EarthBound

"Ranking among the top RPG's of all time"

Earthbound is the true base of what every RPG should be. For those who have missed out on the generation that played this game when it was first coming out I must apologize because there is less chance they will truly see how amazing this game really is.

It provides a very appealing story that pulls you into the game. The soundtrack to the game perfectly matches the scenes that are showcased. The difficulty is about where it should be considering that this is a game aimed to all ages. The graphics were good for it's time.

Story:

The first thing when talking about the story should be the customization which allows you to pick all of the names of your friends at the beginning (along with your dog, favorite food, and favorite item) all of these customizable options are repeatedly used throughout the game and though you get to know what your friends look like before you join up with them it provides you with a "ohhhh that's how that person enters the story" kind of thought. The second great thing about the story is that I originally played it when I was but a wee child and many of the jokes presented through dialog and exploration escaped me at the time. I have since gone back and played the game again and again and laughed at the humor that is presented along with the seriousness of the story. Really though who doesn't want to be a kid with psychic powers? Yes you might think some of the things and enemies in the game are perhaps childish I mean who would think that a baseball bat and a frying pan would be seriously used in a game, but doesn't that seem a little more realistic than say people using swords and battle axes, given the setting, to destroy their enemies?

Sound:

I have seen contradiction to the sound amongst other reviews and I can only assume that these contradiction arise from inflated ideas of what a soundtrack for a RPG should consist of. The soundtrack for this game is exactly what it needed to be and highlights all of the events quite well. It also helps you get into the game. I know I enjoyed a number of the tracks and would go to where the track was set just to hear that tune again.

Difficulty:

This game takes a lot of grinding to defeat and I would actually agree that in some cases it was very difficult. In fact without knowing how to use the screen refreshment that could remove enemies I don't think I would have beaten it on my first run through. But compared to games nowadays all of the older games seem scaled up in the difficulty area. Really I think this game gets it about just right for an RPG. A lot of the fun of an RPG is taking the time to make your characters stronger and stronger and see as their abilities get better. This game provides that though in some cases the difficulty of leveling your characters becomes extreme I believe they nailed this one about right.

Graphics:

The graphics are bright and well done considering the machine it was designed for. Personally I enjoyed the background of the battle screens and though in battle a lot of the actions (say actually hitting the enemy with the baseball bat) are left out it provides a little more for the imagination, which I think was actually the right way to go.

Replay:

I have completed this game probably 4 or 5 times, through each time it seems I notice something I didn't the time before and each time I chuckle at some of the jokes (if that makes me a nerd so be it). This game is a nice little RPG that can be played again after a time period so that you don't simply review what you just did but are again drawn into the story of the game. Though there is no new game plus available unlike some of the other RPG's I think it was the right decision in this case because by the end you are on level 75+ and the enemies are not scaled to your level, which would make going through the game again on level 75+ a little dull.

Overall:

This game is so unique and creative it can only be given a score of ten. I would say that along with a handful of other games I continue to base whether or not an RPG is good off of this game. If you haven't had the chance to enjoy the world of Earthbound yet and you don't mind some "Old school" graphics I would highly suggest getting ahold of this gem somehow.

Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Everything Painted Blue (Even the cows)

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/11/08

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