“Earthbound.”
Few have heard of and even fewer have plaid this enigmatic series from Nintendo, that’s right, the very same creators of such classics as “the Legend of Zelda” and “Mario”, has also made this classic video game.
But what exactly is it that makes Earthbound so memorable and still hold up all these years through the oral history passed down from gamers for years lauding Earthbound as the cult classic that it is? Through detailed analysis, I’ve broken down the eleven pieces of the “build” of this oddball JRPG, the eleven herbs and spices that make this “meal” such a fragrant and beautiful dish.
Keep reading to see more . . .
1: “The Music”
No video game has a soundtrack quite like Earthbound, which bases its soundtrack on classic American musical styles such as jazz, rock n’ roll, and even metal.
2: The graphics
3: The “Characters”
Everyone remembers the classic characters of Earthhbound: which fulfill all archetypes of classic JRPG archetypes. Baseball boy, the girl that can heal, kid genius who can’t use magic, and the Mysterious Eastern Prince. It is *required* for you to master all four combat skills of each characters in order to fight SPOILER ALERT the Calamity from the Skies, Giygas and defeat him. PS do not underestimate Paola’s “PREY” ability in the last fight, which is the only way to kill the last boss!
4: The “overall look” of the game
Need I say more? The environments from this game are LITERALLY “out of this world.” I mean, were the creators of this game on drugs or something? There’s literally a scene where you go into Ness’s dreams and there are a bunch of muscular chicken men there. Not to be blue, but what the fuck? If anyone can explain this part of the storey to me, please email me at motherlover@gamespace.com
5: The art style
Never before has there been a game with the look and feel of Earth bound. It was the first game at the time to feature isometric environments, which no other game developer was utilized at the time. On top of that, the enemy design is absolutely “out of this world,” with designs based on cryptids, yokai, and other esoteric folk monsters. Thank goodness nobody has played this game so that game developers don’t get ideas from creatures like the Territoriel Oak, which bursts into flames when you kill it, instantly blowing the rest of your party away! The only way to beat these guys is to avoid them, take it from me. I think all Earthbound fans (wherever you are out there!) share a healthy dread of This Particular, by which I mean the Terirtorial Oak. Oh, and did I mention Bigfoot is in this game?? What were the developers thinking!
6: “the Humor”
The videogame called “Earthbound” is full of satire and humor. For example, this cop guy you talk to earlier in the game who is standing near a car says “car puns drive me crazy!” This kind of Captain Underpants-style storytelling was unheard of in video games. Mostly Nintendo before was making more “serious” games like Metroid. But with Earthbound, all bets were off. The “meme” style of this video game has been emulated by many of today’s games, such as Undertale and Delterune.
7: The actual Title of the Game
Get this: the original title of “Earthbound” wasn’t even “Earthboud.” It was “Mother 2.” Now, I know what you’re thinking. How could Earthbound be the sequel to another game, when it itself is the original game in the franchise? Get this: it’s not. Sadly, the game called “Mother” is lost to time. Never translated to English, the game was destined to fail in the United States. Thus, it never saw the light of day. Maybe someday we will get a translation of this title, but considering Nintendo’s sales numbers for this deeply underground franchise, it probably isn’t likely. Despite all my letters to Nintendo, I’ve never once received a response on this issue. Please send them a letter expressing yours and mine distaste about this systemic problem.
Nintendo Of America (NOA) Offices: 600 150th Ave NE, Redmond, WA 98052
8: It’s “Weird”
You don’t have to play what Japan calls “Mother 2” long before realizing that something a bit strange is going on. In fact, there is strange stuff going on everywhere! And the game never explains why. For example, what’s up with the “Pencil Eraser”, an item that is used in the game only to remove an obstacle shaped like a pencil that the game sets in front of you! It’s an absolute game design enomaly, and so far the pencil eraser hasn’t appeared in any other games out side the earthbound series, though it remains a fan favorite in the hearts of every true gamer who has played this classic. Still, it begs the question: What
9: The Story
The story for Earthbound is a heartrending tail of four kids who go on a journey and come back home forever changed. It is a classic story inspired by such stories as “IT” by Steven King, or “Lord of the Rings” by JR Tolkein. It is a sweeping epic that takes MANY MANY hours to complete and should not be taken lightly! A lot of people don’t think this game has a serious story because of the lighthearted humor of the game, but it actually includes many “mature themes” that might not be appropriate for kids under a certain age, which is actually what earned this game its “Teen” rating by the ESRB. When I really think about it, this is a game written and created by adults, so maybe it’s not really intended for children in the first place…? With such themes as depression, loneliness, and death, how could this be called a child’s game? Don’t be fooled by the bright graphics: you’ll be crying by the end of this game once you see the final boss go down!!! (I won’t spoil how to make that happen;)
10: Giygas is actually an aborted fetus!!
According to a theory I read, the area that Giygas the final boss is found inside, which if I recallc orrectly is called the Caverns of time, is actually based on the shape of a uterus! What could this mean? Well, according to the theory, Giygas is actually an aborted fetus. I really have to give credit to the writer of this theory, who really put together the bread crums that Shigeru Miyamoto left when he wrote this genius game. I’ve heard of “Ben Drowned” from Ocarina of Time but this is ridiculous! Is there truly any Nintendo game that is free from satanic influence? Maybe someday we’ll publish a “deep dive expose” on nintendo games and their occult subliminal messages. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to progress far enough in the game to proove this theory, but if you do PLEASE email me!! mother.lover@gamespace.games.com
11: Ness is in Super Smash!
Last but not least, our favorite psychic hero has made it into the pantheon which all video game characters hope and dream to be included in!! It seems the developers at Nintendo are cabable of making some good decisions when it comes to game design. Ness was included in the Nintendo 64 classic “Super Smash. Bros,” which catapulted him out of obscurity and into fame and fortune. Thus, western audiences said “who is this striped-shirted little lad, and how does he shoot fire out of his hands?” Thus, sales of Earthbound SKY ROCKETED like Dr. ANdonuts’ famous flying machine. Would people even know who Ness is without super smash bros? I know I sure wouldn’t have.
This article is getting a little long, so I’ll wrap it up here. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Elevensies,and remember to keep watching our sight and sign up for our email list (COMING SOON) to make sure that you don’t miss any of gaming’s latest news!! Thanks Shigeru Miyamoto for creating such a wonderful game that we all remember so fondly, and if you’re reading this article, please reach out to me.
~Jane