Earthbound - Pokey Means Business | Reacting To Video Game Music! 

Justin here, glad you liked it! Has no right to hit as hard as it does, but it does. Everyone else explained it pretty well below, but Earthbound really is an experience everyone needs to have.

The fact that this song produces like a legitimate thrash metal section on the SNES soundchip is so incredible to me, even to this day

I played this game as a kid and it's an absolutely unforgettable experience. Game includes and is not limited to: Police brutality Cults/mass brainwashing Body horror Cosmic horror I...probably shouldn't have played it as a kid but I'm glad I did I love the jams :D

When the extraterrestrial cosmic horror is less villainous than your sh*tty childhood friend who internalized all the abuse from his parents and jealousy of you.

2:30 I liked how the initial reaction was too headbang first then question wtf is going on after

ah yes, this guy, an abused child who, while longing for friendship, was a bit of an asshat as a product of said abuse. And then said asshattery of course makes the making of friends not go so well, until he is "befriended" by a cosmic horror alien corrupting minds as means of invasion, setting him against the heroes of the story with the intent to kill. He's 13 in this game by the way. Earthbound: Rated E for Everyone

your face on the first switch up is so priceless- this track is really special, and so is the mother/earthbound series as a whole :)

1:59 I love his face or expression when the hardbass starts kicking in lol

Earthbound/Mother series has such a unique soundtrack rarely ever replicated, but it did inspire some of my favorite soundtracks and composers.

Earthbound is, in a lot of ways, what you get when SNES-era game dev makes a JRPG by pulling inspiration from their perspective, as a Japanese person, of American culture. That is not a perfect summary, but the game is WILD. Call your mom so you don't get homesick, don't forget to hit up the ATM, and maybe you'll live long enough to go home for a nice plate of Steak

The transition to metal and your reaction made me laugh out loud. Everyone gets shocked at that part and I love it so much. The opening being very 8-bit is definitely a throwback to music from the NES games, especially because the final boss (that this song precedes) comes from the first game in this franchise that was on the NES. This game, Earthbound (Mother 2 in Japan) is on the SNES. And so, while they start with an older set of sounds, the metal transition is amazing and shows you what the SNES' sound chip can do. Absolutely love it.

Let me tell you...When I first played it, I left it on the boss fight to make a quick sandwich, I booked it to the couch hearing it play that rock riff. I thought my characters were dying

Lol 2:00, definitely had a similar feeling as a kid back when I played this. As for other versions, GaMetal did a pretty cool cover of this!

Porky is the overall main antagonist of the series (with the exception of Earthbound Beginnings/Mother 1), and he accompanies the final boss Giygas during this track. As the naturally selfish and posturing child in Ness' neighborhood, he was prone to Giyga's alien influence and corruption. To me it felt like the first part of the song represents a slightly somber descent into madness, and then the second half fully embraces and becomes aware of his own chaotic corruption (with this corruption staying with him in Mother 3).

"Porky/Porkey" is the original Japanese name (or at least what it seems like they were going for); "Pokey" is the way it was translated to English, due to a quirk of Japanese. Nobody is positive which it's supposed to be, but considering the character is basically Eric Cartman, I think it was probably "Porky". "I just don't know" is a pretty good way to think of Earthbound. Very unique, groundbreaking, wacky game. I hope you hear more of its bizarre soundtrack in the future.

Oh, I was waiting for _that moment_ when the main part of the song drops, I'm like "he's got *NO* idea what's coming..." and sure enough, it took him completely by surprise, just like it did all of us back in the day when we played for the first time. That's not the only time metal guitars are used in the game, though. There's several other themes, including ones associated with a band that you help out a couple times in the game, as well as a couple more battle themes (personally I love the battle against an otherworldly foe I think it's called). If you want more SNES guitars, look up Final Fantasy Mystic Quest... the Bone Dungeon/Pirate Ship theme, boss theme, and final boss themes. You won't be disappointed.

I vividly remember the first time I heard that transition to metal. I was actively searching my room wondering what the hell could have been playing over the chiptune on my phone.

Earthbound is a one of a kind game. It starts out simple enough with a kid investigating a meteor with his loyal dog, a friend (Pikey) and a "friend" (Pokey) and then goes intensely off the rails with cosmic entities, cultists, violent animals, the blues brothers, and zombies. The music is very eclectic but it all fits the moods at the time. Unfortunately they are all on a bit of the short side because they're meant to loop or transition into other stages and it looks like this particular song only took the first bit and didn't loop it completely. If you seek out a video of the final fight you'd get a better idea as to how the song is supposed to go.

1:56 The song summarized in a few seconds

And that drop is so friggin epic especially with its placement in the game. The whole soundtrack is glorious and breathtaking, especially as part of the play experience. The whole game is really light and colorful and whimsical until you get to that last cave. Then you're in a horror movie. Then the fight starts, and the music comes in all 8-bitty, then punches you in the face, and it's such a "wtf" experience. I gather you've played the game since doing this video?

I love the entire twist of this song and it doesn't sound like any other OST in the SNES library. There is also a really cool metal cover of it here on YT which handles the twist differently but still amazingly. I could post a link to it, if you're fine with it.

2:00 got me laughing at five in the morning.

My name is from EarthBound. It's my favorite game. The soundtrack is very eclectic and unique, especially for the SNES.

This song and this game have been actively in my brain for 30 years. It is incredible.

"That was so... weird!" Yeah, that pretty much describes this game's music.

earthbound's so good, could probably even do a playthrough of it & just enjoy the music along the way. a very music-oriented series if ya ask me

Was super excited seeing this in my sub box today, that switch up catches everyone off guard.

EarthBound veterans were waiting for 0:53 seconds

I played Earthbound when I was 8, and finished it at my current age, 16. Probably one of the best games I’ve ever played. Characters are amazing, music is a BOP, and overall story is great ! I love this game’s sense of humor and the end credits of this game is so bittersweet, that it made me cry. Definitely a must-play game for people who love pixelated RPGs

In case you haven't figured it out, this song was the main inspiration to create Toby Fox's Megalovania all the way back in 2008 for an Earthbound Hack before it was added in Undertale.

I'm sorry, but your reactions of surprise and confusion is both hillarious and awesome! I was watching with anticipation at the chiptune beginning thinking, "Just wait for it..."

Loved your reaction! Did you know that undertale was inspired so closely by earthbound/mother series?? Toby fox loved EB and Mother 3. Undertale's megalovania was inspired definitely by pokey means business. Megalovania im sure is well known by most of us; it was made first as "dr. Andonuts rage". Thats the final boss song from Toby's rom earthbound Halloween rom hack. He made his own game. Check out dr. Andonuts's rage, it rocks as good as this one!

Another good song from an older Nintendo song would be Galacta Knight’s theme from Kirby’s Return to Dreamland! It’s fairly similar to this song and is an unexpected (but loved) track in comparison to the rest of the Collective Kirby OST!

"What the fudge?!?!" "I don't know..." "that's so weird..." "I don't have any idea what just happened" Welcome to earthbound, I doubt anyone could say drugs wasn't in use when the game was made.

3:00 is like a fucking morbid angel riff

If you make it through earthbound without saying what did I just experience so much it almost looses meaning you didn't pay attention so yea your notes are accurate.

I've heard it said that Porky is the Japanese translation. Probably changed it to Pokey in America because of PC sensitivities, blah blah. Either name works :)

Look up the GaMetal cover of this song! Highly recommend it

Fun fact: the sequel, mother 3, was supposed to be for the nintendo 64, specifically for the disk drive add-on, the n64dd failed and mother 3 was pushed back, eventually being made for the gameboy advance. The prototype of the n64 version is considered lost media with only few footage and assets found.

It is actually one of the most unsettling mix-ups in a song. You can feel the body horror seeping through the music at this point. The charming exterior mashed with the sheer terror the game director felt when he snuck into a slasher movie as a kid. Also the trash is just metal

I barely know anything about this game, but the track's telling what's going on. Pokey must have been a normal or just a little odd but friendly male kid who got possessed or something. As the track goes, he becomes increasingly wilder and the most dangerous when the metal part begins.

The most badass snes moment of my childhood

Oh you gotta listen to "Master Porky's Theme" from Mother 3.

all i can hear is ran ran ruu

The MOTHER/Earthbound series has great music. Mother 3's Natural Killer Cyborg boss theme is something I think Jesse would be into.

SNES RPGs surprised the shit out of people with their quality of music. Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Earthbound, Act Raiser, Soulblazer, Illusion of Gaia, Super Mario RPG, all AMAZING soundtracks for their time. You should give the final boss of SMRPG a listen. Smithy.

Your reaction was much like mine when I first heard it.

Nobody has recommended “Natural Killer Cyborg” to this man?

At first i heard mashup of this OST, that named "McDonald's add" then I heard this song in one of "Super Mario World hack" video but only bedding. But when i found original track and heard his metal continuing i has thought: "There's should be metal cover of this cool OST!"

hey man, outlaws lullaby from Yakuza kiwami 2 is a banger.

I didn't play Earthbound all the way through, but it sounds to me like the music changes are different phases of the fight?

yeah boi, imagine being 7 on this boss. It was fkn rad.

ever heard moon over the castle from gran turismo 4?

God, when I have the money I'm introducing you to Contra Shattered Soldier

I have a few suggestions! Lord of a Dead Empire - Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia Aurum Island: Kid Icarus: Uprising Chasing Daybreak - Fire Emblem 3 Houses Few on the top of my head, each being very different songs.

Gaming is gaming for all gamers of all ages, but if you gamed in the 80s/90s, chances are you built kinda different in terms of gaming standards.

the thing about videogame music is that you need the context for the song, and with that i mean the only way to enjoy it at its fullest is playing the actual game

Woah, what? Is this game actually good, as in "it aged well and enjoyable for adults, too"? If that last part is metal, this is the first metal section / track I enjoyed a lot now, hearing it the first time. Usually, I totally hate metal.

This is the music where Pokey release Giygas an alien turned into a Spectral Swirling face that causes extreme fear and scary imagery turning into the shape of fetus to scare the player as it swirls like a possessed ultrasound Giygas says scary stuff as you inflict pain in him "I feel...... GOOD". "IT HURTS NESS....." "NESS... NESS... NESS... NESS.... NESS!!!!"

Noone said it here, so im gonna say it. The theme is longer but it got some phases. That means its just the first part.

Porky is the King!!!

Just to clarify, "Pokey Means Business" is a fan name made up back when the fanbase didn't have official Japanese names. I'm pretty sure "Stop existing" is the official name. All three "Mother" games, Earthbound is Mother 2 in Japan, have great music, though I like 2's the least, just like the game, but that's the opposite for most of the fanbase.

This is a children's game btw

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