EarthBound
1994
- role-playing (rpg)
- turn-based strategy (tbs)
- adventure
- action
- fantasy
- science fiction
- drama
- single player
The story
A turn-based JRPG and sequel to the then-Japan-only Earthbound Beginnings (1989) in which Ness, a young boy living in a land based on the USA, leaves home to go on an adventure through strange locations, get to know quirky characters, and defeat an unknowable alien threat called Giygas while facing up to the realities of growing up and becoming familiar with the real world.
What it’s like
Bright, bouncy pastels over wide suburban towns, with hand-drawn sprites set against richly detailed backgrounds, give it the feel of a sunny children's storybook that keeps turning slightly strange. The score is a jaunty mix of lounge, funk, and chiptune that loops easily in the background, then drops into eerie, detuned textures when the mood darkens. Text boxes arrive in a steady stream, full of deadpan jokes and oddball townsfolk, so the pace is unhurried and conversational, with turn-based battles that punctuate the wandering. Its tone is whimsical and wry, with a current of homesick melancholy about growing up, and it suits a lazy weekend, a comfort replay, or a long stretch of time to spare. Violence is cartoonish and low-stakes, with enemies that are more silly than threatening, though the late-game encounters with the cosmic alien Giygas lean into dread, warped imagery, and unsettling noise. It is for players who love quirky dialogue, gentle absurdity, and a nostalgic sense of small-town adventure that quietly reaches for something larger.
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