EarthBound: alpha v0.001
Next Release: 3/6/99-3/8/99
By Justin Vukelic (Balaraddak, Wei, CrazyKnifeGuy)
dxmcrazy@nettaxi.com

========================


Introduction
------------

	"EarthBound alpha" is a graphics and text hack of EarthBound Zero (Mother 1) for Nes(FamiCom).  The title "alpha" is taken from some article I saw a while ago (I think it might have been Street Fighter related) that said alpha was used because it was a prelude to the original series.  EB0 was somewhat recently dumped by Neo DemiForce, and since Zero is what Demi called the dump of the english "Mother", I had to figure out something else that sounded cool. There is an interesting story along with EB0, read the nfo file that is in the rom's zip file if you are interested.

	EBa is going to become a fantasy hack of EB0.  It will be similar to games such as Final Fantasy or Phantasy Star.  I am not yet sure how much the story will be altered, and there are two extremes: I can just change the text so that it would make sense to somone from 500 A.D., subtley changing buses to carriages and bands to bards, but completely follow the story; or, I could completely change the story around based on what ever I think up.  I plan to stay closer to the first idea.  The graphics will also be changed as I choose how the story will change as I see fit.  The power....THE POWER...FWAHAHAHHAHHAA.

	EB0 is very nice to hack graphics in because they have blank spaces in between the different sets of graphics (ie. title screen set, character set, font set, monster set).  This has made it easy to save an uncompleted graphic without changing the game around, and I can put prototype characters into these spaces. So it doesn't look like crap if you attempt to play without the patch being completed.

News
----

March 2, 1999
*************
	Not much news since this is the first release.  I'll just put some stuff I've had on my mind.  This patch was mainly released so that I could get dibs on this idea before anyone else thinks of it.  This patch is really crap.  You would enjoy more the regular rom.  But go ahead and patch it to see the title screen with alpha instead of zero.  That took like 2.5 minutes.
	I plan to have a website up sooner or later, probably in the next couple of days.  I am also planning to release a patch that doesn't suck as much as this one but still sucks in about 4-7 days. ^_^
	I will add a story section to this file, and after the script gets long enough, I will put it in a seperate file with the story.
	That's it for now, please be sure to read the help requests and acknowledgments sections near the bottom.

Progress
--------

*- Changed title screen from EarthBound Zero to Earthbound alpha (with alpha character as first "a")

*- Added some prototype characters into the blank spaces of the rom graphics.

*- Graphics changed are:  Main's front view; Gift box to Treasure chest (The open treasure chest looks stupid right now); square billboard type signs to smaller wooden-looking signs

Help Requests 
-------------

(to reply email dxmcrazy@nettaxi.com)

*- I need someone who I can contact that has completed this game for help/questions

*- I could really use help with graphics.  I *can* do it myself if I need to, but it would be nice if I could have some help with someone who has art skillz

*- If someone could help me out with dumping the text, that'd be nice.  I haven't really tried yet, but I really don't know how.  I'd like to do it myself if I could, but it would be easier to have someone else do it ;)

*- I'm not sure if I have the rom with the problem with the interruption later in the game that says it is an illegal copy that shouldn't be used.  If someone could tell me how I could tell before I get to much work done. (Please do not send me the rom, just a url if anything)

*- Can someone tell me where to get one of the .nfo file makers?  I searched by I couldn't find one.  All the cool translations groups have them :)

Acknowledgments
---------------

*- SnowBro Software (Kent Hansen) for making one of the most helpful graphic editors around.  This thing kicks ass!  Tile Layer is soooo great I'd have to create a new word to describe it...nerfikal...yeah that's it.  It's completely nerfikal.  http://home.sol.no/~kenhanse/nes/

*- SquareSoft because I can and have used their games to give me some help in how fantasy game characters should look.  Now I can change EB0 from Super-Mega-Nerfikally deformed modern-looking characters to just Super Deformed RPG characters.

*- Neo DemiForce and all who sent in money to dump EarthBound Zero.

*- Anyone else I forgot (even though they wouldn't know, because they don't even know what I'm using!  Arrogant bastards...I'll show them...yessss....

Disclaimer
----------

This patch is not to be distributed zipped with the original EarthBound Zero rom, Mother rom, or a pre-patched rom.

If you do not own the original EarthBound Zero rom you must deleted the rom within 24 hours of contact with your computer.