EarthBound is full of exotic places, funny people, and just down right weird junk. One of the few things in EarthBound that does not fit into one three catagories is the Hint Man. Now EarthBound is a real challange to anyone the first time through. This could be why Nintendo gave the EarthBound Players Guide away for free. The Players Guide came inside the EarthBound Box itself, making the box 3 times the regular SNES game box size.

Then there is the Hint Man. Holding the yellow sign or standing behind that booth charging anywhere between $35 to $250 for a "great hint." Now, in the first half of EarthBound, money is a nice thing to have. Nobody wants to spend $200 to get a vauge clue on what or where to go next. Now all this makes the hint man seem pointless. But what will really take you by surprise is that of the Players Guide. If you bought EarthBound within 2 years of it's 1994-1995 release then you have the players guide also. All the games answers are in the Players Guide. Why would you spend money to get a clue where to go next when all you have to do is flip through a few pages.

Not only is the players guide faster and "cheaper" then the Hint Man, but it is also more detailed. The Hint Man gives you one, maybe two sentances of information. The Players guide would give you maps and pictures along with a paragraph or so of information.