Okay, there are things the EarthBound Text Editor and PK Hack aren't programmed to look at.  This is where Thingy comes in.  Thingy is a generalized text editor, which can allow you to edit the hex of any game, given that you provide a table file with all the neccessary text equivalents coded in.  Nice guy that I am, I've done this for you.  In this file I've included table files (with and without compression.) that will allow Thingy to interpret the text of EarthBound for you!  I also added 2 batch files (one for each) to make loading quick and easy.  Just edit them in Notepad to accomodate for your ROM's filename (if it's over 8 characters, put in the first six then a "~1".  earthbound.smc becomes earthb~1.smc)

This is the Thingy interface. In it you can edit:

 -- The setup menu
 -- The introduction scenes
 -- The coffee scenes
 -- The don't care names
 -- A variety of other things!

Most of these functions you won't need to use.  Here's what you do want to know, though...

Commands in Thingy

Change text: Move the cursor to the first letter, and press space.  Then, move to the last letter, and hit space again.  You will then see this window.

Type your text and hit Escape.

That's all there is to it!

Searching for text: You can search for text by hitting the S key.  It will open up a window similar to the text editor.  Type your text and hit escape.  When it comes to an entry, you can hit R to continue the search.

Go to a specific location: Hit the J key to load the jump menu.

Here you can access a specific location in the ROM.  The manual address function lets you go to an address you input (to find one, just get the Hex Address in the EBTE, and type an "H" after it.)  Also, you can add your current location as a menu option and give it a name.  The table files I've provided will give you all the locations you'll probably need.

Manipulating the Table Files

Changing the table files for your needs is quite easy.  Just open them up in Notepad and write them!  The general format goes like this:

[Code string (Up to 4 bytes)]=[Character Equivalent]  (Here's an excerpt:)

1506= to the
1507= about
1508= just
1509= of the
150A= something

Then, at the end, the addresses for the jump menu go like this:

([Address, followed by "h"])[Name]  -- Like this:

(210200h)Coffee/Tea Scenes
(210D8Ah)Opening Scenes
(4C260h)Setup Menu
(BDAA2h)Background Anim Table
(15F6CFh)Don't Care Names
 

Dangers of Thingy

The EBTE is a much safer, more forgiving environment to hack EarthBound.  Here are some differences to keep in mind:

1) Whatever you change is saved to the ROM immediately.  There is no undo function, so if you screw up, well, tough.
2) If you thought loading the Expanded Meg was slow, try running Thingy with the compressed text table...
3) With Thingy, you can't insert control codes without coding them into the table file.