Super Nintendo
EarthBound
| Graphics: Sound: Gameplay: Overall: |
8.62 8.82 8.50 8.71 |
| Votes: | 78 |
| Reviews: | 24 |
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| Reviewer: RPG fan | Date: Feb 3, 2008 |
| I have played a TON of RPGs throughout my gaming history, both old and new, though I would have to say the majority of my knowledge and expertise actually lies with older games. This game was fantastic, seriously one of my favorites. It took me a while originally to start, the beginning, which would be just about my only complaint, gave no real feel of involvement in the game, no backstory, or other things I tend to enjoy seeing in an RPG.
Graphics: 10 The graphic texture and shape isn't always as quality is it seems it could have been, but then again it may have been a designer idea to keep it's feel very symmetrical, the rest of Earthbound is a very peculiar game, including the color schemes, which shift from bright and vibrant, 60's-esque townships to feeling like you've just been slipped 10 hits of acid and you're in an art museum. Sound: 10 Of all the music I've heard in RPG's I'd have to say Earthbound is some of the most fun. It fits right in with this odd world and really helps make it an enjoyable experience. Gameplay: 10 I do have one tiny issue with the gameplay, and that's just that I don't feel they get enough spell variation or customability. Otherwise, I'd say everything else more than makes up for it. It's the classic RPG style system, the characters you meet are fun and engaging, and it's not always just straight forward, you have to think a bit. Overall: 10 As I'm sure you've all received from what I've previously said, it's a very cohesive game. Everything works with, and even enhances, everything else to make the playing experience a particularly enjoyable one. If you don't play this game, Mr Saturns are going to build a secret society in your closet and rearrange your stuff while you sleep. Scary thought indeed. |
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| Reviewer: Joey | Date: Jul 7, 2007 |
| First, I must say that I had never gotten into gaming before Earthbound, it opened a thousands worlds for me, yet I still replay it. Right now, I would say that I have finally broke 50 times. Look below and you'll see why this game had such an impact on me.
Graphics: 9 In my opinion, the graphics were terrific, unlike most of the players of Earthbound whom found the graphics bland. I, however, have a rule for games, to never judge a book by it's cover, I learned this the hard way with the Baten Kaitos games. Good graphics, everything else sucked. Though, I must admit the unintentional humor was priceless. Sound: 10 The sound, the music, the heart and soul of Earthbound. From the bus, my personal favorite, to the Hippie, which I still sing to to this day. The sound effects, instead of the ever so popular computer SFX, they used human sound effects for humans, machine effects for machines. Finally, a game that fitted the sounds with the people and devices. Gameplay: 10 Gameplay, was perfect. I personally like not to see the characters on the battle screen, it tends to drive the eye away from the life bars when checking your health, and the funk-a-delic backgrounds sent chills up an down my spine. The storyline, however cliché, was interesting. Sure, it was another "Save the World from Aliens!" bit, but instead of having an invulnerable looking Rambo character, you have Ness, an ordinary looking kid who looks like he could be thrown around like a rag doll by these creatures. That, my friends, is quite possibly the reason why I fell in love with Earthbound. Overall: 10 The best RPG that I have ever played, and maybe the best game, as well. As I said before, it featured character that most girls wouldn't take a second look at, like Cloud. Yet for this reason, for him to be an ordinary kid, you fell in love with him. But, of course, Ness isn't the sole fact that Earthbound gets a perfect from me, it's the humor. I mean, you aren't going to hear any jokes half as good as they were in Earthbound, and half is being generous. I mean, I nearly died in the police office when you knock on that one guys door. Needless to say, Earthbound is a classic, it fits right in there with Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 3, and could kick some of these new RPG's butts, haaard. If you haven't already been convinced that you need this in your collection, do it, you will not regret it. |
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| Reviewer: Iq Unlimited | Date: Oct 28, 2006 |
| First: This is by far one of THE best rpgs ever created by any game company ever. It's funny, classic, out-of-the-ordinary, and game seems to get harder the more you play it. It has secrets that keep you playing for fun and to learn. The game is never the same no matter how many times you play it. In short, it's what an rpg was made to be.
Graphics: 8 The graphics aren't awesome, but for the SNES they rock. The pros are that the game looks great and has good textures and color layouts, the cons are that they repeat the same look for a monster out-of-battle quite a bit. Other then that the games graphics are crisp and look good, unlike some other rpgs. Sound: 10 What can I say? The music's good, the battle sounds are good, the sound matches the theme of the place you're in, everything. It's 1 of the best things about Earthbound, giving some of the graphics more quality, and of course the best song ever, the New Age Retro Hippie theme. Gameplay: 10 What a rpg was meant to be. Adventure, Skill, Length, Entertainment, comedy, all blends together for the little unknown game called Earthbound. The Gameplay is only lacking in 1 thing, Difficulty. With the Strategy guide you can beat this on your first try no problem, but unless you have that strategy guide, expect to get lost a lot, but that's what makes an rpg and rpg. Overall: 10 My favorite rpg ever. Everything about this game reminds me of classic games and a game style to rival the Zelda games. the Sound, the Gameplay, the comedy, the weird monsters and bosses, the towns, the main characters, the pizza, the customization at the beginning (not much, but it helps the game), everything about this game is awesome. Overall I say it DESERVES the perfect 10. All I can say is that this is the best SNES game. End of Story. |
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| Reviewer: Bratty Twillis | Date: Jun 29, 2006 |
| Are you looking for an RPG that is different than the rest? Well if you want an RPG that is fun, exciting, and not medieval, then you should try Nintendo's EarthBound, one of the most unique RPG games you'll ever play. It plays like a normal RPG, but the items, weapons, and skills are all modernized. It is definitely a game you don't want to miss.
Graphics: 9 The graphics are cartoony with a Charlie Brown kind of a look to them. It doesn't exactly use the full potential of the SNES, but they are colorful and fun. The battle backgrounds are also pretty wacky. Overall, The graphics are decent for the game. Sound: 10 The SFX are done well. It's mainly just bleeps and bloops, but there are some ambient SFX that sound pretty real like police sirens and seagulls, and flies buzzing The game has a vast variety in its musical score. Everything from Techno, to Rock, and even Latino. You'll get a lot of the songs stuck in your head like the Onett Town theme or the trippy battle music. This is truly some of the best music in an SNES game. Gameplay: 10 Because EarthBound is so different than any other RPG in terms of story and setting, it makes for a better game. Basically, you play four kids from around the world who have to stop evil aliens from destroying it. The battle system is typical of an RPG, but each character has their own special skills that make them unique. Some of the battle text is pretty funny. The enemies have hilarious names like "Strutt'n Evil Mushroom", "New Age Retro Hippie" and "Self Conducting Menace" just to name a few. You'll also meet funny characters like an alien race called Mr. Saturn, a Blues Brothers-esque rock band, random monkeys, bizarre gangs and cults, and even an evil next door neighbor. Overall: 10 EarthBound takes the typical aspects of an RPG, and turns it into something fresh and new for a change. Over the years, it has gained popularity in America, and there are other EarthBound games that have only been released in Japan. This games shows that an RPG doesn't always have to be about brave heroes that slay dragons and conquer evil. It can be about average kids with above average powers who have to stop aliens, zombies, and hippies, and save the universe. Play it! Or else... |
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| Reviewer: magusguy | Date: Jul 2, 2005 |
| Ok, first off, lemme say that this has got to be one of my all-time favorite rpg's ever. I hate saying "ever" but it's just that good. I know this guy roy who doesn't like it cuz of the looks of the game and whatever, but he probably is like that with his women too, so he's gonna have a hard time finding one if he keeps that attitude. This game's spirit is of a kind that I've never seen before, and I love it for it. It's witty sense of humor rivals Mario rpg, and there are plenty of inside jokes for you to find during your adventures.
Graphics: 7 Hey, I'm honest. This isn't it's strong point. It didn't totally wow me like Chrono Trigger or Tales of Phantasia. Leave totally awesome graphics to Square. But the game makes due with it's lack of realism (and c'mon, how real can a snes game get?) and makes the game into more of a cartoon, using bright pastel colors. You never see your characters during battle, which is a minor downside, but during the end of the game you'll really appreciate the bizzare moving background patterns behind your enemies. Sound: 10 This is one of my favorite parts. Both sound effects and music are done brilliantly. You'll notice the incorporation of real-life sounds as opposed to computer generated ones, which makes a huge difference. Even the first few minutes, where pokey is knocking at your door, the music and SE clue you in that you're in for a satire-filled game second to none. Gameplay: 10 I really can't remember a time when I thought that the game was boring. The flow of the game, though the story line is rather cliche, and otherwise void, is fast enough to keep you entertained, but not so fast that you get lost. Cities are big, dungeons are large, and the monsters are plentiful. A great part of this is that you can see your enemies coming, and after awhile, when your foes are too weak to be worthwhile, you skip the battle completely, gaining your exp and spoils. It saves a ton of time, and makes the game infinantly less frustrating as an rpg with random battles. Overall: 10 Again, I hate giving tens out so liberally but I assure you, I'm doing it for a reason. A good reason. This game is still a game that I would gladly play over any new rpg out there because it's cast of crazy characters and hilarious events have still yet to be matched, even almost a decade afterwards. In closing... I am a short skinny man who likes video games. One might call me a connoseur. If it took me fifteen minutes to type this when I could be using that time for playing video games, you should get an idea of how good this game is. So there. |
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| Reviewer: Jam Jaw | Date: Dec 28, 2004 |
| This game was funny/strange/scary at the same time. Let me tell you why. Graphics: 7 The graphics were more cartoonish than realistic. Also the characters smiled when facing sideways and didn't when facing down. Whats up with that??? The lighting was brilliant though (take for example when first entering Threed, or when Paula gets kidnapped). Sound: 10 I loved the music for this game, especially the battle music. It's funny (Monkey Cave), scary-like (Threed with zombies) and just plain irrelevent to the game (Arcade in Onett). The sound effects blew my mind too especially with the PSI lightning sounds (when they hit) and the PSI Rockin too. Gameplay: 6 The problem with this game was that it was just too easy. In the battles, your hp meter just scrolls down and I didn't like that at all. You can save your life which isn't very fun, so i'll give it a 6 for that problem. Overall: 7 I know I harshly rated this game, but if it wasn't for the music, I would have just thrown the cartridge into the garbage. Because of the gameplay and the graphics, I don't know what the big deal is. And the ending was too corny for me. There is a good thing about the game though. Try playing in surround sound and you'll see what I mean. |
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| Reviewer: Èyap | Date: Aug 24, 2004 |
| First Id like to say that this is one for the most original (in its way) RPG game Ive played, it would be its special kind of humor, music(absolutely), the storyline...well all of it! I will go closer into each below, so keep readin' if you wanna know why I like it :) Graphics: 7 The gaphics, well although not the best party in the game, it surely has laid its marks and are kind of funny/childish, but absolutely not bad. I would rate this in the middle og 6-7 but since it fits so nicely into the rest of the game Ill rate it 7... Sound: 9 Ah! The EB music, this one is one of the things I think most people wont forget. First things first; The battle music, its mighty absurd/bizarre and/or abstact, although it IS a little unusal, its a + unusual-thingy, you know..Its 9 or 10 different battle themes(including boss themes) and most of them are really cool! Especially that synth/techno music near the end (can't describe, just play it out and listen) Second, the city themes and field music are pretty cool. Why? Well, its hard to describe, but you can say they're pretty catchy and funny, also a little bizarre. Gameplay: 9 Gameplay is excellent! Yes, the game has many sorts of humor, events etc. that adds a little touch to the game. I can guarantee you that you will laugh or at least smile a few times through the game, some stuff is straight out stupid ;D(in a positive way). -Hmm theres a huge eraser blocking the way-(wtf?) The story is pretty original too, and the ending doesn't reveal itself pretty much either (like most games do) And an unexpected event may occur anytime, and least when you expect it (watch out for cultists and other scrap here!) Overall: 8 Overall this game has what it takes to play through at least once, but doesn't have that little extra stuff it takes to play through it twice in my opinion. Although I liked it, the only reason for me to beat it twice would be the music (haha). And once again Im stuck between 8-9, but give it an 8, k? Ah! I forgot! One last thing that drags this a little down, I played this after working on Rm2k and it has pretty much the same battle system, just a tad better. Why is this negative? I don't like front viewed battles where you cant even see your main chars :( My last comments would be; It's a 100% must to play this marvelous game on SNES or NES(pretty much same game) and - PS!! Dont miss out the final battle theme!! Cool game indeed... Hope this wasn't too long ;D |
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| Reviewer: Darkstrike | Date: Jul 28, 2004 |
| This is my first review ever, and I'd have to say I couldn't have picked a better game. I'm a 16 year old male, and I have beaten this game twice(going on a third :). Umm, nothing really to say here, you're not here to learn about me, you want to read about the game(that's why you're all of the way down here at the bottom of the page...well, I think this will be at the bottom anyway*sigh*). Graphics: 10 Yes, they are cartoonish. Yes, the game does slow up a bit when there are tons of enemies nearby. Yes, your characters smile when walking sideways and don't when they walk down. But when you think about it(and the earlier reviews really helped with this), the cartoony graphics really help with the atmosphere of the game, which is not entirely serious. When the game does slow up from massive amounts of enemies(it does this in 2 places that I know of), one of them you can walk right past the enemies they can't touch you, and the other...it's the greatest leveling up technique I've ever used! In Belch's lair, you fight an enemy called a foppy. Foppies are weak, very rarely attack, and just there for experience purposes(you'll need it for Belch, which is the hardest boss imo). Foppies can appear in numbers ranging from 1-10 or so, and you want to fight as many as you can so you can nail them all with PSI Fire B, instant death and you level up like mad. And the smiley thing...I just found that interesting. Sound: 9 I really don't have a lot to say about sound, as I haven't used it in oh so many years on my systems. From what I remember, the SFX were good, very accurate and kind of surprising. The actual music was decent enough, it never really got too monotonous(sp?), as you were never in one town for more than a few hours tops, and even then, you'd probably enter enough buildings and dungeons that you'll never get tired of the music at any given time. You'll have to look at a few other reviews if you want a more accurate rating on the sounds. (As a side note: Right Here Waiting by Richard Marx always makes me think of this game, as I played it a lot when I had the instrumental version of the song and played it when I played this game. If you don't enjoy the sounds/music of a game, I suggest you play a song/music of your own. I like this method, because when you hear the song, you want to play the game. Honestly one of the greatest feelings I've ever had as a gamer...) Gameplay: 10 What do you play an RPG for? It's for the gameplay, straight and pure, and that is exactly where Earthbound shines its brightest. Easy to use interface, excellent status screens, but that's the boring stuff. It is set in modern time, which is one of the unique aspects of the story, and the game just seems more believable than probably all RPG's out there. The story, while simplistic in the way that it is easy to understand what is going on, that does not mean that it is not elaborate by any means. You are very rarely, if ever, lost. The battles are nice, again simple, yet strategy is needed as some enemies are immune to certain PSI and some rebound it altogether(very deadly). Weapon choice is important as well, as yo-yo's are not as accurate but are generally a bit more powerful than the current bat or frying pan Ness and Paula have at the moment. Dodging onscreen enemies is not as difficult as stated above, the thing is that you have to notice the enemy before you get too close, for if you back off and then come back, the enemy may or may not disappear, depending on how far off screen they went. The story is rather simple, and you are never really out to fight the final boss for most of the game, you are out to find "Your Sanctuaries" located in about 3/4 of the towns you visit. The in-game commentary is corny and ridiculous, in an obviously humorous way, and you will never get too frustrated from not being able to beat a boss(except maybe Belch) simply because the game's mood is too light-hearted for you to do the whole 'throw your controller in frustration' bit. ATM's will supply you with money given to you by your dad, depending on how much experience you've gained. You are never really stripped for cash, which is a good thing. That's about it... Overall: 10 Not my favorite game of all time(that would be Shining Force 2, but that's just personal preference and sentimental value), but it is definitely one of my top 5. What matters most in an RPG is where Earthbound shines, and many other games fail. Chrono Trigger was a good game, and it would have been great except that it fell apart in the end. FF3/6 was the same, would have been up there with the greatest games except that the game fell apart, and the story went with it. That's what is great about Earthbound, the story doesn't die EVER. It is always there, the creators didn't just get there main point across and then say, "hey, go kill mr. bossman now". No, they kept things going all of the way through, and came up with the most unique final boss fight I think I've ever seen. They were considering making another Earthbound around the year 2000 I believe, but the project was dropped to my great disappointment. This game is classic and you should definitely play it, I hold it above CT and all of the FF's except Final Fantasy 7. If you walk away from this game for any reason, it should be that you've beaten it finally, and your eyes hurt from staying up for a few days straight! I hope you enjoyed my first ever review. Now, *farts* I will go to doing other things and...umm...*poke* it didn't smell that bad, did it? |
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| Reviewer: Andrew | Date: Jun 26, 2004 |
| First, I would like to say that RPGs are (usually) better than other games. Now, that TOTALLY goes for this game. Keep reading, you will see why. Graphics: 8 The graphics aren't the best, but still better than other SNES games. If this game was in 3D, I'd give it a 20/10. When you battle, there are funky colors in the background. I wish you could have seen Ness smash his enemies. Sound: 7 The sound could have been better. Its really just the same thing over and over, but the music is SWEET, especially in Saturn Valley. Gameplay: 9 The gameplay is wonderful and easy, but sometimes its hard just to talk to somebody, because you have to bring up the command menu each time. But everything else is simple. Great battle system, too. Overall: 9 Overall I give it a 9 because it is the second best RPG of all time. :) Easy gameplay and good sound, but graphics could have been better. This is a great game, you won't be sorry if you get it. I hope this review was helpful for you! :D |
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| Reviewer: Dan | Date: Nov 11, 2003 |
| Hello my friends. I am writing because I want you to know why this game is so great. I have been playing RPG's since I was 4. (I am 17 now.) And I remember those good old days when I would sit down next to my brother and watch him play The Legend of Zelda. I learned alot from him, and I've learned alot of stuff on my own. Graphics: 9 The graphics rock!! I mean, come on, the classic mole popping up and down out of the hole may look cheesy, but hey! Were talking a long time ago when we didn't have nVidia gaming graphics. At the time, the people thought, WOW! how cool is that! Animation may be a little off, but it got the job done. But I gave it a high rating because we have to look back and see what those graphics were like at the time. The backgrounds were sooooo awesome. Seriously. Sometimes i would have trouble focusing on the game because i thought the background was rather...swirly? Sound: 10 AWESOME!...The sound is sooooo funny! I love the sound that Ness makes when you hit the enemy with his bat. SMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!!! How cool is that sound! A couple funny ones are little burps stinky gas attack, and when the enemies call for help. And the music from the runaway 5 was classic. Blues are awesome. Whenever Ness would walk into his house...for some reason I kept thinking of Eric Clapton? Maybe because that sounds like one of his songs? I have no clue. Gameplay: 8 Well, this one didn't get as good as a rating as everything else, simply because, I CANT SEE HIM ATTACK!!! I think I would love to see Ness smashing his enemies, but that leaves it to your imagination. But I do like the magic attacks, and how trippy the PSI(Whatever your favorite thing was) how it showed up on the screen. Overall: 9 Overall, I gave this game a 9 because it simply was a great game. The Same people in the stores all the time...(That was in Legend of Zelda), The sounds, music, graphics. Everything was funny. Including the Mr. Saturns. BOING! KAY-O! Whenever I was down, I played Earthbound because it brought a smile to my face. What an excellent game. Well, gotta go now! ZOOOOM! |
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| Reviewer: NessTheHero | Date: Nov 2, 2003 |
| When most people hear the word RPG they think of dragons, swords, maidens, airships, and unexplainable bosses. But, when you ask an Earthbound fan what the word RPG reminds them of, they might start telling you about common household items being used to kick some major butt! This game is far from ordinary. A one-of-a-kind RPG, this story takes place a modern environment, with TVs, cars, bats, alien infested meteors, talking bees; You know, normal stuff. But it gets interesting. There are . . . BATHROOMS! Though you can't use them. But you can knock on them and hear complaints. Thats another feature in this game. No random wandering! You can't enter everyone in the world's house, but you can knock on the ones you can't enter. You hear some pretty funny stuff too. Graphics: 6 The graphics, sadly, are what holds this game back from being the greatest game ever, and sometimes turn would-be fans away from it after a glance. Even Earthbound fans will admit that the graphics aren't anything special. 16 bit, no special effects, just simplistic graphics that, despite their visage, get the job done and leave you satisfied, but still wishing for a bit more. Sound: 10 Earthbound, to me, has the quirkiest soundtrack in the gaming industry. The background music defines the environment, both physical and emotional, to the player. From the mysterious music as you scale the mountain to investigate the meteor, to the hopeful melody that plays as BuzzBuzz gives his dying words, to the alien music that might make you smile when walking around Saturn Valley. Sometimes, you just want to pause the game, sit back, and listen to the music. P.S. Download the OC Remixes! They are awesome! Gameplay: 10 Gameplay is where Earthbound takes the cake. The story is so interesting that your parents will have to pry you off with a crowbar. Just think, a psychic boy gets informed by a "bee, yet not a bee" that he and four others must save the world from an alien who takes over in 10 years, and is rivaled by a fat, porky neighbor who is around his age (which is 11 by the way), and along the way picks up strange weapons including a Cracked Baseball Bat, a Ray Gun, Bottle Rockets, a Frying Pan, and a legendary sword. Earthbound fans will beat the snot out of you should you proclaim "Graphics over gameplay." Play Earthbound, and you'll get the drift that Gameplay does indeed make the game more enjoyable than intricate graphic animations and crap like that. Overall: 9 Seeing as how graphics chained it down, I am forced to give it a 9, though it would please me greatly to give it a 10. Nearly every aspect of this game is past worthy of being called a great RPG. This is a game you want to pass on to people, spread the knowledge of that one great RPG with bathrooms and a cracked baseball bat. I severely recommend showing this to your friends. Heck, show it to your enemies. Show it to everyone. Post about it on forums. Bring it up in a chat room. I hope this review has convinced you that Earthbound is not a classic worth missing. |
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| Reviewer: Dex | Date: Aug 17, 2002 |
| You´re in front of the best RPG for the SNES!!!!. Yeah, it´s that good, and I could say that it´s even more. The graphics, the gameplay, the sound, the story, even the name fits perfectly. This isn´t just a plain ol´game, this is for real, and goes for it! Graphics: 9 Sound: 10 Gameplay: 10 Overall: 10 If you played the game, and you liked it, start searching EARTHBOUND ZERO for the NES. Give it a try!!! |
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| Reviewer: Chanlin007 | Date: Feb 3, 2002 |
| It took me time to warm up to this game all around. When I was younger ( imagine that ) the story lost my interest, but now that I'm older the game is a refeshing change from your standard RPG. I say this after I started to design a comedy RPG of my own, I needed inspiration badly, so I came back to one of the classics :) Graphics: 8 Sound: 10 Gameplay: 10 Overall: 9 This game was awesome. I like how you can even keep track of where you are in the game by the name of the town ( Onet < one t) Twoson, Threed, Fourside. The game is easy to understand, and challenging even to an experienced gamer. |
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| Reviewer: Sasaki-chan | Date: Jan 2, 2002 |
| Hello. I am a gameplayer. (Sounds like an AA meeting, hee hee..) I am also a 19 year old girl. And all I'd like to say about Earthbound is ...it's genius. Sheer, pure genius. As a girl, it's hard to find a game that's not ""Hey, look at the large-breasted woman!"" Especially an RPG. But Earthbound manages to be very appealing to both genders of gameplayer, without going, ""Barbie's Kitchen!"" on us. If another one of my male gameplaying counterparts suggests a game like that to me, I will punch him in the stomach so hard that he'll walk around doubled over for the rest of his life with his ____(plural noun)_____ stuck in his teeth. Many of the other reviewers complain about the shoddy graphics...but that adds to the game, in my opinion. Can you possibly imagine Magus taking a crap on the beach, or 'Apologizing Profusely'? I don't think so. The plot is fantastic. From the rescue of Paula to Poo's mind-bending trials, it's one surprise after another. SATURN VALLEY RULES! (boing!) Natane Sasaki Graphics: 10 Sound: 10 Gameplay: 10 Overall: 10 And finally..... |
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| Reviewer: XenoxSiphon | Date: Oct 28, 2001 |
| O dear, another simple, plain RPG you think? well your wrong because Earthbound is much different from that. Earthbound is about a 12-year old boy named Ness, and he goes off on a journey to destroy the evil Gigyas. But instead of taking on a medieval theme with swords and wands, it takes on a modern theme with bottle rockets and yo-yo's. Also the monsters are way different. Instead of dragons and evil wizards, there are piles of puke and and crazy people dressed in costumes. It really does seem like the team who created the game was high while they were making it. The graphics I think in my opinion are very solid and just hilarious. The music is very catchy and in some parts of it, I garuntee it will make you laugh. The gameplay is very easy to use, so easy in fact that I beat the game when I was 7 and I am 12 now. So overall I give it an 8 for such a great game. I think that if you are a RPG fan, you will like the little twist this great RPG has to offer for you. | |
| Reviewer: Mog116' | Date: Sep 30, 2001 |
| This game changed my life. Say that about Chrono Trigger. It led me to Starmen.net where i currently spend all my sparetime, and starmen.net eventually led me to learning how to program. Wow. What would i be doing without EB? I'd be doing homework right now. yeah. boring. Anyways, now on to the game. The graphics are okay, nice and bright. Bright is good. The enemies look really cool, and i love the moving backgrounds in the battles. The music blows your mind. From the Hippie music to Paula's theme, it has everything. The sound effects rock too. The storyline is very original. I've never seen anything like it. I've never seen it copied either. It was awesome... Buzz-Buzz, Pokey, Giygas, all them made the story so great. Now I'll tell you my favorite thing about this game: *Ness dug around in the trash can. *Ness found a Hamburger! *Ness ate the Hamburger! The humor. There has NEVER been a game that made me laugh so hard. From ""I'm... I'm thinking!"" to ""Sometimes if i sit in the front row, the spit from them singing gets on me."" And when I talked to a guy that said ""I farted"" i about broke a lung. I NEVER expected anything like that in an RPG. NEVER. But yet, there it was. In all it's glory. ""I farted"" Not only, but the game for some reason seems to have alot of replay value. I dunno why. Maybe cuz it's like ""No, don't bother getting this thing yet, go do this first if you want. But you can do this."" Really cool. All in all ""THIS IS AN AWESOME GAME! DOWNLOAD IT NOW!"" |
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| Reviewer: Jake | Date: Sep 7, 2001 |
| Earthbound: This game makes me want to break something. No, I’m not saying that it’s a bad game. Here’s my dilemma: There are so many things about this game that I love, and at the same time, there’s a crapload of things in this game that I hate. The clash between the two is so great, it makes me want to break something. The Graphics: Are TERRIBLE. Now, I don’t mind the fact that the Super Nintendo is only capable of so much, and I don’t mind outdated graphics. But what I do mind is seeing cheesy cartoon graphics in an RPG that deserved much better. They have that shoddy cartoon look which can also be found in “Super Mario World.” It’s just plain UGLY. Now, look at RPGs like Breath of Fire 2, Robotrek, Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy VI (Final Fantasy III, according to Squaresoft’s American marketing team). All of these RPGs had great graphics by SNES standards. The sound: Groovy. The music is unlike anything I’ve ever heard before, video game or not. It feels like a mix between Reggae and Techno, if there is such a thing. The sound effects are ok, I suppose. I actually don’t have too much to say about the SFX. The control: Well, overlooking the toilet graphics, the control sucks anyway. I mean, they bothered to show the game from a pseudo 3-D perspective, yet the main character still controls like a 2-D RPG character. No jumping, and no way to dodge or run (later, I’ll explain why these things would have been useful). On the plus side, the menus are efficient and easy to navigate. The gameplay: There are so many angles to this dilemma. The story is original, no doubt about it. I won’t get into it, because you would understand it much better by playing it for yourself. I think this game was produced in America. Why bring this up? Because the dialogue is FUNNY. I don’t think that a Jap to Eng translation has ever come close to being as enjoyable as this. The game doesn’t really take itself seriously as far as dialogue goes. The battle messages are crazy. In other games, you get battle messages like “(char) strikes a mighty blow!” or “(char) dodges the attack.” This game has stuff like that, but also has things like “(char) complains.” I must say, it’s very refreshing. Which brings me to battles. The good news is that the random enemies are onscreen at all times. Bad news? There’s virtually no way to avoid them. See, all you really get to do is walk. No running, no jumping, and no dodging. The random enemies move 4 times as fast as you do, and they move toward you like a magnet. This means that avoiding them is damn near impossible. So, you touch an enemy, and you go into battle mode. Now, the actual battle mode is actually an interestingly disguised rip off of the battle system found in “Dragon Warrior.” The two big differences I can think of are the trippy backgrounds, and the trippy music. So, if you’ve played “Dragon Warrior” while smoking crack, you should be very comfortable doing battle in this game. That's all I have to say about gameplay. Oh, one other interesting note: It seems that Nintendo is concerned about lawsuits involving children playing games for too long and getting brain injuries or something like that. Evidence? When I had been playing for about 2 straight hours, suddenly, a phone rings, and dialogue appears on the screen. It’s the main character’s dad, saying that you’ve been “working” for a long time, and you might want to take a break. This is the only game that I know of that possesses a concern for your wellbeing. :-P Finally, I would like to say that this is not a bad game. The thing that bugs me the most is the graphics, but other than that, the game is pretty cool. Once I actually learn something about ROM hacking, I might try to do a graphics hack… Or, if you want to beat me to it, I won’t try to stop you. ;-) |
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| Reviewer: Jethro | Date: Sep 7, 2001 |
| Well, this is a good game. The graphics suck, i'll say that. But the concept of the game is unreal. Far from the medieval legends, knights and the code of chivalry we have been so used to, Earthbound introduces a new style of gameplay, one that has many intricate puzzles, characters with set configuration and funny personalities, and a whole range of fun civilians that help you out by leaving almost direct hints as to where to go next. The reason I gave it an overall ten is because even thought the sound, the graphics and the plot are slow sometimes, the combination of these makes an extremely potent recipe for fun gameplay. Hopefully there will be an Earthbound 2, maybe? | |
| Reviewer: Josh Mathews | Date: Jul 15, 2001 |
| Earthbound is probably one of the best RPG's ever made for the Super Nintendo. Instead of having knights and swords and dragons, it involves more modern day things like baseball bats and crazed cops. The best RPG is a unique one, Earthbound it the most unique RPG on the planet. Graphics- Not the best graphics, the battle screen features a mere flash when you cause damage to something, or puts on a light show when you cast magic (PSI). Sound- You never get bored of the sounds and music, unlike most games, hte music changes from place to place. Gameplay- Gameplay scores double points in my book. Earthbound gets a perfect score because of its unique humor and storyline. The replay value on Earthbound is also through the roof. I dont know how many times I have played Earthbound, so it scores a perfect 10. |
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| Reviewer: Vengeance | Date: Jun 22, 2001 |
| One word, baby: w00t!!! This is the most addictive and original RPG I've ever played! And it's suprising that it came from Nintendo... This isn't your average plot, folks. This DOES NOT involve castles and knights.... It involves the local arcade and stray dogs! You can fight virtually anything in EarthBound, from dinosaurs to big piles of puke... I'd like to see THAT in a Square RPG... This is probably the best Nintendo-made RPG for the SNES, excluding Super Mario RPG... Heck, it's better than that! The sound is great, and some of the music will stick in your head for a while... But even through all these changes, EarthBound is still an RPG, and a great one at that... ~Vengeance |
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| Reviewer: Dollar | Date: Jun 20, 2001 |
| this is a GREAT game. as have been said in the past reviews, its a modern RPG. the battle system, is the down point of this game, but it is still a pretty cool system, just pretty bad compared to after playing final fantasy games constantly, and ill always remember those weird-but-cool-and-abstract backgrounds. The music in the game was pretty cool, some of it annoying. the first form of the final boss' (wont say anymore)music was really cool. The plot with twists and random comedy here and there (some of the enemies and things said were hilarious) was utter delight. The graphics were perfect for this game, as they didnt really need to be any better Overall, this game provided me with weeks of fun, and still some of the music i cant get out of my head. I just hope that the game is rereleased for Game Boy Advance as ive heard, and the dead sequel, Earthbound 64 ends up in a better place, namely GameCube. I suggest ( if youre an RPG person, but even if youre not) to find some way to play this game, may it be a ROM from here at vimm.net or a hard to find copy of the genuine game, or we can hope for that GBA version (pocket Earthbound.... ullll......)! JUST GET IT! |
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| Reviewer: Mogu | Date: Jun 19, 2001 |
| It's an ok RPG for it's originality. The graphics are good, if not just glorified epilepsy-causing flashes of light and non-moving pictures. The music is good, where it's not annoying, but the rest is garbage. Gameplay is so-so. A good escape from the dulldrom RPG. Only downside is the total lack of seriousness. The entire game got nothing but 'pfhts' and 'ois' from my crowd. A giant parody of RPGs in itself. Plus, the target audience seems to be, what, four? Five? |
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| Reviewer: Matthias | Date: Jun 18, 2001 |
| Me again. OH DEAR SWEET JESUS, GOD IN HEAVEN, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT ALONG WITH EVERYTHING HOLY, SWEET AND PURE!!!!!!! This is THE kewlest original RPG ever! I absolutely LUV the muzak. Especially the bass solo music, that is my fav battle muzak. The muzak sometimes gives me goosebumps. Also fantastic gameplay. I was drooling over this game for like 2 weeks in constant competition with my friend who d/l ed it the night before me. I beat it before him, though he swears he beat it before me(I know he didn't cause I ask him about the ending and he give VERY vague descriptions, hehe, Frank, I wonder if he's reading this.) Anyhoo, gameplay very original, and also interesting PSI system and also a kewl plot line. I hope that Pokey will rot in hell 4ever! And I can't believe he took a crap on the beach!!! But that's for you, the player to find out when you play this game, which I hope you do! GOD I LUV THAT MUZAK! |
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| Reviewer: MAHARITO | Date: Jun 17, 2001 |
| Oh mah goodness! Alien invasion again? When will the nightmare end!!?? Not today. And certainly not for a couple weeks, if you decide to start playing this game. In fact, it might not even be a real nightmare. Just a beautiful dream with a hundred and one catches. Okay, so I've seen better graphics before, big whoop. Ness's head is even bigger than mine, and Poo...well, Poo doesn't matter because he doesn't even have a brain. (Or, well, maybe he does have one, but I won't spoil it) The thing about this one is, it's ORIGINAL. You can taste the 11 secret herbs and spices that cooked this one up to be quite different in flavor from Mario and Kirby, even though they share the quality trademark. First time I played this, I wasn't sure if it was a real game from Nintendo or a gag of another game I hadn't played yet. After about a week or so of seriously addictive plot twists, a constantly expanding game world, and periodic new PSI moves and gadgets, I knew it was authentic. (Though the crudely drawn enemies on battle mode might give a different impression--I still love Frankie Fly and the Kraken) It has a feel, a socially liberated feel, a modern feel, a ""Hey! I like this game!"" feel, it draws you in like a magnet if you like it even one bit. Too bad the addictiveness is quite capable of ruining your social life, once you get a couple of the crazy tunes stuck in your noggin. The gameplay is never at any point particularly easy, but a seasoned RPGer should never get stumped anyway. If you do actually feel like playing it over again, make sure to pick up, steal, and win all the various and rare items that exist in the game. Rename your stuff too, it's fun. Eat some weed and scoot off to bed...Sure thing Mom! |
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