Why Every Adult Should Play Earthbound 

I hate to sound like one of those groggy “Kids these days” folk, but messages like the ones portrayed in Earthbound are ones I wish more people would be able to carry with them as they grow. Another great video

Craziest part is even Giygas wasn't always pure evil, just hurt by loss. Unlike Ness, he allows himself to give into hurt and evil and eventually becomes nothing but a mindless slave to that nature. Masterpiece game.

I haven't played Earthbound yet but there's a moment in Mother 1 when you're in Magicant and you can recruit these bird men from a random home in the middle of nowhere to fight with you. I did this and one of them died, nbd. Well then when you leave Magicant and come back and begin wandering through it again, you randomly walk past that house to find a cross buried in the yard, memorializing the fallen bird man. That was a holy shit moment for me.

You know, I've played earthbound last summer, and for a new experience it sure gave me a lot of nostalgia. It didn't bring me back to my childhood, it brought my childhood good back to me. Suddenly my whole summer felt like the ones I had as a little kid. I wasn't missing it, I was experiencing it. I don't know how Itoi did it.

In the same way that Mother 2 represents the feeling of growing into an adult, Mother 3 represents the feeling of being an adult.

It’s truly criminal how small your channel is but I’m sure it’s gonna get bigger with the quality of content you put out. I really enjoyed this and your MGS4 video and can’t wait to see what you do next.

This kinda reminds me of how i felt realising that im getting bullied after months of thinking those people were my friends, kinda sucks to be way more cinical than before that wake up call out of true childhood but it was long due i guess. Everyone has to grow up sometime

This literally changed ny entire perspective on earthbound. I thought this was just a fun RPG game, with silly enemies, now its like, not that way in the slightest.

I never thought "Ness" was "having the time of his life fighting these enemies". I always took it as a battle fate forced upon him... It was never much of a choice- it was a calling... A literal psychic call for help sent to him from parts unknown

I finished Earthbound this year and turned 18 slightly after that. Earthbound really does make you feel like a child, everything you see is stuff that made you excited as a kid; Heroes, magic, aliens, dinosaurs, zombies, vehicles, pyramids and so much more. And then, I remember the moment after I finished with Giygas. I really felt like for the first time in my life, I've became an adult. Earthbound sends you to a trip of living as a kid, then facing you against the absolute opposite. When you come out of it, you really feel like you've growen up. That it's time to take your experiences and continue to the next part.

Mother has been my favorite series for so so long and I’ve carried its messages with me throughout my life. I’m turning 18 in a month or so and now is the perfect time to be reminded of that. This was an excellent video.

I'm gonna turn 18 soon and I'm really scared. I'm hopefully going to be going to college soon and truly be on my own for the first time and I find that terrifying. That and the fact that I don't even know what I really want to do with my life. And while i'm still scared, this video put some things into perspective for me. Thank you for uploading this!

Yeah i know the feeling. I think what sets me back is "What dose it mean to be an adult?" i'm 20 years old and yet i still feel like i'm 16, I've got somewhat of a grasp of how to live in the world; but not know what it means to be an adult. I still like like childhood games like Spyro, Sonic, Jack and Daxter. But dose being an adult mean that i haft to stop liking such childish things? Do i haft to be an emotionless husk of what i once was to fit in with society? I'm currently at that stage. I think no matter what, it doesn't matter what people think of you; so long as you're happy. That's all the matters.

This is too underrated. People need to see this

I just noticed, seeing this, that I wasn't scared at all by adulthood, I knew everything it will come with, responsibility, pressure, the pros and cons, all of that, and even I already experienced a lot of them as young as a 10 year old child... I just noticed, I was being an adult when I was supposed to be preparing to be it, and maybe that's why the world was so dark and frustrating, so full of eyes criticizing me for "being something I wasn't", cutting me off from having my own opinion or saying when talking to them, and even now, more tan a decade later, it's almost the same, with the only difference that now I'm capable of defending myself and my loved ones, with my mental and physical strength.

I got this game in 1995 when I was 13. A massive category 5 hurricane came through and rocked our town. It was my birthday and I didn't get to celebrate it due to the fact that my family and I were evacuating. We spent 2 days hundreds of miles away from our house, and slept in our van in a parking lot. When we got back home, the town was in bad shape. We didn't have power or running water for a month. After everything got back to normal, my parents went out and bought Earthbound for me. None of us knew anything about the game. They just saw a Snes game in a giant box, and thought that it might make up for missing my birthday. They were right. 25 years later I'm still a big fan of Earthbound. It kept that whole experience from becoming a total nightmare. And yes I still have it, in the box with the guide.

I was thinking about that in past 3 weeks after I got my id. This video actually make me cry. Thank you!

you're gonna make me cry dude, i don't know how this didn't occur to me before. its so obvious! fantastic essay!

I'm looking forward to bingeing all your videos, so glad to have found your channel to open a new perspective for me on how to consume video games. Actually makes me think about what i'm playing rather than mindlessly playing.

I'm 15 and doing my first playthrough of this game rn, really excited for more

Im glad that your videos pop up in my recommendations

This was definitely an interesting take on the interpretation behind Earthbound, and for the most part I definitely agree with a lot of the concepts mentioned, such as the beginning showing a more innocent narrative that slowly becomes more warped as you progress. While I don't think it's as cut and dry as "This is all just pretend and a way to deal with the world's evils", it's easy to make the comparisons to play fighting considering the abstract silliness of a lot of the enemies, ranging from sunglasses wearing crows to overly aggressive people to straight up dinosaurs. Another concept I really enjoy thinking about for Earthbound is that it's a tale of a boy being thrust into a situation he was unprepared for. What starts as a child-like innocence towards the new goal slowly turns stressful. You learn that there are a lot of people who don't want you to succeed, even if your goal sounds genuine and good. For every friend you find that agrees and wants to help, you find an old friend who wants to get in your way now, or an enemy who is trying their hardest to stop you. There are times where it feels like you can't go any farther, and that the world is against you, like when you are thrown into a grave in Threed, only for a miracle to happen and you are saved by another friend who was also tasked with a similar, or even the same, goal against his will. Along the way, the boy who originally viewed his new goal with an innocent excitement now faces fear and stress of failure, and confusion on why so many people can do so many awful things to someone even if they've never interacted before. The boy learns that the world is harsh, and even those abstract and silly enemy encounters suddenly start to feel a lot more sinister or ugly. Despite the horrors of the real world, the boy and his friends confide in each other and keep going, knowing their goal is one worth pursuing, and are determined not to give up. They travel to different parts of the world, meet all kinds of people and make all kinds of experiences, good and bad. Finally they reach a point where they are close to the end, and something snaps in the boy. That sense of fear and stress and confusion bubbled into something nearly unbearable. Before continuing, the boy looks introspectively and wonders about himself and the world he lives in. He remembers his life and all the things that happened. He remembers that there were many good times and many bad times, but also remembers that a lot of the bad times were caused by misguided people. The world may be dark and harsh, but, for the most part, people try to be the best they can, and sometimes are unable to deal with the situations they are given and thus become those bad people we have to face. The boy gathers his courage and faces his Nightmare. The thought of failure, or becoming like them, of being a person unable to overcome the situation put on him and potentially becoming an obstacle for some other boy who is simply trying to do good. Despite the fear and stress, despite the desire to give up and go home and hide away from it all or take the easy route, the boy overcomes those feelings. Choosing to move forward and gaining the resolve to see things through to the end, he looks back to his friends, all of whom seem the same as before, yet he feels more powerful now. Despite their similar goals, those friends he connected with may not have gone through similar feelings of stress or maybe they just weren't able to deal with it in the same way he was. Either way, the group agrees to see the end through, and they go on to find their goal in sight. There is only one last obstacle but it's immense and overbearing. In fact, it almost seems like it's impossible to deal with. When it looks like those fears might finally come true, and that failure is almost assured, the boy and his friends remember that it's not just them fighting for this goal. Each of them have a multitude of allies, from family to friends to acquaintances they've met over the course of their journey, all willing to help them if need be. This final realization, that no matter how bad things get, no matter how dire the straits, there is always someone looking out for you, is enough to drive the boy and his friends forward one last time, overcoming the seemingly impossible and accomplishing their goal. They return home, goal completed, but most of the world in none the wiser. They are thanked by those who were involved, but not everyone affected knows or even cares about what they did. But that doesn't matter to the boy or his friends. All of them are proud of themselves and look towards the next part of their lives, no matter what it is. They can all always remember what they've done and the memories they've made along the way, even if they won't see each other again for a long time. The world goes on, seemingly unaffected yet changed for the better. Like your video states, Earthbound is a story of growth, but not quite in age, but purpose and feeling. What starts as a boy playfully moving towards this new goal, slowly warps into a trial of pain and suffering, gets mired in deep reflection and introspection and ends in the reward of a better place at the cost of an innocent mindset. Understanding the world is scary, and you won't always be able to reason with those who stand in your way, but for every terrible thing you find, there is good to be found as well. Friends or happy memories are the fuel that keeps us going, and leads us to our final destinations. It's only when we refuse to accept the pain and suffering, or when we are consumed by the fear and stress of it all, that we become like those we fought against. But if we work at it, get the help we need to overcome those fears, in whatever way it may be, then we can truly become the people who change the world for the better. That is what Earthbound has always been to me.

Nah man your wrong, I think teens got to play this game. I will always remember this game as my teenage game. I have so much nostalgia for this game, and I don’t think I would have the same feeling if I played it later on in my life. Also great video!!

You are absolutely right about how like... really, we do have the tools to protect ourselves from crumbling beneath the world's evil. I'd use the term "coping mechanisms" to describe a lot of it; we carry the things we dream about and enjoy as children into adulthood, and we can look back on those feelings and those dreams and those things that we enjoyed to continue helping us survive and to give us motivation to keep going in spite of the evil in the world. A lot of people don't realize that the silly things you do as kids are practice for real skills later on, as well-- for example, kids who draw wobbly MSPaint fanart and post it on deviantart, or who do warrior cats fan animations and post them to youtube, are practicing very real crafts that not only can help them cope with the world, but can also help them change it and influence it through what they later create. A child who starts drawing Sonic the Hedgehog OCs can end up growing into an artist who creates art that educates or gives comfort to people-- even if it's only one person that their art reaches, that's one whole human life affected for the better. People who write fanfiction can and do go on to create pieces of fiction that give people a safe place to recover in at the end of the day, or catharsis, or maybe even write nonfiction that educates people. This is a MASSIVE reason I get so incredibly angry with the concept of "cringe culture," and when people make fun of these kids and teens online who create this artwork. These young people are honing very real skills and we should encourage them, not break them down-- and, that aside, the world is cruel enough already. Let kids and teenagers do things that make them happy, whether you enjoy those things yourself or not. There's no reason to force more evil into their lives when all they're trying to do is have fun. Allow yourself to engage in "cringy" things that make you happy, too-- design shitty sparkledogs, write a selfinsert fanfiction if you want to, wear bad cosplay and like dumb movies. If something makes you happy, don't deny yourself that happiness because cruel people think you shouldn't. Life is so short, and so temporary; every single piece of happiness, however small or goofy or "dumb," is incredibly important, no matter where it comes from.

That makes sense why it’s called earthbound. It is saying that we are all stuck or “bound,” to earth and all of its horrible problems. Because of this we have to learn how to deal with all of the unfairness on earth. I’m 15 now and the world isn’t looking as nice as I thought it looked when I was 5

I got a good video from you recommended and thought it was one-off. Then I got recommended 3 great vids in a row and u got me. Subscribed :D

Never imagined that a video about a game can have me reflecting on my life with feelings I'm yet to comprehend. Not sure if I'll sleep tonight but great analysis and channel nonetheless.

Oh this video hits right to the point! First time l played EarthBound was in 2015, as a 12-year-old kid on an emulator because l saw Ness & Lucas on SSBB and thought EarthBound looked like a cool game to try. Played through it and oh man, even now as an 18-year-old "adult" l can't praise this game enough. It just has that something that no other game l've ever played has had. It is the only game in my life that has really ever made an impact on me in my personal life since it taught me about empathy and love for others while being strong and growing up. l had a really difficult time growing up and this game just gave me strenght and belief that things would always get better. Now, heading into my own adulthood it's all about staying positive, strong and kind for others. There will always be problems out there but all you can do is your own part. Thanks for this great video btw, excellent job :)

Wow, this video really gave me a whole new look at the game and taught me something about myself as well. Huge props to that. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Mother 3.

Truly a beautiful and touching video. Earthbound has been an important game in my life since I could remember. A lot of traumatic and scary things have happened, and this game helped me escape it all. It does a great job at keeping your attention and immersing you in a deep world that you can let other things go for a while. You explain why I love this game better than I ever could. I feel like this was a game made for adults with a child-friendly disguise.

Thanks for this it really hit home.

Was Ness supposed to be growing up throughout this game? This was such an obscure experience to have stumbled upon at a Blockbuster Video at twelve years of age. It changed the way I thought of games from there on. The first of its kind in my life. A modernized RPG, with a genuinely realistic take on the genre. This had been what I was looking for, and to this day what I hope to stumble upon still. Which! I have. There is a game for Android called Guardian Tales that has a very similar setting and even builds upon an almagamation of nearly every game I can recall playing in my childhood. You should check it out. We are about to kick off season 2!

Thanks for this video. I adore earthbound and I'm about to turn 18 myself.

The way you disected the enemies and why later enemies were just monsters was a completely new take to me. I loved it!

Damn this is truthful and sad in a way that I can enjoy and have hope that I can survive when I have fear, thank you

Mother 1: The experience of being a child Mother 2: The experience of growing into an adult Mother 3: The experience of being an adult

I've always hated when people call surreal JRPGs "Earthbound inspired," and I think you put into words exactly why. What's always made Earthbound amazing to me are all the themes of growing up, all the quirky bits being used to convey a message. That's why games like Lisa and Undertale gain the same following, and why other Earthbound-inspired games like Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass get left in the dust.

Earthbound legit my favorite game of all time down to the music the story the trippy backgrounds just like you mentioned the overall vibe of it makes it so human but insanely unique and extraterrestrial. Thank you for making a video like this currently replaying this for the 3rd time on my switch I had taken a similar message when you said adults have to battle giygas everyday the evil force that you must beat with the power of your own light and memory . This game is deep asf yo

This was one of the best games I have ever played. I really needed this video today. Thank you.

"Albeit a couple years too late." Don't ever tell yourself that. You're moving in the right direction and that's all that matters. You got this.

thanks for the assuring life advice, I am happier now, and even though I don't know anything about you, you have helped me on my way

Awesome video guy

This video is both existential yet inspiring.

Watching a Leadhead video leaves you more eloquent and introspective than before.

Next up: Why nobody should play Mother 3.

Thank you very much for the reassurance. Moving into adulthood is daunting, but I think I just need to understand what I'm facing more.

The first time I played Earthbound was when I was in my early teens, probably 14. What stuck with me the most was in the beginning when you get the map (or something like that, not sure) the character tells you that "you won't have to return it before the year 2001", in which the year 2001 was 'the distant future'. 2001 Was the year I was born. It's funny how a game made so much before my time still applied to me so well. I'm 20 now and I still remember that insignificant throwaway line.

youre videos deserve more views

Playing persona 5 right at 18 gave me a great growing up experience aswell

Great video!!!! Keep up the great work my man!!!!

Great rundown on my all-time favourite game. Thank you! Also Magicant is so cool. I could spend hours there

My god... this video man. I knew EarthBound was about growing up when I played it a few years ago but I never looked too deep into it. As an 18 year old currently transitioning into big important parts of adulthood this really touched me emotionally. Excellent video. This one's goin in my Important Videos playlist.

that last quote is everything and i'm so grateful i heard it.

I know nothing about the mother series and i've been looking to get into it but let me just say. that beginning part really hit hard

There's something strange and magical about EarthBound, that makes you feel like a kid again when you play it It has this strange magical feeling to it that no other game has, and that's why it can rival mother 3 as the best game in the series

I didn't even think any of that when I played Earthbound...

this video is amazing, congratulations. It changed my perception on Earthbound, and i hope it has the same effect for a lot of people. This deserves WAY more views.

Why tf did this make me cry at the begining

As a 19 year old I appreciate this video and this game now. Terrific work dude🙏👍.

Fantastic video, but that smoothing filter looks awful. Set the pixels free, I say!

I only found your channel now and I love it! Thanks for the video

It's never too late to grow, man. We're all on our own schedules. To quote a favorite Front bottoms song, "everyone blooms in their own time."

Used to be my favorite game, and still is, in a weird way, but I have to admit, after beating it so many times, I don;t know if I want to touch EB again.

as someone who will be an adult in 2 days, thank you for this video. it helped me out a bit

Thanks for the video. I turned 18 a couple of months back and was unable to have a big party due to the pandemic so i didn't "feel" that transition into adulthood. Admitedly, there's a lot I'm confused and worried about and I don't know when I'll think that I'm a proper adult. I suspect a lot of the people we looked up to when we're kids also felt unsure and anxious about their state of being too. I just want to be happy in life, that's all. This essay really put Earthbound in a different light for me and I want to play it so bad! (I've only watched LPs of the game)

I'm drawing parallels between your interpretation of this and the anime FLCL which is of my favourite arts on any medium. (First season atleast) Also. Your essays are amazing. I agree with and enjoy your perspectives on things. Though I sincerely think your perspective leads me to agree with you more often than not.

I just finished playing earthbound (SNES) on the switch, its a very interesting game. It sure did went dark later in the game lol Will be planning on playing mother 3 probably in a month or so

Hey, I know this video is old, but I just want to say thank you. I'm turning 18 soon, and this video has helped me more than any advice anyone has ever given me. I'm not a very emotional person, but I cried at the ending of this video, simply because it hits too close to home. You really helped broaden my perspective of what adulthood is. So... Thank you.

I just love how frickin well that was said. It was just.. the world changes people. And people change the world.

As a side note, The Happy Happiest cult was and is a real cult in Japan. They are listed as a terrorist group and are responsible for the 1995 nerve gas attacks on Tokyo trains.

8:48 you're 18 and you're at the store one day, and someone calls you "sir" WHAT THE FUCK, HOW'D THAT HAPPEN? SHIT YOU MEAN I HAVE TO ADULT NOW?!

I feel like i've been kicking adulthood in the ass pretty well. by simply remembering to laugh, live, forgive yourself and others, and move on. life is short, you dont need to be a fucking depressed zombie to get through it, so make the most of it, and you will do just fine

Ok but why the hell am I fighting the MOON! UNDERGROUND!

"you cannot truly stop evil you can only learn how to live with it" i want to put that quote next to an image of gygas so i can slowly laugh away the fact that i had nightmares of that boss as a kid.

This was powerful

That's the one game that makes children shocked but makes adults depressed.

You know, I turned 18 a few weeks ago and...I've always been so scared, this video was way too close to home and it got me more emotional than I've thought when I clicked on it and I kinda want to thank you for it, thank you for doing this and making me see that, even if sometimes it's too much, I'll be able to bear with it, thanks

I’m not surprised if Earthbound doesn’t come to snes Switch. But now seeing this, it makes sense.

This video in my opinion is one of your best

You had me at the Civvie11 shout out. EB too now I discover? Sub'd. The YT algorithm did good for once.

I think every sentient being in the multiverse should play this game.

All these things american youtubers talk about, about teen angst, growing up and stuff... I just can't relate. But then again, worst thing I ever gone through is my grandfather dying. I wonder if I've missed out on something

I wanted to talk about a dolly yet creepy game and instead went on the most existential moment of my life and came to terms with my past and future

I’m honestly terrified

Me: being at my psychological breaking point due to constant harassment and bullying as well as physical abusement in school, who learned just to give a flick about anything My family not caring for me: wHy So SeRiOuS? YoU'Ve GrOwN tOo FaSt iNtO aN aDuLt! Me, still giving a flick about them at the age of 25: who are you for holding such a speech? The Joker Club Inc?

8:23 I thought they were smiling at first too, but no, they never smile. The only time Ness smiles is when he uses the bike or takes a picture.

that's seriously the best video I've ever seen

Earthbound looks smoother than I remember

I couldnt finish it, i stopped when they all had to *transform*. I was like 'nah, theyre children, why did this have to happen'

Not just adults, I think every person in the world should play this game. It's message is so powerful and universal, capable of touching anyones heart, through the music, the story, and the love put in the games.

Unrelated to your video, but I remember watching a streamer pause their stream to contact their father after saving and talking to the in-game dad

As a kid playing Earthbound i feel honored

"As adults, we've outgrown those mothers." Hehe.....yeahhhhhhhhhh.

This really touched me

I always looked at the fight backgrounds as Ness seeing an enemy but coming up with a way to make it a bit more pleasant, with colors and patterns, but when he gets to Giygus, he *is* the background. Once you get to that point your enemies are enemies. It’s not a game anymore, and there can be brutal consequences compared to when you were younger.

Giygas symbolizes birth and with birth all the evils are experienced beside the good things we experience. Notice how Giygas has the shape of a baby/fetus. Once you are born you leave the protecting womb and are left with the feeling of wanting to return to that place of safety again (death wish). Thus, birth and death are mirrors of one another and Ness and Giygas represent these symbols.

Great video, although I personally can't familiarize with any of the points made in it. I cannot think of a single instance when I would have been scared or even word for word worried of my life. I'm not even doing that great for a 25-year-old objectively speaking. Every now and then I find myself wondering, if I really did have a super easy puberty or did I actually have some angst that I have forgotten since. I guess this answers that. Maybe I line up with cynicism. I don't really see a point in trying to find a reason for why the world is skewed nor a cure, it just is and I find mostly humor from it and embrace it intriguingly. Maybe it's just realism, I wouldn't really know.

i played these games on psychedelics my senior year of high school, had a great time and learned a lot about life.

my older brother had his name as ness and he just graduated from highschool and they named him that bc they really like eb

Damnit man, you're gonna make me cry