(Super Nintendo)

EarthBound (Super Nintendo)

Game Review

EarthBound Review

USA USA Version

Posted by Corbie Dillard

An RPG experience unlike any other.

After the success of their original Mother title on the Famicom system in Japan, Nintendo decided to create a sequel on their new 16-bit Super Famicom system. Having once again enjoyed solid sales with the title, they decided to give the game a try with North American gamers, releasing it as Earthbound on the Super Nintendo console in 1995. While the game didn't exactly light up the sales charts outside of Japan, it has certainly gone on to become one of the most sought-after games on the various online auction sites, selling for upwards of $80 as nothing more than a loose cartridge. So what exactly is it that has made this title so revered by role-playing game fans and let it stand the test of time since its release almost fifteen years ago?

While the overall gameplay of Earthbound feels like a traditional Japanese RPG, it also tends to interchange many of the classic elements with a more modern-day equivalent. However, you'll still spend the majority of your time traversing the many areas of the game – both on foot and using various vehicles – and doing battle with a whole host of bizarre alien creatures as progress. Of course instead of restoring the health of your characters using healing potions, you instead scoff down hamburgers and pizzas; you don't visit your local temple to have your fallen comrades resurrected, instead you visit them at the local hospital. It's these unique changes that give it such an original and fresh feel and set it apart from the countless other RPGs of the time.

Sticking to the tried and tested formula, each new area you visit has its own set of goals for you and your characters to achieve in order to progress on to the next one. Most times this includes a whole host of individual challenges leading up to a boss battle. Earthbound, probably more so than many other RPGs, requires you to do a lot of exploration and places an increased emphasis on speaking to the various people in each of the game's cities and villages. It sometimes feels more like your solving a murder mystery than playing a role-playing game. While the pacing can sometimes be a bit on the sluggish side – especially when compared to some of the other top-tier Super Nintendo RPGs – you can tell that its deliberately set up that way in order to allow you to unravel the storyline piece by piece as you play. Once you've completed this one, and you'd better be ready to put in some serious hours if you're going to finish this beast of a quest, you'll see why the developers chose to allow it to play out at its own pace.

Much like the other areas of the gameplay system, combat is also quite a unique experience. Battles are still carried out in traditional turn-based fashion, but there are some interesting tweaks tossed into the mix as well. Your characters can choose to attack, cast spells using their PSI ability or even use Goods that you have in your inventory. As you purchase stronger weapons and level up your characters, new and more powerful attack and PSI spells will become available. If you don't feel like carrying out the battle yourself or find yourself having trouble with a particular fight, you can even allow the game's AI to carry out the battle for you via the Auto-Fight command – a nice unique touch.

Another unique feature of the combat system is the way your character's hit point counter rolls down slowly somewhat like an odometer. Even if your character is hit for more damage than they have hit points, you can still quickly heal yourself before the counter reaches zero, thus not falling in battle. It's little touches like these that give the game its unique playability and make it stand out from crowd.

The play control in Earthbound might at first seem a little too dumbed down, but that's only until you get into the game and see just how strategic and playable its system it truly is. Unique additions like the rolling hit point counter and being able to instantly win battles with outmatched enemies gives the game not only a more streamlined feel to it, but also tends to keep it from becoming stale or repetitive during long stretches where enemies tend to be numerous and aggressive in their pursuit of your characters. Couple all of these new gameplay twists with the already rock solid traditional play control system and you have an RPG gameplay engine that allows you to keep your focus on the task at hand and not have to spend time fumbling through a clumsy play control scheme.

As unique as the gameplay system in Earthbound tends to be, nothing stands out quite like the visual style it makes use of. It features the simplicity of an 8-bit graphical presentation, but with the polish of a 16-bit graphics engine behind it. It's really something that has to be seen first-hand to fully comprehend and appreciate. The mix of simple textures with often vibrant and contrasting colour schemes gives the game a look all its own and is not really the type of graphical experience that can be compared to many other titles out there. Even the animations that accompany these visuals seem to have an almost-deliberate simplicity that fit in perfectly with the uncluttered visual theme employed. It might not be as flashy as some of the other 16-bit titles available on the Super Nintendo console, but it is one of the most interesting ones.

The Super Nintendo featured some absolutely amazing RPG soundtracks during its time, but none quite like that of Earthbound. It's not only one of the most captivating RPG soundtracks, but it's also one of the most varied as well. Some tracks tend to be very melodic whereas others are just downright bizarre – of course, considering the variation between the many areas you'll traverse in the game, it certainly isn't surprising. Granted, there are a few tracks that can be a little annoying due to their off-the-wall nature and the length of time you'll have to listen to them, but considering how amazing the musical effort is overall, it's tough to complain too much. Even the sound effects are amazing and you'll honestly lose count of how many there are after awhile. It's not terribly difficult to see why the musical score in Earthbound has become one of the most beloved and sought-after video game soundtracks available.

Conclusion

Earthbound succeeds at not only being one of the most unique and refreshing RPG experiences ever created, but also one of the most epic and entertaining as well. Combining classic RPG gameplay elements with a much more modern day spin, the game somehow feels familiar, yet wildly original all at the same time. Toss in a visual presentation unlike anything you've likely seen before, with a soundtrack and storyline both equally unique, and what you have is one of the wildest RPG thrill rides you're ever likely to experience. If for some reason you've never gotten the chance to play this one over the years, you really owe it to yourself to at least give it a try. And for those of you who have played it before, you certainly don't need us to tell you how great it is!

User Comments (88)

vakama94

#6

vakama94 said:

they really need to put this on virtual console, also they need to release the three mother games here on america, mother 3 is just awesome

Hardy83

#7

Hardy83 said:

One of the best games (series) ever made. It's truly a shame Nintendo doesn't want to spend a little extra so new Nintendo fans can play this game on the VC, or even bring over the third game...Or release the first game over here on VC as well.

WolfRamHeart

#8

WolfRamHeart said:

Wow, what a great review Corbie! Very nice work! I have been waiting years to play this game again. I never bought it but I did rent it. Unfortunately my little brother was hogging the game pretty much the entire time I had it. From what I played, I could tell that it was an excellent game back then and this review shows that it is still an excellent game now. Now, if only it would just show up on the Virtual Console. I guess I can dream.

LordHymn

#9

LordHymn said:

Greatest Snes game ever! I will not buy v.c titles till Nintendo puts this out!

JTC-Pingas

#12

JTC-Pingas said:

Awesome review Corbie. Definately one of the best RPGs on the SNES. I completely agree with the score.

Makoto

#13

Makoto said:

The cheapest I can find the cartridge is like $100-$200 so I'm so glad they're finally putting this out. I'm surprised they didn't re-release it with an extra cheesy mini game for $29.99 on DS.

Makoto

#15

Makoto said:

Sorry to double post but I just remembered something. My dad got this game and returned it because he didn't like it so I never got to play it as a kid. Maybe I don't have the nostalgia necessary to get into this game, but when I played it with an emulator I always hated the backgrounds for the fights. I liked scenery, not hippie psychedelic visuals. Still, since I never to go play through this one I may get it.

Arkia

#17

Arkia said:

Very great game. One of the few RPGs I've actually enjoyed playing.

Orgone

#18

Orgone said:

you forgot to mention the book (it had scratch and sniff) it sold in a big box like lethal enforcers but instead of a gun it had a book. can't play the game without the book

Knux

#22

Knux said:

I played it a little bit, but I stopped for some reason. I spent $90 on it, so I think need to play this more sooner or later.

CanisWolfred

#24

CanisWolfred said:

I liked Earthbound, had a lot of charm and humor to it. But I hated the combat, though - it felt like it was from an NES RPG, like Dragon Warrior or Mother 1.

Mach-X

#25

Mach-X said:

Corbie, I call shenanigans. Every time you guys put these reviews up 'out of the blue' the game in question finds it way to VC within weeks. I've seen it happy too many times, now ;)
Hey, as further proof, I just noticed the controller support already says 'classic, gamecube'.....hmm how do I plug those into my Snes again? ;)

CorbsAdmin

#27

Corbs said:

LOL, I switched this game page from VC to Retro mode and I guess it left the controllers listed. It's been fixed. I'd love to see this hit the VC, but it's not looking likely. :(

Strofan7

#28

Strofan7 said:

This looks awesome, I'd definitely download it if it was available. However $80 cartridge...nope

edhe

#29

edhe said:

I'd love to play this game.

All I need is a US SNES, a stepdown power converter and an extortionately expensive copy of the game.

tomjcd

#31

tomjcd said:

I loved this game back in the day. I wish nintendo would support this franchise here in the west. Mother 3 would make a great DSi download. It would be just the thing to make me abandon my DS lite and shell out for a DSi. I've been holding out hoping Earthbound would get released on the VC, but it's seeming more and more unlikely. I may just have to get the SNES cart.

astarisborn94

#32

astarisborn94 said:

I knew this game would be fantastic. I would wait until the end of the Virtual Console for this game. Quite litterally.

@Mach-X: Regardless of the copyright issues the game is face with, we'll likely see the game on the Virtual Console, but it is not coming anytime soon. I'm thinking the second half of 2010 when we'll see this.

LinktotheFuture

#33

LinktotheFuture said:

I wouldn't pay 80 bucks to try this out, but if it came to the VC, I would have no problem paying 8 bucks to give it a go.

Twilight_Crow

#35

Twilight_Crow said:

What a nice review Corbie! I'm not fan of this, maybe I didn't try hard enough to get into this game, but if it ever comes to the VC, I'd give it go again.

CorbsAdmin

#38

Corbs said:

I did not care for this game much when I reviewed it 9 years ago. My tastes have obviously changed, that or I didn't give it much of a chance the first time around. :)

Popyman

#39

Popyman said:

Mother 3 is my favorite game ever but I have never played Earthbound...My dad's friend is giving me his SNES though, so I WILL get this game and play it by the end of next year. I'm tired of waiting for a VC release that probably will never happen.

Adam

#42

Adam said:

Great review, Corbie. I don't mean your normal, "Great review, you gave it a good score." I'm glad you got the battle system. People often shrug it off as a Dragon Quest clone, but it's a tried-and-true system with a decent amount of depth, and each iteration of the Mother series has added subtle improvements to it that are underrated. I'm surprised the rolling HP meter hasn't been used by other RPGs since, actually. It makes the battles more intense and frantic without requiring complicated gauges and such like some RPGs tried. Simple and elegant, I always liked it.

"Earthbound, probably more so than many other RPGs, requires you to do a lot of exploration and places an increased emphasis on speaking to the various people in each of the game's cities and villages. It sometimes feels more like your solving a murder mystery than playing a role-playing game."
That's a very interesting take on it. It's sad, but while I still play the game every year start to finish, I don't enjoy it quite in the same way since I know where to go and what to do. If I have ever experienced it this way, I've lost that feeling, but I can definitely see it. I will have to make a more concentrated effort to view it as a newcomer would in my current playthrough. Itoi originally intended Mother 3 to be a mystery game, actually, so this analysis probably has root in some of his intentions, whether conscious or not.

"While the pacing can sometimes be a bit on the sluggish side – especially when compared to some of the other top-tier Super Nintendo RPGs – you can tell that its deliberately set up that way in order to allow you to unravel the storyline piece by piece as you play."
Yes, the game is definitely slow at times, especially the beginning. It's one of its few minor flaws, but as an obsessed fan I can admit this. You have to enjoy every little detail about the game or you could easily lose patience early on. I always want to talk to every single character because the dialog is of unparalleled quality in the gaming industry -- clearly due to the fact that all of it was dictated by the creator, a professional journalist and a celebrity in Japan.

Thanks for sharing, Corbie. Glad you're enjoying it now! I'd love to see the other Mother games reviewed on the site to give the series' lesser known entries a little limelight.

MasterGraveheart

#45

MasterGraveheart said:

Virtual Console NEEDS EarthBound... anybody got an over-under as to the odds of it popping up on Virtual Console tomorrow? _;;

motang

#47

motang said:

I am sad to say I never played it, I have seen it in GamePro magazine back in the days, but I never got it, and it looks I won't as it won't come out on VC. :'(

MasterGraveheart

#48

MasterGraveheart said:

@Super Smash Bros. Fan1999 ...fair compromise... for now, lol.

I hold out strong hope that this game WILL come out for Virtual Console. I do not believe that what legal issues are said to be holding it up are things that Nintendo can't beat with their own team of lawyers and I don't believe Starman.com's "report" for an instant.

Stuffgamer1

#49

Stuffgamer1 said:

@Corbie: So you just gave the game another shot to do this review, then? Last I'd heard (which was less than a year ago), you still didn't care for the game. I'm REALLY happy to see you've changed your mind. You are one of us...Blue Blue!:D

StarBoy91

#50

StarBoy91 said:

Great review, Corbie. :)
EarthBound is one of the many games that are on my Wanted List, like Lufia II and Terranigma, and I've heard tons of great things.
However, I cannot recall if I've seen a copy of EB years ago at Toys R Us or GameCrazy years ago.

I could've sworn that EarthBound was released in Europe. Guess I was wrong.

PS: @Corbie: I like your avatar, it's cool

I've really got to play this game someday.

StarBoy91

#53

StarBoy91 said:

The only thing I'm familiar with are the characters Ness and Mr. Saturn. I first played as him in the first Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64 several years ago.
I'll bet it'll be just as fun to control as him (and/or anyone else) in EarthBound. :)

Plus, I respect opinions, even when it comes to games I've yet to experience.

MasterGraveheart

#54

MasterGraveheart said:

@Super Smash Bros. Fan1999: It's understandable, but I can also understand Nintendo's hesitency. EarthBound was a financial bomb here in the US the first time around.

...then again, we got games like Wario's Woods and Zoda's Revenge here, so who knows.

Actually, one game I'm interested in is EarthBound 1 (which I call the first Mother game. I commonly refer to Mother 2 as EarthBound 2) for the NES. According to sources, the game was actually completed with full translation and mapping until Nintendo scrapped it at the last minute. I'd love to see that project they worked so hard on finally gain light some 20-odd years later on Wii's Virtual Console.

JimLad

#57

JimLad said:

Those shots where someone is following you always make me think of Charlie Brown for some reason.

RyuZebian

#59

RyuZebian said:

There. I've just posted a plea to Nintendo. Now everyone do the same and they'll have millions of emails to go through! Hope we get the greatest Christmas gift from them ever, at our own expense! :D Not that I think that just one email from me will do a difference, but every Earthbound fan did as much as me... Oh boy, poor Nintendo!

The_Fox

#61

The_Fox said:

@post55 Stuffgamer
Hmmm....interesting point. Now that I think about it, FFVII may just beat it on that count. Oh well, I'll just play it safe and stick it in the top three.

Willtard

#63

Willtard said:

Thanks for the review, Corbie. However, I would add that what really separates this game from the pack is its offbeat sense of humor and its ability to tell a universal and touching story in the context of a bizarre world. It's the type of game that you play again and talk to all of the NPCs just for a few more laughs. And the way the story unfolds and the larger themes that it introduces was unlike any game of its time (and most games today). Here is a game that features idol worship, cults, gangs, magic cake that takes a boy into an alternate universe and a level that takes place completely inside his mind. By the end, the characters are so well developed that after the end battle, which I would argue is the best in video game history, you are emotionally drained.

Although this is not a flawless game, I would argue that its shortcomings are insignificant in comparison with what the game is able to accomplish. 10/10

StarBoy91

#64

StarBoy91 said:

I also heard that this was a humorous RPG experience.
I've gotta delve into it someday.

Orgone

#65

Orgone said:

but they just can't release it without the book, you can't play it without the book as far as I know

Ninten

#66

Ninten said:

I used to like this game, but now I don't. Dunno why.

Nevertheless, great review. :)

Paperclip

#67

Paperclip said:

Woh. The screenshots change every time you refresh it! Awesome!

But Nintendo seriously needs a Mother Trilogy compilation on the DS.

Stuffgamer1

#69

Stuffgamer1 said:

@Orgone: What makes you think you HAVE to have the guide to play? You really don't...but it is an excellent companion to the game that I would highly recommend getting if you can. Ideally, Nintendo would put the book on their website for download or something if they ever released Earthbound on VC. I don't suppose that's very likely, though.

CorbsAdmin

#70

Corbs said:

I agree. You don't have to have the guides to play Earthbound and Mother 3, but they make it so much more enjoyable. Those guides have a lot of cool information and backstory that you don't get from just the game alone. And to be completely honest, that Fangamer Mother 3 guide is probably the nicest game guide I've ever seen. Worth every cent of the $20 it costs. :)

Stuffgamer1

#71

Stuffgamer1 said:

I got the Mother 3 guide on preorder, complete with the limited edition Franklin Badge. Those guys did an AMAZING job emulating the unique feel of the Earthbound guide...but not the large number of screw-ups it contained. In other words, it's an improvement!:D

StarBoy91

#74

StarBoy91 said:

There's something about the crescent-moon/sun hybrid that I like. Don't know what, but something.

StarBoy91

#75

StarBoy91 said:

Also, from looking at these screenshots, this game has some great pastel-toned graphics.

Gizmo

#76

Gizmo said:

@ Corbie: Why do you gave the game back in 2005 a 6.5/10, and now a 9?

http://web.archive.org/web/20051203020627/http://www.super-nes.com/earthbound.htm

It is btw. very strange, that the original site isn't available since the comment of rayword45 (11.) (http://retro.nintendolife.com/reviews/2009/12/earthbound_retro#comment356701)...

You wrote in the review linked:

I've seen this game rated as highly as a 9.9 on some reviews on the net, and that I just can't understand. I mean, sure the storyline of this game is extremely funny and refreshing, but other than that, the game is just way too plain when it comes to graphics, music, and even gameplay. To me the game relies too heavily on the gimmicky style of the story and puts way too much emphasis on cracking jokes and being silly when it should have put more emphasis on the gameplay. My recommendation is that if you like rpgs, give this game a try. But be forewarned, this game is more of a novelty and should not be bought with the impression that it's going to offer a serious gameplay experience that many fans of more serious titles like Final Fantasy III and Chrono Trigger have come to expect from an rpg. This game is good for what it is. A light-hearted parody that's more funny than it is fun.

?

HanuKwanzMasBif

#81

HanuKwanzMasBif said:

People are gonna kill you in the streets for only giving this game a 9, you know. But otherwise, good review!

Hokori

#82

Hokori said:

Man its times like this I wish i was in charge of VC :(

I would Listen to all crys

wildMissingnoappered

#83

wildMissingnoappered said:

Im H.A.P.P.Y
ITS NOT RIGHT.ITS NOT RIGHT.ITS NOT RIGHT
Hes an almighty idiot(Quote by Pokey)
NESS.NESS.NESS.NESS.NESS.NESS.NESS.NESS.NESS.NESS.NESS

Rarewarefan7495

#85

Rarewarefan7495 said:

This game is brilliant on all aspects. It improves upon the RPG formula by removing useless grinding, having a unique story that doesn't take itself seriously, and a quick and smooth battle system that reminds me of Sweet Home for the Famicom. One of the best RPGs of all time.

dinkelberg

#87

dinkelberg said:

this game is awesome nintendo needs to know that earthbound needs to come to the virtual console everyone need this game i want to play this and the game was not released in europe and if they release this then maybe poeople get more into earthbound everyone wants this game so releas it nintendo just please release it.

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