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Console:	Nintendo SNES
Region:
Year:	1995
RFG ID #:	U-044-S-01500-A
Part #:	SNS-MB-USA
UPC:	045496830434
Developer:	Ape / HAL Laboratory
Publisher:	Nintendo
Rating:	(ESRB)
Genre:	RPG
Sub-genre:	Turn Based
Players:	1
Controller:	Standard Controller
Media Format:	Cartridge x1

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• 375 of 7627 collectors (4.9%) have this game in their collection
• 78 of 7627 collectors (1%) have this game in their wishlist.
• 0 of 7627 collectors (0%) have this game for sale or trade.

Earthbound May not be the most graphically wowing game there is for the Super Nintendo. It may not have the best battle system of the SNES. It may not even be the best RPG for the SNES. However, this does not mean that Earthbound is not one of the most compelling games to be played for the system. While most RPGs focus on big stories of fantasy and super powerful characters, Earthbound chooses to make its story revolve around Ness, a gifted ten year old boy. Together with three of his friends he sets off to rid the world of the impending attack of Giygas, and evil alien out to take over the world. The game may have you scratching your head at times, trying to convince you that you are on opiates, and it is quite humorous in its style of doing things. Crazy backgrounds, suggestive situations, and magic cakes all lead you to believe that you could possibly be on opiates. Rest assured though that you are not, but you are enjoying the amazing game that is Earthbound. Enjoy the experience, you are not likely to find an RPG quite like this one.

In 1995, a game was released in the US that chronicled the adventures of a boy, Ness, on his quest to keep the evil alien menance Giygas from coming to take over the world. As Ness travels through the country of Eagleland he meets three friends that will help him defeat Giygas. Together the three of them search for the eight "Your Sanctuary" locations, that when all found will give a massive rise to Ness's power, and give him the strength to defeat Giygas. Such is the premise of the cult classic, Earthbound, a rather interesting RPG created by Shigesato Itoi for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

The first thing that people who play Earthbound will notice is that this is not your cookie cutter RPG that you have here. Where are the elaborate, Middle Age Towns and Vistas? Where is the massive party swapping? Where are the amazing weapons and swords? Why does Ness use a bat rather than a sword? The game definitely departs from the norm in terms of typical RPGs; however, that is not necessarily a bad thing. To try to capture the style of Earthbound is a rather difficult task, other than to say that its style is strictly its own. There's not another franchise that comes close to capturing the story or style that is found in Earthbound. It is this reason that makes Earthbound a gem in a sea of SNES games.

Earthbound is a hard game to describe. A meteorite crashes into Earth, and as Ness approaches it an alien being, Buzz Buzz, comes out, and informs Ness of the fact that he will save the world, and must set out to the sanctuary locations to gain the power to defeat Giygas, an evil alien overlord. It isn't long until Buzz Buzz is killed by Ness's mom for looking like a bug, and as such he sets off on his quest alone. However, as his quest progresses he meets his friends who will help him to defeat Giygas, Paula from the city of Twoson, Jeff from the land of Winters, and the Crown Prince of Dalaam, Poo. Together they learn special psychic powers, and venture to new lands, meeting strange characters and enemies. These characters are often very strange. There aren't many games in the world that have you fighting enemies like the Insane Cultist, or meeting lovable Mr. Saturns. There aren't many games that will have you visit a village where its leader dictates that everything must be painted blue. Such are the areas of Earthbound, and as you play the game you will find other areas similar to the aforementioned.

As to how the game plays, it is a little bit more like traditional RPGs. Battles are turn based, and in the battle each character can either use their weapon, defend, use PSI powers, or use an item. Some characters also have special powers, such as Paula's ability to Pray, which leads to some rather interesting occurrences. There are a few things though that make the battles unique to EarthBound. First, the battle music plays as though someone was taking LSD while composing it. It is decidedly out there in tone. Secondly, there are a lot of distortion effects that sometimes occur during the battle. I personally think both of those oddities are implanted to give you the impression that you are completely and totally high, but that it is just me.

Earthbound is a truly psychadelic game that at the same time is a very intriguing and engrossing RPG. If you can get past the fact that the game is trying to emulate what one would experience if they were eating magic brownies, then you will find this to be one heck of a game.

Console	Reg.	Type	Title	Publisher	Year	Genre
Nintendo SNES		S	EarthBound [For Display Only]	Nintendo	1997	RPG
Nintendo Super Famicom		S	Mother 2	Nintendo	1994	RPG

Console	Reg.	Type	Title	Publisher	Year	Genre
Nintendo Famicom		S	Mother	Nintendo	1989	RPG
Nintendo Game Boy Advance		S	Mother 1+2	Nintendo	2003	RPG

• This game contains references to the Beatles, which creator Shigesato Itoi is fond of.
• The game references Monopoly, stating that it can be played on the SNES. Itoi is the president of the Japanese Monopoly Association.
• The metal Pencil and Eraser roadblocks found in the game are actually localized counterparts to a metal kokeshi doll and octopus.
• Ness's trip to Magicant has him wear his PJs whereas the Japanese version has him in nothing but his cap.
• The game's music samples and references several musical sources such as "Johnny B. Goode", "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", "Super Mario Bros. Theme" "Monty Python's Flying Circus Theme", "The Little Rascals Theme", The Beach Boys' "Deirdre" and many more.

• EarthBound as Game of the Month at FlyingOmelette.com
• EarthBound on gamerankings.com