Rather than a rehashing a troupe of RPGs, Earthbound does not produce dialogue only related to quests. I find myself talking to everyone in the game world because the dialogue is amazing. How many RPGs have you played where you have to continually fight the same monsters just to get a paltry sum of experience? Additionally to the actual RPG gameplay, the game world makes Earthbound for me. The game has very unique features to speed up gameplay, including an odometer-style HP counter and insta-kill for weaker enemies.
You’re thinking, “Ok, the story sounds amazing, but how is the gameplay?” The game can be very difficult at times, but with perseverance and some level-grinding, you can find some bosses almost too easy. So what if his parents’ actions continually mold him to be a brat? Ness never sees his father, police officers assault him, and some jerk tries to sell him an expensive house…sans one wall! Earthbound teaches us the power of choice and how our choices affect others. In contrast, Pokey chooses to be a major pain every turn. Although Ness is the “chosen one” to save the world from Giygas, he chooses to set out on the difficult quest and faces his fears. The loss results in discovering something else, something so frighteningly powerful- choice. The game is a quintessential story about losing innocence during the course of a journey. Rather than explain the whole story arc of Earthbound, I’d rather you try it for yourself. It is the story about the transformation of two friends/neighbors, Ness and Pokey, and their choices between good and evil. Called “Mother 2” in Japan, the game’s central themes relate to the love of mothers, being homesick, and knowing that mom is only one call away. The game builds on the classic themes of growing up as conveyed in Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and the like. The game portrays a stereotypical America through the eyes of Japan, baseball bats and all. They set out on a quest to save the world from the evil alien, Giygas. Ness, Paula, Jeff, and Poo represent the motley crew of saviors.
So why is this game such a favorite of mine? For starters, it is a role-playing game, where you assume the roles of four children, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities. From this era or the previous, I challenge anyone to find a game that can compare to it. It rivals “great” games and blockbuster movies.
It also challenges, amazes, frightens, and depresses you. The story, characters, and themes grab you a glass of ice-cold milk with warm cookies and tuck you into bed at night. Do it now, as Earthbound is arguably one of the greatest games of all time. If you have never heard of Earthbound, do yourself a favor and download it on the Wii U’s Virtual Console.
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