Earthbound (known as Mother 2 in Japan) is the second game in the Mother series, and the only one of the three to get released in North America. Released on the SNES, Earthbound is not like any RPG released at the time. Straying away from the classic fantasy-story type world, the player is instead immersed into a world closely resembling our own. Using many pop culture references, Earthbound's world is really more of a satire of our own pop culture, bringing a great comical element to the game. You will be running into a mock Blue's Brothers group called the Runaway Five and a man who I believe makes fun of Donald Trump. You'll end up fighting a video arcade gang called the Sharks, disgruntled moles, angry cars, smelly hippies, blue cult members, a steamy pile of sewage waste called Barf, and various other cooky enemies.
Earthbound places you in the role of Ness, a 13 year old boy whose extraordinary psychic abilities have yet to be unlocked. After a large meteorite crashes in his hometown, Ness is bugged by his not so nice neighbor, Porky, to go and check out the site. There, Ness meets an alien named Buzz Buzz, who tells him about an all powerful alien named Giygas who takes control of the universe in the far future. Ness is then tasked with finding the eight sanctuary points located throughout the world so as to unite his powers with the Earth, in order to beat Giygas within our own time. He is also told that he will not be alone on this quest, and that there are three other chosen ones, Paula, Jeff and Poo, that he must seek out to assist him. Thus begins Ness' adventure through one of the most comical and engaging story lines the SNES has to offer.
The battle system is a lot like the old Dragon Quests, where only the monsters show up on the screen and your status and commands are at the bottom. Each character has their own specific types of moves; Ness has PK abilities, Paula healing, Jeff has gadgets and Poo uses martial arts. The weapons you will use in these battles range from baseball bats and Yo-Yo's to bottle rockets and frying pans. The battle system is in old school JRPG style, with characters and monsters each taking turns based upon whose speed is the highest. It's a simple yet fun battle system, and believe me you'll remember the trippy psychedelic backgrounds that each battle has. The enemy designs are also very creative and funny; you'll laugh pretty hard at some of the enemies you will battle.
The storyline isn't as epic as a Final Fantasy, but it has its own charms that make it appealing throughout your time with it. You may find some slight translation errors throughout the game, and there's even a joke within the game that makes fun of that problem. There are also times throughout the game where you may get completely lost; old school RPGs tend not to be too keen on explicitly telling you where to go next. Honestly though, it's hard for me to find many flaws with this game because I enjoyed playing every second of it, and there really aren't that many anyways.
All in all, there is a reason why Earthbound is considered one of the great RPG's right up there with Chrono Trigger, and why so many collectors want to get a hold of this game. If you are a fan of old school RPG's and you have never played Earthbound, I urge that you play it if you have the chance. I can guarantee it will become one of your favorites, just like it is for me.
Submitted By: Jason Hald (Employee)
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