I remember trying this game out a year ago, and feeling like I wouldn't be able to commit my time into it at all. Few months later, I decided that I'd pick out a couple of games I was somewhat interested in and attempted to play them through completion, and one of those was Earthbound, despite my lukewarm response before this point. I delved in, and took my time to progress at a gentle pace. It took me several months to beat, but the journey has taken me back to how playing a video game felt as a child. It's a warm experience that surprised me several times, and only kept getting better as I got towards the end, which then elevated itself into a personal touchstone.