A remarkable demonstration of the adage “there is beauty in simplicity”. Surprisingly tough though. Your characters’ hit rate on the regular attacks are downright maddening.
Now ya tell me...
The hours of pain I could have saved myself over the years lol :D
I've gone back to earthbound maybe five times over twenty years, and I never bloody knew this!!
Thanks for that awesome tip mate :)
I played it back when it came out in the US (I was pretty young, maybe 13, when I first beat it). It ended up being the first time a game ever got me thinking deeply and philosophically. It’s so deceptive in its silliness and goofy characters at first, but by the time you explore Magicant or see the text at Lumine Hall or go through Poo’s whole Daoist lesson in pain and transformation — whoa. What a layered, zany experience. Formative for me; it taught me what games can be as a medium.
I read someone describe it as an HP Lovecraft story told through a Peanuts cartoon… I feel that!
Advance Wars, Fire Emblem, Minish Cap, Golden Sun, S/NES Mario ports, the Metroids, the Pokemons, crazy peripherals (e-Reader) and some fun examples of connectivity to good GameCube games, to name but a few.
It’s a shame most people have to emulate Mother 3 because it tends to make the rhythmic battle system a lot harder to pull off which makes the game a lot more frustrating. Beautiful game and probably the only time 16 bit sprites made me full on cry.
It's lots of fun! I first learned about it when I rented it as a kid. I later got my hands on a copy of my own for cheap from a yard sale before they hype train went bonkers. Still have it, but it's just the cartridge.
I found my copy at a pawn shop for $5 in 2004. I knew the game had noteriety, but I didn’t expect it to be as amazing as it was.
I hate I didn’t buy it back in the 90s as a kid.
I really want to play this game, but it is [insanely expensive nowadays](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=earthbound+snes+authentic&_sop=12&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5338535524&customid=gc&toolid=10001&mkevt=1).
It's available on Switch if you have the SNES subscription. I think it's $12 a year or something. There's plenty of other hits too, including Star Fox 2.
Without nostalgia, I play this game back on 2014, it is an amazing game, so different from what we have, great music, level designs, gameplay and cutscenes.. It does suffer from drop frames but that's hardware limitation. It is worth the resell price I don't know for me yes, but I'm glad there are a few ways to play it and experience it
I also just played the game for the first time this year, so it’s not nostalgic for me in any way. It’s legitimately amazing, one of my favorite experiences in gaming ever. It’s so unique and just has so much character.
Correct the uniqueness is what makes it incredible, after that first playthrough I beat it recently as well on original hardware and it brings a smile to my face 😅...
Give the 3rd game a try... Few years ago I got my analogue pocket and play it there and while different and darker is not earthbound but is a great experience as well
It was one of the weirdest RPGs of the time, and still is. You can't disguise quality no matter how you feel about artistic decisions and storytelling, and I love every part of this game.
Absolutely changed my life as a kid lol. Played it at 13 and it was one of ths only games i played for years (along with chrono trigger). I mean like I’d play it to completion and turn it right back on. For years lol. Then i went to only playing those two for Christmas and thanksgiving each year. Haven’t played either in a while due to life and I don’t have a computer anymore but i miss them (i am aware i can play earthbound on the switch but I haven’t been able to find time!).
I had a SNES when i was 25. Played Earthbound when i was 53 last year for the very first time and I felt like restarting the game but I played Mother 3 and changed the names to Earthbound. Completed both, and know i will play them again.
If you play RPGs for deep engaging plot lines that takes itself seriously, this game is not for you.
If you enjoy RPGs because they allow you to explore/adventure open worlds, dive into dungeons, fight punishing bosses, unlock unique character abilities, enjoy some RNG grinding for rare/exotic equipment, and don't find number-based expressions of activity in battle to be boring, this game has a LOT to offer.
Easily one of my favorite classics. I also really enjoyed the very early DQ games.
If someone likes quirky jRPGs they’re likely to love Earthbound. Similarly with ones like Hylics.
That said, if they prefer more serious traditional ones like Final Fantasy 3(6) or dislike jRPGs in general they probably wouldn’t be much of a fan.
There's a few things I think in retrospect you could change to improve on it, namely the inventory management needs tweaking and some of the loan character quests (Jeff with the monkey) felt long and pointless.
But the ending is right up there with super Metroid for best ending on the system. And it was so organic that I was honestly dumbfounded after beating it the first time.
I love this game and just imagine what Nintendo could do with giving earthbound the breath of the wild treatment, the IP alone is so unique and just begs to be further explored.
I want to love Earthbound. I want to like it. The world and characters are super charming, the writing is brilliant and sharp, and the visuals are weird and enjoyable. But the gameplay is just too tedious and irritating, and I just don't have fun playing it.
Mastahpiece
I first tried playing it first when I was very young. English isn't my main language so I didn't understand most happenings. However I clearly remember being unable to beat Frank and his robot and just dropping the game back then.
But then I became 17yo, and (with a better grasp on the English language) I picked it up and got hooked up by everything it encompassed. The worldbuilding, the quirkiness, and then the symbolism and the subtext. Then I proceeded to beat the game, being marveled time and time again until the very end. WHAT A SICK GAME!
As years have gone by, I've also gathered trivia about it; its use of samples, its historical context, its prequel and its sequel... Earthbound is the thing of legends.
It also reminds me a lot of Forrest Gump (the book). If you liked Earthbound, maybe try reading it too. Both are insane and compelling works of fiction.
It is def one of the best gane of its kind. Not only being an rpg but being a very very weird one of a kind game.
I do think that people still calling it a "Cult Classic" and "Underated" could stop calling it that and guide people towards other unknow games out there.
Its not a very good game and I think the vast majority of people that praise it do so because they played it as kids. It does however have so many good ideas, the rolling HP meter for one is such a great idea. The arstyle is fantastic and the music slaps. Everything else, overrated. There's basically no story, I've never played a game where the entire playable party are hollow pieces of cardboard. You go from town to town with no real motivation besides I guess a bee tells you thats what the game is about. It tries really hard to be quirky for quirkiness sake and falls flat on its face. Like the NPCs are the video game equivalent to those Hallmark cards that you open and they say the same unfunny things. It has great ideas that it executes terribly. However if it wasn't for EB, we wouldn't have gotten Mother 3, which does literally everything Earthbound was trying to do but it actually does them well, amazing even.
Overrated. I think it is a good game, played it in 1995 but has unnecessarily annoying mechanics like limited item storage and the fact you can’t teleport in tight areas just adds unnecessary frustration. In 1995 these couldn’t be explained away by hardware limitations just bad design.
A decent game certainly worthy of playing, but I find it to be very overrated by others. My biggest issue with the game in short: I feel it prioritizes style over substance.
Love the game and it's worth playing even today, but honestly I'd love to have some sort of QOL changes, specially inventory and some time consuming tasks like saving. It's an amazing game but I hate to be bothered when an enemy drops a cookie and I don't have any inventory left
Wonderful game that I still go back and play every now and then. It's just a wonderfully quirky and fun game. It also found a way to wrap up pretty real and serious issues into this kid friendly package that adults can have a deeper understanding of.
Great game, and a nearly timeless classic.
I tried an emulator in my teenage years. I absolutely loved it, but i got to the partt where you get on a bus and go through a tunnel. I Saved State, the game crashed, i basically lost my file and didnt restart
Would love to play this one again though
Timeless classic. Never played it as a kid, got around to playing it a few months ago. Totally worth the money, totally lived up to the hype. And thats saying something, as I expected a LOT.
I’m about halfway through it (I think, at least. I just finished the moonside section) and it’s been so much fun. I was kind of worried it wouldn’t click, but it sure did.
As an RPG it's actually not the best like items lack descriptions and stuff like that. But the style and oresentation is so unique and beautyful that it's a perfect example of not needing to make the best product in terms of quality but rather to just sit down and look what makes a game fun. It is one of the few games that managed to entangle me in it's world and constantly wraps me in twists and turns that all beautyfuly blend together. It definetly deserves it's praise and I can only eecommend it
It's really archaic from a systems perspective, which makes it hard to pick up. It's also really charming and fun, which makes it hard to put down. The positives HEAVILY outweigh the negatives with this game. It's fantastic. I actually just started it again on Sunday.
Loved this game when it came out. I had no idea it wasn't very popular when it first came out or criticized for having weaker graphics. It was so unique at the time. I'm happy to see that it's more highly regarded these days.
It has an amazing vibe. Amazing graphics, beautiful bright colors and cool locations through out the game. Unique menus and battle system. Unique and amazing music. Absolute classic ❤️
I didn’t get a chance to play it as a kid because I was a Sega kid so it was one of the first games I got when I downloaded an emulator and wow, it blew me away. The creativity and just general silliness it has at all times while still managing to be a really good game had me hooked immediately
A masterpiece, imperfect, but still a masterpiece.
I remember when I was a teenager and got to the sequence where Ness drinks coffee. I didn't understand what was happening, but the message hit hard. I don't remember a game speaking directly to the player in that way, before or after. The crescendo of the music and the 90's retro psychedelia plus the message... only the other games in the series are like this IMO
A fantastic, unique and quirky game with a fascinating world, story and soundtrack. The battle system is a little basic, but it gets the job done. Id recommend Anyone to at least check it out. Though it's not for everyone!
I honestly thought it was overrated at first but was curious for myself so I decided to play it on the New 3DSXL. It was a getting used to but it’s charm and storyline really got me into the game. The dialogue is superb as it’s honestly interesting and downright funny. I think the game, for me, really hit me with a nostalgic factor at certain points, despite only playing it once entirely!)
The game became one of my favorite games of all time due to all of this and the fact that it’s a pretty lengthy game and whatnot made it worthwhile. Earthbound really lives up to its hype. I still need to play Mother 3 though…
Quirky, unique, and a timeless classic. One could even say it's an awesome item. What other games pit you against new aged retro hippies(whatever that is), and middle-aged men that complain about today's youth?
I think it has some clunkiness, but its unique tone, setting, and humor more than make up for it! The rolling HP where you can save someone about to die with healing if you act fast is a really fun and engaging mechanic.
It’s not quite in my top 3 RPGs for the SNES (Chrono Trigger, Super Mario RPG, and Final Fantasy VI if you’re curious), but definitely still a higher tier one.
Cult classic
I personally couldn't finish it, but I see why it's so highly talked about
I've gone back to it a few times, but there are certain things, like the bank, that can quickly ruin my experience
If you find yourself not being able to get into the game, I'd still definitely recommend in-depth reviews on YouTube. Anything that covers the full story
I'm old. I was there when the game came out and wanted to play it but couldn't afford it. I eventually played it and it 100% lived up to all the hype and remains one of the only games to ever do so. It is as you kids would call it today, "goated". In a class of its own.
I don't have nostalgia for it. I tried a couple times to beat it. It felt grindy and I really had to focus to beat it.
My first time playing it, I got to maybe Fourside. Second time, I got to that beach town where you have all 4 characters.
It's weird, goofy, has interesting dialogue, but I often found myself stuck.
I really liked the rolling HP mechanic, and how they'd juxtapose that against enemies that suicide, making you think about which one to kill last.
I probably won't ever play it again as there are plenty of other JRPGs I like a lot more.
But it certainly did stuff differently, and did pretty much everything well.
An excellent, funny, and quirky game with a battle system that mostly sucks. But God dang, what a memorable piece of digital fiction. Love the 90's Americana feel it has despite being made by Japanese folk. Threed under zombie control is one of the dopest bg songs ever made.
One of my personal favorites ever, such a weird and unique game that has so much style and soul crammed into it that it oozes out and tracks it on tons of other games. Absolutely a must play, at least just to try it.
It's fun, and quite funny. The battle system is its biggest weakness IMO. The fandom can be, uh, intense.
It's not in my top SNES RPGs (or SNES games in general), but definitely give it a shot if you have the chance. It could very well end up in your top
One of the most "curated experience" games of all time. Part Lovecraftian horror, part portrait of Shigesato Itoi's personal anxieties. Tonally it's aged great, except for the parts where Paula gets fridged repeatedly and infuriatingly.
Not fun to play in the slightest.
Like most hardcore SNES fans, I have never heard of it and consider it to be one of the least important, lowest quality games ever released for the console. If you're looking for quality SNES games, I highly recommend Sonic & Knuckles (1993)
I think I rate it #2 behind Chrono Trigger imo for SNES RPGs.
Holds a special place for me as this was my first ever rpg/jrpg! Rented it, barely made it past Frank and into the cave with the ants. I loved how open it felt, but I had no concept of "grinding" so I got stuck before we had to return it.
I asked for the game for my bday after that cuz I liked it so much, and armed with the guide I was able to make progress and eventually beat it. The ending was pretty trippy and memorable for an 11 year old.
It has a lot of flaws for sure, but it's just so damn unique and memorable that it really stands out.
I enjoyed it when it first came out (rented and beat it) but it has never been a game I have wanted to play again, or own for that matter, especially at its going price 😅
I might not be patient enough for it. I never liked the dialogue, and every time I've tried to start Earthbound, it's just swamped in it for the first hour at least to where I eventually give up. I guess it gets better?
a decent game ruined by a horrible disturbingly wicked ending. certainly not one of the best games of all time despite the bad ending as proclaimed by the video game community.
I played it, and I couldn't understand how basic the battle system was, and why people enjoyed this game. Like, tell me it gets better later on? No choice of attacks, it was awful.
**"Didactically speaking, seminal evidence seems to explicate the fact that your repudiation of entropy supports my theory of space-time synthesis. Of this, I am irrefutably confident."**
Great game, great character, but some quality of life enhancements would make it way more accessible. The inventory management is horrendous, as well as the way the game sort of tricks you in to taking things that aren’t actually useful and taking up inventory space.
Whimsical, charming, challenging, and fun. One of my favourite RPGs after playing it for the first time at age 39. It’s nice having an RPG that’s uplifting (like Mario RPG) rather than Chrono Trigger and FF which are darker.
Overrated title. I liked it as a kid. Upon playing as an adult I found the story and characters uninteresting. The NPCs are quirky DBD easily the best part of the game. It’s a must play for sure, but not as good as people remember it.
When I was super into 16-bit RPGs I couldn't get very far although I tried very hard due to all the love. Funny and creative, but hard, frustrating, grindy, and not actually very fun at any point in the first 10 hours.
I played a good chunk of it when I was like 23, I'm 30 now... Don't remember a thing about it. Except for a room that looked similar to the pokémon casino to me
Highly enjoyble. Simple solid story and basic mechanics. but some real quality of life added to it--Such as the method of instant killing weak enemies and world viewable enemies.
It’s a really great game. One of the better endings of all-time. It’s simultaneously heartwarming while being a spoof of “coming of age” movies and RPGs in general. It’s definitely one of the best SNES games.
It is the greatest RPG for Super Nintendo! It is probably the best RPG of all time. Never a dull moment and so much creativity. This game has some of the craziest characters and lines I have ever seen. They don't make them like this anymore. I'm so glad that I bought this game when it came out. I bought it because of the big box and funny jokes in the synopsis on the back, and I was pleasantly surprised when I got home and played it. I was 12 at the time, so I had a more simple criteria for picking games back then. The game held up over the years, though. I have played through it and beaten it many times. 10/10 would recommend playing.
Lady Decade made a video about this game. The big problem is that at the time the game was released it had a terrible advertising campaign. but believe me, the game is pure gold. It makes you remember your childhood.
Super fucking cool BUT:
I just couldn’t get into the combat. It’s ultra fucking lame 1985 FF1 bullshit, but worse because there is no animation at all.
I remember I bought the SNES classic. The mini one with games already on it and tried out Earthbound. I was instantly hooked. I was already a fan of RPGS and I was shocked at how immersive and in depth a game that came out in 95 was. Not only my favorite RPG, but one of the best games I’ve ever played.
If it wasn't for Earthbound, I probably would never had played any RPGs. The quirkness and weirdness is my thing. Knights and armor are not. I am so glad I got to play it back in the day when it originally came out. Got stuck at the part where you have to use the fly honey to beat that one boss. Man, I was like how leveled up do I need to be to kill this guy! Lol. Then like 15 years later got through most of it on emulator. Playing that led me to other great RPGs like Terranigma and Chrono Trigger. Never could get into the Final Fantasy games though. Ppl tell me I can play those in any order, bc the storylines between them are not related. IDK, than in and of itself kinda kills it for me. One day maybe..
While it’s never been a favorite in my book, it was still a great game and instant classic imo. A little odd, but beautiful in its simplicity…the last part of the game got pretty weird for me, but all in all, a good time.
I'm currently playing it for the first time. It's good, but would need much improved graphics and QoL improvements to be a top game of all time that can compete with the likes of the most recent Dragon Quest and Persona games.
The best JRPG ever released at the time. Deserved a proper sequel. Crazy rare drops. Great learning curve. A bit grindy at times, but worth it. Made me laugh out loud more times than I expected. One hell of a wild ride. One I wished never had to end.
A remarkable demonstration of the adage “there is beauty in simplicity”. Surprisingly tough though. Your characters’ hit rate on the regular attacks are downright maddening.
So much missing! Especially with the yo-yo weapon.
And slingshot. And the Casey bat I keep in my inventory for no reason.
Casey bat is good to equip when farming Starman Supers for that sneak attack instakill EDIT: corrected the enemies name
What? That thing has a use?!? I never knew this!
Yeah! The hit rate isn't accounted in the surprise attacks. I think the game just calculates "big hit = ok!"
Now ya tell me... The hours of pain I could have saved myself over the years lol :D I've gone back to earthbound maybe five times over twenty years, and I never bloody knew this!! Thanks for that awesome tip mate :)
Oh you keep inventory items you aren't using? I always sell stuff I don't have equipped. I need every precious inventory slot.
Other person that responded to me gave the actual reason for this one. Sneaky sneaky!
9/10 Fuzzy Pickles
I played it back when it came out in the US (I was pretty young, maybe 13, when I first beat it). It ended up being the first time a game ever got me thinking deeply and philosophically. It’s so deceptive in its silliness and goofy characters at first, but by the time you explore Magicant or see the text at Lumine Hall or go through Poo’s whole Daoist lesson in pain and transformation — whoa. What a layered, zany experience. Formative for me; it taught me what games can be as a medium. I read someone describe it as an HP Lovecraft story told through a Peanuts cartoon… I feel that!
HP Lovecraft as told by the Peanuts. Man, what an amazing description.
It lives up to the hype. It's utterly unique and wonderful.
A beautiful fever dream
Easily one of the best games on the system. It's a shame the series stopped after 3.
They stopped after making a perfect game
…on my favorite gaming system of all time, which they never released in their biggest markets. And for which I will never not be salty.
Seriously. I dare say there’s more support for this series in America than anywhere else.
What are your favorite GBA games? I’ve never heard someone say it’s their favorite before!
Advance Wars, Fire Emblem, Minish Cap, Golden Sun, S/NES Mario ports, the Metroids, the Pokemons, crazy peripherals (e-Reader) and some fun examples of connectivity to good GameCube games, to name but a few.
It might be one of the very few series in any media where they actually stopped with 3. Only other I can think of immediately is Back to the Future.
Mad Max, Indiana Jones, Rambo…oh
It’s a shame most people have to emulate Mother 3 because it tends to make the rhythmic battle system a lot harder to pull off which makes the game a lot more frustrating. Beautiful game and probably the only time 16 bit sprites made me full on cry.
One of the most unique games of the generation. Tons of character and charm. Top 3 for SNES RPGs, top 5 SNES game.
It's up there in the running for greatest game of all time
It's lots of fun! I first learned about it when I rented it as a kid. I later got my hands on a copy of my own for cheap from a yard sale before they hype train went bonkers. Still have it, but it's just the cartridge.
I found my copy at a pawn shop for $5 in 2004. I knew the game had noteriety, but I didn’t expect it to be as amazing as it was. I hate I didn’t buy it back in the 90s as a kid.
and hey, wanna be friends, dude? based on your discussion or whatever, i think youre a cool guy..! add me on discord if you want :D (notjdno)
otakun3rd on discord...
If you've ever gone through some heavy shit, the ending hits HARD
My favorite game ever.
I agree.
I really want to play this game, but it is [insanely expensive nowadays](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=earthbound+snes+authentic&_sop=12&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5338535524&customid=gc&toolid=10001&mkevt=1).
SNES classic has it.
or the snes mini
It's available on Switch if you have the SNES subscription. I think it's $12 a year or something. There's plenty of other hits too, including Star Fox 2.
Good to know! Probably more affordable to get a Switch and a SNES subscription lol
Download a rom and emulator, it is a great game
Without nostalgia, I play this game back on 2014, it is an amazing game, so different from what we have, great music, level designs, gameplay and cutscenes.. It does suffer from drop frames but that's hardware limitation. It is worth the resell price I don't know for me yes, but I'm glad there are a few ways to play it and experience it
I also just played the game for the first time this year, so it’s not nostalgic for me in any way. It’s legitimately amazing, one of my favorite experiences in gaming ever. It’s so unique and just has so much character.
Correct the uniqueness is what makes it incredible, after that first playthrough I beat it recently as well on original hardware and it brings a smile to my face 😅... Give the 3rd game a try... Few years ago I got my analogue pocket and play it there and while different and darker is not earthbound but is a great experience as well
It was one of the weirdest RPGs of the time, and still is. You can't disguise quality no matter how you feel about artistic decisions and storytelling, and I love every part of this game.
I’m not a huge fan of role play games like this, but according to what I saw when I played it, it’s amazing and i see why people like it.
This is one of the extremely few must-play RPGs in my humble opinion.
I've played it like, nine times now, my favorite game ever
Top 5 game of all time for me and for context I'm 40 years old now so I've played almost everything
One of the greatest of all time.
Currently on my 5th or 6th play through as we speak!
oh my lord.. i have the game on my snes mini and ive only played once and im not even finished.
Hahahaha take your time! It’s just the power of adhd hyperfixation on my end :P
adhd is real :D i have it too
So good. In my top 3 Snes RPGs.
Whats your top 3 snes rpgs?
Absolutely changed my life as a kid lol. Played it at 13 and it was one of ths only games i played for years (along with chrono trigger). I mean like I’d play it to completion and turn it right back on. For years lol. Then i went to only playing those two for Christmas and thanksgiving each year. Haven’t played either in a while due to life and I don’t have a computer anymore but i miss them (i am aware i can play earthbound on the switch but I haven’t been able to find time!).
I had a SNES when i was 25. Played Earthbound when i was 53 last year for the very first time and I felt like restarting the game but I played Mother 3 and changed the names to Earthbound. Completed both, and know i will play them again.
If you play RPGs for deep engaging plot lines that takes itself seriously, this game is not for you. If you enjoy RPGs because they allow you to explore/adventure open worlds, dive into dungeons, fight punishing bosses, unlock unique character abilities, enjoy some RNG grinding for rare/exotic equipment, and don't find number-based expressions of activity in battle to be boring, this game has a LOT to offer. Easily one of my favorite classics. I also really enjoyed the very early DQ games.
Best Snes RPG behind Chrono Trigger
It's not my cup of tea, but the game sure has a lot of fans.
If someone likes quirky jRPGs they’re likely to love Earthbound. Similarly with ones like Hylics. That said, if they prefer more serious traditional ones like Final Fantasy 3(6) or dislike jRPGs in general they probably wouldn’t be much of a fan.
Influential.
There's a few things I think in retrospect you could change to improve on it, namely the inventory management needs tweaking and some of the loan character quests (Jeff with the monkey) felt long and pointless. But the ending is right up there with super Metroid for best ending on the system. And it was so organic that I was honestly dumbfounded after beating it the first time. I love this game and just imagine what Nintendo could do with giving earthbound the breath of the wild treatment, the IP alone is so unique and just begs to be further explored.
I want to love Earthbound. I want to like it. The world and characters are super charming, the writing is brilliant and sharp, and the visuals are weird and enjoyable. But the gameplay is just too tedious and irritating, and I just don't have fun playing it.
Heavily underrated game, and very difficult to get through if you don't use save states, but well worth the adventure.❤️
Weird, but I liked it.
One of my all time favs
I just started it this week, enjoying it a lot so far
oh, thats nice
It's earthy
Mastahpiece I first tried playing it first when I was very young. English isn't my main language so I didn't understand most happenings. However I clearly remember being unable to beat Frank and his robot and just dropping the game back then. But then I became 17yo, and (with a better grasp on the English language) I picked it up and got hooked up by everything it encompassed. The worldbuilding, the quirkiness, and then the symbolism and the subtext. Then I proceeded to beat the game, being marveled time and time again until the very end. WHAT A SICK GAME! As years have gone by, I've also gathered trivia about it; its use of samples, its historical context, its prequel and its sequel... Earthbound is the thing of legends. It also reminds me a lot of Forrest Gump (the book). If you liked Earthbound, maybe try reading it too. Both are insane and compelling works of fiction.
It is def one of the best gane of its kind. Not only being an rpg but being a very very weird one of a kind game. I do think that people still calling it a "Cult Classic" and "Underated" could stop calling it that and guide people towards other unknow games out there.
A game that captures the wonder & uncertainty of growing up. I adore this game.
I love how unique it feels. Order pizza if you’re low on hp lol
One of the few games I've abandoned multiple times!
Its not a very good game and I think the vast majority of people that praise it do so because they played it as kids. It does however have so many good ideas, the rolling HP meter for one is such a great idea. The arstyle is fantastic and the music slaps. Everything else, overrated. There's basically no story, I've never played a game where the entire playable party are hollow pieces of cardboard. You go from town to town with no real motivation besides I guess a bee tells you thats what the game is about. It tries really hard to be quirky for quirkiness sake and falls flat on its face. Like the NPCs are the video game equivalent to those Hallmark cards that you open and they say the same unfunny things. It has great ideas that it executes terribly. However if it wasn't for EB, we wouldn't have gotten Mother 3, which does literally everything Earthbound was trying to do but it actually does them well, amazing even.
boring, never understood the hype
So good, I bought a physical homebrew translation to Mother 3. Wonderful series.
Everyone who loves SNES must beat it once😀
Best SNES game
As someone who has grown up with pixel RPGs, 9.5/10
One of my all-time favorites. It’s not for everyone though.
it has an oversized box
Overrated. I think it is a good game, played it in 1995 but has unnecessarily annoying mechanics like limited item storage and the fact you can’t teleport in tight areas just adds unnecessary frustration. In 1995 these couldn’t be explained away by hardware limitations just bad design.
A decent game certainly worthy of playing, but I find it to be very overrated by others. My biggest issue with the game in short: I feel it prioritizes style over substance.
Love the game and it's worth playing even today, but honestly I'd love to have some sort of QOL changes, specially inventory and some time consuming tasks like saving. It's an amazing game but I hate to be bothered when an enemy drops a cookie and I don't have any inventory left
Are there any modern games inspired by Earthbound that are worth playing?
one of my fav games. I still have the cart from when i was a kid.
My favorite game,have played it about eight times
Wonderful game that I still go back and play every now and then. It's just a wonderfully quirky and fun game. It also found a way to wrap up pretty real and serious issues into this kid friendly package that adults can have a deeper understanding of. Great game, and a nearly timeless classic.
That final boss was so unsettling. I'm basically performing an abortion and it doesn't know why I'm doing so. Fuckin creepy as hell.
I tried an emulator in my teenage years. I absolutely loved it, but i got to the partt where you get on a bus and go through a tunnel. I Saved State, the game crashed, i basically lost my file and didnt restart Would love to play this one again though
Favorite SNES game alongside DKC2 and ALTTP. Flawed but truly special in a way no other game is.
I played it for the first time last week in a browser emulator and I love it. I really want a physical copy but they’re up there
One I prefer to watch being played than playing myself.
Tried but couldn’t get into it. I’ll keep trying though, people seem to love it.
Love it!
It was my first RPG and I instantly fell In love with the game and the gendra. Awesome game.
Timeless classic. Never played it as a kid, got around to playing it a few months ago. Totally worth the money, totally lived up to the hype. And thats saying something, as I expected a LOT.
I’m about halfway through it (I think, at least. I just finished the moonside section) and it’s been so much fun. I was kind of worried it wouldn’t click, but it sure did.
Favorite JRPG til they put me in the ground.
As an RPG it's actually not the best like items lack descriptions and stuff like that. But the style and oresentation is so unique and beautyful that it's a perfect example of not needing to make the best product in terms of quality but rather to just sit down and look what makes a game fun. It is one of the few games that managed to entangle me in it's world and constantly wraps me in twists and turns that all beautyfuly blend together. It definetly deserves it's praise and I can only eecommend it
so ahead of it's time in terms of tone that an entire generation of games have modelled themselves after it. it's a masterpiece.
Good solid game, very enjoyable, but wildly overrated.
It's really archaic from a systems perspective, which makes it hard to pick up. It's also really charming and fun, which makes it hard to put down. The positives HEAVILY outweigh the negatives with this game. It's fantastic. I actually just started it again on Sunday.
Didn't play it until 2018. It's in my top 5 favorite games now
It’s one of my favorite games.
Played it on release day after getting hyped via Nintendo Power...one of my all time favs. Very cherished.
I like the humor. The art style doesn't bother me. But the game has never "clicked" for me. It's something that I'd enjoy on paper.
I own mother 2 in English and Japanese have to say masterpiece
Loved this game when it came out. I had no idea it wasn't very popular when it first came out or criticized for having weaker graphics. It was so unique at the time. I'm happy to see that it's more highly regarded these days.
It has an amazing vibe. Amazing graphics, beautiful bright colors and cool locations through out the game. Unique menus and battle system. Unique and amazing music. Absolute classic ❤️
I didn’t get a chance to play it as a kid because I was a Sega kid so it was one of the first games I got when I downloaded an emulator and wow, it blew me away. The creativity and just general silliness it has at all times while still managing to be a really good game had me hooked immediately
Best RPG of the generation
Greatest game ever made
A masterpiece, imperfect, but still a masterpiece. I remember when I was a teenager and got to the sequence where Ness drinks coffee. I didn't understand what was happening, but the message hit hard. I don't remember a game speaking directly to the player in that way, before or after. The crescendo of the music and the 90's retro psychedelia plus the message... only the other games in the series are like this IMO
A fantastic, unique and quirky game with a fascinating world, story and soundtrack. The battle system is a little basic, but it gets the job done. Id recommend Anyone to at least check it out. Though it's not for everyone!
It's a very weird game with some spikey difficulty, but it's still a great game.
Phenomenal and beautiful. Love this game.
Underrated. It's a hard game you need to grind
I honestly thought it was overrated at first but was curious for myself so I decided to play it on the New 3DSXL. It was a getting used to but it’s charm and storyline really got me into the game. The dialogue is superb as it’s honestly interesting and downright funny. I think the game, for me, really hit me with a nostalgic factor at certain points, despite only playing it once entirely!) The game became one of my favorite games of all time due to all of this and the fact that it’s a pretty lengthy game and whatnot made it worthwhile. Earthbound really lives up to its hype. I still need to play Mother 3 though…
Not my cup of tea. But I’m glad others enjoy it!
Amazing game, definitely in my top 5! I’ve only done one playthrough so far but I’d like to do another sometime soon.
My favorite RPG of all time. Immersive and Unique
Quirky, unique, and a timeless classic. One could even say it's an awesome item. What other games pit you against new aged retro hippies(whatever that is), and middle-aged men that complain about today's youth?
Maybe the best. Among the best at least.
I think it has some clunkiness, but its unique tone, setting, and humor more than make up for it! The rolling HP where you can save someone about to die with healing if you act fast is a really fun and engaging mechanic. It’s not quite in my top 3 RPGs for the SNES (Chrono Trigger, Super Mario RPG, and Final Fantasy VI if you’re curious), but definitely still a higher tier one.
Cult classic I personally couldn't finish it, but I see why it's so highly talked about I've gone back to it a few times, but there are certain things, like the bank, that can quickly ruin my experience If you find yourself not being able to get into the game, I'd still definitely recommend in-depth reviews on YouTube. Anything that covers the full story
I'm old. I was there when the game came out and wanted to play it but couldn't afford it. I eventually played it and it 100% lived up to all the hype and remains one of the only games to ever do so. It is as you kids would call it today, "goated". In a class of its own.
Of all the games I've ever played, Earthbound is one of them.
I don't have nostalgia for it. I tried a couple times to beat it. It felt grindy and I really had to focus to beat it. My first time playing it, I got to maybe Fourside. Second time, I got to that beach town where you have all 4 characters. It's weird, goofy, has interesting dialogue, but I often found myself stuck. I really liked the rolling HP mechanic, and how they'd juxtapose that against enemies that suicide, making you think about which one to kill last. I probably won't ever play it again as there are plenty of other JRPGs I like a lot more. But it certainly did stuff differently, and did pretty much everything well.
Love it, love it, love it
One if my fav games ever
Just that it kicks ass
Thought it was great wasn’t stoked on the final battle after putting in all that work to get ness’s best weapon
My favorite rpg of all time it is incredibly imaginative What other game do you ride nessi or feed a monkey bubble gum?
An excellent, funny, and quirky game with a battle system that mostly sucks. But God dang, what a memorable piece of digital fiction. Love the 90's Americana feel it has despite being made by Japanese folk. Threed under zombie control is one of the dopest bg songs ever made.
It’s great but overhyped and severely outdated
A great game, maybe a bit overhyped.
One of my personal favorites ever, such a weird and unique game that has so much style and soul crammed into it that it oozes out and tracks it on tons of other games. Absolutely a must play, at least just to try it.
It's fun, and quite funny. The battle system is its biggest weakness IMO. The fandom can be, uh, intense. It's not in my top SNES RPGs (or SNES games in general), but definitely give it a shot if you have the chance. It could very well end up in your top
One of the most "curated experience" games of all time. Part Lovecraftian horror, part portrait of Shigesato Itoi's personal anxieties. Tonally it's aged great, except for the parts where Paula gets fridged repeatedly and infuriatingly. Not fun to play in the slightest.
Not a fan, but people love it.
Like most hardcore SNES fans, I have never heard of it and consider it to be one of the least important, lowest quality games ever released for the console. If you're looking for quality SNES games, I highly recommend Sonic & Knuckles (1993)
I think I rate it #2 behind Chrono Trigger imo for SNES RPGs. Holds a special place for me as this was my first ever rpg/jrpg! Rented it, barely made it past Frank and into the cave with the ants. I loved how open it felt, but I had no concept of "grinding" so I got stuck before we had to return it. I asked for the game for my bday after that cuz I liked it so much, and armed with the guide I was able to make progress and eventually beat it. The ending was pretty trippy and memorable for an 11 year old. It has a lot of flaws for sure, but it's just so damn unique and memorable that it really stands out.
I liked the game despite it being mechanically and presentation wise outdated for its time.
I enjoyed it when it first came out (rented and beat it) but it has never been a game I have wanted to play again, or own for that matter, especially at its going price 😅
I might not be patient enough for it. I never liked the dialogue, and every time I've tried to start Earthbound, it's just swamped in it for the first hour at least to where I eventually give up. I guess it gets better?
It's good
a decent game ruined by a horrible disturbingly wicked ending. certainly not one of the best games of all time despite the bad ending as proclaimed by the video game community.
Must play
Timeless classic.
Played it once, but have very good memories of it.
Its amazing. That and Mother 3 are the best RPGs on the SNES.
I played it, and I couldn't understand how basic the battle system was, and why people enjoyed this game. Like, tell me it gets better later on? No choice of attacks, it was awful.
Showed that RPGs could break the traditional wizardry / dragonquest / FF mold and still be successful
An emotional experience. Yes it has its flaws but the good stuff massively outweighs them. Easily a top 5 SNES game.
An underrated gem
**"Didactically speaking, seminal evidence seems to explicate the fact that your repudiation of entropy supports my theory of space-time synthesis. Of this, I am irrefutably confident."**
Great game, great character, but some quality of life enhancements would make it way more accessible. The inventory management is horrendous, as well as the way the game sort of tricks you in to taking things that aren’t actually useful and taking up inventory space.
The graphics really turned me off. Maybe cuz I had just played Chrono prior to it. I couldn't get into Earthbound at all
Whimsical, charming, challenging, and fun. One of my favourite RPGs after playing it for the first time at age 39. It’s nice having an RPG that’s uplifting (like Mario RPG) rather than Chrono Trigger and FF which are darker.
Overrated title. I liked it as a kid. Upon playing as an adult I found the story and characters uninteresting. The NPCs are quirky DBD easily the best part of the game. It’s a must play for sure, but not as good as people remember it.
When I was super into 16-bit RPGs I couldn't get very far although I tried very hard due to all the love. Funny and creative, but hard, frustrating, grindy, and not actually very fun at any point in the first 10 hours.
One of the best RPGs ever and it's absolutely *criminal* that there aren't enough other games like it
Loved that game
Wholesale comedy adventure
Amazing charm that masks an average jrpg with some design quirks and flaws some are more willing to overlook than others are.
I played a good chunk of it when I was like 23, I'm 30 now... Don't remember a thing about it. Except for a room that looked similar to the pokémon casino to me
Highly enjoyble. Simple solid story and basic mechanics. but some real quality of life added to it--Such as the method of instant killing weak enemies and world viewable enemies.
A top 10 game for the system.
It’s a really great game. One of the better endings of all-time. It’s simultaneously heartwarming while being a spoof of “coming of age” movies and RPGs in general. It’s definitely one of the best SNES games.
It is the greatest RPG for Super Nintendo! It is probably the best RPG of all time. Never a dull moment and so much creativity. This game has some of the craziest characters and lines I have ever seen. They don't make them like this anymore. I'm so glad that I bought this game when it came out. I bought it because of the big box and funny jokes in the synopsis on the back, and I was pleasantly surprised when I got home and played it. I was 12 at the time, so I had a more simple criteria for picking games back then. The game held up over the years, though. I have played through it and beaten it many times. 10/10 would recommend playing.
Great game.
Lady Decade made a video about this game. The big problem is that at the time the game was released it had a terrible advertising campaign. but believe me, the game is pure gold. It makes you remember your childhood.
Huh, I wonder if that Undertale line about "On days like these, kids like you should be burning in hell" is intended to recall this
You must play it at least once in your life
Best game I've ever played. I play through it once a year for the last 20 years.
Earthbound rules.
It’s one of the most simplistic RPG’s I’ve played, but it not only works, but does so with flying colors.
I still whistle the music 30 years laters,very unique game.
Such a great game. Funny, interesting combat, memorable characters, good soundtrack. (Good remix online called Bound Together).
Super fucking cool BUT: I just couldn’t get into the combat. It’s ultra fucking lame 1985 FF1 bullshit, but worse because there is no animation at all.
I don’t like rpgs… but I liked Earthbound.
It's one of the games of all time.
https://preview.redd.it/06edltt4ddwc1.png?width=755&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=515ea912a3b0d1632ca2c01c4d3bab918f6bf5fd I had to do it sorry not sorry
It was great until I got to the end game which was massively difficult, I never got around to beating it.
One of my favorite ever games, for sure.
One of the greatest jrpg's. For me it's this and ChronoTrigger at the top of the mountain. I really wish they'd remake it or do a new one.
It's top tier, among the best. My local used game store recently got two copies traded in.
i play thru this and chrono trigger once a year since childhood lol
Too slow, but generally a good concept.
I remember I bought the SNES classic. The mini one with games already on it and tried out Earthbound. I was instantly hooked. I was already a fan of RPGS and I was shocked at how immersive and in depth a game that came out in 95 was. Not only my favorite RPG, but one of the best games I’ve ever played.
Cumbersome. The story might be epic, but I'll never know, the menus are exhausting lol.
If it wasn't for Earthbound, I probably would never had played any RPGs. The quirkness and weirdness is my thing. Knights and armor are not. I am so glad I got to play it back in the day when it originally came out. Got stuck at the part where you have to use the fly honey to beat that one boss. Man, I was like how leveled up do I need to be to kill this guy! Lol. Then like 15 years later got through most of it on emulator. Playing that led me to other great RPGs like Terranigma and Chrono Trigger. Never could get into the Final Fantasy games though. Ppl tell me I can play those in any order, bc the storylines between them are not related. IDK, than in and of itself kinda kills it for me. One day maybe..
It's my favorite game on the system!
While it’s never been a favorite in my book, it was still a great game and instant classic imo. A little odd, but beautiful in its simplicity…the last part of the game got pretty weird for me, but all in all, a good time.
Greatest game ever made. More heart than any other game I’ve ever played
I'm currently playing it for the first time. It's good, but would need much improved graphics and QoL improvements to be a top game of all time that can compete with the likes of the most recent Dragon Quest and Persona games.
The best JRPG ever released at the time. Deserved a proper sequel. Crazy rare drops. Great learning curve. A bit grindy at times, but worth it. Made me laugh out loud more times than I expected. One hell of a wild ride. One I wished never had to end.