EarthBound/Map Data/Compressed Tileset Character Data

This is a sub-page of EarthBound/Map Data.

Data blocks storing compressed raw graphics for map tilesets. Data for a given map tileset is found using the Tileset Pointer Table.

Blocks

Block 1

Map Data: Compressed Tileset Character Data, Block 1
Game	EarthBound
Start Address	0x19D052
End Address	0x19FE17
# of Entries	1
Entry Length	Varies, 28673 bytes (0x7001) after decompression
Total Length	11718 bytes (0x2dc6), 28673 bytes (0x7001) after decompression
Back to the ROM map

Address	Tileset name	Tileset index	Compressed length
0x19D052	Caves 1	13	11718 bytes (0x2dc6)

Block 2

Map Data: Compressed Tileset Character Data, Block 2
Game	EarthBound
Start Address	0x1CB223
End Address	0x1CD836
# of Entries	1
Entry Length	Varies, 28673 bytes (0x7001) after decompression
Total Length	9748 bytes (0x2614), 28673 bytes (0x7001) after decompression
Back to the ROM map

Address	Tileset name	Tileset index	Compressed length
0x1CB223	Indoors 3	14	9748 bytes (0x2614)

Block 3

Map Data: Compressed Tileset Character Data, Block 3
Game	EarthBound
Start Address	0x1D0200
End Address	0x1E00CD
# of Entries	6
Entry Length	Varies, 28673 bytes (0x7001) after decompression
Total Length	65230 bytes (0xFECE), 172038 bytes (0x02A006) after decompression
Back to the ROM map

Address	Tileset name	Tileset index	Compressed length
0x1D0200	Lost Underworld	00	12948 bytes (0x3294)
0x1d3494	Onett	01	11395 bytes (0x2C83)
0x1d6117	Dalaam	09	10891 bytes (0x2A8B)
0x1d8ba2	Threed	03	11823 bytes (0x2E2F)
0x1db9d1	Fourside	04	10090 bytes (0x276A)
0x1de13b	Magicant	05	8083 bytes (0x1F93)

Block 4

Map Data: Compressed Tileset Character Data, Block 4
Game	EarthBound
Start Address	0x1E0200
End Address	0x1EF2E6
# of Entries	6
Entry Length	Varies, 28673 bytes (0x7001) after decompression
Total Length	61671 bytes (0xF0E7), 172038 bytes (0x02A006) after decompression
Back to the ROM map

Address	Tileset name	Tileset index	Compressed length
0x1E0200	Outdoors	06	13001 bytes (0x32C9)
0x1e34c9	Summers	07	8566 bytes (0x2176)
0x1e563f	Dusty Dunes Desert	08	8255 bytes (0x203F)
0x1e767e	Twoson	02	11395 bytes (0x2C83)
0x1ea301	Indoors 1	10	11577 bytes (0x2D39)
0x1ed03a	Indoors 2	11	8877 bytes (0x22AD)

Block 5

Map Data: Compressed Tileset Character Data, Block 5
Game	EarthBound
Start Address	0x1F0200
End Address	0x1FC442
# of Entries	6
Entry Length	Varies, 28673 bytes (0x7001) after decompression
Total Length	49731 bytes (0xC243), 172038 bytes (0x02A006) after decompression
Back to the ROM map

Address	Tileset name	Tileset index	Compressed length
0x1F0200	Stores 1	12	10552 bytes (0x2938)
0x1f2b38	Indoors 4	16	10226 bytes (0x27F2)
0x1f532a	Winters	17	6846 bytes (0x1ABE)
0x1f6de8	Scaraba	18	5539 bytes (0x15A3)
0x1f838b	Caves 2	19	7628 bytes (0x1DCC)
0x1fa157	Stores 2	15	8940 bytes (0x22EC)

Format

Data for each map tileset is individually compressed. See Compression Format.

Decompressed Format

Each entry, once decompressed, consists of 896 tileset characters, each a 4-bits-per-pixel 8x8 SNES graphics tile (sometimes referred to as a "minitile" by EarthBound modders). Each entry ends with a single null byte (0x00). At 32 bytes per character plus the final null byte, each entry is a total of 28673 bytes (0x7001) after decompression.

The first 512 characters represent background tiles that will be loaded into SNES background layer 1 (BG1) and appear behind sprites. The remaining 384 characters represent foreground tiles that will be loaded into SNES background layer 2 (BG2) with the BG priority bit set and will appear in front of sprites. The characters at indices 000 and 512 (the first background tile and the first foreground tile) are always completely transparent.

EarthBound ROM tilemap data does not specify the background vs foreground tiles separately. Instead, character indices are always specified between [000, 512) to specify both tiles jointly. If a tilemap specifies a character with index less than 384, both background and forground tiles are loaded using that index into the respective sections of the tileset characters, and the foreground tile is loaded with the BG priority bit set. If a tilemap specifies a character index greater than or equal to 384 only a background tile will be loaded. (Technically, for an index greater than or equal to 384, EarthBound will still load a character into BG2 using character index 000 from the foreground section of tileset characters (overall character index 512), which is always completely transparent, and will additionally not set the BG priority bit, thus rendering that BG2 character behind BG1 and behind any sprites.)