How do you review a legend? Earthbound is revered as not only one of the best games of all time, but also one of the most influential. It came out in 1995 at the end of the SNES era, but you can still see shades of it in games being made today. It has a fervent cult following, and is in many hardcore gamers' “top games" lists. I never played it, so I have no nostalgic relationship to it. I can only tell you how fun it is by today’s standards, and it is fun. Boy, oh boy, is it fun.

In fact, if I had to use just one word to describe it, that would be the word—fun. This game is entertainment at its finest. There’s so much humor, creativity, ingenuity, and plain old wackiness in every hour of gameplay, it’s impossible not to have a smile on your face. I can’t think of a game that has made me grin, chuckle, or straight up break out laughing as much as this one. 

The humor is everywhere, too. There are so many ridiculous characters! For instance, early on there's the main character Ness' cowardly neighbor Pokey who joins his party, but every time he’s supposed to attack, he “Acts all innocent,” “Pretends to cry,” or “Smiles insincerely” and does no damage whatsoever. I was literally sitting on my couch in the middle of the night laughing my head off. I don't normally do that. 

The writing in this game is extraordinary, and it really shows in the clever dialog. I’ve played a lot of RPGs and my OCD forces me to talk to every single character possible, so when it comes to RPG dialogue I consider myself a pretty good judge. And I can honestly say I’ve never played a game with funnier dialogue. Just about everyone you talk to has something funny to say, or a game hint cleverly disguised in their speech. It adds a whole extra level of entertainment to the game.

The enemies you fight are also often hilarious. My favorite has to be the terrifying “New Age Retro Hippie”—do kids even know what a New Age Retro Hippie is? There are so many different kinds of enemies you battle in this game. You’ll be fighting: skater punks, crooked cops, cranky ladies, zombies, insane cultists, stinky trashcan monsters, robots, burping slimes, cockroaches, crocodiles, mushrooms, plants, cups of coffee, cavemen, and whole lot more. The variety is truly astonishing.  

The story, about a kid named Ness who goes on a journey to stop an evil alien, is quite surreal and the game is loaded with bizarre and humorous areas. I really got a kick out of the Happy Happy Village, which has been taken over by insane cultists who have a burning desire to…paint everything blue. (Of course!) Or the truly weird Moonside, which is a sort of neon disco version of a town where “yes” means “no” and people talk in gibberish.

The game’s not easy, either. Even some of the simple enemies will test your mettle. It seems like every other mob you fight has a way to infect the members of your party, making them take damage over time, or worse, attack each other. Some enemies can also duplicate themselves, turning a regular battle into an endurance test. And there will be times when a save spot or place to buy items is far off, so you’ll really have to watch your item management. I was surprised time and time again by how often my party wiped, or very nearly so, just from regular enemies.

And despite being nearly 20 years old, Earthbound has some game mechanics I would love to see in modern games. For instance, the “insta-kill” when you encounter an enemy far below your level and they have no chance of really damaging you. You just walk right up, and get a “YOU WIN,” without having to waste time with the whole battle procedure. I really, really wish modern developers would put this in their games, and save the gaming world a whole lot of grinding time.

The music is absolutely amazing. I can’t praise it enough. It’s just as quirky and surreal as the game itself. There are few games where I can honestly say the music matches the levels this perfectly. It’s masterful.

And the graphics have held up very well. Even on the giant screens we have today, this game looks sharp. Some of the older sprite-based games can look washed out a bit, but the art, colors and strong lines in this game still look great. It’s a testament to the original programmers. And if you want to tighten it up a bit, you can always play it on your Wii U controller screen.  

If I had to pick one flaw with the game it would be that it's a little unclear what to do next at times—probably because of its surreal nature. I'm guessing the developers must have realized this, because there’s a Hint House in every town so if you get lost, you can buy your way out of it for a meager price. A price you should be able to pay easily, because every time you call home to save, your dad puts money in your bank account. Pretty much the best video game dad of all time.

What else can I say about this game? It’s genius. It’s a masterpiece. It’s a blast. This is creativity at this finest. A bold work that says, “dash it all” with conformity. If you value creativity and humor above all else (as I clearly do), this game is worth a meager 10 dollars.

Hint: If you played Smash Brothers a lot, the game has extra added value, as it’s funny to see Ness and his hometown level in a whole new light. Although, this game still doesn’t explain his weird loopy jump! 

by Urian Brown