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The JOYSTICK CONFIG, also known as the "SETTINGS" menu as of v1.05 and above, is a menu accessible from the Start Menu.

Prior to v1.05, the option to enter this menu only appears if a controller is plugged into the computer when Undertale launches. The player has several options for remapping the gamepad to use it instead of the keyboard. This menu also has a control test for checking that the buttons are remapped correctly.

In the console versions, it retains button config and seasonal changes from the "Joystick Config" menu. There are also options to change the border around the game window and switch the game's language between English and Japanese.

JOYSTICK CONFIG/SETTINGS[]

In the order they appear on the menu, the options are given as follows:

  • EXIT
Function Key These options allow the player
to remap 3 buttons on the gamepad
to CONFIRM, CANCEL, and MENU.
CONFIRM Z/ENTER
CANCEL X/SHIFT
MENU C/CTRL
  • ANALOG SENSITIVITY: This slider allows the player to adjust the sensitivity for the analog stick.
  • ANALOG SENSITIVITY SENSITIVITY: This slider controls how fast the analog sensitivity slider slides; oddly, the large end of this slider corresponds to slow movement of the analog sensitivity slider, and the small end to humorously fast movement.
  • DIR CHOICE: This option allows the player to select their direction preference between analog, POV, or both:
    • NORMAL: This selection keeps both the analog stick and POV active.
    • ANALOG ONLY: This selection keeps only the analog stick active.
    • POV ONLY: This selection keeps only the POV active.
  • RESET TO DEFAULT
  • CONTROL TEST: This option warps the player to the control test.
  • BORDER: This option allows the player to change the border surrounding the game. This option is only available in the console versions.

CONTROL TEST[]

Joystick Config screenshot Control Test

The control test has large Z, X, and C button icons at the top, which become "pressed" and play a sound if the gamepad is configured correctly and the corresponding button is pushed. In the Bullet Board below, the player has control over one of Migosp's attacks, which animates when a button press is detected. The Bullet Board also contains what appears to be trees and houses, although these objects do not have collision boxes.

Leading the Migosp downward offscreen returns the player to the settings.

BORDER[]

Borders are optional and exclusive to console versions of Undertale, all of which were drawn by Temmie Chang.[1][2] Selecting "Dynamic" causes the border to change based on the protagonist's current location in the Underground. If "Sepia" is selected and the controls are left untouched for five minutes, the flowers on the border start spinning until the controls are touched again. Certain borders can only be unlocked through specific criteria, or are version exclusive.

Seasonal Changes[]

The music, visuals, text, and the Annoying Dog change depending on what season it is when the game launches. These match the Northern Hemisphere seasons.

  • Winter - Snowflakes fall, and the theme played is "Uwa!! So Holiday♫." Annoying Dog is wearing a Santa hat and a red scarf, and text above him reads "cold outside but stay warm inside of you."
  • Spring - Pink leaves/petals fall, and the theme played is "Uwa!! So Temperate♫," Annoying Dog has a yellow flower on its head, and text beside him reads "spring time back to school."
  • Summer - The sun slowly moves in a circle and continuously shrinks and grows. The dog rises and falls, and the theme played is "Uwa!! So HEATS!!♫." Text above the dog reads "try to withstand the sun's life-giving rays."
  • Autumn - Many different colored leaves fall, and the theme played is "Uwa!! So Temperate♫." The Annoying Dog has a leaf on his head, and text above him reads "sweep a leaf, sweep away a troubles."

Alternate version[]

If the player has received the True Pacifist ending or has no SAVE file, an alternate version of the JOYSTICK CONFIG menu is used.

In the main config menu, the differences are:

  • The Annoying Dog does not appear.
  • There are no seasonal effects.
  • There is no music.
  • The "Analog Sensitivity Sensitivity" slider does not appear.
Joystick Config screenshot no file

In the control test, the differences are:

  • The Migosp is replaced with a green circle.
  • The trees and houses do not appear.
  • There are no sound effects when pressing the various buttons.

Trivia[]

  • If two devices that are recognized as a gamepad are plugged in, the game may ignore the presence of one of the input devices; unplugging the other input device causes the gamepad to be immediately responsive. This occurrence may be a glitch or oversight.
  • The title "JOYSTICK CONFIG" is further to the left during the Summer seasonal change than in the other seasons, to make room for the sun.
  • Occasionally (a 1 in 50 or 2% chance), when pressing the "Reset to Default" button, it reads "spaghetti" in place of "resetting."
  • The themes are corresponding to the seasons in the northern hemisphere, so players in the southern hemisphere will see the themes that are opposite to their current season.
  • If the player has no SAVE file, the Analog Sensitivity bar is approximately three-fourths of the way across by default; however, using the "Reset to Default" option places it halfway across.
  • If the protagonist stands still long enough while they have the Sepia border in any console edition, the flowers depicted on the border start to spin.
  • The "Beauty" border consists of art that was used during the Undertale Kickstarter updates.
  • The Mad Mew Mew border is named based on the protagonist's answer to Undyne's question during Alphys's date. If the border is earned before the event, the border is unnamed.
  • The "Casino" border features art of Toriel, Sans, Papyrus, as well as Lancer, C. Round, and Jevil from Deltarune.

References[]

  1. BUT… since Undertale's native resolution is displayed in a 4:3 format, we called on original Undertale artist Temmie Chang to create some optional borders that can be turned on to fill the space surrounding the screen. - Breaking Down Borders: Undertale's Journey to Japan and Back (Ricciardi, John, August 08, 2017.) PlayStation.Blog.
  2. The PS4 and Vita versions of UNDERTALE will have optional border art by @tuyoki to fill the unused parts of the screen. - Toby Fox (@tobyfox) on Twitter, August 08, 2017.

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