EarthBound (1994)

Played this game for the first time after hearing about it for decades. As a late bloomer to JRPGs, this was really intriguied me as it seemed absent of the typical tropes that you find in those types of games. In EarthBound, you're just a regular kid in a regular town, not unlike the one I grew up in, or reside in now.

That said, EarthBound was a big departure from the other games I was playing at the time (this was in Summer of '15), as I was heavily into Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate at the time. Upon seeing that EarthBound was now available on the 3DS eShop, I vowed to finally give this game that I had heard so much about, an honest try.

About 30 hours later and the game was complete. And an incredible experience it truly was. Without any prior nostalgia for the game (with the exception of the graphic and sound style which always transports me back to 1995), I felt I had a unique experience, as I typically play old games having experienced them in some form.

I got stuck in the first town for probably 3 hours before I got a decent understanding of the combat system, and accepted the fact that a single f'ing ant could tear my weak-ass into pieces. But the mechanics within the battle system were really neat compared to other games I had played - the rolling XP was a really neat addition. The auto-winning of battles against enemies who are comparatively weaker was also a nice touch.

To this day, one of the only issues I had that would prevent me from a replay was the sheer amount of time-wasting dialogue (save game phone calls with Dad, anyone?), and of course, the fact that the charm would be lost on me on the second time around, as I would already be expecting it. I don't typically replay RPGs anyway, but something about experiencing this again fills me with anxiety. Maybe it was all of the dying and lost progress!

I started thinking about this game again as I recently stumbled upon The Angry Videogame Nerd's review of EarthBound, and a ton of his opinions of the game overlapped with mine. Just going to post it because of how entertaining it was - he does a great job balancing the good with the bad!

EarthBound, a classic RPG on the SNES, and my personal favorite game of all time. Everything about it just makes me happy and makes me want to play it again every time I mention it.

First off, let me talk about how unique it is. It's quirky nature and fun cast of characters can really make some humorous and entertaining results. This is mostly seen in action during important character interactions and such. The 4 main playable characters are cleverly put together, and help amplify the enjoyment of the game. Ness and the others are an amazing example of what young RPG protagonists should be.

The story isn't the greatest RPG story of all time, but it's still a very well-written one. Many hidden messages and lessons are present in the story, that can become really philosophical. The threat of Giygas and how the gang end up resolving the problem on an alien invasion turns into a magnificent story. I would go into greater detail, but I'm afraid I'll start entering into spoiler territory if I do so.

Lastly, I'm going to talk about the combat system. The combat is turn-based. as expected, but with a twist. Using your psychic abilities, you can perform many powerful attacks with interesting effects. Also, the idea of a spinning health bar really stands this game out above the rest.

EarthBound is a game I think any RPG fan must play, and is definitely good enough to be considered my all time favorite game.

Guys... I need help.

I understand Earthbound's legacy but I am HATING it! I mean, I love the dialogue, and I love how surreal everything is and all the small touches, but when it comes to actually playing the game I'm just not feeling it... I'm level 15 and working on saving Paula in Grateful Dead Valley and the enemy encounters are so full of cheese it's almost asinine.

As it is, I don't like Earthbound, and I feel like I'm not supposed to be feeling that way... Help?