Hello there. I want you to know that after waiting for such a long time for Earthbound, while I haven't given up on it's Virtual Console release anytime soon, I could not bear the wait anymore. After a month of nothing but games that sucks or I haven't heard of before (With the exception of The Legend of Zelda: Majora Mask), I've caved in and illegally downloaded Earthbound via ROMs. I had no clue that my plan wouldn't do anything at first, but when I realized it, I could not believe it. Anyway, I'm going to give you guys some information about Earthbound.

Earthbound

Release Date: June, 1, 1995 (Any feeling that Earthbound could be released around that time on the Virtual Console?)
Video Game Console: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Genre: RPG
Players: 1
Virtual Console statue: ESRB rating (ESRB rating means it will come out)

The Plot: The year is 199X In a small town in Onett (Which is in Eagleland), Ness waked up from his sleep and went outside. He went up a hill and found a metorite up there. However, he wasn't allowed near it the first time. He went back to the house and went to sleep. Later that night, he got up and open the door that led outside and found Pokey asking Ness for help in order to find his brother Picky. He, King, and Pokey went back to the hillside and manage to get near the metroid and found Picky there. However, an bug named Buzz Buzz told Ness that he, two boys, and a girl would save the future. An alien war led by Giygas was brewing. He would see aliens, people with evil minds, and even more vicous animals. While returning to Pokey's and Picky's house, Starman Junior confronted them, but he was defeated. They went back to Pokey's and Picky's house where they were punished (The Japanese version had them throw out the window. Now that's violent!). Buzz Buzz was also crushed and before shortly dying, he told Ness that he needed to save the universe from Giygas. Thus, Ness adventure to save the universe begins.

Gameplay: Your goal as Ness is to save the world from Giygas. Before starting the game, you have three save files. You'll be asked what speed of text you want, the type of sound you want, and the flavor of mint you like, which will be the text edges. Add the main protagonist name, his three companies, his dog, your favorite food (Mine is pizza), and your favorite thing to do. You can have four premanent recruiters, Ness, Paula, Jeff, and Poo. You start out as Level 1, but gradually increases with experiences with battles. Ness is able to talk to people, check out present (He gets to keep them), billboards, and of course, battle! In the open world, you move going left, right up, down, and 45 degree. By bringing up the menu, he can access the Talk, PSi (Which you have to unlock), Check, Equip, Stats, and Goods. Talk is use for talking to people. PSi can be used to phsychic moves that you unlock later in the game. Check is opening present, or checking out something written. Equip is equiping weapons, bodies equipment, arm equipment, and other kinds of equipments. Goods are the non-battle items you have that you can use, such as a ATM card (Intinally available). Stats explains your abilities. You can see the number of health you have, the amount of PP you have left (Which is how much you have for special moves), your attack power, offense power, guts, speed, vitality, IQ, and luck (Was this necessary?). Looking further, you can look up your eventual PSI powers. You can also look up how many experience you need to advance onto the next level. In order to get some money, go to a store that let's you use a ATM card to get some. In a battle, you can choose to bash, use PSi moves, weapons, autoattack (It fights for you), or flee. Winning gets you experience, losing cost you half of your money. When you lose, you have the option to continue or get an Game Over. To save a game, you can call you dad to ask you to save your progress. He'll also tell you how much money he store into your bank account, which rises. You can withdraw money or deposit money. You can also eat out to get health back. Enimies will come in all direction to attack you. If your surprised, you get attacked before you get a chance to start.

Why this game should be on the Virtual Console: It's one of the most anticapated and requested Virtual Console titles. It has a lot of similarities with Pokemon, and that's why I call it the game that basiclly set up the foundation of Pokemon. The game also looks great. It's very detailed for an SNES game and there are some wacky dialogue. Also, Iwata constatnly rattled about bringing this game on the Virtual Console. There is absolutely no excuse for not releasing this game onto the Virtual Console, Guys, if we want Earthbound on the Virtual Console, beg NOA to bring it I'll even set up a petition right here for everyone to sign. Just ask to sign and I'll add you in! Together, we can do this!

Bring Earthbound to the Virtual Console Petition!:
Super Smash Bros. Fan1999

(Missing a backslash before that last bold tag.)

Another reason you could add to "Why this game should be on the Virtual Console" is that it was among the first set of titles Iwata rattled off when the VC was announced. I don't remember the whole list, but I'd imagine most have seen release by now.

I really don't think that there are legal issues concerning the soundtrack. I just think starmen.net are messing with us. It has to be released. Plus if the rating was a "mistake" it would've gotten taken down on the ESRB. There's still hope guys.

@Adam: here's him mentioning Earthbound at E3 2005. it was Excitebike, Earthbound, and Punch-Out!! that were mentioned together, and while both Excitebike and Punch-Out!!/Super Punch-Out!! have been released for VC, Earthbound has yet to be seen.

on that note, I found this article interesting... apparently there are some music similarities that could be hindering its VC release. hmm.

Similarities in musics is no reason for a lack of Virtual Console release. Look, some songs in Sonic the Hegehog 3 were similar to Micheal Jackson musics, yet it still appears on the Virtual Console. Let me guess, Microsoft fanboy that are lawyers will look this post up and say "Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is being taken off the Virtual Console for similarities in Micheal Jackson songs, but we don't give a **** about similar songs in our upcoming XBLA version of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, so we'll do this just to **** off the hardcore gamers into buying the Xbox 360 and give Microsoft more things to laugh at Nintendo at. Then we'll order the Donkey Kong franchise to be transfer to Microsoft premanently and finally, order Nintendo to take them off also and put it on Xbox Live Arcade. Muwhahahaha!"

I hate the Microsoft Xbox 360 fanbase so much, I believe Microsoft fanboys as lawyers are responsible for why we haven't seen Earthbound yet on the Virtual Console. So in conclusion, there is ABSOLUTELY no reason to sue Earthbound for "similarities in musics". In fact, I think they were just complaining for no reason, if they should have learned anything, it's that if you don't like the music, don't sue a game. Earthbound will be released one way or another (Preferably within the next fourthy-five days).

They mentioned EB back then because they expected it to be an open-and-shut release.

They left it on the ESRB because you pay money to register a game. They're not going to just get rid of it and have to re-register it when they come to an agreement.

Listen,believe it or not Reggie is a big Mother fan and would like to see the series in America. But I think the problem is not NOA,but NOJ. I think NOJ does not want the Mother series over in America for some reason. So,blame them!

As long as it remains ESRB rated, we're at least safe.

Nintendo gets sued by some company every other week. Re-releasing a game with uncleared samples (no matter how old) is probably being looked at as a bad move, after all, NOA changed the name of Piston Honda to Hondo simply to avoid a potential lawsuit.

I would assume that without some tampering with the audio (which NOJ currently refuses to let happen) we will never see Earthbound/Mother 2 on VC.

Nintendo gets sued by some company every other week. Re-releasing a game with uncleared samples (no matter how old) is probably being looked at as a bad move, after all, NOA changed the name of Piston Honda to Hondo simply to avoid a potential lawsuit.

I would assume that without some tampering with the audio (which NOJ currently refuses to let happen) we will never see Earthbound/Mother 2 on VC.

I was recently told by someone who knows something about this kind of thing that the music problem news in question was already three months out of date relative to Nintendo's official secret plans for release by the time it hit our ears. Seems this is normal with PR crap like this. He's trying to get a word on their TRUE plans for the game on VC from unnameable sources in Nintendo (sorry, gotta protect people's jobs, especially in a recession! Just believe me when I say this is for real) as a favor to me (unrequested favor, too. What a nice guy!).

So whenever I get an answer from him, which should be in a week or two, I'll be sure to come around here and post it, good or bad.

EDIT: One other thing I forgot: He also said that if the game ever DOES hit VC, it'll most likely be with the original soundtrack intact. I still don't fully understand how he can be so sure of that when Nintendo does have a habit of changing things that don't really need to be changed (will they REALLY get sued if they use the word Yo-Yo in StarTropics nowadays?), but I do trust him, so you never know.

What is their e-mail and I will send them one about releasing Earthbound in their original form. They have to know English and I will demand an respone.

whoa whoa whoa, wait a minute, SSBFan1999, your rant is completely off-base. here are two different articles that better explain things (the second article is the more informative of the two IMO, but they're both valid). it's not Microsoft and/or their fanbase that you need to be unleashing your anger upon, it's Nintendo themselves.

The TRUE reason NOJ dosen't want Earthbound in America,is because they are jerks who do not think that we Americans are worthy enough to play the almost Japan only series!
NOJ dosen't CARE if we want Earthbound or not,they want to keep it in Japan for personal gain. That's why Japan has so MANY more games on their VC compared to America's VC,it's because NOJ truly controls NOA. NOA are just NOJ's puppets,everybody needs to see that NOJ is the true enemy.

They CONTROL everthing that is release here in America and Europe also. So all have to say is...SCREW YOU NOJ!! I had bought Earthbound in cartrige form months ago and I DO NOT REGRET IT!!! I had to pay $90 for Earthbound,but if NOJ allowed NOA to release Eartbound on VC,I would only had to pay $8. Dang you,Nintendo!!
Sorry for the rant,but I HAVE FURY!!

Now NoJ are the bad guys? NEW! EXCITEING!

@Super Smash Bros. Fan1999: Of course there were similarities between Sonic 3's music and Michael Jackson's songs. HE WORKED ON THE MUSIC FOR SONIC 3. They just pulled his name from the credits because of the legal trouble he was having at the time. They appear to have made up over this, because he has a cameo in Space Channel 5. No one is trying to pull Sonic 3 because of it's music.

I can't believe people actually think the music in EarthBound is hindering the release. It's just rumor and speculation people!

Ugh...all these different reasons I'm hearing is making my head hurt. I'm still going to hope for this game's release too, if it never happens then oh well...I'll live. (I have the game on ROM too, lol)

What the heck are you talking about!? Microsoft has NOTHING to do with this,but NOJ does!

@JTCPingas09: here's a better article on the legal difficulties surrounding.... it was a little harder to dig up than the 'music similarities' one, mainly because starmen.net is kinda hard to navigate if you've never been there before.