Game of the Week: Earthbound

[DroganKain]

*Earthbound*

created by HAL Laboratories and Ape, Inc. for the SNES
review by Jonathan "jzd" Saddler
Aliens, psychic powers, companions, worthwhile enemies, and nighttime stuffiness...
Where else can you fine all these combined into one SNES RPG knockout? Nowhere but Earthbound. This underappreciated Nintendo gem richly combines a special mix of RPG elements: action, strategy, and latent humor - some of which that are rarely found in games nowadays

After a brief introduction to the small and simple town of Onett, we find our hero, Ness, waking up to a series of weird noises coming from the nearby mountains surrounding his house. (You might remember Ness from the GameCube hit, Super Smash Brothers Melee) Shortly after, he finds out that these sounds were those emitting from a strange glowing meteor, landed on the highest mountain in the area. Being the brave kid as he is, Ness searches around and finds a small fly-like creature who fills him in on all the info regarding the coming invasion, which will be led by one named "Gigyas." Now, Ness has been commissioned to journey throughout his and many other towns to snuff out Gigyas and foil his evil plans for Earth.

Gameplay: I'll divide this into two sections
Main: 8/10
The main gameplay is fairly simple: a walk, talk, and explore RPG with a turn-based battle system. Like in most games you start out with one character, one weapon, and no special powers. But as you progress, you gradually gain more experience, earning more levels and thus, more powers. There is a very wide variety of these - which means you'll be open to an even wider amount of attack strategy. You'll also learn helpful tips about how the world around you operates that you may not have noticed before. Plus around every major turn in the game there are new companions you can find and take along, each having their own special abilities.

Battle: 9/10
The battle system of this game is pretty innovative and satisfying. Unlike most games with turn-based battle systems, much of the battle strategy is used before the battling even begins. First, you won't have to worry about any random, pop-up battle sequences (no "a ___ has appeared"). All enemies are viewable - some easier than others - from the main exploring screen. This element allows for players to call upon an important strategy found in most turn-based battle games, first strike, which here depends on the direction you're facing relative to your enemy on the main screen as the battle begins. Also, another surprise you'll find when advancing down the road is the ability for enemies to group up and attack you at once. A useful strategy may be to lure enemies away from their groups and then attack.

The only drawback is that there are no tutorials, so hopefully you'll have some experience of turn-based battling before jumping into this one. Plus some battles may take forever to complete (if 30 minutes is forever), so get ready for some serious perseverance in this one, game lovers!

Difficulty: 8/10
It may not seem so when starting the game, but as you move on, you'll find it a lot easier to progress through the game by searching around towns and talking to the townsfolk. Luckily in this game, most don't carry on massive half-hour-long conversations, but you'll surely be luckier if you listen. More of the difficulty in this game comes from paying attention to detail. Some of the info you learn may even help more in battle than in game progress.

Audio: 7/10
The main music patterns are at good par with others on the SNES: it's not dynamic, yet is of good quality, and it goes with the game screen transitions. The same is true with the battle screens. The music may vary by the strength of the enemy, but it's pretty much the same. Even the boss music is good, but it's not so trippy that you'll begin to concentrate more on the music than the game itself.

Overall: 9/10
For a SNES game, Earthbound really stands out in my mind mainly because it's one of the few games out there that's more fun to play than it is to watch. Graphics are great, but when you really find a really fun game in this vast world of hyper technology, it's not hard to overlook the graphics and enjoy the ride. Highly recommended for any gamer who's ready for something more than just "another RPG."

Earthbound is far from normal. It's extraterrestrial.
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