Customer Reviews

Earthbound

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am not surprised by the cost of this game on Amazon. My copy was stolen many years ago and due to no chance of a re-make, it would be nice to have this game again. Out of countless hours of gameplay over 20+ years using various platforms, this is still my favorite game of all time.

This is perhaps one of the most legendary RPG games to ever grace a system and one of the rarest games to buy or possess. You have to try this game atleast once if you are an RPG fan or even if you are a fan of games in general. It's storyline is very unique and at times is never afraid to make fun of itself as an RPG in dialogue. What also is a special treat above all else is the battle system in it's time redifined most games, instead of walking 5 steps and you are in a battle(like Final Fantasy etc etc) the enemy tries to run and touch you to initiate battle, once battle is commenced the background is different and morphs itself every 3 seconds which i can safely say has not been done in most games and sometimes during attacks can be funny due to the fact that some enemies either are afraid to attack, or just grin instead of attacking which creates witty dialogue.

In my personal opinion Earthbound is a timeless game, that has slipped into obscurity and has gathered a huge fanbase in America along with the United Kingdom in recent years due to this fact. There is an Earthbound 2 over in Japan, but sadly the release appears to be doubtful overseas in America or United Kingdom, as for a re-release on VC or SNES it has been doubted that there will not be a re-release due to copyright claims that Nintendo would receive in the U.S. or overseas. I truly hope that Nintendo can find a way just even if it was for one day only, to get the whole Earthbound series out around the world. For the fans like me, or others who are just playing this game for the first time with awe, this is more than a game, it is everything an RPG fan dreams of at night.

I've consistently played video games for decades now and I can't think of a single game quite like this one. It is epic in size and scope, pokes fun at itself from time to time, and is just a ton of fun to play. I sold all my games awhile back but letting this one go was one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made. I'm hoping they'll re-release it as a download on wii or something, but if that doesn't happen in a few years I may consider buying it (as much as it sounds crazy to buy a system from the 90's and a 16 for over $100).

****WARNING, SPOILERS INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW****

I feel as though I should offer something of an explanation as to my decision to wax philosophical on a title that is as old, honored, and tested as Earthbound. Granted, retro-reviews are indeed all the rage, but I cannot say that I have been moved to ever actually commit to a write-up on one before. There are certainly other games that, as an experience, are by far more readily cited as an example of technical or artistic merit.

That's the issue, though: Earthbound is not so much a technical achievement or artistic triumph as it is an experience, a part of one man's life story told in a surreal third person. Shigesato Itoi, Earthbound's creator, undertook a profoundly personal journey, choosing to tell the tale of childhood utilizing his most familiar medium - game design. The result was a journey so profound that those with even the most tenuous grasp of childhood emotions, sensations and innocent awe could not help but walk away without feeling its effects.

For a game with the original title of Mother 2, perhaps this childish world view is simply par for the course. In Earthbound, the world is on the brink of ruin; Giygas, an alien entity, has grown strong thanks to the darkness of the world. Its corruption, hatred, greed, violence and depravity eventually allow him to grow powerful and conquer the world. A sentient bee named Buzz Buzz, a resistance fighter of a distant future, travels back in time (to our present) to find a young boy who was said to have the power to defeat Giygas before the alien's strength becomes insurmountable.

That young boy is Ness, an average kid from Onett who lives with his mother, sister, and dog. Ness's father, while constantly away on business, can be reached by phone, and provides pithy guidance to his son and maintains his savings account. (The implications regarding absentee fathers are hardly understated in Earthbound, but seek to offer a comforting picture of positive maturity to children. Fathers are important, the game tells us, but so much that their presence - or lack thereof - need not define your identity or sense of self-worth.)

You travel throughout the world, battling all manner of whimsical (and sometimes down-right terrifying) foes who have been corrupted by Giygas's all-pervading influence. The player will meet friends who share their goal, and eventually they will overcome many obstacles and face off against Giygas him/itself. However, even this "final confrontation" is hardly the over-wrought cliché that one might assume.

In fact, the battle is one of video game-dom's most famous, and with good reason. What makes the final battle with Giygas so amazing, so profound, is its summation of the childhood journey. While we are given some details of Giygas in Mother, there is very little that we know about him, especially regarding his metamorphosis into the embodiment of evil, fear, and hatred. What is Giygas? Even in his mindless state of complete hatred, he seems lost, hurt...like a child calling out for his mother.

Perhaps if we look at Itoi's inspiration for the final confrontation with the End of All Things, we can gain an appreciation for his conception of innocence, and indeed, the gray that lies between the black and white absolutes of established morality. This is no mere quest to topple the villain, but an examination of the journey itself, which is captured on numerous occasions by an itinerant photographer to remind you of your travels and experiences with friends. At game's end, it feels almost like a scrapbook, and one cannot but help and reflect on their childhood adventures, as well.

Earthbound is a tremendous game, and an even greater examination of the creator's own worldview. In that, it is impossible not to see something of ourselves in the game, of our own years of innocent wonder, those that led, inexorably, to maturation and knowledge. To top it all off, it is also a solid RPG, though some might find its mechanics to be "dated" by modern standards. Others will find comfort in its old-school charm, and use it as it was intended - as a vehicle through one of the greatest narratives not only in gaming, but modern media.

EarthBound (or Mother 2 in Japan) is a unique experience that few other games can deliver. As you may know, you assume the role of Ness, a seemingly average kid who must save the world from invading aliens, giant moles, hippies, and other such threats. Equipped with a baseball bat and psychic powers, you must find your three friends who are destined to aid you and collect a series of Eight Melodies to gain the necessary strength to defeat the evil cosmic destroyer, Giygas.
EarthBound's graphics are simple, but the cute character designs and the beautiful colors make them look fantastic! The music is brilliant. In playing EarthBound, your ears will open up to a myriad of tunes ranging from the atmospheric Giant Step cave to the delightful Twoson theme.
The game difficulty is great for the game's wide audience (adults, kids, and even young women) and it's also packed with humor and pop culture references (yellow submarine, anyone?).
There's a good reason EarthBound is a cult classic. It's a solid game with fun music, graphics, and gameplay that rivals other Nintendo greats, like Mario. If you don't want to pay the ridiculous prices that EarthBound carts tend to be and if you're OK with playing Japanese language games, then I'll suggest this: Go to eBay and buy a Super Famicom copy of Mother 2 or go to PlayAsia and import Mother 1+2 for the Game Boy Advance. You'll get a much better price.

There isn't a whole lot I can say about this game that others haven't already posted here. This is one of the most original, funny, and interesting RPGs of all time.

I ordered this game title for my daughter and it arrived fast and on time! Thanks for a great product and an on time delivery! Since it was a used game I was hesitant but not anymore, it looked almost brand new!!!

I was so please to receive this game, it came earlier than I expected and was in great shape. if you have not tried this game you are missing out

Don't let the online prices fool you this game is a classic and besides video games are going up in price due to how complicated they are becoming. Think about it Rockband is more expensive, but I would say this is a better investment a great game and great story line.

My motives are insincere: I have no interest in reviewing this game...I just want to express how happy it makes me. Sure by today's standards (and even when it first came out) it has faults, but that's irrelevent; when I played this for the first time about fifteen years ago it was a zeitgeist moment for me, and there was no looking back. So much time has passed since, but I still find myself enjoying the experience: the music, the jokes (it is a very quirky game), and the sincere themes of friendship and love. I'm really fond of it all, it was my "Mickey Mouse" growing up.

Earthbound is actually the second game in a series of three. The other two never officially made it to the US. It's a personal disappointment, but not an uncommen one. So I guess the moral of the story isn't really to play Earthbound, but to try an oddball game every now-and-then, because it may be your only chance to experience something uniquely beautiful.