I wanted to give it a 10, I just really wanted to.
Earthbound is about a boy named Ness. You probably know him from Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee. A meteor crashes into his hometown, Onett. He goes to investigate and meets Buzz Buzz. Buzz Buzz tells him he is the chosen one to defeat the evil Giygas. He gives Ness the Sounstone and tells him to travel to the eight "Your Sanctuary" places.
Game play- Solid fighting system. Menus are quick and easy to scroll through and pick out your spell, and you can defeat some enemies that you know your going to win, so you dont have to keep fighting. Instead, the screen flashes green and the battles over.
Graphics- Here's where I had to dock it. The character sprites are good and the artwork is excellent, but there can be some serious lag in some levels. One that comes to mind is the volcano one.
Sound- Music to my ears. I know, that was terrible, but this music isn't. Some truly classical themes, whether it be the Retro Hippie theme or the final level theme. All creative and all good.
Value- To me, this had tremendous replay value. The quirky yet solid story has made me vow to beat this game every year. It last between 20-30 hours for the average gamer.
There you go. This game is a true classic and should not be missed. Go pick it up on Ebay for maybe $30. Please, for the love of God, do it. Then maybe Nintendo will bring Earthbound 3 stateside.