Even 15 years after its release, Earthbound manages to stand the test of time
Graphics: 7/10
Sound: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Tilt: 10/10
Final Score: 9.4/10 (A)
I've always wondered why only one Earthbound game was released in North America. Well, I'm still wondering, because Earthbound is an awesome game! I'm no stranger to RPG's, having acquired a taste for them since Paper Mario (N64, 2001) and Pokemon Yellow (1999, Game Boy), and Earthbound for the Snes is considered a cult classic. It wasn't sold highly in America, but those who played it have fond memories of it, and they'll get no argument there. I had spent so much time on this game, it was hard to stop to even go to bed! Me and my brother played this game for hours upon hours, and we never got bored.
Basically, Earthbound is about Ness who finds a meteorite in his homeland of Onett, giving him cool psychic powers (and thus Smash bros was born). When he learns that the earth is taken over by Giygas (the most disturbing final boss of all time), he must save the world along with 3 other friends.
Earthbound's Battle system is simple and fun. All you get is a picture of the enemy you're facing along with a drug infested background, but it's fun and pretty challenging, since you anticipate enemies to attack you. You'll hope your attack will always hit, but sometimes it won't. Stick with it, because if you get good at this game, it'll get easier later on. Cool powerups include raining down starstorms and hitting enemies with bats. The imaginative and hilarious enemies include Cranky old ladies, Skater Punks, and Runaway Dogs.
So how's the gameplay? Very fun! You get to save by calling your dad, very original. The dungeons are short and satisfying, although not very creative. I like how you can get plenty of items like burgers, milkshakes, and cookies. The humor is also extremely hilarious. For example, when you refuse to buy an item from a clerk, he'll say "you hurt my feelings". Pokey also provides hilarious comic humor, with lines that parody RPG's such as "Pokey acted all innocent" and "Pokey used Ness as a shield." This might be the funniest game ever! I love how it makes fun of RPG's, and this was before RPG's were even extremely popular.
The graphics are primitive but colorful and have personality. The music is drugged but fantastic, and that Buzz Buzz Song is soothing.
Even 15 years after its release, Earthbound manages to stand the test of time. Unlike other RPG's, I wasn't frustrated by poor design like this, although I did need to result to a FAQ (hey no game's perfect). Also I wish you could hold more than 10 items, because you take a lot of damage. That said, anyone looking for a fantastic RPG should consider Earthbound to be on their wish list. This is easily one of the most engaging and addicting Snes games I've played ever.