Only a handful of games manage to capture such a special charm, ecstatic, heartfelt, and bizarre, that it stretches the viewer’s style whole after diving deep into that little black box at home. Deciding how my journey with EarthBound began is hard to tell. Let’s say that it started one summer afternoon in the middle of the ‘90s when my older brother handed me a colorful box that featured a chubby kid in a red cap and the words This Game Stinks! in big yellow letters above him. It was certainly no ordinary way to be introduced to a videogame, but unbeknownst to me at the time, I was about take on what would become one of the most distinctive and memorable RPGs ever. More than anything else, the moment I saw that eerie and minimalist SNES start, I knew EarthBound was different. It wasn’t just the usual dragon-and-knight fantasy epic; EarthBound took place in a contemporary, almost surreal America, one whose story felt equally familiar and truly alien. More than just a game, this was an experience, a visit to a world that was as crazy as it was lovely.
Chapter 0: A Story of Friendship and Adventure: The charm that sets EarthBound apart from other stories is this iconoclastic form of narration. It started with Ness, an ordinary boy from the town of Onett who had a meteorite crash into his home town at night. What happened next was an extraordinary journey that continued for Ness and his friends, Paula, Jeff, and Poo, across various whimsical locales which were as strange as they were diverse. Next came tranquil suburbs and then haunted cities; last but not least, it concluded with a trip to the doorsteps of an alien mothership.
One of the pleasures of Earthbound’s plot was the irony of the mundane and extraordinary. Their characters and their ways of getting along with others always give a down-to-earth impression. Ness was an ordinary boy who loved baseball and ate hamburgers all day, Paula a sweet girl with psychic powers; Jeff was a little professor-like child genius who happened to belong the third son of his father and Poo a prince from a small mountain kingship far away. Such artless interaction among characters endowed with spirit and warmth makes them seem incredibly real people as they wend their way through the strangest situations of their lives. The meticulousness in rhythmicizing narrative highlights a humorous side to its otherwise gloomy theme. And as the characters face ever bizarre foes–from crooked cops on police duty to cruel, evil bastard Giygas, their bond only grows stronger. There is a definitely sustained sense of renewal over the group’s adventure. EarthBound isn’t afraid to explore themes of friendship, courage, even a hint innocence, thus making the player really care about the outcome for these characters. One of my favorite Earthbound battles takes place in the darkly surreal town of Moonside, set for dreams. This particular scene encapsulates what makes Earthbound such a distinctive narrative experience. It’s wild, bizarre and makes fun of your expectations-loos with few exceptions in gaming do. Anything can happen in Moonside. There is no logical structure here. Folks talk in riddles; the whole twisted and bizarre world has no intention of straightening out. That Earthbound continually playfully engages the player, with equally humorous touches of horror and heart, is certainly a mark of its originality.
The Earth: A View of Any Whimsical Ambiance
One of the major points of EarthBound is its world. Set in Eagleland, a marvellous parody which is based on America, the game has neither regular towns and dungeons nor NPCs as they always have become thus everyone is surprised at the same time. Each place you go has its own unique character and charm; from Onett being a quiet suburb to the weird city of Magicant–psychedelic and eerie alike.
What makes the EarthBound world so entrancing is the sheer attention to detail and fearlessness in terms of surprising twists. It is this attention to detail that makes the world feel so alive. When I was walking down the streets of Twoson and listened attentively to what some of the people there would say I one day had an opportunity, for instance, to quietly chuckle at whole bunches while some old couple actually broke into song; another time when Ness felt himself going round in circles because he ‘d suddenly become uncoordinate because of an accident which can happen even when things are going well, he saw difference around the corner. (Curiously all that is really needed are two sentences here.) These little details, seemingly insignificant at first glance, add more layers and depth to the whole experience of exploring. If we look behind every pebble the game has placed in its world’s path– not just this one, but all of them Earthbound offers us, we come away richer for it.
The environments of the game are as fluid and ever-changing as are our imaginations. One moment you are crossing the sprawling city ofF ourside with its high-rise b uildings and bustling streets, then next thing you know trekking through a dark cavern leading to sanctuary called Giant Step. Each area has its own unique visual style and atmosphere, one that serves the game well thanks to its unusual art direction and vibrant color palette, yet still looks somewhat coherent in all cases because no two locations look quite the same. Developers took pains to make each area feel different and interesting, adding in surreal elements that constantly keep players guessing about what will come next.
Moreno at EarthBound’s rainbow house, the game’s world really rolls out two sides to laugh about and cultural allusions. Filled with witty conversation, parodies of pop culture and jokes in the mouth (“How much would you like to withdraw from your account at the ATM machine? umm… $1.00” Hey, we didn’t put our tongue into that one.), EarthBound an acute self-awareness playing tone. From encountering the Runaway Five, a band that takes limitless liberties with the Blues Brothers, Mr. Saturns whose speech is a bizarre gibberish all its own, to any kind of sweet, surprising moment, the world of EarthBound is always ready new wonders and laughter.
Yet another iconic aspect of EarthBound lies in the presence of Mr. Saturns found in Saturn Valley. These enigmatic, sappy doughball creatures speaking some kind of “Boing.” “Zoom” finds and the nonstop pleasure is just pure EarthBound world-mode humor-makes it unique! My first encounter with them was in what seemed like a faraway land but is now close at hand on Saturn Road Village. Their crazy ways made me both feel lost and smile at the same time, the village designed by WHATEVER had such heart-lunged visitors it’s no surprise that this was one astonishing game, right?
Gameplay: Artful New Practices, Battles no One Forgets
Get lengthy as a wilting April Chrysanthemum ( I hope that all Saturdays have free concerts-Part 3), and so often good old England make so cheap and convenient taking English clothes to get onto the Fashion Overground. In my eyes, nothing could be more dishonorable than entering into single-minded delusions of how the world might be. Every scene, every expression, every transported mind, be it real or not real at all, was thoroughly understood. Shall we say then that EarthBound is a book four times closer to “real” life?
One of EarthBound’s most special aspects is its unique approach to battle. The game introduced a rolling HP meter which portrays the gradual depreciation of health when characters take damage. It brings an extra level of strategy to battles requiring players to heal or offset the damage within a fixed period before it depletes their health completely. I remember the tension-filled moments during boss fights, always trying to heal Ness before his HP hit zero. Each time I succeeded in doing so it brought about a sense of urgency and excitement to my encounters. The design of the game’s enemies can become another main feature. First, there are humorously wacky foes such as a sentient volcano or living furniture that come in and out of doors From piles of vomit that can think to possessed household appliances, EarthBound enemies are uniquely challenging as they are imaginative. Each enemy type has abilities which are unique to itself, posing different strategic challenges for players of the game’s Strategy Guide. With potential for settlement skills offered by PSI Effects and Ness’s famous rocking-chair craftsmanship, you need to observe carefully what moves opponents make when they are born into combat. EarthBound also shines in character development and option play. PSI (psychic powers) abilities are diverse in EarthBound ranging from offensive attacks and movement-based techniques to cure their own wounds; They a rich linguistic pattern in combat, forming the basis of a strategy. Furthermore, although when initially it is rather cumbersome, the inventory system encourages players to manage their items and other resources wisely from start to end.
EarthBound is full of hidden items, secret spots, and optional side quests that lead players to explore off the beaten track. One of my happiest memories in the game was stumbling upon the secret club in Fourside Area. Here, I helped the Runaway Five escape their debt a side quest that contributed an unexpected bonus both humor and significance to a game overflowing with laughter and adventure. These small “extras” not only bring valuable returns, they even serve to enrich people’s overall experience: that is they make it more human.
Fingertips: LucasArts
EarthBound although EarthBound was not a financial triumph when it first came out, its influence has grown rapidly with time. The game’s offbeat humor, warm-heartedness (and tide of innovation) have garnered it a fan community and rafts full of critical acclaim all across the board. This has solidified its status as a cult classic. And its been a major influence on many modern games, which draw inspiration from its own strand of idiosyncratic charm and original design.
EarthBound legacy: One of the first and foremost influences of EarthBound is in shaping the indie game scene. Its pattern of storytelling, involving things like whimsical personalities and impassioned anthropomorphic flowers, can be seen reflected especially clearly in a game such as Utktale. The game’s particular blending of humor, emotion, and subversion traditional RPG tropes has led to a new generation of game developers who are breaking the genre’s boundaries one after another together.
There’s another thing about the music of EarthBound. Atmospheric tunes, catchy melodies and a wide range of influences. From rock and jazz to ambient and electronica you can hear them all in this original game music in “Mother 2”. Yet, the music fits perfectly with what is happening on-screen. Combined with its simple audio stories and ever-changing environments, music here creates an impression of pleasingly imagined world that changes. Its tracks Pollyanna and Snowman have become classics in their own right. They awake such a feeling of resonate happiness for those who have played the game.
EarthBound’s community is another testimony to its long-standing appeal. Fans of EarthBound are some of the most ardent and creative in the video game industry, producing a bounty of fan art, music covers and even fan games inspired by the original. The annual “Starman. net” parties and other fan events are a tribute to the enduring legacy of the game which has fostered camaraderie among those touched by its magic.
Reflecting upon my own experience with EarthBound, it is clear that the game has exerted a strong influence on me as both player and storyteller. The quirkiness of humor, heartfelt narrative and innovative gameplay leave an extremely high benchmark for what role-playing video games can do. But in the end EarthBound proves once again the unique power of video games to give players an unforgettable, deeply cherished experience long after they have laid down their controls.
Looking into the future, EarthBound still kindles an enduring flame of inspiration and excitement for new generations of game players. Whether you’re coming back to the game for who knows what time or playing it for the first time, EarthBound offers both a fascinating tale and delightful world that is hard to forget. In a medium that changes so rapidly, EarthBound stands as an exemplar of how humor and originality, combined with heart, can endure in video games.
