I had tried Earthbound ages ago but didn't give it a proper try, until now that it got added to NSO, and this time I got mega hooked, finished the game in a single week. Let me tell you it doesn't just stand the test of time, but in fact if it came out today it would still be considered one of the best JRPGs ever made. That says it all. Take it from someone that really had no attachment to this IP.
I played it too, but it’s difficult to say it’ll be considered one of the best j-rpg. There’s a lot of things that didn’t stand the test of time. Like inventory, stutters and slow down, controls, and other things that would be hard for me to express correctly in english. But these things could be corrected. Loved the last couple of hours though.
no it wouldn't h=it has so many glaring flaws and horrible design choices, i=f it came out today it would laughed at and shat on. For good reasons too, its an incredibly amature game and Itoi didn't truly make the game he wanted until Mother 3 which would and should be praised today.
You really, really don't want this. You think you do, but you don't. They would censor a lot, change a lot of the dialogue to be memes, and it probably wouldn't feel like the same game anymore. You're better off playing the fan translation.
I'm so tired of people thinking they want that, when they actually don't. It's like no one is aware that to get the game the most lucrative T for Teen rating or even a preferred E for Everyone, Nintendo would have to butcher, censor and bowdlerize the hell out of the game just to get it past certification, removing MANY of it's most iconic assets and details, and generally being so inferior to the Fan-Translation that it would just receive more backlash and complaints than praise. Everyone THINKS they want this, but actually doing so would not only be an undue financial burden for Nintendo to put this much effort into a localization just to get massive hate in the end for doing what they'd need to do to the game, making it not remotely worth either Nintendo's time and money, nor acceptable or worth it to the fans. People just need to accept this can't happen, it shouldn't happen, it will never happen and just go play the translated rom, already. There's a reason Nintendo hasn't bothered to take it down in the over a decade it's been up for the public.
@NightStarXPlays Dude. Thank you. You are one of the many people to go in depth with the lesson of "Be careful what you wish for." Because people had apparently hyped games like Pokemon Sword & Shield and Pokemon BDSP only to find how shit they were. 😊
i just finished beginnings after they came to NSO. using save states and rewinding was a god send and made it a much better experience for sure. it's already my most played NES game now lol (32 hours)
The rewind feature is amazing for games like this. At an earlier point in my life I’d have thought it was cheating, but now as a parent of three young kids who has very limited time to play games, it takes a lot of the tedium out of games like this.
Absolutely - I'm in the same boat. Great to be able to avoid retreading monotonous old ground due to poor checkpoints, or even having to re-watch unskippable cutscenes when I get some precious gaming time.
@@marioluigibros.8176 I was making a point about games in general. There are a few parts you can't skip in Earthbound but they are very few and far between. Plus they are really short too. 🙂
EarthBound Beginnings aka Mother is a very impressive NES game. I played it on my Wii U last summer. Loved it a bunch would recommend using a guide though, It has some oldfashioned aspects like one will quickly see with the backpack inventory for that you need to often leave things with Ninten's sister. Plus some of the 'dungeons' in this one can be quite confusing without drawing/having a map. The music is an absolute treat. I absolutely loved the whymsical nature of following a boy and the friends he makes on their adventures as well as the stories regarding the kids' sudden appearing psychic powers and how beginning from a puppet various people, Anmials and other things start to act oddly caused by some Alien lifeform that seems to be related to Ninten's grandparents and get only more interesting as you find out more. Give that one a chance if you didn't before! I honestly admit, I had a great time with each game but would actually say that I prefer Mother over Mother 2 slightly. Could be because I didn't play that many other NES RPGs taht left me with that kinda impact as this one yet and when going into the SNES game afterwards, some aspects didn't grab me the same way even though it's definitely really good (thinking about it, I feel like the whole part of having savestates is very much contributing against most RPG frustration parts anyways and the way you approach things in the games might also leave you with different impressions). Hope to play "Mother 3" as well at some point anyways.
Earthbound beginnings was a pleasant surprise to play. I’m almost done as well. Tip: use Repel rings and buy lots of bread I’ll be playing Earthbound again once I’m done too! Never beat It but I shall on the switch
Yeah, l see a lot of people complain about EBB’s encounter rate but don’t seem to know about Repel Rings or Bread Crumbs. I don’t really blame them - the game doesn’t ever really bring them to your attention. However, complaining about these design problems without bringing up the options the game provides to mitigate them makes a review feel incomplete. I definitely agree that EBB has waaaaay too high an encounter rate, but Repel Rings really do help a lot with it.
I remember buying Earthbound when it was rereleased on Wii U and never even made it past Onett, and when I heard it was coming to Switch Online I audibly said "Alright, this time its for real." I just made it to Threed and loved every minute of the game so far.
I'm playing Earthbound for the first time and having a lot of fun. I agree that it's grindy, but the characters are just so good, the game is beautiful and the dialogue is so funny. It's a very charming game and i'm definitely playing until the end, and going to play Earthbound Beginnings right afterwards.
EarthBound is a really great game! So quirky, but still fairly relatable! My only issue is the speed. The game is too slow at times and that’s too bad. That doesn’t mean the game is bad though! I loved the game so much that I bought it both on New 3DS and Wii U!
just keep eating skip sandwiches, haha. Nah forreal tough, some of the slowdown is funny, like the Scaraba market place or if you confront a group of Fobby/foppys
"EarthBound is a really great game! So quirky" That's it, the only real reason people pretend this game isn't garbage. Its sooo quirky, well guess what quirky doesn't excuse shitty game design.
I love Earthbound Beginnings, but for someone looking to try it, I'd recommend the GBA version instead. Its localization is much improved over the Beginnings one, and it adds an item to help rebalance the amount of grinding needed. It may still feel like a chore at times, but is a much nicer experience for the average player these days.
Would the GBA version be a fan translation? Since as far as I know, the GBA version of both Beginnings and Earthbound (called Mother 1+2 in Japan) never ended up being localized.
@@amirgarcia547 Technically yeah it's a fan translation, but it's actually done by the guy who translated Mother 3, and is an actual professional. I was a fan of his work even before playing a translation of his, so really it's many steps above what people would think of a fan translation as being.
My first experience with Earthbound was when I borrowed my cousin's SNES Classic and spent hours on it. He took it back before I finished it, but I'm glad I can now beat it.
Earthbound is definitely worth playing if you haven’t already, since it’s a gem of a game that’s clearly inspired some of the most beloved and influential RPGs in recent years, including Undertale and Omori. Earthbound Beginnings though…even if it’s aged like milk due to being an NES RPG, it’s still worth checking out if you’re curious enough to see where the series started, and still has plenty of its much-improved successor’s charm.
I have never played Earthbound before, and only knew about it through Smash. One thing that always captivated me though was the Earthbound Music. Smash Bros has given us so many great music tracks from the Earthbound/Mother Series, and whenever I hear the original versions of some of those songs (in videos like this) it always makes me really happy!
I've played Earthbound back when it first came out on the Nintendo 3DS and it was a nice storyline with how the characters and the ways of it coming out on the SNES at the time in the 90's like yeah it would've been nice to play that game growing up back then and knowing about the game at the time but never had that game for SNES growing up to now with me already beating the game for the Nintendo 3DS but now that it's on the Nintendo Switch I just absolutely wanna go and start with Earthbound Beginnings and then play Earthbound again in line to how the story goes in the series of the franchise because essentially the storyline starts with Earthbound Beginnings being the first in the series rather then just playing Earthbound or in Japan Mother and Mother 2 is that storyline of how it's meant to play it and have a better understanding of what Mother really means for these incredibly good storylines that will make you feel a burst of emotions happy, sad, confused and down right shocked when it all comes down to dealing with where to go in the game and then the final boss for both of these series of games and it makes sense so definitely give these games a try if you have a Nintendo Switch with online and if not you're definitely missing out on two wonderful games for the series and I really hope Nintendo eventually decides to put Mother 3 or Earthbound Endings possibly in America I don't know but it has a nice ring to it maybe Earthbound 3 to the Nintendo Switch as well. 😂🤣🤷🏼♂️💯
I only just started playing Eathbound and the world and charachters are interesting but so far the combat sends me to sleep, I just kind of glaze over during battles. I'm on to the second town now really hoping it improves with more party members.
Definitely got both games downloaded on my WiiU, considering getting EarthBound for my 3DS as well to be able to play on the go. I haven't finished EarthBound Beginnings yet, but for EarthBound itself, I love a lot about the game, but I would've liked to see a more reasonable rare item drop rate, because I remember in a previous playthrough where I maxed out all my characters' levels just trying to get Poo's Sword of Kings in Stonehenge for literally hours straight. The 1/128 drop rate I hated so much for JRPGs like this game and Final Fantasy 4. There was a rumor going around back then about a compilation that all 3 EarthBound/ MOTHER games would be released in a single compilation release since there was a GBA release of MOTHER 1 + 2; I would certainly love to see that become a reality.
I beat Mother 2/EarthBound on NSO, I had a blast, it's one of the best Nintendo JRPG franchises ever made, I'm playing the original Mother and still having great vibes from these gems
I liked how talking to every NPC you could find was something useful in Earthbound Beginnings. Unless you were playing with a guide, they often gave useful pushes in the right direction. But oh man, if one more random NPC passes on their cold to Ninten...
Favorite game of all time and it’s under rated younger brother. Both are wonderful, and I have such cherished memories with both. So happy to see it get some attention!
I always feel compelled to play games in order (the only exception being Metal gear rising) so i picked up Beginnings on my wii U virtual console a few years back and I loved it but didn't finish it, i picked it back up when I heard it came to NSO and j haven't put it down since, i have a feeling im gonna get slightly emotional at the ending from what I've seen online
Thank you for this video! I enjoy the writing and how you all cover games. I’ve been extremely curious about these games so I’m starting them on my switch.
Had been looking for this game and thinking about getting a snes classic mini sold at target I owned one in 2018 glad I did some research now I can just get the switch
The earthbound series as a whole is a work of art. No copy pasted plots or corny NPCs (like pokemon games ugh...). I used a playguide and the games are so intriguing I'd put the guide down and would want to explore things myself. Mr.Ioto is the Mozart of jrpgs, and this is coming from someone who grew up and idolised the final fantasy series.
Think about it this way: EarthBound is an _incredibly_ charming and weird SNES-era JRPG which comes with most of the pros and cons of being a SNES-era JRPG. If you're into that, then you'll more than likely enjoy what EarthBound has to offer... ...EarthBound Beginnings (Mother 1) is a history lesson. You play it to get a taste of where the original EarthBound idea was coming from. Then you never play it again.
I played Mother 1 when it first came to the States on wii u and I really enjoyed it. I played Earthbound next and for the most part I wasn't totally conviced that part 2 is better than part 1 until I had both games done and completed. they are both great games and sometimes the music is better in part 1 and sometimes there are more memorable scenes in part 2. so I definitely recommend playing them both! ❤️
played earthbound and mother 3 like 5 years ago and they were goated games (3 being my favorite). ive been meaning to replay them recently, and this might give me an excuse. i personally havent been able to get into beginnings. i might give it another shot at some point.
EarthBound Beginnings isn't bad, but if you're a casual gamer who hasn't played any of the EarthBound/Mother games before and just want to see what all the excitement is about, you should absolutely skip it and go straight to EarthBound. Not only is it the one most people played (since it was the only one localized), but I feel like even if Mother 1 did release here, it wouldn't be the one that really grabbed people. EarthBound just improves on the original game in every way, ESPECIALLY with the encounter system moving from old-timey random encounters to overworld sprites that either aggro, mind their own business, or flee based on your level relative to them. But if you want to play EarthBound Beginnings as a curiosity, it's still a decent game, but is definitely more old-school so if you're not into old-school JRPGs, it might not grab you.
If you're here on NL, you probably know what I'm going to say: I played Mother 2 when it first launched and it's still a fucking masterpiece I love to play over and over and over. I hope more and more people (of the 100M Switch owners) get to enjoy this amazing game on NSO. ^^ While Itoi won't be making any more games in the future, I'm always curious if a remake will ever happen? Ah well. :) Btw I just realized Earthbound beginnings is my Dark Souls. :P
I'm replaying Earthbound Beginnings and I have to say I really like the story, characters, and atmosphere of the game. Mother 2 and Mother 3 are great, but Beginnings has a certain charm to it the others don't have. It has a ton of flaws, but its a game that could definitely benefit from a remake.
i'd say it's less challenging just tedious. I've lucked out that the sword of kings only too about 45 mins...3 star pendants took about 2 hours...it's taking forever for the gaia beam and magic fry pan and goddess ribbon.
@@olcloudy1618 it's annoying because if it's paired with the conducting spirit, I end up getting that 1/128 item, which is like a brain food lunch. Chompasaurs are annoying too because they're sparce in the underworld.
I remember when earthbound came out and i was the only person who played it. I never met a single person who had played it until probably a decade later.
It's surreal to have a legit review on Earthbound after all these years - it's still so surreal that Earthbound (plus a prequel I never knew about!) finally came to the West after all this time
“Has kid would think the puke monster was goofy and funny but I thought it was actually pretty stupid “ haha yea cause it’s a kids game haha but it’s still fun tho
I LOVE Mother series. Beginnings was meh, but that is to be expected as it was made so early in time BUT I DON'T REGRET PLAYING Beginnings at least once.
Earthbound is one of the only games I've ever purchased (Wii U Virtual Console) that I couldn't bring myself to finish. I feel the same way about it as I do Chrono Cross, in that I love everything about it except for the actual gameplay. The series of tedious things I had to do every time I died, before I could get on my way again, became too much for me to stomach anymore. That plus the grindy nature of it that Zion mentions here.
I got EarthBound a few years ago on Wii U, and I honestly couldn't get into it because the battle backgrounds gave me a headache. That being said, the scene near the start where the sun rises while "Pollyanna" plays is grade-A cinematography.
Maybe it’s just my age but I’ve never played through a NES rpg (not including Zelda). They just don’t look fun. I love SNES rpgs and it has some of the best OAT.
As a fan of 16-but JRPG I really tried to love this game, but the tedious and slow battle system with extremely high difficulty curve of enemies (a need for exp. grind) early on ruins this for me.
I think it'd be so awesome to be friends with Zion! I LOVE Earthbound!! I never got much if a chance to play it when it first launched. But one of my best friend's found a ROM online and that's how we were introduced to the Mother series!
I've never played Earthbound but I've decided to buy it on Virtual Console since the 3DS eshop is closing soon. I would much rather spend $10 once and have the game downloaded on my system than only have access to it with a subscription model. I hope they bring back Virtual Console someday 🙃
Earthbound was fun when I played it, but I reached a point where I couldn’t progress because the area was too strong and I couldn’t leave. That’s when I stopped.
@@denimchicken104 understandable. If you ever remember please let me know. I'm genuinely curious since, if you generally fight most battles you should level enough that you won't be overwhelmed at any given point. Eb's on the easier side of the rpg spectrum, especially since no random encounters, and you can't really get stalled, unless it was like a bootleg and they figured it out (see any video on eb's anti piracy methods)
@@thecunninlynguist off the top of my head, I think I was in a mall. I remember escalators. I think there’s a boss fight and maybe no means to level up or leave until the boss is cleared.
@videoluver7 ah. So I’m not entirely crazy. It was a fun game, but that part put me off. Just a little too old school jank for me to power through it when I have other things to do.
1:08 "Earthbound was sold poorly in the West, because of some higher price tag and a weird marketing." Is that it? So your telling me that's why it flopped so bad? Your telling me that a SINGLE PLAYERS GUIDE and a HIGH PRICE TAG were the reasons that Earthbound flopped so hard in the West?! IS THAT THE REASON WHY?!??!
Nobody knows why, that is a theory, the ads were weird also but still, also remember it was kids depending on their parents to chalk over the money, not like today where the 80’s and 90’s kids are grown up with their own funds
I utterly suck at these games because I poured hours into both of them but never picked up a second companion, let alone the whole team. What an off putting RPG game design "Let's have the player solo a team based RPG at the start." "Why?" "Because."
@UCmlwPNo8PJNJPZS-J7v-wwQ one that tries to pass itself off with an air of objectivity, yet is clearly rooted in nostalgic longing. Take your nostalgia goggles off. This game’s a 7/10.
There are people that don't emulate out of principle. I'm not one of them and will never understand that position, but this is a pretty good option for those people, especially since it comes with the cheaper, non-espansion pass service.
@@gilolaes4725 Especially because most people with Switch Online are paying for other reasons like the ability to play online. So they wouldn't be saving any money by emulating EarthBound because they would still be paying $20 a year for other reasons.
Most people would be paying for NSO to begin with in order to play online games, so at that point there’s no reason not to play them. Plus it’s only the emulation for N64 games that’s had issues (which isn’t too surprising since N64 emulation has always been dodgy af, even on the WiiU and Wii), whereas the NES and SNES games are entirely fine.
No, Earthbound and Mother are great ideas for games done so badly. People who like them ignore all of their flaws because they think being quirky makes up for shitty game design. Also the artstyle and music is good. Literally everything else is terrible, objectively. Play Mother 3 instead, that game is incredible and actually does what those games were trying, and failed to accomplish.
First of all thank you Nintendo Life for this incredible overview of the series! I feel like Earthbound Beginnings/Mother 1 gets a lot of flak compared to it's successors, sure it's not as refined as the other two, it can be *really* frustrating at times, but it has a simplistic charm which I find to be quite delightful, it has a very feel-good 80's vibe if you know what I mean. Plus the whole Giygas backstory the game has going for it is really cool, and the melancholy behind Maria's character is something I'm quite fond of, I might go as far to say that it's setting is my favorite in the series. It is true that the game doesn't quite live up to it's predecessors, but I believe that's due to all the limitations it has going against it, being on NES hardware and all. It's a fun ride if you can get behind all the clunkiness it has. My dream is for this game to get a remake that fleshes out its characters and story more, with a more engaging combat system, so that can live up to the other installments in the series. Earthbound/Mother 2 is really awesome but you've probably heard enough about it's awesomeness by now, so go play these incredible games already!! (Or don't, I'm not your Mom)
Actually it's surprising how much stuff they got right straight from the very first game, Earthbound is very much a much more polished version of it, or if you prefer, Mother feels like a prototype for Earthbound, which to be fair, it kinda is. With some Quality of Life features like faster text skipping and such, it would still be fantastic, and actually from an atmosphere point of view, I think it might in fact be better than Earthbound, it's downright creepy at times (possibly also because of the much more limited color palette), while Earthbound is certainly more fun and upbeat overall.
@@sfkapacheoutlaw5348 No, No, NO, NOOOOO The medium is not art. Just like books, movies etc. are not art in of itself. It has to simultaneously use the medium well and go beyond it to be art.
I always wanted to try earthbound. So I have started with earthbound beginnings... slowly losing interest... I probably should of just started with earthbound...
I'm one of the dozen or so people who actually bought Earthbound when it released in the US. It's been stuck with me ever since that summer; the music, the atmosphere, the overall incredible tone of real life seen from a off center perspective.
It's certainly far better than buying the SNES Classic just to play EarthBound, in terms of availability. If only it was able to be purchased separately like all the other SNES or NES games
@@knuclear200x I mean I’d personally gladly pay money to actually own SNES games instead of having a yearly subscription that won’t exist in the future, but that’s just me.
