Earthbound (don't hate me too much)

[M.Buster2184]

So like 5 years ago I found Earthbound at a little strip mall for thirteen bucks and it was one of my best days. Recently I figured I should actually play it, lol. So over a couple nights after work I played it for a bit. To be honest with everyone....I don't really care for it. I appreciate some of the humor, but the overall gameplay? Meh. The music is good but I'm having a hard time getting into it. I know it's supposed to be one of the best RPGs ever, but it's not doing much for me. I'd have more fun playing Paper Mario or something along those lines. To each their own I guess. Should I give it another chance? Or just accept that I don't like it. On the plus side it's cool to be able to say I have it, there is a good story behind my obtaining it and worst case scenario I can sell it for below market value, make someone else happy and still make a profit.

[CastlevaniaDude]

So like 5 years ago I found Earthbound at a little strip mall for thirteen bucks and it was one of my best days. Recently I figured I should actually play it, lol. So over a couple nights after work I played it for a bit. To be honest with everyone....I don't really care for it. I appreciate some of the humor, but the overall gameplay? Meh. The music is good but I'm having a hard time getting into it. I know it's supposed to be one of the best RPGs ever, but it's not doing much for me. I'd have more fun playing Paper Mario or something along those lines. To each their own I guess. Should I give it another chance? Or just accept that I don't like it. On the plus side it's cool to be able to say I have it, there is a good story behind my obtaining it and worst case scenario I can sell it for below market value, make someone else happy and still make a profit.

I'll give you 20 bucks for it. That's 7 dollars profit.

[fluid_matrix]

I'll give you 20 bucks for it. That's 7 dollars profit.

I'd give ya $26. That's double yer $$!!

[CastlevaniaDude]

I'd give ya $26. That's double yer $$!!

26 dollars for EarthBound?

That game has litle kid graphics.

You're crazy. This thing will wind up in a Best Buy bargain bin for less than 26 dollars!

I move that you rescind your offer so that you don't get ripped off. Best cure for buyers remorse is to not get ripped off in the first place.

[Tanooki]

So like 5 years ago I found Earthbound at a little strip mall for thirteen bucks and it was one of my best days. Recently I figured I should actually play it, lol. So over a couple nights after work I played it for a bit. To be honest with everyone....I don't really care for it. I appreciate some of the humor, but the overall gameplay? Meh. The music is good but I'm having a hard time getting into it. I know it's supposed to be one of the best RPGs ever, but it's not doing much for me. I'd have more fun playing Paper Mario or something along those lines. To each their own I guess. Should I give it another chance? Or just accept that I don't like it. On the plus side it's cool to be able to say I have it, there is a good story behind my obtaining it and worst case scenario I can sell it for below market value, make someone else happy and still make a profit.

You know what I'll take you seriously on this and step up and admit you're right. It's not something everyone will care for. The humor is solid, the designs are unique, but the overall gameplay very much is meh (flat, if not poor.) The music is unique as are the child like visuals, you can take it or leave it on tastes. It's only one of the best RPGs to the insane blind fanboy pool who can't just let it go that Nintendo will NOT release the damned game again in this country due to their own shady reasons and potentially some copyright problems with music scores they swiped for it back then. You could give it another chance, but I don't think you'll change your mind much. I've had 3 copies of it since the late 90s, and I'm on my third only because I found it sitting on a stack of clothes at some mexican woman's table at a flea market and when I straight face asked how much she said $2, and I kept my cool and left with it. I've played it up until the Moonside area perhaps just passed that and stopped on it and haven't gone back in 4-5months at least. The gameplay on it isn't that good, the RPG engine is a snore and it just has these weird gameplay quirks that aren't much fun that can dig at you after awhile if you're stuck somewhere for a bit. I've finished it just once, on my original copy, and to be true I only now keep it because I get that random need to punish myself and play it again and I don't want to buy a mostly unpolished turd for $200+ bucks so for $2 I'm happy to keep it. It's not the only expensive game I bought cheap I keep because if I ever get the want to play it again the prices suck plus I don't want to contribute to the nauseating feeding frenzy the sharks have caused in gaming as it's ruining it like two childhood hobbies I had with the same behavior and terrible results.

[recorderdude]

I'm going to reccomend that you try MOTHER 3 instead of EB. It solves pretty much all the problems you have with EB: Its story is still quirky, but there's a WAY bigger focus on the overarching plot, the battle system is RHYTHM based with a TON of different battle songs to attack to, so it doesn't get old half as fast, and it's got a lot more animation than both EB and EBZero.

[Kyle15]

Don't worry, you're going to get little to no hate here for that opinion. Earthbound isn't very well received around these here parts.

[Graham Mitchell]

I haven't played it myself but everyone I've talked to says its pretty terrible outside of the aesthetics. The more I see people talking about it, though, the more I want to play robotrek again.

[mailman187666]

I've always liked Earthbound. I haven't played it recently but I remember beating the game close to when it came out. I liked it because it did something different than just the fantasy setting that Squares games and many other RPGs used. I think thats what makes it stand out from other RPGs. Even though it does have a very basic battle system, its still fun. Now I don't know if I'd want to go paying $250+ for the game because luckily I've had my copy for ages. Its one of those games that some people will either love or hate.

[Rickstilwell1]

The size of the box alone is enough to keep me away from the game for a while since I only usually like complete in box games for my personal collection. It just won't fit in the same space as the other SNES games so I can easily just pretend it doesn't exist until I have everything else I could ever want on Super Nintendo for less.

[ifkz]

Great price you found it at, if it is not your thing, don't think twice about selling it. Just do not expect to find it again at any reasonable price for many years (depending on re-releases).

I am surprised these SNES Earthbound fans are not as equally hooked on NES Earthbound's prototype that was found years ago. I found a donor cart and had it reproduced over at nesreproductions, I still consider it some of the best money I've spent.

[M.Buster2184]

You know what I'll take you seriously on this and step up and admit you're right. It's not something everyone will care for. The humor is solid, the designs are unique, but the overall gameplay very much is meh (flat, if not poor.) The music is unique as are the child like visuals, you can take it or leave it on tastes. It's only one of the best RPGs to the insane blind fanboy pool who can't just let it go that Nintendo will NOT release the damned game again in this country due to their own shady reasons and potentially some copyright problems with music scores they swiped for it back then. You could give it another chance, but I don't think you'll change your mind much. I've had 3 copies of it since the late 90s, and I'm on my third only because I found it sitting on a stack of clothes at some mexican woman's table at a flea market and when I straight face asked how much she said $2, and I kept my cool and left with it. I've played it up until the Moonside area perhaps just passed that and stopped on it and haven't gone back in 4-5months at least. The gameplay on it isn't that good, the RPG engine is a snore and it just has these weird gameplay quirks that aren't much fun that can dig at you after awhile if you're stuck somewhere for a bit. I've finished it just once, on my original copy, and to be true I only now keep it because I get that random need to punish myself and play it again and I don't want to buy a mostly unpolished turd for $200+ bucks so for $2 I'm happy to keep it. It's not the only expensive game I bought cheap I keep because if I ever get the want to play it again the prices suck plus I don't want to contribute to the nauseating feeding frenzy the sharks have caused in gaming as it's ruining it like two childhood hobbies I had with the same behavior and terrible results.

Well I feel less bad for not liking it. Granted I can appreciate a game for it's quirks or achievements during it's time period, but appreciating wont make me like a game. I do like they went a different route with the story verus the tried and true fantasy timeline, but I just can't get into it. Will I play it again? Maybe, though I have hundreds of games that I haven't played through yet, so who knows when I'll attempt to sit down with it again. On the other hand you guys have a good point of I'll most likely never find the game for the price I originally found t at. On a sidenote, is it worth playing the Mother NES port? Occasionaly at local expo's I see repro carts of Mother available. Maybe I'd like it? Or is it pretty similar to Earthbound and I'd be "meh" about it?

[Captain_N77]

Yeah, it's up to you if you play it further or not. However, a few points I'd like to make.

First, it is an rpg. I've never been wow'd by the gameplay/controls of rpg's since they are for the most part just tapping in the commands. Maybe you are referring to the battle system? Still, whatever it is may just not work for you.

Second, it is an rpg haha. Maybe this is just me, but I have never been drawn in to an rpg off the bat. I always assume I will have to put in a good 5-10 hours before everything like the characters, story, and battle system start to click with me. Some really incredible rpg's, like Earthbound, FF VI, FF X, Chrono Trigger, and Paper Mario, were all quite boring to me the first few hours. I'm glad I gave them the time they needed in the end. I was THIS close to taking FF X back, and it was honestly my being too lazy to get up and turn off my PS2 that kept me playing it...then all of a sudden it just clicked.

I hold Earthbound in the highest regard, but there isn't any law that says everyone has to like it. It's not like you have to turn in your gamer card or anything haha. I know what it's like to play a game you're "supposed" to like, but for whatever reason can't get into. I personally couldn't get into Banjo Kazooie very much, though I could recognize the qualities of the game. I can't stand Conker's Bad Fur Day. And I will go to my grave saying that Grand Theft Auto III completely bored me to tears and baffled me as to how it came to be one of the defining games of it's generation.

[bb_hood]

I really really like earthbound. My brother got it when it came out as a kid and we have played it through more than a few times.

I think the main problem is that they see the 150+ price tag and they just expect way more. Especially if you have never played it. What the game sells for is just insane. Its just not mega rare

[M.Buster2184]

Yeah, it's up to you if you play it further or not. However, a few points I'd like to make.

First, it is an rpg. I've never been wow'd by the gameplay/controls of rpg's since they are for the most part just tapping in the commands. Maybe you are referring to the battle system? Still, whatever it is may just not work for you.

Second, it is an rpg haha. Maybe this is just me, but I have never been drawn in to an rpg off the bat. I always assume I will have to put in a good 5-10 hours before everything like the characters, story, and battle system start to click with me. Some really incredible rpg's, like Earthbound, FF VI, FF X, Chrono Trigger, and Paper Mario, were all quite boring to me the first few hours. I'm glad I gave them the time they needed in the end. I was THIS close to taking FF X back, and it was honestly my being too lazy to get up and turn off my PS2 that kept me playing it...then all of a sudden it just clicked.

I hold Earthbound in the highest regard, but there isn't any law that says everyone has to like it. It's not like you have to turn in your gamer card or anything haha. I know what it's like to play a game you're "supposed" to like, but for whatever reason can't get into. I personally couldn't get into Banjo Kazooie very much, though I could recognize the qualities of the game. I can't stand Conker's Bad Fur Day. And I will go to my grave saying that Grand Theft Auto III completely bored me to tears and baffled me as to how it came to be one of the defining games of it's generation.

Point taken. Realistically I'm not a huge RPG fan, though I do love Chrono Trigger and Paper Mario, because of the mindless gameplay of RPGs for the most part, a game needs to have a story I can really get in to for me to like it. Mostly the battle system of Earthbound I didn't like. Granted I'm not the biggest RPG fan, but I'm not a novice, yet I died more in the 6-10 hours or so that I played Earthbound then I feel I should have. Also the little details like having to find a phone to save, taking money out of the ATM and it seemed like the amount of items I could carry wasn't much. There were definitely parts of the game I liked, but not enough to make me keep playing.

[bb_hood]

it seemed like the amount of items I could carry wasn't much. There were definitely parts of the game I liked, but not enough to make me keep playing.

You actually get more party members each with own inventory, so in not too long your inventory will be 4x as big.
Plus you can always call Escargo Express...haha
I understand if you dont like it, but the game does pick up alot after the second area. The enemies stop being things like runaway dogs and mad ducks and such..

[kupomogli]

Earthbound is Dragon Warrior with a current day setting. As was already said, the games graphics and setting gives the game so much praise rather than the gameplay. Each new area you probably want to grind until enemies start to run away. Attack them from the back during that time for an instant win, exit then reenter and repeat for quicker grinding. Do this on just about every area until you beat the game.

[Tanooki]

That run away mechanic I did like as a unique thing Earthbound did in the day as it saved a lot of wasted time on wimpy battles.

I see the TS mentioned loving Chrono Trigger, and that there is one I have a love-hate on as I can never find it fun enough to finish it even after all these years. Something about how the game plays out, story, something I can't place eventually bores me to being no longer motivated to do it and I go onto other games. I appreciate others live and breathe it for some reason, but I just don't.

[wiggyx]

So like 5 years ago I found Earthbound at a little strip mall for thirteen bucks and it was one of my best days. Recently I figured I should actually play it, lol. So over a couple nights after work I played it for a bit. To be honest with everyone....I don't really care for it. I appreciate some of the humor, but the overall gameplay? Meh. The music is good but I'm having a hard time getting into it. I know it's supposed to be one of the best RPGs ever, but it's not doing much for me. I'd have more fun playing Paper Mario or something along those lines. To each their own I guess. Should I give it another chance? Or just accept that I don't like it. On the plus side it's cool to be able to say I have it, there is a good story behind my obtaining it and worst case scenario I can sell it for below market value, make someone else happy and still make a profit.

Yup. This is where I'm at with it. It's not that it's a bad game, just not a great game IMO. Unfortunately the price is absurd for anyone that DOES really like it and wants to pick up a copy. I don't even think the whole SSB cameo is what's feeding the price inflation anymore. I think it's hype building more hype on top of a pile of steaming hype. It's like a giant, out of control snowball IMO.

[recorderdude]

It's coming out on japanese VC soon, so as a rerelease SOMEWHERE it should help lower prices slightly.

With that in mind, if you've got a copy and don't like it, SELL IT NOW. It's quite likely prices will never be as high as they are right now again.