one big gripe about the Wave UFO is that the sound cannot be turned off for the attention or changing animations, both of which emit a shrill beeping sound. As someone who takes her Vpets practically everywhere, I had to find a solution for this. First I tried putting ductape over the speakers as in most cases that solves problems. Oddly, that only dampened the sound a little. I then found that rolling it up in a sweater really deafens the sound to a faint beeping. And I found that out after rolling up and tying my Wave UFO in a sweater and then lifting it up to the microwave like an offering to some pagan god, bewildering my father and making my brother laugh (I did this several times to make sure, of course). That works for me as the general principal of "several objects dampens noise" logically solves the problem, and it is faint enough that people probably wouldn't notice. Of course, there will always be the cost of having to unroll it to check on it, but it is low-maintenance enough to make that extra task reasonable. For people who don't carry a bag with them that can easily house a sweater, this won't be to helpful. My only advice for that is since it goes to bed at 1 a.m., it can probably be left unattended for long stretches and then cured before it goes to sleep. Also, in general situations such as walking outside or passing through places, there isn't really any need to be concerned with other people since loud talking is an equally acceptable distraction in those circumstances.
Eventually when I have run my Wave UFO enough I'll create a review (like Penguin-Keeper :^) ) or detail it more in an oddpet log if that happens sooner. Overall, the information here will surely help anyone successfully run Wave UFO, as so far I haven't seen anything unusual or had problems (likely because all "evolutions" are not determined by care).
With that context, let's move onto the instructions. Via Wayback Machine, I stumbled across a translated version of the Wave UFO instructions (I have the original Japanese ones, but that is not as useful as copiable text). As nothing lasts forever on the internet, I am posting the full instructions here in efforts to further preserve it. This is the original page.
What is Wave UFO?Alerting you to incoming cellular phone or PHS messages, capturing radio/electronic waves and transforming, playing with the slot or janken (rock scissors paper) game... Wave UFO is a new portable tool - a toy in which a helpful denpa (electronic/radio wave) alien lives! Give it energy, replace its polluted air, and care for it lovingly. Component names(Diagram of unit to eventually placed here...) Basically, the buttons from left to right are A,B,C and D Starting upSetting the clock
- Remove the plastic tab from the back of the unit
- Using a pen, gently but firmly press the reset button on the back of the unit.
Receiving radio/electric waves...
- Use the A button to change the hour, then use the B or C button to set it. Press the A button once more to change the minutes and the B or C button to set it. [K.B.'s note: It appears there is no back button so if one presses A and forgets to set the hour, the device has to be restarted to input the correct time. Also, the time is a 24-hour system, so 13:00 is 1 p.m., which is important to remember to not put the alien a full 12 hours off.]
Sound on/off
- News!!!
If you recieve a call on your cellular phone or PHS, the denpa alien will alert you.- Transformation!!
Your denpa alien will catch the waves from your cell phone or PHS and use them to transform into various characters and send a message (? er, I'm not quite sure about that last bit...reminder to me to check up on that)The main screen
- Press the A and D buttons simultaneously to turn the sound on or off.
*Even if you have the sound off, the attention alert [K.B.'s note: Two exclamation marks at the side of the character, indicating it needs care] and message alert sounds [K.B.'s note: probably the notice it is changing form] will remain on.Top Secret File.........U14There are 26 different types of aliens. Their lifestyle is very strict (?) and so they are only active from 9:00 am to 1:00 am. Outside of that time period, it is impossible to communicate with them (I think that they cannot receive messages and such...) [K.B.'s note: The screen shows static and I think none of the options respond during this time, but I haven't tested. Weirdly enough, it can still change form while like this but the screen goes back to static, as bedtimes are universal.]
- This is where the denpa alien usually lives. When the air pollution gets too high, the pollution sign will go on alert (?) [K.B.'s note: this is indicated by a tiny black cloud that hovers around the alien during certain frames. The back of the packaging for the Wave UFO implies that the pollution can build to four clouds that occupy the corners of the screen.] and the (this part is really sketchy, sorry...I'll understand it better when I actually get one of my own) consumption of physical strength will become er, severe (?)
- Pressing the buttons will change the screen:
A button/ Slot game
B button/ Janken game
C button/ care (I guess like when your alien needs something, you use this to tend to it) [K.B.'s note: explained in the excerpt above, also]
D button/ Clock screen
Slot Game
- Press the A button and the game points screen will appear. Press the A button once more and the slots game will start. The A button stops the left reel, the B button stops the middle reel and the C button stops the right reel. Match the 3 pictures and win game points! [K.B.'s notes: the maximum number of points is 100. 1 point is deducted per round.] Some picture combinations will also cause you to lose points. [K.B.'s note: The reels move too fast to ever tell what they will stop on. From my experience, it seems there is a certain order per round that will make a match, otherwise the wrong order will result in a loss. For example, say the order A, B, C will bring up 7 7 7, if the player presses A,C,B instead, the result becomes 7 O =. It appears the winning combinations are time-based as in that example, the moment a second 7 could be achieved from the middle reel was when the player pressed B right after A, but since the pressed C after A it was too late.]
Top Secret File.........U24It seems that game points can have a bad influence on transformations. Also, if the denpa alien receives waves while playing the slots game, it will suspend the game and transform. Janken game
- Pressing the D button will take you back to the main screen
- Here are the winning (or losing) combinations!! ......There are other combinations as well....
777 (+50)
UFO (+25)
*** (+10)
SOS (-10) [K.B.'s note: USO has the same result here also.]Top Secret File.........U34The denpa alien's motto is 'Fair Play'. If you put out your rock/scissors/paper selection too late (after the denpa alien has already put his out), the "AGAIN" alert will appear and the current game will be invalidated. Also, if you quit while in the middle of the game, you will be penalized. (Some stuff about the keychain and batteries which are pretty self-explanatory) Caring for your denpa alien
- After pressing the B button, press the A button and a countdown will start. When the exclamation mark (!) appears on the screen, press A (rock), B (scissors) or C (paper). [K.B.'s note: This timing is absolutely frustrating. I never got the exact moment I had to press a button and it indeed seem impossible when the right moment is. I have succeeded in playing this game by simply mashing a button when it starts counting down from 1, as then it gets the right moment and the round proceeds.] IF the player (that would be you) wins, the denpa alien becomes happy.
- Pressing the D button will return you to the main screen
Calls for attentions
- Pressing the C button will bring up the 'care' screens. Use the A button to choose which type of care you want to give and then use the B button to select it. Use the D button to cancel. However (I'm not sure about this bit either), if it is a type of care that the denpa alien doesn't like, it won't have any effect. [K.B.'s note: it usually just gets angry, or seems to be as some sprites are vague. Weirdly enough, I can feed it once and it gets upset while the second time it gets happy.]
- Types of care: (these are pretty self-explanatory as well)
Top Secret File.........U44If you answer to your alien's call within 5 minutes, (this bit was just way beyond me...it's something like
- When your denpa alien is low on health or wants to play, it will show the !! mark and call (I guess beep?). The attention call (beep) will sound for 30 seconds. To stop it, press any of the buttons.
the usual effects (of the care you give or the game you play) will be increased (???) When your alien goes into suspended animation...
The clock screen
- When your denpa alien's health gets to 0, it will be placed in a suspended animation device and you will not be able to play with it or tend to it (care - the air and stuff like that). You can try to revive it by giving it electric/radio wave shocks. If you do revive it, it's health stats will return to their original levels and its age will return to 1 year.
Returning homeEvery 14 days your denpa alien will have an opportunity to return to his home planet. To let him go, select yes. To keep him, select no.
- Pressing the D button will show you the current time.
*Press the D button once more to return to the main screen- While viewing the clock screen, press the A button to see how long its been since you first met your alien (if your alien has gone into suspended animation, it will be one, if it has returned to space, it will be over 100) (? note to me to double check this)
*Press the A button to return to the clock screen and then press the D button to return to the main screen- Press the A and D buttons together to set the time.
While looking for other information I came across
//www.tamatalk.com/IB/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png which explains the menus and gives a little overview. I thought I'd add that although it repeats some of the information present in the instructions.
I've noticed one big gripe about the Wave UFO is that the sound cannot be turned off for the attention or changing animations, both of which emit a shrill beeping sound. As someone who takes her Vpets practically everywhere, I had to find a solution for this. First I tried putting ductape over the speakers as in most cases that solves problems. Oddly, that only dampened the sound a little. I then found that rolling it up in a sweater really deafens the sound to a faint beeping. And I found that out after rolling up and tying my Wave UFO in a sweater and then lifting it up to the microwave like an offering to some pagan god, bewildering my father and making my brother laugh (I did this several times to make sure, of course). That works for me as the general principal of "several objects dampens noise" logically solves the problem, and it is faint enough that people probably wouldn't notice. Of course, there will always be the cost of having to unroll it to check on it, but it is low-maintenance enough to make that extra task reasonable. For people who don't carry a bag with them that can easily house a sweater, this won't be to helpful. My only advice for that is since it goes to bed at 1 a.m., it can probably be left unattended for long stretches and then cured before it goes to sleep. Also, in general situations such as walking outside or passing through places, there isn't really any need to be concerned with other people since loud talking is an equally acceptable distraction in those circumstances.
Eventually when I have run my Wave UFO enough I'll create a review (like Penguin-Keeper :^) ) or detail it more in an oddpet log if that happens sooner. Overall, the information here will surely help anyone successfully run Wave UFO, as so far I haven't seen anything unusual or had problems (likely because all "evolutions" are not determined by care).
