Earthbound is in my opinion, the best SNES RPG of all time. It's the sequel to a Famicom(Japanese NES) game called "Mother"(as in Mother Earth). The thing that stands out the most about the game is it's "real world" atmosphere. Instead of drinking potions to recover your health, you eat a hamburger. Instead of riding a dragon or an airship from place to place, you take the bus. It works quite well and makes you wonder, "Why hasn't this been done before?" The game looks like a kiddy game, with it's bright colors and cute characters but it's got a great story and the game itself is very deep. Sadly, this game was shunned by critics, apparently they never got very far into the game.
Graphics [5/10]:
Okay, they're not exactly the best thing you've ever seen. The graphics may seem like a big turnoff. The game developers were obviously going for the nostalgia in here. There is no battle animation aside from spell effects. But then again, graphics aren't exactly the most important thing in the game, and actually I PREFER these SD(Super Deformed) characters, they fit the game's atmosphere perfectly.
Game Play [9.5/10]:
The battle system is done much like the old Dragon Warrior games, it's slow paced but it's fairly enjoyable with the funky spell effects. Each of the 4 characters uses their own spells, attacks, weapons, and specials. Sometimes even temporary characters join your party(Like your dog). This game is also one of the best translated games EVER. No engrish here. The dialouge is witty and humorous, it's one of the few games where I find myself walking around town to find and talk to every single person. This game also has a bunch of cool little features like the food and condiment system and you see enemies on the screen instead of running into them randomly. If you run into an enemy much weaker than you, you will automatically kill it! It's very useful for quickly gaining EXP. My only complaint is the storage system. Your backpack can hold a very limited number of items. Fortunately, storing extra items is cheap.
Music and Sound [9/10]:
Very good, the sounds effects are um...kooky but standard fare. The music is wonderful. The music in the first few towns fits the town perfectly and sounds great. The battle music changes depending on your enemy, but none of it's that impressive. The ending music is INCREDIBLE. Especially the remixed Sound Stone melody. I felt a tear in my eye the first time I heard it. It's that good.
Challenge and Replay [9/10]:
Like most RPGs, this game isn't endlessly playable, but it IS challenging and will hold your interest for quite a long time. There's lots to see and do and a whole lot of things to tinker with. Getting ultimate weapons will definitely test your patience. This is one of the few RPG's that I can find myself playing over and over again.
Conclusion/Overall [10/10]:
This game is an incredible RPG. A sleeper hit too. Like I said, the game is awsome, it should not be passed up in any way. If you look hard, you should be able to find this game boxed in stores. By the way, it came packaged with a strategy guide, which in my opinion is also the best guide of all time :) Get this game now though, it's price goes up every month at Funco. BUY IT!
