Earthbound is a delightful twist on the JRPG formula: it's got all the mechanics and tropes of the usually fantasy-set RPG, but centered around a group of kids decidedly rooted in the mundane, on earth.
All the usual mechanics and concepts are grounded, some through simple renaming, some through new execution: Save points? You use phone to call your dad, and he writs down what you've done so far. Speaking of your dad, while you earn money for battles, you don't get it then. You gotta call dad back in town, who deposits the money in your bank; then you hit the ATM to collect it. On the more cosmetic front, magic is renamed Psi. But really, it's MP.
The stuff I didn't care for: in battle, there is laterally zero character animation in the entire game. Instead you fight static sprites against wildly mode-7 distorted backgrounds. In shifting the character animation to the background we do get some variety, but I found it distracting and difficult to even look at sometimes. The inventory system is very stingy, forcing constant management with storage and/or drops along the way. And the game leans very heavily on status effects, with a long list of ailments some of which, early on, are so debilitating they force you back to town to heal. This happens a LOT.
Also be warned: Earthbound is extremely grindy. I spent hours grinding in very small areas for hours in order to progress, at several points in the story. I didn't mind much - I'm okay with grinding - but it's not for everyone. Lastly, the dungeons are all disappointing, most are small and linear with just a couple of forks. The game's emphasis is elsewhere.
Against these quibbles is a great set of characters, beautiful massive towns (that we spend a large proportion of the game in), some neat innovations in the combat mechanics, a sometimes great OST (minus the battle music), a story that keeps turning up fun surprises and is filled with imagination, and one of the best party member introductions ever.
This is a charming, often tough RPG with a terrifically realized setting and lots of great ideas.
Played to completion on SNES Classic.
All the usual mechanics and concepts are grounded, some through simple renaming, some through new execution: Save points? You use phone to call your dad, and he writs down what you've done so far. Speaking of your dad, while you earn money for battles, you don't get it then. You gotta call dad back in town, who deposits the money in your bank; then you hit the ATM to collect it. On the more cosmetic front, magic is renamed Psi. But really, it's MP.
The stuff I didn't care for: in battle, there is laterally zero character animation in the entire game. Instead you fight static sprites against wildly mode-7 distorted backgrounds. In shifting the character animation to the background we do get some variety, but I found it distracting and difficult to even look at sometimes. The inventory system is very stingy, forcing constant management with storage and/or drops along the way. And the game leans very heavily on status effects, with a long list of ailments some of which, early on, are so debilitating they force you back to town to heal. This happens a LOT.
Also be warned: Earthbound is extremely grindy. I spent hours grinding in very small areas for hours in order to progress, at several points in the story. I didn't mind much - I'm okay with grinding - but it's not for everyone. Lastly, the dungeons are all disappointing, most are small and linear with just a couple of forks. The game's emphasis is elsewhere.
Against these quibbles is a great set of characters, beautiful massive towns (that we spend a large proportion of the game in), some neat innovations in the combat mechanics, a sometimes great OST (minus the battle music), a story that keeps turning up fun surprises and is filled with imagination, and one of the best party member introductions ever.
This is a charming, often tough RPG with a terrifically realized setting and lots of great ideas.
Played to completion on SNES Classic.