EarthBound Beginnings," a re-release of the series' first game in 1989, "Mother," is now available on the Wii U Virtual Console. It is the first time the game has been released outside Japan. You can the trailer below
"In 1995, RPGs were stuck in a rut that Dragon Quest had dug. Most were still set in medieval times, with knights and mages battling mythical monsters with swords and magic. Few games dared to defy this mold until EarthBound (Mother 2 as it is known in Japan). No other game was like it, except maybe its prequel, Mother, which had not been released outside of Japan. EarthBound introduced, and even today continues to introduce, RPG fans to an entirely different experience.
The story is set in the 1990s in Eagleland, a kitschy and romanticized parody of America (perfect lawns and quiet suburbs). No dragons, mystical knights, or staff-wielding wizards appear in this game. You are just an average 13 year old kid from the suburbs...until the night a meteor lands in your backyard. The local wildlife start attacking you, a gang of local hoodlums begins causing trouble downtown, you realize that you have psychic powers, and a mysterious messenger from the future tells you that you are destined to save the world. But, before you face any of this, your mom reminds you to change out of your pajamas.
Armed with a cracked baseball bat, a lucky charm for protection, and whatever food you can find (including whatever gets thrown into the trashcan outside the burger joint), you begin your quest to stop the evil alien Giygas from destroying the world."
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Nintendo has a tendency to make classic games that generations of gamers come to love for years, and Earthbound is no exception. Originally released in 1995 on the SNES, it’s been re-released on the Wii U for $9.99.
Earthbound takes you on an epic journey where you fight your enemies in a classic and difficult RPG style, with an awesome and retro look and feel that puts a unique spin on the game. You play as the boy Ness, who uses kid-like weapons such as baseball bats and slingshots to strike down his foes throughout his quest. Throughout the game you get better weapons and items, and gain friends to aid you in battle. Though the look of the game is lighthearted, the combat is very unforgiving. You have your basic weapon attacks, but you also get special magic abilities and powers that can help you in a pinch.
Every enemy you face is unique, some being giant slugs and ants, while others being punks on pogo sticks and skateboards. Enemies that are much weaker than you automatically lose the battle when you attack them. Not having to waste time going through weak enemies is great, especially when returning to earlier areas in the game with low level enemies all over. Another cool part of battles in Earthbound is they aren’t triggered randomly like in other RPG’s, instead, you see the enemy on screen and can decide whether to fight or flee.
The health system in Earthbound is clever. Your health is displayed as a number wheel that scrolls down as you lose health. This means if an enemy gives you a fatal blow, you have time while the wheel spins down to try and heal yourself, this makes for intense and heart-pounding battles. Unfortunately, there are so many battles constantly throughout the game, it makes the gameplay very repetitive at times, making you want to quit out of frustration and boredom. The enemies respawn out of thin air off screen, making it difficult to even leave an area without dying. When you die, you appear at the last place you saved, and you lose half of the money you had on you at the time of death, which is a fair deal. Though you die many times throughout the game, the victory is massively satisfying. To top off the game, the soundtrack is beyond awesome. The classic SNES bleeps and bloops, mixed with bizarre and upbeat songs just makes you smile when you hear it, and makes you not want to stop listening.
Overall, Earthbound is just a great game and is very unique. Though the gameplay can get frustrating and repetitive, veteran gamers will have no problems falling in love all over again with this classic.
8/10.
Chris
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Nintendo’s best RPG from the SNES era is out now on the Wii U’s eShop, A description of this legendary game and a trailer can be found below
Intergalactic terror strikes the small town of Onett as a blazing extraterrestrial object crashes in the night! The Earth now faces imminent destruction by the universal evil threat, Giygas. A courageous boy names Ness, and his three friends, vow to save the planet from hideous destruction! Battle hundreds of off-the-wall monsters, roaming dinosaurs and alien enemies! Journey to exotic locations like Saturn Valley, Dusty Dunes Desert, and Deep Darkness. The ultimate test lies in the impending encounter with the all-powerful Giygas!
