Author Topic: An EarthBound topic (Read 8440 times)

coolkid · « **on:** August 22, 2009, 03:13:50 PM »

I ended up in love (figuratively, of course) with a little SNES RPG called EarthBound. Basically, you're a psychic kid named Ness (the one you may or may not have heard of in Smash Bros.) and the rest of his crew: Paula, Jeff, Poo (So help me if someone already starts laughing about his name!), who have to fight this ungodly abomination of a final boss known as Giygas. It's an alien (yeah, I know, cliche, whatever), or at least was before it lost it's mind and body from evil power. It's a very lighthearted (with the exception of the OH GOD FREAKY Final Boss), hilarious game with cartoony, simplistic graphics. Discuss, stallions, and sorry for the abundance of parenthesis.

penguinwizard · « **Reply #1 on:** August 22, 2009, 04:45:22 PM »

...stallions?

Anyway, yes, we know about EarthBound. It's still a great game. I got it from Funcoland after I unlocked Ness in Super Smash Bros. It was my second RPG after Super Mario RPG. Loved it so much that I ended my pointless grudge against RPGs and started playing other RPGs like Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger.

And yet, in all honesty I can't really say anything about the game stands out compared to the others I've played. It has a unique goofy tone, yes, and you get to beat up hippies and slugs and Kisses of Death. But none of it seems to regularly come up when reminiscing about RPGs, except for the Crested Booka creature. I think what I have more memories of is how half the playtime is taken up by level grinding. It was enjoyable, but man did it take forever to get anywhere in it. Mother 3 was a little better about the pacing (supposedly it depends on how good you are with matching the battle rhythm. I wasn't, so I had to level grind for hours), but I didn't think the locations were as great and I'm sure never going to remember Flint or Duster compared to Paula or Jeff. And I sure hated the enemies in Mother 3 for just being animal parts thrown together as opposed to the more imaginative enemies in EarthBound.

I guess it was more a good stepping point for getting introduced to RPGs. And I like turn-based battle systems. Oh, that's one thing I liked about EarthBound that stood out from the rest: those psychedelic battle backgrounds. It found a way to make an otherwise static screen interesting.

Mr. Wiggles · « **Reply #2 on:** September 02, 2009, 05:02:39 PM »

I'd like the game a lot better if it wasn't horribly overrated by its extremely rabid fanbase.

Nonetheless, its pretty unique for its genre but the strictly turn-based battles really pull me out of the game. I'm a bit more partial to Mother 3 even if I can't seem to beat it.

BP · « **Reply #3 on:** September 02, 2009, 05:53:48 PM »

Giygas is becoming a meme and I don't like it.

EarthBound is my favorite in the series. It has something MOTHER 3 doesn't and I'm not sure what. And MOTHER is just plain primitive.

ShadowBrain · « **Reply #4 on:** September 02, 2009, 07:25:24 PM »

A meme? How do you figure?

EarthBound was weird and cool and I don't know why Nintendo keeps putting so much Mother series stuff in the Smash Bros. games if they refuse to otherwise acknowledge its existance in America.

CrossEyed7 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 02, 2009, 07:49:49 PM »

Because Hal and Sakurai love Mother. Actually, Iwata likes it too, which is why he won't let NOA change the songs they'd have to change in order to get it released in America. Doesn't want them to screw with the game's original vision or something. And Reggie supposedly likes Mother 3.

PaperLuigi · « **Reply #6 on:** September 02, 2009, 09:42:08 PM »

Giygas is already a meme I'd say. He's featured in about a zillion stupid videos on YouTube.

Glorb · « **Reply #7 on:** September 03, 2009, 02:32:13 PM »

Jesus ****ing balls, just because you hear about something more than once does NOT make it an internet meme (which is what you mean). A meme, technically yes, but not an internet one. By your definition, Abe Lincoln, hair, Coca-Cola, Metal Gear Solid 2, Burma, and my skin cells are memes, too.

So stop with this whole "x is becoming/should be/will be a meme" crap.

The Guy · « **Reply #8 on:** September 03, 2009, 05:00:17 PM »

Earthbound is the one reason I might get an SNES, AND the one reason I'm considering not to. (Giygas is hella creepy)

PaperLuigi · « **Reply #9 on:** September 03, 2009, 06:16:30 PM »

Quote from: Glorb on September 03, 2009, 02:32:13 PM

Jesus ****ing balls, just because you hear about something more than once does NOT make it an internet meme (which is what you mean). A meme, technically yes, but not an internet one. By your definition, Abe Lincoln, hair, Coca-Cola, Metal Gear Solid 2, Burma, and my skin cells are memes, too.

So stop with this whole "x is becoming/should be/will be a meme" crap.

Is this specifically addressed to me? Sorry if I offended you.

Glorb · « **Reply #10 on:** September 03, 2009, 06:27:35 PM »

It was aimed at BP primarily, but thanks for your concern. It's just that everyone here is suddenly trying to will everything into a meme and it's obviously a conspiracy to P me O.

SolidShroom · « **Reply #11 on:** September 03, 2009, 07:05:22 PM »

"x is becoming/should be/will be a meme" is becoming/should be/will be a meme.

Weegee · « **Reply #12 on:** September 03, 2009, 07:15:15 PM »

The above post should be a meme.

Mr. Wiggles · « **Reply #13 on:** September 03, 2009, 07:33:23 PM »

Quote from: The Guy on September 03, 2009, 05:00:17 PM

Earthbound is the one reason I might get an SNES, AND the one reason I'm considering not to. (Giygas is hella creepy)

Seriously?

There are many more reason to own an SNES beyond Earthbound. I'm well aware a large chunk of its library is available in compilations, downloadable services and ports but none of them can capture the feeling of playing in front of an SDTV with that perfect controller in your hand, with the sun setting to the east of your house.

At least, that's how it was for me when I was young.

CrossEyed7 · « **Reply #14 on:** September 03, 2009, 07:38:11 PM »

Quote from: Weegee on September 03, 2009, 07:15:15 PM

The above post should be a meme.

So you're saying that saying that saying that something is becoming a meme is becoming a meme should become a meme?

Chupperson Weird · « **Reply #15 on:** September 03, 2009, 08:39:32 PM »

Playing SNES is making time reverse?

Mr. Wiggles · « **Reply #16 on:** September 03, 2009, 08:55:04 PM »

Physically it can't but the sense of wonder I had as a child always seems to flood back whenever I turn on my SNES.

Now quit trying to ruin my nostalgia moments I have very few of them as it is.

Chupperson Weird · « **Reply #17 on:** September 03, 2009, 09:18:19 PM »

No dude, I agree with you on the sense of wonder.
I just wanted to make sure I understood what you meant.

Weegee · « **Reply #18 on:** September 03, 2009, 09:31:05 PM »

Don't you guys know that it's the Virtual Boy that can be used as a time-traveling device, and not the SNES? Ugh!

BP · « **Reply #19 on:** September 03, 2009, 09:38:32 PM »

I can justify what I said. Giygas is not becoming the "funny" (as if) kind of meme. He's just become one of those things "ohh he's so creepy" or "ohh he's so enigmatic." Kind of like how everyone loves the Companion Cube and thinks Luigi is neglected.

PaperLuigi · « **Reply #20 on:** September 03, 2009, 10:35:47 PM »

Those attributes are not memes though.

Chupperson Weird · « **Reply #21 on:** September 03, 2009, 10:38:18 PM »

Yes they are, just more unintentional because people think it's hip and cool to love the companion cube and to consider Luigi neglected.

Mr. Wiggles · « **Reply #22 on:** September 03, 2009, 10:41:49 PM »

Luigi's so neglected that you have to unlock him in recent Mario platformers, he has to share box art space with the title character and even worse, most Mario memes have some sort of relation to him.

I remember when Luigi was cool because he wasn't cool. No everyone thinks he's like the greatest Mario character or something.

ShadowBrain · « **Reply #23 on:** September 03, 2009, 10:46:03 PM »

Quote from: Mr. Wiggles on September 03, 2009, 10:41:49 PM

No everyone thinks he's like the greatest Mario character or something.

I think some everyone do...

PaperLuigi · « **Reply #24 on:** September 03, 2009, 10:51:44 PM »

I actually hate Luigi. Sort of.

ShadowBrain · « **Reply #25 on:** September 03, 2009, 10:59:32 PM »

...Do you hate paper as well?

Mr. Wiggles · « **Reply #26 on:** September 03, 2009, 11:19:59 PM »

Quote from: ShadowBrain on September 03, 2009, 10:46:03 PM

I think some everyone do...

That was MaxVance's deplorable gimmick. Don't revive that terrible trait again.

ShadowBrain · « **Reply #27 on:** September 03, 2009, 11:25:02 PM »

Wait, what? Gimmick? Hey, I'm just poking fun at typos here.

PaperLuigi · « **Reply #28 on:** September 03, 2009, 11:58:42 PM »

Quote from: ShadowBrain on September 03, 2009, 10:59:32 PM

...Do you hate paper as well?

Paper and I go way back, so no.

penguinwizard · « **Reply #29 on:** September 04, 2009, 12:04:27 AM »

Now that you mention it, turning Luigi into a weirdo or superhero does seem ridiculous. Maybe they wanted to distinguish him from his brother... but they went too far.

Since Gigyas is the end boss and you never see him before that, maybe we can get off Gigyas and talk about the vast rest of the game? It's got some wacky enemies.

People who have played through the early parts of the game should understand this comic. I find it to be one of the funnier EarthBound comics.

The Chef · « **Reply #30 on:** September 04, 2009, 06:56:39 AM »

I've been under the assumption for quite a while that the writers make Luigi into the incapable chicken-livered comic relief as a way to counter all his obnoxious fans.

ShadowBrain · « **Reply #31 on:** September 04, 2009, 07:23:00 AM »

Places in EarthBound that confused and/or disturbed me:

--Saturn Valley
--Moonside
--The build-up towards Giygas/Giygas itself
--Those coffee/tea breaks

Also, penguinwizard... yeah, pretty funny. Of course, just about any RPG or game is ripe for an item-in-enemies gag.

coolkid · « **Reply #32 on:** September 29, 2009, 04:44:37 PM »

Quote from: Weegee on September 03, 2009, 09:31:05 PM

Don't you guys know that it's the Virtual Boy that can be used as a time-traveling device, and not the SNES? Ugh!

Dude, everyone knows it's a Game Boy (only with a blender, however), which can also be used to travel to many different universes.

But for real, what could POSSIBLY be disturbing about Saturn Valley?

Turtlekid1 · « **Reply #33 on:** September 30, 2009, 07:52:57 AM »

It disturbed me how awesome the music was, in comparison to the rest of the game's "just-okay" soundtrack.