Customer Reviews

Earthbound

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

i still remember the first time i played this game. it was given to me by and old neighbor of mine as a gift back in 1995. ever since then i think ive beaten and restarted this game over a hundred times. to me this game never gets old. the only reason i still have my snes is just for this game. i highly recomend this game to anyone that likes RPGs. it is so simple that anyone can pick it up but the storyline is so deep that it actually makes you care deeply about these 16-bit sprites on the screen.

the music is so catchy, each city has its own theme and almost each enemy has his own music. the music for this is perfect for the tone of the game.

the graphix are sufficient. sprite detail is great. the only complaint anyone has (not me) is the battle graphics are just a box with your name on it fighting a picture of the enemy. very simple but youlle actually be suprised how well it works.

replayability is by far the best aspect of the game. there is so much to do and its so fun to complete all the tasks.

it is a little bit hard to figure out what to do next though, even the original game came with the players guide. if you dont have a guide you can easily download a guide online for free.

It's about time I found a listing for this on Amazon! I've been looking all over for this game. This is one of the best ones I played on the SNES, and I still like it today.

In terms of graphics, it's very cartoony, and the battles are done in Dragon Warrior style with some weird swirling color patterns in the background. The music in this game is pretty cool, though it gets weird at times. But, well, this game IS weird... that's the whole point of it.

The gameplay is much like the old Dragon Warrior style, and a few old features like limited inventories have come into play. I personally don't like that, but it certainly does add some challenge.

One of the best and most unique features of this game, also, is the battle system. First, there are no random battles. You must run into an enemy in order to fight it. If the enemy is stronger than or equal to you, it will come after you. If you're far stronger than they are, or you have already beaten their area, they will usually run away. Also, when you come into contact with an enemy, the beginning of the battle is determined by HOW you met them. If they caught up with you from behind, they get the first strike. If you caught them from behind, you get the first strike. And, if you met face to face, it's an equal start. One other feature of the battle system, which I truly like, is the ability to skip pointless battles. If you are far stronger than the enemy and they run into you, you will automatically win without even going into a battle screen. That is an excellent feature, and I don't know why it hasn't been implemented in other games. Final Fantasy certainly could use something like that.

This game is placed in modern times, which is another thing that makes it unique. Also, it is purposely comic, and I enjoy that a lot more than FF7's dark, gloomy overtones. I also like the interesting choice of weapons that the heroes use to fight bad guys. Baseball bats, frying pans (!), slingshots. This game is wacky, and it's not the least bit shy about that.

Unfortunately, it came out at a time when people were saying "If it didn't come from Squaresoft, it can't be any good," so as a result it was either overlooked or scorned. But, this is actually a great game. If you can get your hands on it, go for it.

Earthbound... This is a game that I remember enjoying immensely back in the day. Unfortunately, it has now been plunged into obscurity and receives very little respect from new age gamers that happen to come across it. Despite that, though, you might be a bit surprised to learn that this game was the source of a considerable amount of hype prior to its release. I remember Nintendo Power Magazine, which was one of the leading authorities of video games back then, did a pretty big promotion for this game. Sadly, this promotion probably did more to hurt the game's image than anything else. What NP tried to do was, they tried to play off the game's humorous and quirky nature. They ended up having these scratch and sniff cards that had stuff like dirty sock scent and things like that which came out in a special pull out section of the magazine. It was done with good intentions, but needless to say, I don't think it did very much to boost the game's image. NP's coverage of the game also did its part to hurt the game's stock. I remember that the coverage they did on it was really weird. It wasn't a normal walkthrough like they did with virtually every other game they've ever featured. There were no strategies, no hints or tips, no maps, nothing like that. There was never any kind of coverage like that. Basically what they did was, they had in-depth journalism type feature about this odd unconventional RPG that was wrecking the standards for RPGs everywhere. If you read through it really carefully and you have a bit of background knowledge about the game, then you can kind of tell that it was just meant to be a big joke, but if you didn't know much about it (which at the time, most people didn't, since it had just been released) then it really looks like NP was just slamming this game. At the beginning it said "we suggest psychiatric guidance" for anyone who reads this review or something like that, and it went on to explain "how Earthbound will destroy civilization as we know it". At the very end it said, "Not only does the game of Earthbound reek like some foul creature of the sewers, but Nintendo has made the product even more repulsive with the Player's guide that comes packaged with the game." I swear that's literally what it says, and if you don't believe it then you can look in volume 73 of Nintendo Power Magazine from June 1995, if you can still find it. Folks, you really have to remember the impact that this magazine had on the video gaming world at the time. In the mid-nineties, Nintendo was the biggest gaming company in the world, unlike nowadays. I believe this is the single biggest reason why this game is now largely forgotten because the fact is, there were quite a few people back in the day who were really looking forward to this release. As soon as it came out, though, the hype was gone and the game's legacy would soon follow. As for the game itself though, it plays pretty much like many other RPG's, but to be honest it is a kind of quirky game. For those of you who are thinking about ordering this game or playing it and never played it the first time around, or for those who just didn't get it in the first place, you really have to put the game in the context of when it came out. Earthbound was released amid the golden age of RPG's. You had all these overblown, dramatic games coming out like Zelda, Chrono Trigger, all those Final Fantasys, the Secret of Mana, the Secret of Evermore, and the list goes on and on. What the developers of Earthbound sought to do was to create a satire of games like this. Instead of having the Masamune or the Master Sword, you had baseball bats and frying pans. Instead of fighting a race of Moogles or a mythical dragon, you fight hippies and snakes and retail store managers. This game was to RPG's what the Dead Kennedys were to punk rock, or what Pulp Fiction was to the 90's movie scene. No, the developers of this game were not nuts; they were just trying to poke fun at what was becoming an increasingly overwhelming and overblown trend. But somewhere in all that, they created a game that was truly one of kind, fun, addicting, and as far as I'm concerned, one of the best games ever released for any system. It's just a shame that Earthbound will never be remembered that way.

I first played this game a few years after it came out. A friend of mine had it and we agreed that this would be the first game that we would be beat together where we WERE NOT using Game Genie. For a "kiddie game" (and I'm using that loosely) it is incredibly addictive.

Being stupid adolescents (at that time) we quickly learned that if we could change the name of something, we could put in curse words (which just made it even funnier). I can't give you an estimate of how much time you'll spend playing this game, but I know I spent a few months going over every square inch of this game. It's been several years now, but I am looking forward to buying another SNES and this game. My only problem with it is that it has become a "cult classic" and some of the prices are just outrageous. But if you can find a good deal, grab while you can.

Earthbound for the Super Nintendo may very well epitomize the term "cult classic" more than any other game ever made. It fits all the criteria: Oddball game design that most mainstream gamers will find too strange for their liking, lacking sales and critical disapproval at the time of it's release, a small-but-devoted following, hefty price tag, constant rumors about incredibly rare beta versions, sequels, etc., and most importantly, a really interesting game underneath.

Earthbound is a traditional 16-bit RPG dragged through an insane LSD and pop culture gutter. The swords and staves are replaced with frying pans and yo-yo's. The fantasy worlds of Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger are replaced with a modern-day world with a zany sense of humor. You fight against hippies, businessman, ants, mushrooms, and abstract art. You order "zombie paper" from a pizzeria to save a zombie infested town. And you recieve your opening mission statement from a...bee. Not only do these ideas keep the game fresh, they also are used to satirize many of the more overly serious aspects of RPGs.

The battle system is pretty basic, but it works well, with character-unique abilities, PSI powers, and a "roll-back" H.P. system that rewards players with fast fingers. The lack of random battles is also a welcome surprise. Be warned, though: the game is unusually tough, and is very unforgiving towards unprepared or impatient players. With a little practice, however, you'll be able to tackle the more threatening battles without getting too banged up.

There are a few flaws: Mainly, the items don't stack, meaning you're oftentimes running out of room to place things. Also, the diffuclty could be adjusted so that the normal enemies are easier and the bosses are harder, but it's not too much of a problem.

Anyone who is tired of "normal" video games should check this one out, but be prepared to search abit, or pay upwards of $75.

The year was 1994, the video gaming world was climbing faster and faster to the top of the entertainment industry, every gamer knew it was coming and finally video games could be delivered from their nerdy, childish reputation. It was also a turning point in the industry, video games were being pushed further and further as mediums of pure entertainment, and pressure was being pressed harder and harder on game developers to create games that would look flashier, destroy more and sell better. It was a transitionary phase from the video games of old to the Sony's and Microsoft's taking control, and in this period came one of the last bastions of the old era of artistic freedom, Earthbound.

There is absolutely nothing linear and contrived in Earthbound as far as an RPG goes. Sure there are levels, magic, battles, hitpoints, towns, dungeons and currencies, but every single one of these elements is presented in a unique and interesting manner that has never been duplicated since.

The graphics are simple, cartoony and full of colour and vibrancy. I personally love the isometric worlds and the goofy characters as they give off a really unique vibe that invites you to imagine and get lost in the surreal worlds.

The humour and maturity of the game is un-paralleled in many ways to even modern games. Modern games often try to mimic generally really cut-and-past movie-type characters, from the morally-depraved to the self-righteous, the characters are meant to be embraced by pop-culture, follow societal archetypes and be hip and cool. Earthbound's plot is non-linear, bordering on dadaistic and just plain silly, every cliche is either included as a satire or completely ignored. From drug culture to fart jokes to buddhism to poltics and quantum physics, Earthbound covers it all. Never taking itself seriously, but also never mindlessly stealing them like bibliography sources in a high school paper.

The soundtrack is exceptionally ecclectic, and to list a few of the 'genres' swept in this game: acid jazz, metal, drone, pop, 70's psych rock, ambient, blues, trip hop, big band, drum n bass and a lot of avant-garde mixtures that will make any experimental/underground musician gape. Simply put, there is a lot of weird stuff!

My favourite moments in the game are moonside, the fourside shopping mall, threed, the happy happy cult, saturn valley and of course Magicant :) 5 stars, this game proves that video games can be art. They can travel places, they can be surreal and capture the imagination like the best of any artform. This game will remain one of my all-time favourites until I die, and has been a part of me and my dreams for a very long time.

, Jamie

You may say,what is she talking about?But then you have never played this game!Back in 95 when this game came out,I rented it "for the kids",what a laugh ,I kept renting it until I finished the game (which took a couple of months)I tried to find the game to buy it,the game could not be found!I went without this game for 6 years now-only b/c I could not find it,wishing I had it.but good news-today on an auction I got it!Will never leave my hands!If you want a great kids to adult game,this IS it!

Earthbound is by far one of the best games I have ever played. You may say, "Ahh, it's for Super NES, it can't be all that great", but trust me, it is. It's not like some of those fantasy RPGs, it's more real-life, and that's what I like most. Like to regain health, you eat things like cookies, and hamburgers instead of elixers and things like that. Very good story and extremely addicting and fun to play. It's very VERY hard to find nowadays so if you ever find an opportunity to somehow get your hands on this game, take it. ... I also called Nintendo of America and asked if it might come out for GBA and they said it was a possibility! Anyway, very good game. 5 star material all the way.

I've beaten it and loved it all the way through! Its awesome,you start in a small town and you have to go through it fighting The sharks(the local gang)Stray dogs,crows that drop cookies,Ants and slugs! And all this is done with suff you can go to the local stores and get! No not potions but more like Hamburgers and BaseBall bats!

Okay there is an evil alien that takes over the world ten years in the future from the time your in,A metorite hits your town A Bee flies off of it and tells you your the chosen one and you must Go to eight sanctuary spots around the world. Then you chanel your power with the earth then beat Guigas! It's very Fun!

Well, I must say this probaly is now my favorite game! It's a great RPG and anyone who gets their hands on it will just love it! This is the best classic SNES game ever! So play it! The music,graphics,storyline etc. is great! Did I mention it's SNES? So just play this game! you'll love it and it's hard not to like!