PetPal changelog

PetPal 3DS — v0.1.7

✨ Highlights

• Real StreetPass! The app now creates its own CEC message box on hardware — it shows up in System Settings and cectool. Pets exchange locally over StreetPass (and over the internet via NetPass), on top of the existing teampetpal.com relay. *Install the .cia for this — the .3dsx under HBL can't be granted the system CEC permission, but still passes via the relay.*
• 📢 News page. A new Announcements screen (press Y on the main menu) shows Markdown-formatted messages from the PetPal team, fetched from teampetpal.com.
• 🎨 UI polish. Pixel star ratings (friendship tiers + awards), pixel stat bars (happiness / energy / hunger / XP), and evolution-stage emblems on the Pet screen.

🧹 Changes & fixes

• Removed the leftover developer CEC self-test / diagnostic text from the Friends screen.
• Onboarding now reports the pet's name to the account (fixes blank names in the admin panel).
• Added translation-ready string catalogs (English + French) under Strings/.

🔧 Under the hood

• kAppVersion → 0.1.7; save format unchanged (v4, backward-compatible).
• New: AnnouncementsClient, a dependency-free Markdown renderer (ui/Markdown), and the AnnouncementsScreen.

Install: grab PetPal.cia (recommended — enables real StreetPass) or
PetPal.3dsx.

🐾 PetPal v0.1.6 — Nintendo 3DS

A maintenance release that keeps the pass network healthy and makes sure every
pet is correctly on file.

🐛 Fixes

• **Your pet’s name now registers with your PetPal account the moment you name it.** Previously a pet’s name was only sent on a later online boot, so a console that was only online once could end up with no name attached to its account (this is the name used for cross-device linking and support). New pets are now on file right away.

📥 Installing / updating

• CIA: reinstall PetPal.cia over your existing copy with FBI.
• 3DSX: copy PetPal.3dsx to sdmc:/3ds/.
• Your pet and save carry over automatically — no reset needed.

Requires a modded 3DS (Luma3DS / CFW). Homebrew, non-commercial — not affiliated with Nintendo.

Development has been paused...

Hey, I am taking a break from almost everything. This includes Juxt, Discord, And PetPal Development. Im in a really bad mindset and have a lot of personal issues to deal with. I will be back when I feel better and have the time to work on PetPal again.

All PetPal functions will continue to work as expected during this pause, no new updates will be released.
Thanks to everyone who supported the project, I hope to return soon.
Thanks pals, Abi

🐾 PetPal v0.1.6 — Nintendo 3DS

A small maintenance release that keeps the pass network healthy by making sure
everyone trading pets is on the latest version.

🔄 Version-aware passing

• PetPal now includes its version in every pass it sends, so the relay can keep all trading players on the current release.
• Out-of-date copies now get Pass FAIL when checking for new passes — updating to 0.1.6 clears it.
• On boot, older copies are reminded with a “Please update your app.” prompt.

🛠️ Under the hood

• Bumped app version to 0.1.6 (kAppVersion).
• Pass packets now carry an app-version stamp in a previously-reserved field. It’s covered by the packet checksum and ignored by other consoles, so the pass format stays fully compatible and your save is untouched (still save v4).
• No changes to the pass wire protocol — just the version tag the server reads.
• Companion Android app and the server also moved to 0.1.6 for parity.

📥 Installing / updating

• CIA: reinstall PetPal.cia over your existing copy with FBI.
• 3DSX: copy PetPal.3dsx to sdmc:/3ds/.
• Your pet and save carry over automatically — no reset needed.

Requires a modded 3DS (Luma3DS / CFW). Homebrew, non-commercial — not affiliated with Nintendo.

PetPal v0.1.5 — 3DS

A small but important fix for cross-device play.

🐛 Fixed

• Cross-device pet sync is now reliable. When your 3DS uploads its pet to a linked phone account, it now records the server's timestamp as its sync marker instead of the console's own clock. Previously, if your 3DS's date/time was wrong — common on modded consoles — the "which device has the newer pet?" check could get stuck, so changes from your phone might never reach the 3DS (or vice-versa). Linking and continuity now work correctly no matter what your console clock says.

🔧 Changed

• Version bumped to 0.1.5.

⬆️ Upgrade

• Same title ID and same save format (v4) — installs as a standard update. Your existing pet and save are untouched; no reset needed.

ℹ️ Note

• The rest of this release — the level-up rebalance, real achievements, adventure-based meeting, friend requests, and the new Shop & Customize screens — arrived in the PetPal Android companion app and the server. Your 3DS shares the same account and relay, so a linked pet syncs and passes right alongside them.

PetPal v0.1.4

The care, play & profiles release. Your pet now has real needs and moods, a daily care streak, a quick arcade minigame, badges by its name — and a linked 3DS + phone finally share the same pet, not just the same identity.

✨ New

• Needs, moods & Rest — happiness, energy, and a new hunger need now drain in real time (even while the app is closed). Your pet shows a live mood — Happy, Content, Hungry, Tired, or Sad — on the Pet screen. Feeding fills the belly, and a new Rest action restores energy.
• Daily care streak — tend your pet at least once a day to build a streak. Every 7 days pays out a coin bonus. Your current streak shows right on the Pet screen.
• Star Tap minigame — press Y on the Pet screen to play a quick reaction game. Tap the target before the timer runs out for coins and a happiness boost.
• Cross-device pet continuity — a linked 3DS and PetPal Android app now keep the same pet in sync (name, species, stage, level, and stats), reconciled automatically each time you open the app. (v0.1.3 linked only the identity; v0.1.4 syncs the actual pet.)
• Profile badges — server-assigned tags shown next to your pet's name: Owner, Developer, Network Mod, Helper, Support Team, Testing Bot, plus an automatic 1-Year-Club badge once your account turns a year old. Badges appear on both the 3DS and Android.

🔧 Changed

• Pet screen top display now shows your pet's mood, a hunger bar, your care streak, and any profile badges alongside the existing stats.
• Phone linking is more robust — the console keeps its own credential after linking, which is what enables two-way pet syncing.
• Settings now reports version 0.1.4.

⬆️ Upgrade

Same title ID as v0.1.3 — installs as a standard update. Your existing save is safe and upgrades automatically (save format v3 → v4) on first launch. No reset needed.

Requires a modded 3DS. Online features (passes, linking, badges) need an internet connection. Not affiliated with Nintendo.

🐾 PetPal v0.1.3
================

An accounts-and-moderation release: every pet now has a unique ID, rule-breakers can be banned, and you can link your 3DS to the PetPal phone app.

✨ What's new

• 🆔 Pet IDs — Every pet now gets a unique server ID (like PP-ABCD-2345), shown on the Settings screen. It's assigned automatically the first time you play online and is what identifies your pet for linking, reports, and support.
• ⛔ Ban enforcement — Pets that break the rules (for example, an offensive name) can now be banned. A banned console shows a red "401 Forbidden" screen at launch with its Pet ID for support, and can't play or pass until it's cleared.
• 🔗 Link to your phone — New Settings → Link to phone: enter the Link ID from the PetPal Android app to tie your 3DS and phone to the same pet identity (it then shows as 3ds & Android). Completely optional — your 3DS still works great on its own, and linking never touches your save data. (Android version not released yet, coming soon. Code is just there for prep)
• 📣 Report a pet — Ran into an inappropriate pet? You can now report it by its ID at teampetpal.com/report, and a moderator will take a look.
• 🛡️ Expanded name filter — The moderation word list has grown (now catches Herpy and related terms). The fuzzy matching from v0.1.2 still applies, so leetspeak and repeated-letter tricks don't get through.
• The Settings screen now shows your Pet ID alongside the version (v0.1.3).

⬆️ Upgrading from 0.1.2

This release keeps the same title ID as v0.1.2, so it installs as a normal update over your existing PetPal — nothing to delete. Your save data is safe; older saves upgrade to the new format automatically the first time you launch. (Still on 0.1.0 / 0.1.1? Follow the v0.1.2 upgrade steps first.)

📦 Downloads

| File | Use |
|------|-----|
| PetPal.cia | Install to the HOME Menu (recommended) |
| PetPal.3dsx | Run from the Homebrew Launcher |

🐾 PetPal v0.1.3
================

An accounts-and-moderation release: every pet now has a unique ID, rule-breakers can be banned, and you can link your 3DS to the PetPal phone app.

✨ What's new

• 🆔 Pet IDs — Every pet now gets a unique server ID (like PP-ABCD-2345), shown on the Settings screen. It's assigned automatically the first time you play online and is what identifies your pet for linking, reports, and support.
• ⛔ Ban enforcement — Pets that break the rules (for example, an offensive name) can now be banned. A banned console shows a red "401 Forbidden" screen at launch with its Pet ID for support, and can't play or pass until it's cleared.
• 🔗 Link to your phone — New Settings → Link to phone: enter the Link ID from the PetPal Android app to tie your 3DS and phone to the same pet identity (it then shows as 3ds & Android). Completely optional — your 3DS still works great on its own, and linking never touches your save data. (Android version not released yet, coming soon. Code is just there for prep)
• 📣 Report a pet — Ran into an inappropriate pet? You can now report it by its ID at teampetpal.com/report, and a moderator will take a look.
• 🛡️ Expanded name filter — The moderation word list has grown (now catches Herpy and related terms). The fuzzy matching from v0.1.2 still applies, so leetspeak and repeated-letter tricks don't get through.
• The Settings screen now shows your Pet ID alongside the version (v0.1.3).

⬆️ Upgrading from 0.1.2

This release keeps the same title ID as v0.1.2, so it installs as a normal update over your existing PetPal — nothing to delete. Your save data is safe; older saves upgrade to the new format automatically the first time you launch. (Still on 0.1.0 / 0.1.1? Follow the v0.1.2 upgrade steps first.)

📦 Downloads

| File | Use |
|------|-----|
| PetPal.cia | Install to the HOME Menu (recommended) |
| PetPal.3dsx | Run from the Homebrew Launcher |

🐾 PetPal v0.1.2

A safety-and-maintenance release: automatic update notifications, community name
moderation, and a unique title ID so PetPal installs cleanly alongside other homebrew.

✨ What's new

• 🛡️ Name moderation — Offensive pet names are now automatically filtered, both on the PetPal servers and on your console. Bad names from other players appear as "Pal" instead, and an already-saved friend gets cleaned up the next time you pass them. Your own pet name is filtered too. The matcher is fuzzy, so tricks like B!tch, n1gg@, f.u.c.k and repeated letters don't get through.
• 🔔 Update notifications — PetPal checks for the latest version on launch and shows a "Please update your app." prompt when a newer release is out (press START to close). If you're offline, nothing changes.
• 🆔 Unique title ID — PetPal's title ID was changed off the shared homebrew default, so it no longer collides with other apps (e.g. IP-Cam Viewer, SCR2JPG) and installs cleanly for Universal-DB.
• The Settings screen now shows the full version (e.g. v0.1.2).

⬆️ Upgrading from 0.1.0 / 0.1.1

Because the title ID changed, this CIA installs as a separate title — it won't replace
an older PetPal automatically. Delete the old PetPal from your HOME Menu after
installing this one. Your save data is safe: it lives on the SD card at
sdmc:/3ds/PetPal/, independent of the title.

📦 Downloads

| File | Use |
|------|-----|
| PetPal.cia | Install to the HOME Menu (recommended) |
| PetPal.3dsx | Run from the Homebrew Launcher |

Full changelog: https://github.com/PetPal-Team/PetPal/compare/v0.1.1...v0.1.2

Fixed Title ID

🐾 PetPal v0.1.0 — First Public Release

The first public release of PetPal, a StreetPass-style virtual-pet homebrew game for the Nintendo 3DS. Raise one pet, and every other player you "pass" becomes a friend who brings XP, gifts, and progress toward evolution — passing happens over the internet through PetPal's own relay, so it works from anywhere without a second console nearby.

The full core loop is implemented and verified on real hardware.

✨ Highlights

• 7 procedural species — Fox, Cat, Bunny, Dragon, Slime, Robot, Axolotl — each drawn from shapes with two customizable colors and Idle / Happy / Sad animations.
• 5-stage evolution driven by how many friends you've met.
• Core loop — feed, play, pet, talk, dress up, and send your pet on adventures with per-location loot and a generated story line.
• 🌐 Internet passing — meet other players worldwide through PetPal's own HTTPS relay. No CECD, no NetPass app, no second console — just an internet connection.
• 🛒 Coin shop — spend coins from adventures and rewards on foods, rare treats, and evolution shards.
• 🎁 Redeemable codes — enter codes from teampetpal.com/codes for one-off rewards (items, accessories, or a 24-hour BonziBuddy transform).
• 🎵 Audio — a streamed looping music track plus WAV and synthesized chip-blip sound effects, with live music/SFX volume sliders.
• Polish — slide transitions between screens, celebration confetti, an auto-written journal, achievements, and a versioned, CRC-checked, atomic save.

📥 Install

Requires a modded 3DS (Luma3DS / custom firmware).

• CIA (recommended) — download PetPal.cia below and install it with a CIA manager such as FBI. It appears on your HOME Menu with its own icon and banner.
• 3DSX — copy PetPal.3dsx to sdmc:/3ds/ and launch it from the Homebrew Launcher (or push it with 3dslink PetPal.3dsx).

Save data is created automatically at sdmc:/3ds/PetPal/ on first run.

📦 Downloads

| File | Use |
|------|-----|
| PetPal.cia | Install to the HOME Menu (recommended) |
| PetPal.3dsx | Run from the Homebrew Launcher |

🚧 Known limitations

This is a first release — a few rough edges remain and are planned for later:

• No food-picker yet when feeding, and no dedicated evolution cutscene.
• Some accessories/styles aren't fully rendered on the pet.
• A few list screens are still missing navigation sounds.

Bug reports and contributions are welcome.

🔨 Building from source

Needs devkitPro with the 3DS toolchain plus the 3ds-curl portlib — see the [README](README.md#-build-from-source).

📄 License

Released under the [MIT License](LICENSE). Homebrew and non-commercial in spirit — not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo. "Nintendo 3DS" and "StreetPass" are trademarks of Nintendo.

Full changelog: first release — no previous version to compare against.