In this section, there are several pieces of material that fall under this category, such as unused content, equations, and algorithms in the game, as well as a section regarding the anti-piracy measures of MOTHER. 

Unused Content

Unused Enemies:

Within the data of MOTHER/EarthBound Beginnings, there are two unused enemies that are still present in the final version of the game. Both of these enemies have intact stats; unfortunately, due to how the game reads, it is unable to properly produce a palette for them. The reason for this is that the palette settings are stored in the encounter group for enemies, rather than the enemy itself. These two enemies also share the same name pointers to two other enemies known as the Gang Zombie and Doll as they appear next to those two particular enemies within the game’s code.

The first enemy here is Pippi, based on her clay model design. Her stats in the enemy charts can possibly be incorrect, as they’re extremely low aside for her PP stat, which would likely place her in the game directly sometime after Ninten left home. Some speculation has said that she was supposed to be encountered when Ninten would open the coffin she was trapped within. Her PP stat is absurdly huge, which is strange seeing there are no low-level enemies that use PSI up to that point besides the Starman Jr. enemy in the Abandoned Zoo.

The second enemy is labeled as a “Possessed Pillow”, which shares the same in-game states as the Lamp enemy you fight at the very beginning of the game. However, while similar to the Lamp, its HP is slightly lower by about 2 HP. It is completely functional within the game besides not being named. 

Unused Graphic:

In MOTHER/EarthBound Beginnings, there is this single unused graphic in the game; it’s unknown exactly what this does or where this is found within the game’s data. It’s shaped like a bell of some sort, and it can be loaded in with the factory tileset. You can view this in the map data of Duncan’s Factory or Sweet’s Little Factory. 

Unused Text

Version Identifier:

The first thing on the list of unused text or information found within MOTHER/EarthBound Beginnings is a Version Identifier. Typically, this was used to determine a revision of the game for possibly testing purposes or looking into what version needed to be adjusted for the final. These version numbers can be found within the ROM at 3FFF0 in its data.

Doll Text:

“Spooky!! The doll walks by itself!”

This string of text can be found in both versions of the game; it’s assumed that this would have been originally used as the Doll begins to attack Ninten. It’s unknown whether this was a cutscene trigger or something to that effect. 

B.B. Boss Description: 

“Maybe he’s not really rotten to the core…”

Originally during the battle between Ninten and Teddy, the B.B. Gang Boss Leader, you’re only allowed to use the Fight option. However, if you could use the “Check” option within battle, this description would appear. 

Unused Trapped NPC:

“Not that I have Claustrophobia…but I can’t stand small, close spaces!”

Supposedly near the end of the game, there are two individual NPCS in trapped pods you can speak to. The game has text for a third person who is not present anywhere in the game.

Unused Items

In each version of MOTHER/EarthBound Beginnings, there are several items that go unused. All of these items can be access by modifying the RAM address $29 which will place these items in your inventory.

StoneOrigin

Functions similar to a spell. Likely gives the opponent the “Stone” status.

PoisnNeedle

Functions similar to a spell. Likely gives the opponent the “Poison” status.

IC-Chip

When having this item, it cannot be thrown away; in the GBA release of MOTHER 1+2, this item was added back in under the name “Memory Chip”. It’s an item used to teleport to EVE’s wreckage at the top of Mt. Itoi. It can be used an infinite amount of times, similar to the Onyx Hook. 

Debug

According to The Cutting Room Floor (TCRF): (72-7F) The version at 7F has a unique description of “…….”; in the Japanese version, this item is called ざひょう (Coordinates) and its usage pointer seems to point to code that is no longer there, often leading to random effects/crashes. The English prototype fixes this bug with a unique message of “Nothing happened.”

TimeMachine

The TimeMachine is an event used in EarthBound Beginnings at the Twinkle Elementary School. However, this item was never supposed to be in the player’s inventory. By using the Look command, the text reads, “System Error!!!”

Algorithms & Equations

MOTHER/EarthBound Beginnings has several interesting equations and algorithms to determine how certain actions or pointers are executed. Below are a few of these by example in tables to provide detailed information on how they work.

Experience:

Total-experience required to reach a level is:

n=n* n* (n+1) * as a constant, rounded down.

Character Name	Constant Variable	Approx. Decimal
Ninten	214/256	0.84
Ana	203/256	0.79
Lloyd	3/4	0.75
Teddy	150/256	0.59
Pippi	150/256	0.59

The constant will depend on each character.  

Teddy will start at level 18 with 3600 experience points; meanwhile, everyone else starts at level 1 with the amount of 0 experience points.

Stat Growth Formulas:

Below is the formula used to determine the stat increase upon a levelup:

stat gain = (constant + (random number 0-3))/2, rounded down to the nearest number.

Character Name	Fight Stat	Speed Stat	Wisdom Stat	Strength Stat	Force Stat
Ninten	4	4	4	4	4
Ana	0	2	6	2	7
Lloyd	3	1	7	3	2
Teddy	8	8	1	5	3
Pippi	8	8	1	5	3
EVE	5	3	5	7	2
Flying Man	6	0	0	8	5

EVE and the Flying Man will start at level 99 with 1 million experience points, so the numbers above in the chart are pretty much irrelevant. They will never gain levels or experience points from battle; however, the FlyingMan will gain experience points if you happen to encounter a Groucho.

The increases in each stat are not affected by the current stat value. Luck can also lead to a huge variance at higher levels. 

All stats in MOTHER/EarthBound Beginnings are capped at 255 and will not overflow whatsoever.

When a character gains a level up the Offense stat will always increase by the amount equal to the Fight stat. In a similar fashion, the Defense stat will always increase to the amount equal of the character’s Speed stat.

Increasing the HP and PP stats are determined after other stat increases:

HP/PP gain = random number between 0 and N-1, where N=2*(target value – current value)

Regardless of the formula above, N will always have a minimum value of 2 and a maximum value of 16.

HP: Target Value = 2*Strength+20 or Strength+255, whichever is the smallest result.

PP: Target Value = Force*1.5

If you are a high enough level to learn a specific PSI ability, each character (Ninten/Ana) has a 25% or 1/4th chance of learning it after each battle encounter if you win or escape from them.

Item Information

Each item from an enemy has a drop rate of 6.25% or 1/16th of a chance to drop. 

Items that can be used an infinite amount of times are:

• Super Spray: Same effect as Insecticide.
• Flashdark: Same effect as Darkness
• Bullhorn: Shouts something to the enemy; can decrease their Fight or increase their Offense.
• AsthmaSpray: Gets rid of Asthma.
• WordsO’Love: When used it simply says “I love you.” Nothing happens.
• Swear Words: When used it simply says “I hate you.” Nothing happens.

Breakable Items included the following:

• Flame Thrower: Lloyd only; does 100 HP of PK Fire Damage to all enemies on the field.
• Laser Beam: Lloyd only; does 30-40 HP of damage to one enemy.
• Plasma Beam: Lloyd only; does 80 HP of damage to one enemy.
• Insecticide: Instantly kills an insect enemy.
• Sticky Machine: Makes an enemy unable to do anything until the effect fades; lasts a random amount of turns and does not work on mechanical enemies.
• PSI Stone: Can be used to recover approx. 20 PP and can be used multiple times; once it breaks, it turns into a normal stone.

The probability of an item breaking after the limit of uses is always 12.5% or 1/8th of a chance.

The Rope item will always land a hit, however, an enemy has a 25% or 1/4th of a chance breaking free.

The Bullhorn item always has an exact 50% or ½ of a chance for success rate.

Sticky Machine: Always has a chance to inflict paralysis on an enemy (similar to PSI Paralysis).

Battle Information

Battle Formula:

Below are the formulas for how battles operate:

Physical Attacks (using the “Fight” option in the menu):

Dodge Rate: [26 + (target’s Fight – attacker’s Fight)/2]256

Smash Rage: [26 + (attacker’s Fight – target’s Fight)/2]/256

The damage dealt is approx. equal to the Attacker’s Offensive stat – (Defender’s Defense/2).

However, if by chance the attacker’s offense < defender’s defense, then the damage is formulated like this:

((Attacker’s Offense * 3) – Defender’s Defense) / 4

All damage initiated from a Critical Hit or “SMAAASH” will ignore all defense of the target.

Status Aliment Accuracy:

Below is what is used to determine the dodge rate of specific status aliments:

The probability of a character being inflicted by a specific status effect is:

[(Defender’s Strength or Force)/2]/Attacker’s Wisdom

• Strength: Determines your dodge rate to avoid statuses such as Darkness, Poison, and Paralysis.
• Force: Determines your dodge rate to avoid statuses such as Puzzled, Confused, and Hypnosis.
• Stone Origin: Will always cause the Stone status when it hits a target. It can miss, however.
• Ninten: Will always have an asthma attack if they are hit by car exhaust. While in this effect, the only thing Ninten can do is use the Asthma Spray. 
• The same formula is used for status ailments that inflicted via PSI Abilities, Items or Enemy Attacks. 

The higher a character’s speed is the more likely that character has a chance of going first in a turn.

The chance of running away from a fight is always 50/50 chance. Each character may take a turn to attempt running once per turn, and on a success, the entire party flees the battle.

The PSI ability 4th-D Slip (Fouth Dimenstional Slip) will always work 100% of the time without failure. 

Random Encounters:

Below are the percentages and chances of a random enemy encounter:

Whenever the player takes a step into an area with Random Encounters, a randomly-generated number begins to generate in the background. Depending on whenever the number lands on a specific percentage is when the player will get a random encounter; these percentages are listed below:

• 32/256 or 12.5% of 256 (Category # 1)
• 21/256 or 8.2% of 256 (Category # 2)
• 16/256 or 6.25% of 256 (Category # 3)
• 13/256 or 5.08% of 256 (Category # 4)
• 10/256 or 3.91% of 256 (Category # 5)
• 8/256 or 3.13% of 256 (Category # 6)
• 6/256 or 2.34% of 256 (Category # 7)
• 5/256 or 1.95% or 256 (Category # 8)

To determine which of these values are in use, the game takes the most recent number associated with the tile you stepped on the overworld (can be a number between 1 and 8), and then adds a “bonus”, and uses the probability attached to that specific number.

The bonus will always reset to 0 every time you enter a no-enemy encounter area and will generally increase by 1, each time you initiate an encounter. The bonus can never go higher than 2, and it can’t increase the category of percentages or randomly-generated chance by a number higher than 8.

Example:

• Player leaves a town and into an area field full of tiles that are labeled as 1.
• Each step that Player has, they have about a 12.5% chance of encountering a battle.
• After you get into a battle the first time, the second fight you have will be 8.2%. 
• After the second battle that percentage is now 6.25%, for each step that you remain in that specific area and will not reset until you enter a town.

Specifically, the game lowers your encounter rate as you continue to traverse the given area. Another example would be this:

• Player enters a cave with the tiles labeled as 5, which gives that player a 3.91% chance of encounter.
• First battle is initiated, and after said battle, the bonus is added to that variable, so now that player’s chance of encounter is in category 6, which is a 2.34% chance.
• After the second encounter, the bonus is increased to 2 and can no longer go any higher, which places the encounter rate’s value to a 1.95% chance of an encounter. 

Anti-Piracy Measures

In English localized version of MOTHER/EarthBound Beginnings, there is an anti-piracy measure added in that checks the ROM’s checksum has been altered in any way. If so, the game may fade to a specific screen at certain points of the game. These points being:

• Reaching the title screen
• Teleporting to Magicant
• Checking the XX Stone
• Before the “All That I Needed Was You” performance in the Live House
• Before the “Fallin’ Love” dance scene in Mt. Itoi’s cabin

The screen is less severe as it may seem; simply impeding your progress, more or less. Pirated copies are flagged in RAM at the value $0006, which is activated if the value is not zero.

Historically speaking, when Demiforce acquired a prototype of EarthBound Beginnings in 1998, a very popular NES Emulator at the time named NESticle had a seemingly unfixable issue in which the game would freeze whenever textboxes were drawn. Demiforce had made a one-byte edit to the ROM to resolve this issue and added the title “ZERO” in the white text of the title screen to distinguish it from its sequel, EarthBound; however, this also would trigger the anti-piracy screen. 

In future modifications to the EarthBound Zero ROM, the anti-piracy measures were completely disabled and is now distinguished with a two-toned blue and white “ZERO” on the title screen.