"The greatest game ever played."

Many years ago while talking through the electronics section of a local department store, I happened to look up and notice a large package. After receiving the assistance of a nearby stepping stool, I had a bulky looking cardboard box in my hands. Upon investigation of the package, I noticed the name of the game was "Earthbound." The box I held included the game and the official strategy guide. At the time, the game only cost me $15. After purchasing the game, I waited patiently during the short ride home, rapidly flipping through the included strategy guide and gazing in marvel at all of the pictures. I had never heard anything about this game, but because the front cover looked so cool, I decided to pick it up. At the time, I couldn't have been older than 9 or 10 years of age, and the kiddy looking packaging that accompanied the game, which was obviously aimed at younger gamers, appealed to me very much. After getting home and popping the cartridge into my Super Nintendo, I was immediately hooked. I played "Earthbound" for hours upon hours a few years ago, and I still manage to do it today. Before I even start this review, I just want to go ahead and say one thing: in my opinion, "Earthbound" is the single greatest video game of all time. I honestly don't think that it will ever be topped. Everything about this game is just perfect. Unfortunately, many people try to compare "Earthbound" to games such as those of the "Final Fantasy" series. "Earthbound" is nothing like "Final Fantasy." In fact, "Earthbound" is on a much higher level than any "Final Fantasy" game ever created, and will probably always remain the standard that cannot be beaten.

Gameplay - 10/10

The gameplay of "Earthbound" is phenomenal. At first glance, "Earthbound" may seem like any other game you've seen on the market hundreds of times. But you have to look deeper than that. The gameplay of "Earthbound" is what makes it so original. How many times can you say you've played a game where the selection of main characters consisted of a baseball bat-wielding kid who is accompanied by a psychicly-gifted girl, an adolescent rocket scientist, and a prince from a far off country who has an extreme dislike of foreign foods? How many times have you gone through a game and fought off a New Age Retro Hippie, a giant sea snake, and an oversized mole with a toothbrush and a ruler? Once, if you've ever played "Earthbound." There are also many nifty new features thrown in the game that are previously unseen in most RPGs of this time. Instead of randomly being attacked by monsters that you can't see, your enemies are now visible in the overworld. This is especially helpful if you are low on health and just got past a difficult part of the game. Now you can choose which fights to take head on and which fights to try and avoid. Another little feature is when you are powerful enough that you can defeat a particular enemy without any trouble at all, not only will they run from you in the overworld, but when you approach them from behind, the game grants you an instant win. This also comes in very helpful at some parts of the game, but I probably shouldn't get into that here. Don't want to give anything away...

Story - 10/10

One night, the main character - Ness - is sleeping soundly in his bedroom in the town of Onett. Out of nowhere, a meteor crashes on a nearby hill. Upon investigation of the hill, Ness meets up with a bee named Buzz Buzz who comes from the future to tell him of Giygas, the cosmic destroyer. He tells Ness it is his job to journey across the world with his friends Paula, Jeff, and Poo and use the power of the Sound Stone to record the melodies of the 8 "Your Sanctuary" locations. Ness's journey is a long one, but is one with the help of his friends. The story of the game goes into much greater detail than this, with little side-quests that temporarily take you away from the main focus of the game.

Graphics - 10/10

A lot of people complain about the cartoon oriented graphics in "Earthbound." Once again, this is one of the many things that make this such an original game. If you've ever played any of the older "Final Fantasy" games or games like "Chrono Trigger," then you've already seen what I'm talking about. Unfortunately, the graphics in "Earthbound" are considered "bad" by today's standards, especially for people that consider graphics a major part of the game. I'm not trying to sound pessimistic, because I won't play a game if its graphics are literally painful to look at (of which I have yet to come across), but "Earthbound" is nothing like that. The visuals add to the atmosphere of the game, be it at a happy moment, or at a sad, dramatic one. It also throws a fun little spin into the game as well.

Sound - 10/10

This is another contributing factor to "Earthbound"'s originality. You have everything you could possibly imagine here: all of the basic bloops and bleeps from robots, really awesome background music in many of the towns you come across, and you even get to ring a bell on your bicycle in the game. That should be enough right there. Any game that lets you ring a bell on a bicycle definitely goes on my list. The music you get to hear during boss battles is really cool as well. It really adds a dramatic effect to the game.

Controls - 10/10

This section won't be very drawn out, but there are still some points to go over. Controls are a major part of a game for me, and if the controls are just too frustrating, they can actually make the game less enjoyable. Some games I have played in the bast were plagued with such horrible controls that I refused to play them. Fortunately for you, the controls in "Earthbound" are top notch. There isn't really any time in which the controls are a hassle, and they're not hard at all to learn. One button brings up the menu, one button examines your surroundings, one button rings the bell on your bicycle, etc. A not so well-known fact is that you can actually play "Earthbound" using only your left hand, which is what many people do - just using their right hand to hold the
controller up.

Difficulty - 3/10

Keep in mind that a score of 3 out of a possible 10 for Difficulty is not a bad thing at all, it just means that unless this is the first game you have ever played in your life, you really shouldn't have too much trouble with it. In fact, the only reason it got that much of a score is because there are occasionally battles that require your characters to be slightly leveled up, and if they aren't, those battles can be a pain. In fact, if you are not at a certain level, then some battles are literally impossible. There is also one section in the game where once you go past a certain point, you can't go back for supplies. I only mention this because it can be very frustrating to get that far only to realize that you won't be able to beat the game you've worked so hard to beat. For a real challenge in "Earthbound," however, try to play through the entire game at low levels, or without using any equipment, or maybe even both. Other than that, this game is fairly easy.

Fun Factor - 10/10

I don't think it's physically possible to play through "Earthbound" and not have a good time! The game is so fun that you'll probably end up playing it for hours on end and wondering where all the time went. Pretty much the only reason to stop playing "Earthbound" is to do sleep and/or eat - that's it. It's that awesome.

Replay Value - 10/10

The reason this got a perfect score will become very apparent while you're playing the game, especially after you complete the game. It's so fun that the second you finish it, chances are you'll turn around and create a brand new save file. There is so much to find in this game, and there are quite a few little Easter Eggs thrown in by the game's programmers just to let you have a little more fun, such as a sign that alludes to an "Earthbound" sequel and a pair of loving sesame seeds that get separated in a desert. Not only that, but you'll just want to have fun all over again, and you'll want to experience the essence that is "Earthbound" as many times as you can.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

-Amazing gameplay
-Great cartoony graphics
-Original sounds
-High level of replayability
-Overall, just a fun game to play!

Cons:

-Under the right circumstances, can be very frustrating

Overall - 10/10

I think I have thoroughly explained myself as to why this game is my favorite game of all time. It's the one game that can never be topped. It was my favorite game a few years ago, and it will always remain my favorite game now. Hey, it's "Earthbound." 'Nuff said.

Buy or Rent

This shouldn't be a hard choice at all, but it really is. Since the chances of you finding a copy of "Earthbound" at a local store for rent is extremely low, your only real option is to buy the game. Since it was taken off the shelves of stores years ago, this can be quite a daunting task. Your best bet is to check around eBay until you find a used copy. There are usually a lot of them up there. Whatever you do though, you have to play this game, no matter what.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/03/07

Game Release: Earthbound (US, 06/01/95)