NewClassic covers a Classic: Earthbound

NewClassic_v1legacy

Bringer of Words
Jul 30, 2008
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Or Mother 2, if you prefer.

Earthbound, or Mother 2 for the purists, is a beautiful game that spares no expense in the name of style. The entire experience, "New Game" to "The End," is lined with constant enjoyment, off-beat humor, and colorful and creative characters. The humor is done in such a way that it comments on every walk of life, countless symptoms of the human condition, and the good, bad, and ugly of modern-day living. All of it wrapped in a simply, bright, stylish, and colorful RPG for the Super Nintendo, or Super Famicon, console.


The plot in four words or less? 'Kay.

The game starts with a bang, literally, as you wake from your slumber by a loud crash. Trudging your feet down the stairs, PJs rustling with the motion, your mom's awake and downstairs, worried about the noise. She sees you coming, and is already sure you're up to no good. Like the smart woman your mother is, she sends you back to your room, to get changed before leaving the house in your pajamas.

You exit the house in Onett, Eagleland. (Could that mean England? Of course not!) A small town, some citizens abuzz with news of a Meteorite landing, and wanting to get a full view. As you embark up the mountain, you'll notice the police is on top of their game, and already have the meteorite cordoned off. Oh, and surprise, your neighbor is hustling the police for information. One of the policemen-officers even kindly asks you to remove your loud, boisterous neighbor, who is halfway to shooing you away before you finish "Hello." Ah well, back home with you.

More noise, less sleep. To your feet, you answer the door. Your neighbor, Pokey, is back, and it looks like his brother's gotten lost on the mountain. Well, up-and-at-'em, soldier, you need to get a move on. On the top of the hill, you find Picky and a meteorite. Suddenly, a buzzing...


Well, on the bright side, it's not glowing red or ticking...

Ness, did you know that you're going to save the world from Giygas, an interstellar villain? Well, that's what Buzz-Buzz, the time-traveling not-Bee tells you. You'll even have friends! And this is less than ten minutes into the game.

Later on, the story will put you at odds with countless villains of every shape and flavor. Armed with a bat, or slingshot, or airsoft gun, frying pan, yo-yo, Sword of Kings, or even your bare hands, you have to contend with every type of villain in the whole of Eagleland.

The game ultimately pits you against a gang of local ruffians, the police, ants, mice, cultists, manifestations of evil, blobs of amorphous slime, and a tent [http://starmen.net/mother2/images/screenshots/threed12.png]. I kid you not, here, a freaking tent. Between fighting every conceivable type of enemy in the game, you're given options to invest money in inventors who will create items for you over the course of the game. You also have the option of breaking, and later fixing, items. You can also raise chickens from eggs.

This adds an interesting dynamic to the game experience, which can only really be delivered by a game that is this stylish. Items have various effects, both inside and outside of battle, items that maintain such a good use in some situations, and so little use in others. It really adds a sort of balance to the game, which is a very unique dynamic, especially for a game this old.

The biggest feature found in Earthbound, and the one that makes it shine so illustriously, is the attention to detail is so meticulous that it's worth twice the price of the game alone. For example, the game adds an "HP Slot" dynamic that raises and lowers as gain and lose HP. So, in application, should you take 220 damage as you're leaning forward to lay the finishing blow on an enemy, your HP loss will stop as soon as the battle is over. So, you reduce the amount of HP you've taken. Or, if you're dealt a crush-blow while on the verge of being healed, the item may come in time, and recover you from where the slot was at the time, not from absolute zero.

Also, the game supplies each character with different weapons. The Bat and Frying Pan are standard weapons, capable of hitting or SMASH!ing the enemy (which is the game's equivalent of a Critical hit, over doubling the attack's damage). Conversely, the Slingshot is a statistically stronger item, but is more likely to miss, and incapable of dealing a critical hit. This dynamic, while seemingly small, adds a lot of weight to the weapon choice for any character.

Unlike most games, your income is based off of an ATM system, which will store your money for you. Since you have an ATM card, you cannot purchase anything without the cash on hand, but money in the ATM will not be withdrawn if you come down with a terrible case of the dead. Also, instead of monsters carrying around currency, you'll find your father deposits a certain amount of cash for every enemy you kill. Not necessarily a very intense change, but one I think fits the atmosphere much more smoothly than any alternative I can think of.

Also, the throws you into a scary new world as a child, and will sometimes confront you with unusual status effects, such as catching a cold, being on mushrooms (or, more accurately, mushrooms on you), and becoming home sick. The interesting thing about this dynamic is the game's attention to the way you solve these statuses, from cold remedies, to simply calling your mother back home in Onett from any convenient pay-phone.


Hold it, buddy, that's second date stuff...

When you stray from the storyline and graphical style, though, the shining excellence that is Earthbound really loses some ground. The attention to detail, which is so fine it may as well be an art form in itself, really doesn't do a lot to break ground on a larger scale. Aside from the HP Slots and weapon variation, the gameplay is still dominated by wait-in-line, Dragon Warrior-esque 2D Battles [http://starmen.net/mother2/images/screenshots/onett19.png]. Although this doesn't indicate that anything is wrong, per say, when you really compare it to the attention that the detail received, you really feel like gameplay didn't quite jump on the "Stellar" bandwagon like the rest of the game did.


Nope, I'm the little deliquent that called your gameplay "Par, which is disappointing."

The game's progression, especially compared with modern games, almost felt sluggish after I realized that there wasn't a run button. The characters, clearly non-plussed, were content to walk from point A to point B, even when being chased by any number of enemies. It really left me feeling like there was something I should be doing to accelerate this whole travel process a bit. In answer to that, the game gave me a bike! Funny, though, two people can't ride bikes. So after I got my second party member, I lost my bike forever. Ah man...

But wait, the Skip Sandwich! An item designed to recover a criminally low amount of HP, and make me walk fast. Sweet, I'll just shove a bunch of these in my backpack and... Oh dear. My backpack's full. Which is my next complaint about the game. You have your inventory, which is already somewhat small, is rendered smaller by the fact that items do not stack, and anything equipped also takes up a slot in that character's inventory. Not a bad thing, but when I want a couple of skip sandwiches to speed up progression, I lose out on some critical healing items. Some may argue that this gives the game a bit of difficulty and decision making, so it's not really a flaw. Just, makes life a little more difficult for pack rats like me.


Now, where was I going with this? Oh yeah, side qu- Oh my God, hippies!

And the last only measurable flaw with the game comes to fruition if you look around long enough. What you find when you look around is not a whole lot.

Of side-quests, that is. There aren't any, really. Three or four, total, but that's not a whole lot to really get your hundred-hour-run-through adrenaline up. I tried to think about why this could possibly be, when I realized that the game's main storyline already sent me on countless creative and entertaining sub-plots and side adventures that fit just as at home in the storyline as they would as a side-quest. Come to think of it, when I look back on the whole experience, I don't feel cheated out of anything at all. So, maybe not the best for some folks, but it honestly doesn't bother me at all.


Last call, finish your drinks, and let's wrap this review up!

Despite it's intermittent flaws, Earthbound is a beautiful game that goes the distance, laughing and joking the whole way. Stylish at every turn, funny to the very end, there's not a lot to dislike while playing Earthbound. Somewhat slow to start, and an absolute gem the rest of the way through, Earthbound is one of the few games that reminds me that life is good.

It's fun, it's stylish, and it's fantastic. I don't think I can stress this enough, if you haven't played this game yet, you need to.


What do you mean he's coming to? Oh God, grab the wallet and run!

Verdict:
Rob a bank if you must, buy it however you can. You cannot afford to miss this game.
 

The Iron Ninja

New member
Aug 13, 2008
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No one's saying anything? Fine I will then. Good review my Classic companion.
Have a cigar.
[http://imageshack.us]

I guess this means I can't vote for you though... but your post looked so lonely by itself.
 

Altorin

Jack of No Trades
May 16, 2008
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how could you not mention that earthbound came in a giant box with a strategy guide?

and that it inspired one of the most bizarre line of scratch and sniff merchandise every devised.

all that aside, I bought Earthbound on the SNES twice, and have *coughmulatecough* it several times more.

It's classic, and now, you're classic NewClassic
 

Lvl 64 Klutz

Crowsplosion!
Apr 8, 2008
2,338
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I don't agree with your verdict. It's a good game, but it's not that much of a must-have. I found it way too linear for an RPG, and the last, basically half, of the game felt like it just kept going on and on and on without getting anywhere until the final battle.
 

meatloaf231

Old Man Glenn
Feb 13, 2008
2,248
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Lvl 64 Klutz post=326.70474.694075 said:
I don't agree with your verdict. It's a good game, but it's not that much of a must-have. I found it way too linear for an RPG, and the last, basically half, of the game felt like it just kept going on and on and on without getting anywhere until the final battle.
Wait wait wait.

You found it too linear for an RPG? What RPGs aren't linear?

Anyhows though, it was a great review, and yes I did vote for you, but I did so before the reading of this lovely thing commenced.
 

NewClassic_v1legacy

Bringer of Words
Jul 30, 2008
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Lvl 64 Klutz post=326.70474.694075 said:
I don't agree with your verdict. It's a good game, but it's not that much of a must-have. I found it way too linear for an RPG, and the last, basically half, of the game felt like it just kept going on and on and on without getting anywhere until the final battle.
You're perfectly entitled to your opinion here.I really liked Earthbound all the way through, including the latter half. I found the unusual and over-the-top settings of the latter half of the game to really take the game a bit further without taxing itself too far beyond belief. I didn't find it at all stretched, except for maybe a few scenes in Egypt.

I don't particularly agree, but I definitely appreciate the comment.


Altorin post=326.70474.693138 said:
how could you not mention that earthbound came in a giant box with a strategy guide?

and that it inspired one of the most bizarre line of scratch and sniff merchandise every devised.

It's classic, and now, you're classic NewClassic
As far as the strategy guide goes, when I first outlined this review, I had mention of it, and no matter how I tried to word it in this draft, I honestly couldn't make it fit. I meant to, does that count for anything?
Also, I originally intended to make a few cracks at daddy-dearest for never being anything more than a telephone to me, but those were written out as well. Admittedly, probably more out of laziness than actual writing process. Whoops...

As far as being ClassicNewClassic, aside from one of the weirder name-changes of my lifetime, I kinda like the ring that has to it. Probably won't use it, but it's still awesome.

EDIT
meatloaf231 post=326.70474.694096 said:
Anyhows though, it was a great review, and yes I did vote for you, but I did so before the reading of this lovely thing commenced.
Appreciate the comments. I've always been a huge fan of Earthbound, and I really tried to do the game justice with this review. Anything about the review you didn't like, so I can potentially change in my next review, or edit into this one? And I noticed the vote before, so you're all good. I just didn't want to taint anyone, I like contests to remain fair.
 

Lvl 64 Klutz

Crowsplosion!
Apr 8, 2008
2,338
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Oh yeah, totally forgot to mention how much I loved your review otherwise. Too many times people write a retro "review" to rant about how much they love some old school title, completely overlooking any flaws the game might have. I was glad you didn't go that route.
 

NewClassic_v1legacy

Bringer of Words
Jul 30, 2008
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RAKtheUndead post=326.70474.694806 said:
NewClassic said:
ATTENTION! If you haven't yet voted in Heat 9, and are planning on doing so, please go ahead and do so now before reading this review. I do not wish to bias your vote by this review before reading my 500-word review for the contest. If you have, or aren't voting, continue onward.
I don't see anything wrong with covering your Review Arena game in a full review; why else would I have written a comprehensive review of Half-Life 2 so quickly after my entry?

Anyway, this was a very well-balanced and impressive review. Unfortunately, they never released Earthbound in the PAL regions, along with Chrono Trigger and some others, so it's yet another game that I'm cursing the localisation people for making it difficult to obtain over here.
Shame to hear it, as it is a fantastic game. As far as the doing a comprehensive review, I'm also thinking the quality of my submission needed some work (which I thought of after the no-edit stipulation was put into effect), so I wanted people to judge fairly on my in-contest review, not my carefully-worked-on review here.

Also, random aside, the last few review commenters that I've had, was this one better than the last two?