EarthBound

"Check-a-roony!"

Okay...so a lotta people will tell you Earthbound is a ''strange'' game. Well...they're right. Historically, RPGs are about knights and castles and dungeons and magic and damsels in distress and stuff, and usually include at least one dragon. If not, then they were set in the future with mutants and crazy robots and people in general in distress. Of course, the latter was rare, but still existed. Maybe this isn't so anymore by today's standards of RPG storylines, but they were when Earthbound came out in 1995 (the only exception I know of would be Pocket Monsters, which was only in Japan at the time). So yes, it was weird because it didn't follow the usual path. They'll also tell you that it was very fun. Well, they're right again! But some may say its graphics sucked. Ah...maybe they didn't like it as much as I did. But then again, this review is about what I think! So let's get down to what I think, yes?

Story 10/10

Okay. Basically, it's about four kids who are out to stop an alien from conquering the Earth. Yup. Four kids against aliens. No fighters or black mages against evil warlords, or anything. The only other thing I should say is that to defeat this alien, your four kids don't just walk up to him and kick him in the groin. Oh, no. Even though doing so would fit the comedy of the game, that would be waaaay too easy. Instead, you must do something else. What is it? I don't wanna spoil it for you (besides, the GameFAQs admins would chase me around with baseball bats if I spoiled it for you). You'd best see for yourself!

Graphics 7/10

Yeah...if there's ONE complaint people have, it's about the graphics. Yeah...I admit; Earthbound wasn't visually stunning. It's graphics couldn't hold a candle up to the two other big RPGs of its day, Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 3 (a.k.a. Final Fantasy VI). But ya know what? I didn't care. I thought its graphics looked cute. It's not as if it's a bunch of stick figures running around on indecipherable backgrounds. Instead, we get guys that look like Mr. T (I'm not kidding)! Cool, huh? Well, it's cool in my book.

Sound 10/10

YES! This is another area where the game really shines! The soundtrack is awesome! The Sanctuary song is just one of the coolest tracks ever. Also, the music really sets the tone of the game. In enemy bases, graveyards, major battles, or caves, the music is incredibly creepy. There were a few places that I honestly didn't want to go into! In Saturn Valley, the music will tell you right away that you've arrived in a very different town. The only score I hear complaints about is the Dungeon Man theme. But you'll find out it's supposed to be that way. ;)

As far as sound effects go...well, they're okay. The Star Storm noise is pretty cool. There's also that nifty eerie tune that plays when someone gives you a big hint. If you're carrying a Chick (as in baby chicken. Don't ask), you'll hear realistic peeps. But if you're carrying a Chicken (Don't ask part 2), you'll hear weird beeps that kind of sound like clucking. Huh.

Controls 10/10

Believe it or not, sometimes there IS bad controls in an RPG! Fortunately, Earthbound is not one of them. As an added bonus, the L Button has the same function as the A Button and the Select Button has the same function as the B Button! You can play the game with one hand! Huzzah!

Gameplay 10/10

Another good game point. Like most RPGs, you start in your home town and go about fixing the woes of each town you encounter (if there is any) on your way to the final bad guy. On the way, you encounter both enemies and allies. But the villages, enemies, and allies are not like most RPGs! The ''villages'' are actually suburbs, cities, or resort towns. As for enemies, you have (but not limited to) UFOs, drunks, disgruntled bag ladies, hippies, gangsters, cult members, mushrooms that can make you hallucinate(!), and stray dogs. As for allies, you have a physics, martial artists, mechanical geniuses, and blues bands! Instead of using potions to heal you, you eat food such as hamburgers, pizza, and cookies. Some food heals you much more than others, while some have special effects (Skip Sandwiches heal only a few HP, but make you run fast for a few seconds). Finally, instead of using regular ol' swords, or staffs as weapons, you use baseball bats, frying pans, and guns (there is actually a sword in the game, but only one.)!

Unlike most RPGs, you do not use magic. You you psychic attacks (PSI). All but one of your four party members can use them. Also, each member has different kinds of attack, supportive, and healing PSI. The character that cannot use PSI uses his brain for a much different purpose: he can fix broken machines and turn them into support items or weapons for himself.

There's also a nifty way of facing enemies. They're ''half random''...that is, the game randomly generates enemies onto the screen, but you can see them. This way, you can pick your fights. If you see a dangerous enemy (like one that explodes), you can avoid it by walking until they're off-screen, and then coming back. The enemy encounter system makes it easier for you to sneak up on enemies. You'll get an opening attack if you touch an enemy from behind. It also cuts down on the rate of annoying ambushes, because enemies will only get an opening attack if they touch you from behind. It also cuts down on getting stuck in huge brawls, because other enemies will only get to join in if they reach you before the battle begins. The enemies, or course, also have different kinds of movement. Some are really fast, some are slow, some whip around the screen in erratic patterns, and some will even try to warp into the middle of your party!

The battle system is pretty simple. It's turn based, and turn order is based on speed. You can either attack with your weapon, use PSI, use an item, use your special command (a different one for each character), put it on auto-battle, or run away. That's it. Most people may be under-whelmed, but on the other hand, the simplicity is great for beginners or people who absolutely hate too many menus.

The storyline itself is fairly non-linear. There are several places and bosses that you can skip over and go back to later. You'll eventually have to face them, but you're not forced to do it immediately.

The only beef I had was there was hardly any side quests. They pretty much only consisted of finding an item somebody lost, and giving it back to them in exchange for a better item. That's it.

Translation and Dialogue 10/10

This is a special little category I tack onto RPGs or any game where there's lots of talking. The translation of the game was great. I couldn't find examples of ''engrish'' (severely botched Japanese to English translations) anywhere. I even read on a web site about Earthbound's translation that even dialects were translated correctly (in other words, they were translated into their nearest English equivalent dialect).

The dialogue in Earthbound is also very rich. There's a lot of people to talk to, and they have a lot to say. You won't get a lot of that ''everybody says the same thing'' syndrome. Most of the time, people will say different things to you after certain events. And a lot of times, they'll have some very funny things to say. The only beef I had was that the main characters themselves didn't speak to each other a lot. They only did a handful of times in the game. However, it doesn't get in the way of the game.

Breakdown!

Good points:
-A unique game that takes place in everyday life. If you're tired of the same ol' ''medieval dungeons'' and stuff, this game is for you!
-Great soundtrack.
-Simple battle engine for beginners or menu haters.
-Great translation.
-Unique enemy encounter system that lets you choose your battles (unless the enemies are really fast).
-Unique storyline.
-Funny, realistic dialogue.
-Non-linear in parts.

Bad points:
-If you love complex battle systems, the simple battle system here is going to disappoint you.
-The graphics aren't breathtaking, and a lot of people hated that.
-Barely any side-quests.

What should you do?

Buy it (it shouldn't be too expensive now), rent it, emulate it...it's your choice. But you should definitely play this game, if you're an RPG fan. It's a nice getaway from the usual mold of RPGs, and funny to boot. But don't just sit here and listen to me ramble...go out and try it yourself!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/28/03